This Easy Milk Barfi Recipe is the perfect 30-minute dessert recipe to have on hand for special occasions. This popular Pakistani and Indian Sweet Treat is a favorite at all festive occasions such as Eid, Diwali, Holi, and family weddings!
This easy milk barfi is the Pakistani version of milk fudge and is always served on Eid along with Sheer Khurma. Growing up in Pakistan, fresh milk barfi and gulab jamun were purchased from the mithai (sweet) shop for all special occasions. Living away from home I've always tried to keep this tradition alive and made my own sweets on special holidays.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Gluten-free dessert -This milk barfi is one of the easiest and best gluten-free no-bake dessert recipes you’re likely to find.
- Quick recipe - Ready in less than an hour {including chilling time} makes this a popular recipe during festivals and celebrations.
- Easy to source ingredients - The primary ingredients for this recipe are easy to source. You won't need to go to any specialty stores for this one.
- Perfect dessert for parties - This dessert is perfect for a themed event. Your garnishes can match the color scheme and occasion.
The ingredients
- Ghee - Using ghee is essential in order to get the right texture for the easy milk barfi. This is one time that I won't suggest using an alternative.
- Full Fat Milk - Fat is essential to a rich and luxurious dessert. I always recommend full-fat milk for this and all of my other desserts like my pumpkin halwa or my carrot halwa
- Milk powder - Authentic barfi is made with ‘grated khoya’ or milk solids. Since those are often difficult to source here in the USA, full-fat milk powder works as a good substitute. This isn’t always easy to source, with Amazon probably being your best bet. The full-fat milk really gives the barfi that authentic ‘mithai’ shop taste.
- Sugar - I use granulated sugar in my barfi recipe and let it melt directly in the mixture.
- Cardamom - As always, with any of my recipes, like my Nankhatai (shortbread cookies) I don’t recommend store-bought cardamom powders. Buy the whole pods, extract the seeds, and crush them fresh! It makes a huge difference to the essence and taste of a recipe. Cardamom pods are available at all South Asian Grocery Stores, on Amazon, or on another favorite of mine savoryspiceshop.com.
- Nuts for garnish - Pour the milk barfi mixture into the baking tin to set and sprinkle your almonds on top.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Substitutions & variations
- Switch out the garnishes - For special occasions, like Eid, Diwali, or a wedding I like to add rose petals and some ‘Chandi Ka Varq’ {edible silver leaf} to my milk barfi. I’ve actually tried gold leaf as well and it looks beautiful! Some people get really adventurous and even add assorted dry fruits and rainbow sprinkles to their barfi!
- Try a different aromatic - Traditional barfi is made using cardamom but I’ve seen recipes that use vanilla essence or rose water instead.
- Add additional flavorings - Add an additional flavor to your milk barfi. For example Kaju barfi, Chocolate barfi, Mango barfi, Pista barfi, Coconut barfi, Badam barfi, or Cashew barfi.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1 - To start off, heat some ghee on medium heat in a non-stick pan.
Step 2 - Once the ghee melts, add the milk and continue to heat the mixture till it is at room temperature.
Step 3 - At this point, start adding a small amount of milk powder at a time. Make sure not to add in the powder all at once or else it will clump together.
Step 4 - As the milk continues to heat to a higher temperature, keep adding in more milk powder. Use a whisk to smooth out any granular pieces.
Step 5 - Add in the cardamom and as soon as the barfi mixture starts bubbling lower your heat. A higher temperature takes less time, but slow cooking while constantly stirring on a low flame yields better results.
Step 6 - Add in half the almonds while the mixture is slow cooking. I like to do this so I get almonds in every bite. The milk barfi tastes so much better this way!
Step 7 - Continue stirring till the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan. You don’t need a thick dough-like consistency, but the mixture should pull together into a ball.
Step 8 - Next, run a TEST to make sure the milk barfi sets. Take a small piece of the mixture, put it on a plate, and place it in the fridge. Remove it after 30 seconds and see if it rolls into a smooth ball. If it does, your barfi will set into a ball. If it doesn’t, turn the heat back on and cook the mixture and thicken it a bit more.
Step 9 - Once the mixture is ready, place it in a greased pan lined with parchment.
Step 10 - Flatten and smooth the surface of your milk barfi as well as the edges with a spatula.
Step 11 - Top with the garnish, and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Step 12 - Then remove the entire block of milk barfi and cut it into square or diamond shapes.
Expert Tips
- Use the right equipment - I like to cook my milk barfi in a wide nonstick pan. Once the barfi is ready, you will need to transfer it to a greased pan. I use a square or rectangular baking pan that I grease and then line with parchment paper. This makes it easy to pull the barfi out once it sets.
- Constant stirring & controlled heat - Now the (slightly) tricky part, is the actual cooking! The two most important things to control are the heat & the mixing. Have all your equipment and ingredients set up before you start to cook. This allows you to focus on constantly stirring and monitoring the heat as necessary.
- Keep extra milk on hand - At times getting the barfi mixture perfect can be a bit of a struggle. I recommend keeping a few tablespoons of milk on hand. Add a tablespoon at a time, as necessary, to help get a smoother batter.
Recipe FAQS
you probably need to cook the mixture longer. Just return it to the flame and let the liquid evaporate a bit more.
You overcooked the mixture. Overcooking can dehydrate the mixture and lead to a dry and chewy milk barfi. Remember that with most things, they continue to cook a little even after you turn the stove off. So be careful not to let the mixture overcook in the pan.
This could be because you have too much sugar in the mixture, or because you need more fat. In either situation, add more Ghee and it should resolve the problem.
Take the mixture off the heat for a split second and use an immersion blender to smooth out the clumps! Works like magic! But remember that the mixture will and is supposed to have a slightly grainy texture. That is what will make it taste like authentic khoya (milk solids) barfi!
You can store your barfi in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
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Easy Milk Barfi Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup ghee
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 cups full fat milk powder
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 7 pods cardamom (see notes)
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp almonds (see notes)
- 1 tbsp rose petals (optional)
- edible silver or gold leaf (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the ghee till it has all melted.
- Add the whole milk to the ghee and let it heat so that the milk powder dissolves in it well.
- Start adding in the milk powder a little at a time to avoid clumping and whisk till it is all incorporated. (see notes)
- Add in the sugar and stir till it is all melted.
- Keep stirring constantly at medium low heat till the mixture starts to thicken.
- About halfway through add in the cardamom and half of the almonds and continue to stir.
- Once the mixture starts to come away from the sides of the pan, keep stirring for a few more minutes till you have a soft doughy mixture in the center of the pan (see notes)
- Turn the heat off at this point to avoid overcooking and take ½ teaspoon of the mixture and put it on a plate.
- Chill this small amount in the fridge for a minute and then see if it rolls into a smooth ball. If it does, your mixture is ready to be poured into the baking pan.
- Grease your pan with nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper.
- Spoon the mixture into the pan and smooth it out with a soft spatula to fill out all the edges and have a smooth surface on top.
- Sprinkle the remaining nuts and pat them in a little bit to stick to the barfi.
- Add the rose petals, silver leaf or any other garnish at this point as well and place the barfi in the fridge to set.
- After a minimum of 30 minutes, remove the entire slab of barfi carefully from the tin using the parchment to lift it out and cut it into squares or diamond shaped pieces.
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