Vegan Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Halwa) with Coconut Milk, Cardamom and Pistachios
A rich vegan gajar halwa for Diwali: grated carrots slow-cooked in coconut oil and coconut milk with cardamom and coconut sugar, finished with pistachios.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Serves
- 6
Vegan Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Halwa) with Coconut Milk, Cardamom and Pistachios is a vegan dessert recipe made with carrots, coconut oil, full-fat coconut milk. It takes 70 minutes of hands-on time, serves 6, and each serving has 371 calories, 4 g of protein and 5 g of fiber.
Classic gajar halwa gets its creaminess from milk reduced for a long time. This version gets the same effect from full-fat coconut milk, which has enough fat to coat the carrots and turn fudgy as it cooks down. Frying the grated carrots in coconut oil first takes out their raw taste and brings out their sweetness. The sugar goes in only after the milk is absorbed, so the carrots soften fully instead of firming up in syrup.
A dietary (fully vegan with coconut milk and coconut oil instead of ghee and dairy milk) + base vegetable (slow-cooked grated carrots for classic Diwali gajar halwa instead of pumpkin) take on our Kaddu Ka Halwa (Pumpkin Halwa) with Ghee, Cardamom and Cashews.
Ingredients
- 2 lb907 gcarrots, peeled and finely grated (about 6 cups)
- 3 tbsp41 gcoconut oil, divided
- 1 can400 gfull-fat coconut milk, well shaken, 13.5 oz can
- ½ cup96 gcoconut sugar
- ¾ tsp1.5 gground cardamom (or seeds from 8 pods, crushed)
- 1 pinch0.4 gfine salt
- ¼ cup36 ggolden raisins
- ⅓ cup41 gunsalted pistachios, roughly chopped, divided
- 1 pinch0.1 gsaffron threads, crumbled (optional)
- 2 tbsp7.5 gtoasted unsweetened coconut flakes, for serving (optional)
Kit: box grater or food processor, large heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven, wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Tips
- Use a wide pan. The bigger surface helps the liquid evaporate faster and keeps the carrots from steaming into mush.
- Don't add the sugar early. If the sugar goes in before the carrots are tender, they stay firm.
- The halwa firms up as it cools. If you're making it ahead, take it off the heat while it's still slightly soft.
- To reheat, warm it in a pan with 1–2 tbsp coconut or oat milk and stir until it's glossy again.
Swap ideas
- Cane or turbinado sugar instead of coconut sugar
- The halwa stays a brighter, traditional orange, and the flavor is cleaner and less caramel-like.
- Refined (neutral) coconut oil instead of virgin
- Takes away most of the coconut aroma, so the carrot and cardamom come through more.
- Cashews or slivered almonds instead of pistachios
- Milder and more buttery, but you lose the green color on top.
- Red Delhi carrots when in season
- Gives the deep red color and juicy sweetness of north Indian winter gajar halwa. You may need a few extra minutes to reduce the liquid.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
371kcal per serving
Everything else · 6 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 18.7 g 94%
- Sugars
- 25.6 g
- Sodium
- 391 mg 17%
- Potassium
- 923 mg 20%
- Calcium
- 149 mg 11%
- Iron
- 3.1 mg 17%
- Vitamin C
- 10 mg 11%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Carrots, raw, Oil, coconut, Nuts, coconut milk, canned (liquid expressed from grated meat and water), COCONUT SUGAR (The Kroger Co., Branded; ingredients: organic coconut sugar), Spices, cardamom, Salt, table, Raisins, dark, seedless (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw
Method
Peel the carrots and grate them on the fine side of a box grater or with the fine grating disc of a food processor. Finely grated carrot softens faster and melts into a smooth halwa.
Warm 1 tbsp coconut oil in a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the raisins and half the pistachios and stir until the raisins puff and the nuts smell toasted, 1–2 minutes. Scoop them onto a plate.
Add the remaining 2 tbsp coconut oil and all the grated carrots to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the carrots shrink, turn a deeper orange and no longer smell raw, 8–10 minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk, plus the saffron if you're using it, and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom, until the carrots are very tender and nearly all the liquid is gone, 25–30 minutes. Stir more often near the end, when it can catch on the bottom.
Stir in the coconut sugar, cardamom and salt. The sugar will melt and loosen the mixture. Keep cooking and stirring until it thickens again, looks glossy and pulls away from the sides of the pan as one mass, 8–10 minutes.
Stir in the toasted raisins and pistachios and take the pan off the heat. Taste and add another pinch of cardamom if you like.
Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with the rest of the pistachios and the coconut flakes if using.
Storage: Let it cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of plant milk.
Questions
- How much protein is in vegan gajar ka halwa (carrot halwa) with coconut milk, cardamom and pistachios?
- Each of the 6 servings has 4 g of protein, 5 g of fiber and 371 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is vegan gajar ka halwa (carrot halwa) with coconut milk, cardamom and pistachios vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does vegan gajar ka halwa (carrot halwa) with coconut milk, cardamom and pistachios take to make?
- 20 minutes of prep and 50 minutes of cooking, so 70 minutes of hands-on time.
- Can you make vegan gajar ka halwa (carrot halwa) with coconut milk, cardamom and pistachios ahead?
- Let it cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of plant milk.
- What can I substitute in vegan gajar ka halwa (carrot halwa) with coconut milk, cardamom and pistachios?
- Cane or turbinado sugar instead of coconut sugar — the halwa stays a brighter, traditional orange, and the flavor is cleaner and less caramel-like.. Refined (neutral) coconut oil instead of virgin — takes away most of the coconut aroma, so the carrot and cardamom come through more.. Cashews or slivered almonds instead of pistachios — milder and more buttery, but you lose the green color on top.. Red Delhi carrots when in season — gives the deep red color and juicy sweetness of north indian winter gajar halwa. you may need a few extra minutes to reduce the liquid..
- Does vegan gajar ka halwa (carrot halwa) with coconut milk, cardamom and pistachios contain tree nuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes tree nuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 6, 2026 ·Indian
