Apple halwa is an easy and delicious halwa or Indian apple pudding that is made with sweet apples, ghee (clarified butter), sugar and nuts. The smooth texture of this apple halwa has aromatic hints from cinnamon and vanilla. Make this delish apple sweet when a sweet craving strikes. The recipe is easy but requires some hand work and patience.
Table of Contents
Like most fruits, apple is a versatile fruit that can be had raw or eaten cooked. While usually, we have raw apples directly or juice them, I also make apple halwa on occasions. Besides this recipe, I also make desserts with apples like Apple Cake, muffins, tarts, Apple Crumble, Apple Pie and apple kheer.
I have been making this recipe for almost a decade now and it has never failed. This recipe took life one fine day when once on a cold afternoon day there were too many apples in the kitchen. I was wondering what to make with them!!!
Then I found a halwa recipe using mixed fruits in the Hare Krishna book of Vegetarian Cooking. Adapting the same recipe I made apple halwa and this has been a favorite all these years. I also make banana halwa using the same recipe.
The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking has some really good recipes. The recipes in the desserts and sweets section are simply superb, with a few recipes dedicated to desserts made with fresh fruits.
The best part of this apple halwa is that it is not a heavy dessert as no milk, cream or evaporated milk (khoya) is added to the halwa. This apple halwa is a good way to sneak in some apples for the kids who are not fond of apples. You can swap sugar with jaggery in this recipe.
How to make Apple Halwa
Prepping Apples
1. Rinse 1 kilogram of apples (7 to 8 medium-sized apples) very well in water using a colander. Drain all the water. Then peel each apple.
I suggest using sweet-tasting apples. This way you will have to add less sugar. Here I have used the Indian variety of Kinnaur apples. You can use any good variety of ripe, fresh, crisp and sweet-tasting apples.
2. Using a knife, quarter them and slice off the part containing seeds and pith.
3. Then chop the apples into small cubes. You will need 7 cups of chopped apples.
Cooking Apples
4. Heat a heavy kadai (wok), skillet or frying pan and keep heat to medium-low. Add 2 tablespoons ghee to the kadai and let it melt.
5. Add the chopped apples.
6. Mix it with the ghee and begin to saute the apples on low to medium-low heat.
7. Saute for about 5 to 6 minutes stirring often. You will see that some cubes of apples will soften and some won’t by this time of cooking.
8. Then add 2 tablespoons of water.
9. Mix again.
10. Cover the kadai or pan and cook for 12 to 15 minutes on low to medium-low heat.
11. Remove the lid and stir at intervals.
12. On a low to medium-low heat cook covered with the lid till all the apples have softened and become mushy. The apple mixture will start to thicken.
When the apples have softened then with a spoon or a potato masher, mash the cooked apples and keep on stirring so that the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan. You could keep some small chunk-sized pieces or cubes of apples if you want.
Making Apple Halwa
13. Then add 5 tablespoons of sugar. In case if your apples are slightly tangy then you will require to add some more sugar. So the amount of sugar to be added depends upon the sweetness of the apples and also on your taste preference.
You can use raw sugar or white sugar. Here I have added unrefined sugar. You can also add jaggery, brown sugar, coconut sugar, palm sugar or maple syrup.
14. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
15. Stirring often cook till some ghee can be seen at the sides or for about 9 to 10 minutes on low to medium-low heat. At this point, there should be no bubbling of apple juices in the halwa.
16. Then add 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder (ground cinnamon). Apples and cinnamon together are a wonderful combination.
17. Next add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
18. Add chopped nuts like almonds, cashews, pistachios. Also, keep a few chopped nuts aside for garnishing apple halwa. I added 10 almonds and 10 cashews (all chopped).
19. Mix very well. Check the taste and if required add some more sugar.
20. Sauté stirring often for 3 to 4 minutes till the mixture become one and starts to pull away from the sides of the kadai or pan.
21. Serve apple halwa hot or warm garnished with some chopped nuts. Leftover apple halwa can be refrigerated. Stays good for about a week in the fridge.
Expert Tips
1. Type of apple to be used
To make apple halwa use apples that are sweet. You can use any variety of apples that are sweet. Avoid green apples or apple varieties that are tart. If you use tart or tangy apples, then the halwa has a sweet-sour taste and you may also need to add more sugar. The sweeter the apples, the less sugar needs to be added.
2. Adding sugar or skipping sugar?
Sugar is optional in the recipe and can be skipped completely. So you can skip sugar entirely and make a sugar-free apple halwa. If the apples are very sweet then also you can skip or reduce the sugar quantity.
3. Alternative sweeteners or sugar substitutes
Instead of sugar sweeteners like palm sugar, coconut sugar, jaggery, maple syrup, brown sugar can also be added. Please do not add honey as honey becomes toxic on heating.
4. Substitutes for ghee to make vegan apple halwa
You can also make vegan apple halwa with a neutral odourless oil like sunflower oil. Coconut oil can also be used instead of ghee.
5. Flavorings
To add some warmth to the halwa, I have added cinnamon powder and vanilla extract and this apple pudding had the hints of cinnamon tinged with the flavor and aroma of vanilla. You can even add cardamom powder if you do not have cinnamon powder and vanilla. Even a bit of nutmeg powder can be added.
6. Choice of nuts and dry fruits
The original recipe from the book had raisins added to the apple halwa. I have not added them, but you can add them. Almond slices have also been added to the original recipe. You can add any dry fruits and nuts of your choice like walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, cashews, almonds, chironji and pecans.
7. Making halwa with other fruits
Seasonal fruits can be used to make this halwa. Ripe pears, mangoes and other juicy fruits can be replaced with apples. Finally, you could also make this delicious apple halwa on festive occasions.
If you are looking for more Halwa recipes then do check
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Apple Halwa
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram apple or 7 to 8 medium sized apples or 7 cups chopped apples
- 5 tablespoons sugar or add as required – optional
- 3 tablespoons Ghee
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder (ground cinnamon)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- 10 almonds – chopped
- 10 cashews – chopped
Instructions
Prepping Apples
- Rinse 1 kg apples (7 to 8 medium-sized apples) very well in water using a colander. Drain all the water. Then peel each apple.
- Quarter them and slice off the part containing seeds and pith.
- Then chop the apples in small cubes. You will need 7 cups chopped apples.
Cooking apples
- Heat a heavy kadai or pan and keep the heat to medium-low. Add 2 tablespoons ghee in the kadai and let it melt.
- Add the chopped apples.
- Mix it with the ghee and begin to saute the apples on a low to medium-low flame for some 5 to 6 minutes. Some apples will soften and some won’t.
- Then add 2 tablespoons water. Mix again.
- Cover the kadai or pan cook for 12 to 15 minutes. stir at intervals.
- On a low to medium-low heat cook covered with the lid till all the apples have softened and become mushy. The apples mixture will start to thicken.
- With a spoon or potato masher, mash the cooked apples and keep on stirring so that the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan. You could keep some small chunk sized pieces if you want.
Making apple halwa
- Then add sugar. Tangy apples will require more sugar. So amount of sugar to be added depends upon the sweetness of the apples. mix well.
- Stirring often cook till some ghee can be seen at the sides for about 9 to 10 minutes on a low to medium-low heat. At this point, there should be no bubbling of apple juices in the halwa.
- Then add cinnamon powder. Apples and cinnamon together are a wonderful combination.
- Next add vanilla extract.
- Add chopped nuts. Also keep a few chopped nuts aside for garnish.
- Mix very well. Check the taste of halwa and if required add some more sugar.
- Sauté stirring often for 3 to 4 minutes till the apple halwa mixture starts coming together and pulls away from the sides of the kadai or pan.
- Serve apple halwa hot or warm garnished with some chopped nuts. Leftover halwa can be refrigerated. Stays good for a week.
Notes
- To make apple halwa use apples that are sweet. You can use any variety of apples that are sweet. Avoid green apples or apple varieties which are tart.
- If you use tart or tangy apples, then you may also need to add more sugar.
- Sugar is optional in the recipe and can be skipped. If the apples are very sweet then consider skipping sugar or adding less sugar.
- Instead of sugar sweeteners like palm sugar, coconut sugar, brown sugar, jaggery, maple syrup can also be added. Don’t add honey as it becomes toxic on heating.
- You can also make vegan apple halwa with a neutral odourless oil like sunflower oil. Coconut oil can also be used instead of ghee.
- You can even add half a teaspoon of cardamom powder if you do not have cinnamon powder and vanilla. Even a bit of nutmeg powder can be added. You can add less cinnamon powder and vanilla extract if you want.
- If using artificial vanilla essence, then add only half a teaspoon of it.
- You can add any dry fruits and nuts of your choice.
- The recipe can be scaled to make a small batch.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Apple Halwa recipe post from the blog archives (first published in February 2012) has been updated and republished on 6 July 2021.
Absolutely delicious ! Became one of my favorite apple desserts
Thank you for this recipe 🙏
Thanks a lot and welcome.
I tried this recipe ma’am it was yummy. Thanks for giving me such easy and yummy recipes. I have tried many of your recipes and everyone at home enjoy it. Thanks a lot
Hi Deepali, great to know and thank you for this super feedback on the recipes you have tried. Most welcome.
Hi Dassana,
Prepared this with green apples. Loved the sweet sour taste and aroma of ghee! My neighbour with whom I shared had a tough time guessing the main ingredient. Had to tell her eventually ☺
Now I know what to do with excess apples. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe!
hi hamsa, thanks for letting me know. yes, with green apples the halwa has a sweet-tart taste and is too good. even i love this sweet-tart combination. most welcome and thanks again.
like you, apple is my least favourite fruit, I tried this recipe and added lots of roasted nuts and bit overcooked it. It turned out great. My husband hates eating sweet, but he loved it too. especially its bit tanginess with sweetness. Looking forward to more innovative usages of apple.
And yes, you are my favourite chef. 🙂
thanks shipra for your kind words. glad to know that both of you liked this apple halwa. you can make apple muffins, apple cake, apple pie or milkshake, smoothie with them. all these recipes are already shared on the website.
Instead of vanilla powder can we add essence?
yes you can add vanilla essence. add about half teaspoon of vanilla essence.