Looking for a recipe for Diwali that works the first time? This roundup has 60+ tested vegetarian Diwali dishes: mithai, snacks, appetizers, mains and drinks, so you can plan your whole Diwali food spread in one place. Every recipe has been cooked in my kitchen, and many can be made ahead.
Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, November 8 (Lakshmi Puja). The five-day festival runs from Dhanteras (Nov 6) to Bhai Dooj (Nov 10). Most sweets and snacks below keep for days or weeks, so you can start early.
Short on time? Start with these:
- Peda with Milk Powder: ready in about 15 minutes
- Coconut Burfi: under 30 minutes
- Sooji Halwa: three ingredients
- 2-Ingredient Mango Ice Cream Burfi: no cooking skill needed
- Air Fryer Baby Potatoes: a fast, festive appetizer
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About Diwali Food
Diwali food is all about sharing. Kitchens fill with the smell of ghee, cardamom and frying snacks as families make sweets, crunchy snacks and festive dishes for guests, neighbors and gift boxes. Deepawali food (another spelling of Diwali) is typically vegetarian, and every recipe here is too.
A traditional Diwali spread has five parts: sweets, crunchy snacks, chaat or appetizers, a paneer or dal main with puri, and a drink. Diwali, the Festival of Lights, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
Diwali is my favorite festival. I grew up with diyas lit around the house and my mom's sweets and snacks coming out of the kitchen. I'm Sindhi, so you'll find a few Sindhi favorites here too, like Dal Pakwan. Happy Diwali!
More festival recipes: Holi Recipes, Janmashtami Recipes, Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes
Diwali Sweets
No Diwali is complete without mithai. These are the classics: burfi, halwa, kheer, laddu and gujiya, plus a few lighter options (air-fried gujiya, jaggery sweets, no-cook shrikhand) so you can build a tray that fits your table.
Looking for more? Browse all Indian Desserts.
Diwali Snack Recipes
Diwali snacks (farsan and namkeen) are what you put out for guests all week. Make the crunchy ones ahead and store them in airtight containers, then add a hot, crispy snack on the day.
Make-Ahead Diwali Snacks
Hot & Crispy Snacks for Guests
Diwali Appetizers & Chaat
A good Diwali spread needs savory starters too, especially if you're hosting. Serve these with Tamarind Chutney, Green Chutney or Coconut Chutney. See all Indian Appetizers for more ideas.
Diwali Main Dishes
Anchor the Diwali spread with a few hearty mains. Pick one rich dish like Paneer Butter Masala or Dal Makhani, add a dry sabzi, and serve with puris or naan for a complete Diwali thali. More ideas in Indian Vegetarian Curries.
Diwali Drinks
A festive drink balances all the rich food. Pick one milk-based drink and one refreshing juice.
Lighter & Gluten-Free Diwali Options
Hosting guests who want something lighter, gluten-free or low-carb? Add one or two of these beside the mithai. The steamed options are not fried.
Planning Your Diwali Menu
Not sure where to start? Build your spread like this:
- Sweets (pick 3-4): one burfi, one halwa, one milk-based sweet like kheer or basundi, and one lighter option like shrikhand. See Indian Desserts collection.
- Snacks (pick 2-3): one fried classic like shakarpara or chakli, one air-fried option, and one hot snack like pakora.
- Appetizers or chaat (pick 2): one hot item like paneer tikka and one make-ahead chaat like dahi vada. Checkout this Indian Appetizers recipes collection for more ideas.
- Mains (pick 2): one paneer or dal dish and one dry sabzi, served with puri or naan. See Indian Vegetarian curries
- Drinks (pick 1-2): one milk-based drink and one juice or lemonade.
Sample menus
- Family dinner (6-8 people): Paneer Butter Masala, Aloo Gobi, puri, Kheer, and a plate of Namak Para.
- Party (20+ people): Dahi Vada, Paneer Tikka, Dal Makhani, Chana Masala, naan, Besan Burfi, Carrot Halwa, and Badam Milk.
- Gift boxes: Poha Chivda, Shakarpara, Methi Mathri and Namak Para. These are shelf-stable, so they travel well.
Diwali prep timeline
- 2-3 weeks ahead: fried and baked snacks (shakarpara, chakli, mathri, namak para, chivda)
- 3-5 days ahead: burfi and peda
- 1-2 days ahead: kheer, basundi, shrikhand and halwa
- Day of: pakora, chaat, mains and drinks
Frequently Asked Questions
Diwali food usually includes sweets like burfi, halwa, kheer and laddu; crunchy snacks like chakli, shakarpara and chivda; chaat and appetizers; and a festive main such as paneer or dal with puri. Most Diwali food is vegetarian.
Besan burfi, kaju katli, gulab jamun, kheer, gajar ka halwa, laddu and peda are among the most common. Most households make a mix of milk-based sweets and gram flour or nut-based burfis.
Deepawali is another spelling of Diwali, so Deepawali food means the same festive spread: sweets, snacks, chaat, mains and drinks made for the festival of lights.
Start with Peda (about 15 minutes), Sooji Halwa (three ingredients), Coconut Burfi (under 30 minutes) and Air Fryer Baby Potatoes. None need special equipment or technique.
A paneer or dal curry, a dry vegetable curry, puri or naan, rice, at least one sweet like kheer or halwa, and a savory snack like namak para or chakli on the side.
Five days: Dhanteras, Choti Diwali (Naraka Chaturdashi), the main Diwali and Lakshmi Puja day, Govardhan Puja, and Bhai Dooj. In 2026 that's November 6-10, with the main day on November 8.
Fried and baked snacks (shakarpara, chakli, mathri, namak para) keep 2-3 weeks in an airtight container. Burfi and peda are best made 3-5 days ahead. Kheer, basundi and shrikhand are best made 1-2 days before serving.
Paneer Butter Masala or Dal Makhani, one dry curry like Aloo Gobi, puri or naan, rice, and a sweet like Carrot Halwa or Kheer.
Diwali is about lights, laughter and sharing food with the people you love. Pick a few sweets, one or two snacks, a main and a drink from this collection, and you have a memorable Diwali 2026 spread.
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