5 Lohri Sweets To Try At Home With Tips and Tricks To Follow

Written by jheelum basu | January 11, 2026

The vibrant North Indian harvest festival of Lohri is a celebration of abundance and prosperity. Celebrated especially in the state of Punjab on the eve of Makar Sankranti (January 13), this festival marks the end of the winter solstice. While warm bonfires, earthy folk songs, and energetic Bhangra dance sets the tone of the festival, traditional sweets symbolize warmth and bounty.

Lohri festival is always incomplete without the traditional festive foods like rewri, pinni, and halwa. With the sweet treats, people welcome the season of longer days and pray for a good harvest. Made with natural ingredients like sesame (til), jaggery, rice, milk, moong dal, Lohri sweets like rewri, til chikki, pinni, and Gud ka halwa, are shared around bonfires as offerings.

Sweets And Lohri: The Cultural Significance

Besides adding sweetness to the auspicious festival, Lohri sweets carry a cultural significance as well. Adding a great symbolic value, sweets are shared to celebrate the harvest of the year. Made with natural ingredients, these sweets like rewri and til chikki represent health, wealth, and prosperity.

Besides expressing gratitude, sweet treats like gud ka halwa and pinni bring comfort on the biting-cold winter nights. Sharing them while sitting around the campfire is a common ritual that symbolizes warmth and good fortune.

Top 5 Lohri Sweets To Try At Home

1. Rewri

This Lohri, indulge in the perfect festive sweet that mixes the goodness of sesame and jaggery. A perfect, crunchy, sweet experience while sitting around the bonfire and sharing a good time with friends and family. The bite-sized rounds or flattened pieces are primarily made from roasted sesame seeds and hardened jaggery. For an added winter flavor, cardamom and a touch of ghee are often added to it.

2. Til Chikki

Til chikki (sesame jaggery brittle) is another crispy candy made from sesame seeds and liquid jaggery. The flat, brittle bar is often snapped into pieces before taking a bite. It offers a unique combination of sweet and slightly tangy flavors. The quintessential Lohri sweet symbolizes warmth and good fortune. This crispy, energy-boosting festive staple is often enjoyed around the bonfire with peanuts, gajak, and other festive treats.

3. Gud ki Kheer

Lohri and jaggery share an age-old connection. Jaggery brings in the earthy, natural sweet touch to the harvest festival like nothing else. And nothing beats the taste when it is combined with the creamy goodness of rice kheer. While the jaggery adds the earthy taste, the rice kheer made with rice, milk, sugar, and spices, brings in the creaminess to the sweet delight.

4. Pinni

Pinni is another Lohri-special sweet winter treat, traditionally prepared with whole wheat flour, ghee, sugar, and cardamom. This sweet is all about health and vitality, shaped into little balls. The abundance of whole wheat flour, ghee, dried fruits, jaggery, and edible gum makes these laddoos provide the body with essential energy and warmth to endure cold weather.

5. Moong Dal Halwa

Halwas and harvest festivals go a long way across parts of India. While varieties are endless, moong dal halwa is one of the most common choices for Lohri. Made with the goodness of moong dal (lentils), ghee, and sugar, this is a rich and comforting treat. Here, the halwa is cooked until yellow and mushy and is often topped with some chopped almonds. This halwa is often served with other festive foods like makke di roti and sarson da saag to celebrate the occasion.

Tips & Tricks To Follow

• Til Chikki: To make a perfect til chikki, it is recommended to cook jaggery to a proper caramel stage and mix it well with roasted sesame/peanuts. Make sure it is spread thinly on a greased plate to ensure the crunchy texture.
• Rewri: For rewri, it is crucial to focus on the quality of jaggery. Moreover, slow cooking is the secret to achieving the right consistency. A generous amount of ghee is mandatory as it ensures richness.
• Gur Ki Kheer: To achieve the desired texture and consistency, cook the rich kheer in ghee and dissolved jaggery, and top it with chopped nuts.
• Pinni: Perfect pinnis are all about roasting coarse wheat flour slowly in ghee until nutty and golden. Constant stirring on low heat is important for even roasting. Make sure the best-quality ingredients are used.
• Moong Dal Halwa: Patience during the roasting process makes the best moong dal halwa, alongside using a generous amount of ghee. To ensure the desired texture, grind the soaked dal into a coarse paste, as a slightly granular texture makes the best halwa.

Conclusion:

This Lohri, make sure the celebrations are full of warmth, love, and care. Try these Lohri special sweets at home. Enjoy the bonfire on the January 13 winter night while sharing the sweet treats.