Festive Halloween Baking with a Desi Twist From Gulab Jamun Monsters to Brownie Bats

Are you hosting a spooky bash this year? Still wondering how to give the party desserts a real desi twist? Well, we are here to help you with some innovative festive Halloween baking ideas to make your Halloween party the talk of the town.

Emerging out of the ancient roots of the Celtic pagan holiday of Samhain, celebrated across Ireland and North America, Halloween celebrations have evolved into a global celebration owing to its mystique and scary yet funny ambience. Today, the spooky celebrations are gaining popularity across the globe like never before, and India is not an exception.

While the traditional Western celebrations include ghost-themed desserts and spooky decorations, over the past few years, Indians have given the festival a desi twist. From spooky spiderweb jalebi to gulab jamun monsters- all these perfectly twisted Indian desserts today define the popularity of Halloween celebrations here.

1. Gulab Jamun Monster Cheesecake

While cheesecakes are ideal for any occasion, why not Halloween? And to give it an Indian twist, what could be better than some sweet, syrupy gulab jamun? Once the rich, creamy cheesecake is baked with the desi taste of gulab jamun, you may consider using a monster-shaped cookie cutter to give them the scary shape that goes well with the festive spirit.

2. Scary Brownie Bats

While the spooky season is just around the corner, make sure you try these cary brownie bats with an ideal Indian twist. While ghosts and monsters created out of brownies are a common practice during Halloween, this time, let’s give this a rabdi twist. Bake your chocolate brownies following the traditional recipe. Once it is out of the oven, add a generous amount of freshly prepared rabdi on top of it. Now is the time to turn it spooky by turning them into bat-shaped brownies using cookie cutters. And don’t forget adding wings to the bat-shaped brownies using chocolate cookies and big candy eyes before the guests come to your Halloween costume party.

3. Baked Pumpkin Halwa

Halwas and festive celebrations go hand in hand in India. While Gajar Halwa and Badam Halwa are common choices during other festivals, during Halloween, why not give it a pumpkin twist? People often wonder why pumpkins find so much prominence in Halloween celebrations. Well, according to Irish folktales, pumpkins have the power to ward off evil spirits. In this recipe, the simple and naturally sweet flavors of pumpkin, milk, and spices are complemented by rich ghee and nuts. So, what are you waiting for? Prepare your oven and get on with it.

4. Cardamom Spiced Pumpkin Cake

While pumpkin cakes are always at the center of Halloween celebrations, you may consider giving them a desi twist with cardamom. While a pumpkin cake is ideally made with pumpkin puree, sugar, and spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, the flavor of cardamom gives it a classic Indian twist. Once done, you may decorate the cake with some pumpkin-shaped fondant and serve it with vanilla ice cream.

5. Pumpkin Chai Spice Cupcakes

To add more fun to the Halloween dessert palette with a desi twist, try these pumpkin cupcakes with chai spices (e.g, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger). While the super moist, cute little cupcakes add more to the Halloween vibe, the spices infuse that quintessential desi twist into the dessert item. Once ready, serve them topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of spices.

6. Pumpkin Rasmalai Tiramisu

This no-bake layered dessert is perfect for the occasion. Spending very little time, you can assemble a delicious Italian-inspired Indian Halloween version of Tiramisu. Here, Rasmalai, an exquisite Bengali dessert, meets Tiramisu, the classic Italian delicacy.Made from mouth-melting paneer dumplings, Rasmalai (also called ‘Rosh Malai’ in Bengali) epitomizes a delicious amalgamation of flavors and textures with a hint of sweetness and saffron infusion. Here, the spongy rasmalai is dipped into coffee, mascarpone, and pumpkin puree to bring in that perfect balance between the sweet and bitter tastes. For spices, you may explore options like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to enhance the flavor profile. For an added festive touch, you may sprinkle some cocoa powder on top using a stencil to create a pumpkin-shaped design.

7. Cardamom Rose Cake Pops

You remember the lollipops from our childhood days? And do you love cakes? Yes? Now imagine what if the cakes are turned into smooth, round balls, dipped into a milk or white chocolate coating, and placed on sticks. Yes, that’s cake pops for you. These scrumptious bite-sized balls with cake as their center and a chocolaty exterior will add more joy to your Halloween party for sure.

During Halloween, you may add a desi twist to these cake pops by adding rose and cardamom flavors to the vanilla cake. Then dip the cake pops into white chocolate and use candies to make those googly eyes, and allow them to chill for some time in the fridge.