Navratri 2025: Vrat-Friendly Dessert Recipes You Must Try

No festival in India is complete without food, elaborate spreads, and specially curated thali. While for the nine days of Navratri, devotees observe a fast and follow a satvik diet, the innumerable vrat-friendly options never let you have a dull day. From sabudana khichdi to kuttu ki tikki to makhana kheer, Navratri fasting is nothing short of an indulgent feast.

But there’s hardly a celebration without desserts. Choosing from the basket of vrat flours like kuttu ka atta or rajgira or ingredients like sabudana, makhana, and seasonal fruits, you can experiment and make a variety of treats. But if you need some foolproof recipes, this is just the right article for you. Scroll to explore some of the chef-special recipes that are perfect for Navratri.

Makhana Fruit Custard

By Executive Chef Shivaramakrishna J, Novotel Vijayawada Varun

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup makhana (fox nuts)
  • 50 g ghee
  • 1 litre of milk
  • 2 tbsp date syrup or honey
  • ¼ cup tender coconut water (adjust as needed)
  • ⅓ cup grapes, chopped
  • ¼ cup pomegranate arils
  • ¼ papaya, diced
  • ¼ musk melon, diced
  • 1 apple, diced
  • 2 bananas, sliced
  • Flesh of 1 tender coconut
  • Cardamom powder & saffron strands (for flavour)
  • Chopped almonds, cashews, or pistachios (for garnish)

Method:

  1. Heat 1-2 tsp ghee in a pan and roast the makhana until crisp. Reserve ¼ of the roasted makhana for garnish.
  2. Grind the remaining roasted makhana into a fine powder.
  3. In a heavy-bottomed pan, bring the milk to a boil. Add the powdered makhana and simmer until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally.
  4. Stir in cardamom powder, saffron strands, and the reserved roasted makhana. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
  5. Allow the mixture to cool. Adjust consistency by adding tender coconut water if needed.
  6. Sweeten with date syrup or honey.
  7. Gently fold in the diced fruits and tender coconut flesh.
  8. Garnish with additional fruits and a sprinkle of nuts before serving.

Sabudana & Coconut Payasam

By Chef Ashish Verma, Executive Chef, Masala Synergy

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup sabudana (sago pearls)
  • 2 cups fresh coconut milk
  • ½ cup grated jaggery
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 8-10 cashew nuts, halved
  • 1 tbsp raisins
  • ½ tsp cardamom powder
  • 2 cups water

Method:

  1. Soak sabudana in water for 30 minutes, then drain.
  2. In a saucepan, boil 2 cups of water and add the soaked sabudana. Cook until translucent.
  3. Add grated jaggery and stir until dissolved.
  4. Pour in fresh coconut milk, simmer gently without boiling too much.
  5. In a small pan, heat ghee, fry cashews and raisins until golden. Add to the payasam.
  6. Finish with cardamom powder and serve warm.

Fruit Shrikhand 

By Chef Maharaj Bhawar Singh, Khandani Rajdhani

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup hung curd
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1 tsp gulab jal
  • 1 tsp charoli
  • 1 tbsp chopped dry fruits (almonds, pistachios)

Method:

  1. Place a thin muslin cloth on a strainer and pour the curd over it, and loosely cover it with the edges of the cloth. 
  2. Refrigerate this and let the curd sit in the strainer for a minimum of 4-5 hours.
  3. Add sugar and mix well.
  4. Pour the mixture into a sieve to yield smooth shrikhand.
  5. Add elaichi, gulab jal, charoli, dry fruits, and mix well.
  6. Chill the shrikhand and serve.