Apple Halwa Dessert | सेब का हलवा | Seb Ka Halwa

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5 out of 5 Stars!

Apple halwa is a delicious dessert that goes really well with vanilla ice cream or can be eaten plain. Served hot or cold, it’s the perfect way to end a meal!


Who doesn’t love a good halwa? Did you know halwa comes from the Arabic word ‘hulw’ meaning sweet? Halwas are popular not only in India, but in Asia and the Middle East as well and are known by a few different names. They also take different forms and can be made of a range of ingredients.

In India, we have grain halwas like sojee halwa or moong dal halwa, vegetable halwas like dudhi halwa, kaddu ka halwa, or gajar halwa, and even some nut halwas as well.

We often make dudhi halwa and gajar ka halwa, but we wanted to try something different, and there were apples around, so I thought, why not?

Turns out it tastes a lot like the filling for apple pie that I use in my apple pie cookies, and you as easily develop a love-hate relationship with it like you do with beetroot halwa. It is an acquired taste. So, if you want to try out this apple halwa recipe without milk, have a look below.

What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Apple Halwa?

All the ingredients that you need to make apple halwa are apples, ghee, sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom powder. If you don’t have cinnamon powder you could also use garam masala. Garam masala is a mixture of cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, usually with smaller quantities of other spices added in.

How To Make Apple Halwa?

Wash the apples and then grate them. We have not peeled the skin, but you can if you want to.

6 red apples on a green table.
Juicy Apples
Half and apple and grated apple next to a grater.
Grate the apples
Grated apples in a vessel.
Grated apples

Add ghee or clarified butter to a pan and heat it. Mix in the grated apples and also the cinnamon and cardamom powder and sugar.

Ghee in a kadai.
Add ghee to a kadai
Grated apple in a vessel with ghee.
Apples cooking in the ghee
A spoon with cinnamon above grated apples in a vessel.
Add cinnamon
Sugar added to the grated apples.
Add the sugar

Cook the apples, stirring occasionally until the water evaporates and it reduces and gets quite dry. The apples will release water as they are practically made up of it, they have about 80%+ water content.

If you want to prevent the apples from turning brown, add lemon juice or lime juice. This will prevent oxidation and give the halwa a lighter color.

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Grated apples cooking in a vessel.
Cook the apples until it reduces
Apple halwa in a vessel.
Apple halwa reduced till dry

Garnish with almond flakes and serve! And don’t forget the vanilla ice-cream to go with it. Well, that’s optional!

Apple halwa in white bowls with almond slices.
Apple halwa
Apple halwa in white bowls with almond slices.

Delicious Apple Halwa | सेब का हलवा | Seb Ka Halwa

Sarah
Apple halwa is a delicious Indian dessert that goes really well with vanilla ice cream, but can be eaten plain too!
5 out of 5 Stars!

Click the stars to add your rating! Left you don’t like it, right you love it!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Indian
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 236 kcal
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Ingredients
  

  • 6 Apples Grated or Chopped fine
  • 4 Tablespoon Ghee (Indian clarified butter)
  • 80 g King Arthur Baking - Baker's Special Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder (Dalchini) Or Garam Masala
  • 1 Green Cardamon Pods (Choti Elaichi) Crushed, Optional

Instructions
 

  • Wash the apples and grate them. Discard the seeds and core.
  • Heat ghee in a vessel.
  • Add the grated apples, sugar and cinnamon powder or garam masala. Here's where you aslo add the crushed cardamom if you want to.
  • Cook on a medium flame for about 15 mins until the water evaporates and it is quite dry.
  • Serve this delicious Indian apple dessert hot or cold, plain or with ice cream! Or top with a dollop of condensed milk!

Please click to rate the recipe! Left you don’t like it, right you love it!

Notes

  • It is not necessary to peel the skin of the apples.
  • Cook immediately after grating as the apples get oxidised turn brown.
  • The amount of sugar can be reduced or skipped completely, as apples are naturally sweet.
  • Can add milk, cream, or mawa to make it richer. 
  • Can garnish with cashews or pistas instead of almonds.
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Stuff You Might Want to Use

Mini Stainless Steel Grater
Aluminium Kadai
Stainless Steel Spoon
Glass Bowls or Mixing Bowls

Nutrition (Per Serving)

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Nutrition Information per serving is estimated by a third party software based on the ingredients used, and is for informational purposes only. It will vary from product to product, based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients. Please consult the package labels of the ingredients you use, or chat with your dietician for specific details.

This printable recipe card is for home use only. For more recipes head over to AbbysPlate.com
Apple halwa topped with grated almonds.
Top with grated almonds

What’s Perfect About This Recipe?

  • It is very easy and quick to make.
  • It needs just a handful of ingredients.
  • Apples have quite a few nutritional benefits.

Cooking Tips And Tricks

  • It is not necessary to peel the apples.
  • Do not keep them out for too long after grating as they will turn brown on oxidizing, cook immediately. Or add a few drops of lemon juice to prevent oxidation!
  • You can add milk or mawa to the mixture while cooking to make it richer.
  • It can be served hot with ice cream or cold plain.
  • Garnish with broken cashews or pistas before serving!
  • Top the apple halwa with condensed milk before serving! This is optional but makes it really rich.
  • Apples are naturally sweet, so the amount of sugar can be reduced.
  • You might also like these recipes for red pumpkin dessert, bottle gourd halwa, apple pie cookies, or polenta apricot crumble.
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Questions About Making Apple Halwa Dessert

How Long Can Apple Halva Be Stored?

Apple Halwa can be stored in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks and in the freezer for 2-3 months in air-tight containers.

Is It Necessary To Grate The Apples?

Yes, you do need the apples to be grated. If you do not want to grate them, you can grind them roughly in a mixer or chop them fine.

Do I Need To Put Sugar?

No, you can actually skip the sugar in the recipe as apples are naturally sweet.

What Is Mawa?

Mawa, khoa or khoya is a dairy food that is made by thickening and reducing milk over heat.

What Can I Use Instead Of Mawa if I cannot find it?

You can substitute Mawa with milk powder, evaporated milk, or condensed milk.

If you want our traditional East Indian recipes on hand, the Abby's Plate Cookbook Series books are available online or in-store in most countries.

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Pinterest images of Juicy apples and apple halwa.

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