7 Sugar-Free Sweets To Prepare For Ganesh Chaturthi

Did you think that no-sugar sweets simply mean balls of dry fruits and nuts? Fortunately, that’s not true. By cutting down on refined sugar and making sugar-free sweets, this Ganesh Chaturthi, you can enjoy modak, laddoos, pedas, chikkis, and more without the lingering guilt.

India, being a vibrant land of diverse cultures, religions, and traditions, has a festival every month. However, some festivals are the entire vibe of the month. One such festival that is celebrated with great joy and fervour in India is Ganesh Chaturthi. While the festival is more enthusiastically commemorated in the Southern parts of India, most of the Hindu population prepares bhog and prasad for Ganpati Bappa.

Known for their love for sweets like modak, laddoos, and pedas, Lord Ganesha is fondly called Modakpriya. Thus, no Ganesh Chaturthi celebration is complete without a range of Indian mithai. However, with the increasing risk of heart conditions and ailments like diabetes, a lot of people have to sacrifice enjoying the festive sweets.

But the good news is you don’t have to. With the naturally sweet ingredients, you can make a healthy swap and still have the taste of traditional Indian sweets. Here are some ways you can make no-sugar mithai and make the most of the festive season.

Khajoor And Dry Fruit Modak

No Ganesh Chaturthi is complete without modak. While the traditional versions of modak include refined sugars or jaggery, you can use natural sweeteners to make the festive staple sugar-free. All you’d need is the naturally sweet dates, also known as khajoor. To make the sweet filling of the modak, you can finely chop dates and mix dry fruits and nuts like almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios, and raisins. You can use some ghee to bind the mixture together. Finally, you can add the sugar-free filling to the modak dough and steam it, and your batch of no-sugar modak will be ready.

Ragi And Coconut Laddoo

Another traditional sweet that is a staple for Ganpati Puja is laddoo. From motichoor laddoo to besan laddoo, each variant has something special to offer. However, if you want a diabetes-friendly version of laddoos, you can replace the sugar or khand with natural sweeteners. With the superfood ragi, you can give the sweets a healthy upgrade. Furthermore, the addition of coconut makes the laddoos chewy and binds all the other ingredients. To add a sweet note, you moderately use a paste made with dates or some jaggery powder. And the best part is that these laddoos are highly versatile, allowing you to add a mix of seeds like chia seeds, crushed sunflower seeds, and even assorted nuts as per your preference.

Sugar-Free Peda With Jaggery Powder

Refined sugars are what cause the most harm to your diet. Be it diabetes, blood-pressure-related ailments, or a weight loss journey, the festive season can add extra calories. However, you can enjoy the Indian sweets by smartly replacing sugar with organic ingredients like gud (jaggery) or coconut sugar. To make sugar-free peda at home, you can cook milk and make khoya. Then stir in jaggery or coconut sugar to taste, cardamom powder, and some saffron strands. Shape the mixture into pedas, top them with a whole almond or slices of pistachio and serve the guilt-free sweet this Ganesh Chaturthi.

Anjeer Barfi

Barfi is a must-add Indian sweet to almost every festival. Whether it’s khoye ki barfi, kaju ki katli, or besan barfi, the sweet can be made with any of your favourite ingredients. A great way to make a barfi sugar-free is by replacing refined sugar with anjeer. Anjeer, also known as dried figs, can replace the sugar-laden sweets without changing the taste. You can simply soak anjeer, blend it with a little water to make a thick paste, and cook till you get a thick mixture. Stir in a generous amount of chopped dry fruits and nuts and let the mixture cool. Cut into diamonds, garnish with silver leaf (varq), and your sugar-free mithai will be ready to serve.

Oats And Nut Laddoos

While replacing sugar with naturally sweet ingredients is an impeccable way of enjoying desserts on Ganesh Chaturthi, just imagine how great it would be if a laddoo could actually be an energy booster. Made with a blend of oats and nuts, these laddoos are the perfect treats that you can enjoy without any guilt. You can dry roast oats and grind them into a coarse flour. Then, take a blend of dried fruits like dates, raisins, apricots, etc and mix with the flour. Their natural sugars will make up for the refined sugar. Just add a little ghee to the mixture, shape it into laddoos, and add it to your puja thali. 

Peanut Chikki

Chikki is a classic South Indian dessert that is usually made with jaggery and peanuts. While even the traditionally made chikki is a healthier alternative than sugar syrups, people with diabetes try to minimise adding too much jaggery. As a substitute, you can use coconut sugar or agave syrup, but again, in moderation. Both these options have a lower glycemic index, making them healthier options. You can also add a little syrup made by blending dates to bind the peanuts tightly together. With healthy fats and high protein content, you must add this sugar-free chikki to your Ganesh Chaturthi festivities.

Makhana Kheer

Makaha, fox nut, is another popular ingredient that’s frequently used in fast-friendly recipes and for healthy snacking. Apart from roasting them and munching makhanas while working, you can also use the superfood to make a sweet for Ganesh Chaturthi. To make makhana kheer, you can roast some foxnuts and let them come down to room temperature. Next, simmer the roasted makhana in milk till the milk thickens and the makhanas start to soften. Add in a paste made with blended dates and jaggery powder to make the kheer naturally sweet. Once you get the desired consistency, you can mix in cardamom pods and garnish with a generous amount of chopped nuts like almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, etc.