Keep this vegan almond burfi recipe at hand for whenever you need an easy yet special treat for the holidays! This 4 ingredient Indian Almond Fudge is totally fool-proof to make within minutes and makes for a great gift, too. Gluten-free, soy-free.
Keep this almond burfi recipe ready for whenever you need a sweet treat for the holidays and Indian festivals. It is quick and easy to make and needs just 4 ingredients.
What is Burfi?
Burfi, also called barfi, is an original Indian dessert similar to fudge. It belongs populat Indian sweets which are united under the name mithai. Various Burfis are traditionally made using ingredients like milk solids, condensed milk, milk powder, sugar, and ghee (clarified butter), nuts etc.
My vegan Badam Burfi is made with ground almonds or almond flour, vegan butter, sugar & a touch of saffron. I love it for its delightful balance of mild and sweet notes and its signature light fudgy texture. It’s a bit like almond fudge. These little bites of bliss are not only unbelievably easy to make but making burfi at home also leaves your kitchen smelling like heaven! What’s not to love about the fragrances of almond, and saffron wafting through your house?
Trust me, this delicately flavored almond burfi will win your loved ones over with its melt-in-the-mouth texture. I like making these for celebrations like the Indian Ganesh festival or Diwali, but they also make an amazing gift any time of the year. The best part is that this recipe is super forgiving and totally fail-proof which gives us one less thing to worry about during the holidays. You ca change up the flavors and use cardamom, or vanilla instead.
You can serve these Almond Burfi as a snack or a dessert and kids love these too! Such a great alternative to store-bought candies.
MORE INDIAN SWEETS TO TRY: all Veganized
- Rasmalai Cake
- Gulab Jamun
- Coconut Ladoo
- Almond Halwa, 2ways and Almond Ladoo GF
- Malai Burfi GF
- 7 Cup Burfi – GF, Nutfree
- Gajar Halwa, skillet, Instant pot
- Wheat Ladoo
- Sooji Halwa
- Kaju Katli
Recipe Card
Vegan Almond Burfi
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar , I use cane sugar
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) water
- 4-6 strands of saffron
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 1.5 cups (170 g) almond flour
- 1 teaspoon vegan butter
- Chopped raw pistachios for garnish
- Almond slivers for garnish
Instructions
- Line a 9 x5 loaf pan with parchment and keep ready. In a non stick skillet, add the sugar, water, saffron and salt and mix over medium heat.
- Bring to a rolling boil and mix well until the sugar dissolves. Continue to simmer for 2 mins, then add in the almond flour, and vegan butter and mix well. Press and mix so that all of the almond flour gets hydrated with the sugar syrup.
- Cook until the mixture comes together and leaves sides of the pan and then immediately take the pan off the heat. This takes 1-3 mins depending on your pan and stove heating
- Transfer to a parchment lined 9X5 loaf pan, place another parchment on top and spread the mixture and even it out by pressing with a spatula.
- Remove the top parchment. Press in the pistachios and almond slivers into the Burfi and use a knife to score your pieces so that they are easier to slice afterwards. Chill the Burfi for half an hour and then slice with a sharp knife and store.
Notes
- Use vanilla for simple almond fudge. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or powder instead of the saffron or use seeds from 2 green cardamom pods for cardamom katli
- Use a mix of pistachio flour and almond flour for pistachio burfi. To make pistachio flour, add raw pistachios to a blender with 1 tsp starch and pulse until powdery
- sugar syrup can sometimes get over cooked because of stoves pans sugar brand variations etc. This can lead to the burfi mix to become dry quickly and crumbly when you try to shape it. Just reheat it and add sprinkles of water until moist. Mix well then take off heat. Then shape
Nutrition
Ingredients:
- sugar is a quintessential part of this recipe and cannot be skipped
- saffron lends our burfi its pretty color and elegant floral flavor
- salt is necessary to counterbalance the sweetness
- I use store-bought almond flour for this recipe but it also works with ground blanched almonds
- vegan butter adds richness and makes for that melt-in-your-mouth texture we love about burfi, you can omit it if you like. The burfi still turns out wonderful y
- Chopped raw pistachios and slivered almonds don’t only look pretty but also add a bit of delicious crunch
Tips & Substitution
- Use vanilla for simple almond fudge.
- Use a mix of pistachio flour and almond flour for pistachio burfi. To make pistachio flour, add raw pistachios to a blender with 1 tsp starch and pulse until powdery
- Almond Burfi stores well in the refrigerator so can be made ahead
- Use a fork to lightly break any lumps in the almond flour, it should be lump-free
How to make Almond Burfi:
In a non-stick skillet, add the sugar, water, saffron, and salt and mix over medium heat.
Bring to a rolling boil and mix well until the sugar dissolves. Continue to simmer for 2 mins, add in the almond flour, and vegan butter and mix well. Press and mix so that all of the almond flour gets hydrated with the sugar syrup.
Cook until the mixture comes together and leaves sides of the pan and then immediately take the pan off the heat.
Transfer to a parchment-lined 9X5 loaf pan, place another parchment on top and spread the mixture, and even it out using a spatula.
Press in the pistachios and almond slivers into the Burfi and use a knife to score your pieces so that they are easier to slice afterward. Chill the Burfi for half an hour and then slice with a sharp knife and store.
HOW TO STORE ALMOND BURFI
Store the almond burfi in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days at room temp or refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks.
Beth K
Every year, my Hindu supervisors bring in a delicious Diwali feast to share with the whole group. This year, both of them had too much going on in their personal lives to do it. To show my appreciation for their kindness in years past, I decided to make this burfi for them. Since I’m not Hindu, I hoped it would turn out the right way.
As things turned out, I started my new position on the Monday of Diwali (October 24, 2022). Not only that, but my new supervisor is also Hindu. So I cut the burfi into enough pieces to share with three instead of two.
My new supervisor shared her plate with 3 of her Hindu friends on our floor. Everyone said how good it was. I told them this was the first time I ever made burfi. They asked how I made it. They were shocked when they heard how simple the recipe was.
I told them I was disappointed that I had to use vanilla extract because the store was out of saffron. They said they liked it anyway. A couple of them said they may make it with vanilla for themselves. They also asked me to share the recipe with them. I emailed them the link to this webpage.
Thank you for sharing this simple recipe.
I do have one question. The 1/4 cup of water was nowhere near the amount needed to hydrate the 1 1/2 cups of almond flour. I did add water a little at a time as you suggested, and it was fine. Even though I may have needed to add a little more water, I didn’t expect the mixture to be so dry starting with the 1/4 cup of water. Do you know why I had this experience?
Richa
Almond flour doesn’t absorb much moisture so just a hit is needed. If the mixture is getting too dry it could be because 1. The sugar mixture got overcooked, that will make a thick syrup that will tend to crystallize as it cools. 2. Almond flour brands vary. So you can start with a 1-2 tbsp more water and cook the sugar mix only until it comes to a good boil and add almond flour. What kind of sugar did you use?
Beth K
Ah, I may have overlooked the sugar syrup in an effort to make sure all of the sugar was dissolved. I will try to remember to stop and add the almond flour as soon as the mixture comes to a good boil.
I used Florida Crystals organic raw cane sugar.
Thanks for your help.
Beth K
(I tried to post this comment the other day, but the system said it was already posted. So I waited a few days to see if it would show up.)
Ah, I may have overlooked the sugar syrup in an effort to make sure all of the sugar was dissolved. I will try to remember to stop and add the almond flour as soon as the mixture comes to a good boil.
I used Florida Crystals organic raw cane sugar.
Thanks for your help.
Geeta
Made this for Diwali and everyone loved it! It was very easy to make, I used coconut oil instead of vegan butter, and it turned out great!
Vegan Richa Support
Yay!!
Susan Orrell
Hi! I am allergic to almonds…is there a different flour I could use for this? Coconut perhaps?
Richa
Another nut flour will work. Cashews pistachios macadamia . You can make your own flour by blending the nuts in bursts of 10 seconds witb 1-2 tablespoon cornstarch
Monica
The taste was great but it didn’t really set. Do I need to cook the almond mixture more? I did add 1 tbsp of butter instead of one tsp
Richa
Yes cook longer. Sugar brands vary in terms of moisture and so do almond flours. Cook the sugar syrup longer as well next time. You can reheat the almond burfi mix and cook 3-5 mins.
Bina
Looking forward to making this. List wondering if a chocolate burfi could be made with this recipe by adding some melted chocolate on top?
Vegan Richa Support
great idea! – Absolutely & let me know how you like it
Luna
I am in love with all your recipes OMGoodness!! Ty so soo much!!
I am middle eastern by descent and vegan by choice. Have been looking for good recipes like this for a bit!!
Vegan Richa Support
I”m glad that you found me
Jigna
I tried it tonight, but the mixture was to dry and never came together even though I followed the measurements and instructions. What did I do wrong?
Richa
Different sugar brands and or stoves that heat more l, can overcook the sugar syrup. Just reheat and sprinkle in water a bit at a time until it gets moist . Then mix well and take off heat then press into the pan for cooking.
Pj
Can I use stevia drops or powder as sweetner instead of regular sugar for the almond burfi recipe?
Vegan Richa Support
the powder would work
Donna
‘Add 2/2 tsp instead of the saffron and cardamom’
What do you mean by 2/2 tsp? And I don’t see where cardamon is on the recipe ingredients?
Richa
It’s 1/2 tsp vanilla. Cardamom is the other options instead of saffron
Jdn
This sounds excellent !!!! Can we use coconut sugar ?
Richa
Yes
Sitara
I’m really excited to make this barfi. I don’t think I ever had it before.
I do not have vegan butter, can I use ghee instead.
Also, can I freeze them. Thank you.
Richa
Use oil or just omit it. Yes you can freeze them
Vrrki
HI, really thanks for sharing about barfi. In india, barfi is very famous and one of my favourite dish
Vegan Richa Support
your’re very welcome, thanks for stopping by
Sital
I have recently become vegan and really miss the Indian sweets. I’m really excited to make this for Diwali for friends and family. Thank you so much
Vegan Richa Support
excellent! enjoy the festivities, & let me know how everyone likes it
Shikha
Hi Richa, this looks super easy. I would like to give it a shot. However I don’t have access to “Vegan butter”. I don’t want to omit it. Can I use some coconut oil or any other substitute to keep it Vegan ? Also for a non – vegan substitute, can I use regular unsalted butter (same quantity)?
Vegan Richa Support
sure coconut oil will work – it’s only 1 tsp
Jean Burch
Sounds Delicious!! Am going to try this!!
Vegan Richa Support
let me know how it turns out for you
Donna D
Every recipe I make with Richa’s recipes are always deliscous. This Burfi will help me use the almond meal from my homemade almond milk.
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome !
Allison Moody
Is the vanilla replacing another ingredient or simply added in? Do you have a recommendation as to how much and what type of vanilla (powder, bean seeds or essence oil?)
Vegan Richa Support
you could omit the saffron if you use vanilla – or leave it in also. I like the one from trader joes’ and about 1/2 tsp will be enough