12 Types of Bengali Diwali Sweets

Prashant Dhingra

Bengali sweets are built on chhena, fresh curdled-milk cheese, kneaded and either simmered in syrup (rasgulla, rajbhog, cham cham), fried (pantua, langcha) or gently cooked (sandesh).

By Prashant Dhingra

See all 12 sweets Keeping guide

Chart titled 12 Types of Bengali Diwali Sweets, showing Rasgulla, Rajbhog, Gulab Jamun, Pantua, Langcha, Cham Cham, Pink Cham Cham, Rasmalai, Sandesh, Kesar Sandesh, Kheer Kadam, Chocolate Sandesh

In short

Bengali sweets are built on chhena, fresh curdled-milk cheese, kneaded and either simmered in syrup (rasgulla, rajbhog, cham cham), fried (pantua, langcha) or gently cooked (sandesh). In Bengal, Diwali night is Kali Puja, and these sweets fill the plates for guests and offerings. Most are perishable and are bought fresh from the moira's shop.

Diwali sweets in West Bengal

Diwali in Bengal coincides with Kali Puja, and Bhai Phonta (Bhai Dooj) follows two days later, when sisters feed their brothers a plate heaped with sweets. Because chhena sweets spoil quickly, families buy them fresh for each occasion rather than making a store.

The 12 sweets

What each one is, what it is made of, and how long it keeps.

01 of 12
Rasgulla
Syrup-soakedRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Soft, spongy chhena balls cooked in light sugar syrup. Kneading the chhena until smooth is what makes them springy.

Made with: Chhena, sugar syrup
02 of 12
Rajbhog
Syrup-soakedRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
A large, saffron-tinted rasgulla with a filling of nuts or khoya; the 'royal' version of rasgulla.

Made with: Chhena, saffron, sugar syrup, nuts or khoya filling
03 of 12
Gulab Jamun
Syrup-soakedRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Khoya dumplings fried slowly until deep brown and soaked in cardamom and rose syrup. Loved across India.

Made with: Khoya, maida, sugar syrup, cardamom, rose water
04 of 12
Pantua
Syrup-soakedRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Bengal's answer to gulab jamun, made with chhena and a little semolina and fried darker. Firmer and less sweet.

Made with: Chhena, semolina, sugar syrup
05 of 12
Langcha
Syrup-soakedRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
An elongated, dark-fried chhena and khoya sweet soaked in syrup, famously associated with Shaktigarh near Bardhaman.

Made with: Chhena, khoya, flour, sugar syrup
06 of 12
Cham Cham
Syrup-soakedRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Oval chhena sweets cooked in syrup, then rolled in coconut or khoya; firmer and denser than rasgulla.

Made with: Chhena, sugar syrup, desiccated coconut or khoya
07 of 12
Pink Cham Cham
Syrup-soakedRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
The colored party version of cham cham, often flavored with rose. Popular on mixed sweet boxes.

Made with: Chhena, sugar syrup, coconut, rose color
08 of 12
Rasmalai
Milk & chhenaRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Flattened chhena discs soaked in thickened saffron and cardamom milk, served chilled.

Made with: Chhena discs, thickened milk, saffron, cardamom, pistachios
09 of 12
Sandesh
Milk & chhenaRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Fresh chhena kneaded with sugar, gently cooked and pressed into molds. In winter it is made with nolen gur (date-palm jaggery).

Made with: Fresh chhena, sugar or nolen gur
10 of 12
Kesar Sandesh
Milk & chhenaRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Saffron-scented sandesh, often molded into flowers or cups for festive boxes.

Made with: Chhena, sugar, saffron, pistachios
11 of 12
Kheer Kadam
Milk & chhenaRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
A small rasgulla wrapped in a layer of sweet khoya and rolled in grated khoya, so it looks like the kadam flower. A sweet within a sweet.

Made with: Small rasgulla, khoya, sugar
12 of 12
Chocolate Sandesh
Milk & chhenaRefrigerate, 2 to 4 days
A modern sandesh made with cocoa or chocolate; a favorite with children and in gift boxes.

Made with: Chhena, sugar, cocoa or chocolate

At a glance: type and keeping time

Make the long-keeping sweets first and the milk-based ones last. Keeping times are typical for homemade sweets in an airtight container in a cool kitchen; shop-bought sweets may differ.

Sweet	Type	Keeps
Rasgulla	Syrup-soaked	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Rajbhog	Syrup-soaked	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Gulab Jamun	Syrup-soaked	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Pantua	Syrup-soaked	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Langcha	Syrup-soaked	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Cham Cham	Syrup-soaked	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Pink Cham Cham	Syrup-soaked	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Rasmalai	Milk & chhena	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Sandesh	Milk & chhena	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Kesar Sandesh	Milk & chhena	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Kheer Kadam	Milk & chhena	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days
Chocolate Sandesh	Milk & chhena	Refrigerate, 2 to 4 days

Frequently asked questions

What are the most popular Bengali Diwali sweets?

Bengali sweets are built on chhena, fresh curdled-milk cheese, kneaded and either simmered in syrup (rasgulla, rajbhog, cham cham), fried (pantua, langcha) or gently cooked (sandesh). In Bengal, Diwali night is Kali Puja, and these sweets fill the plates for guests and offerings. Most are perishable and are bought fresh from the moira's shop.

Which Bengali Diwali sweets need to be made last or refrigerated?

Rasgulla, Rajbhog, Gulab Jamun, Pantua, Langcha, Cham Cham, Pink Cham Cham, Rasmalai, Sandesh, Kesar Sandesh, Kheer Kadam and Chocolate Sandesh are milk-, chhena-, curd- or fresh-coconut based or best served warm. Make them a day or two ahead at most, refrigerate, and serve within a few days.