Easy & Quick Bread Halwa recipe (No Deep Fry) with just 5 ingredients

Bread Halwa Recipe is a super easy Indian dessert recipe that can be made in a jiffy. It is particularly popular in Hyderabadi cuisine and is made at weddings and for all festivals or special occasions.

I tasted this dish first time at a Muslim wedding in Hyderabad. Warm halwa glistened with ghee and tasted so yummy. The fun part was I could not recognize that the halwa was made of bread.

The bread halwa was certainly a crowd favorite. Halwa looked simple but it was rich in the depth of flavors and textures to impress anyone’s palate.

This bread halwa recipe is a must-try if you have never tried making it before.

About Bread Halwa Recipe

Traditionally this halwa is made with white bread. Slices of bread are cut into four and are deep fried in ghee. Then they are cooked in sugar syrup until they absorb the liquid and the consistency of halwa is reached.

I have been planning on making the authentic bread halwa at home for a long time but deep frying the bread was making me think. So, I came up with a substitute.

My version is simpler where you do not have to deep fry the bread in ghee. in short, it’s a No Deep-Fry Bread Halwa recipe. I’m substituting bread with rusk/toast.

This no deep-fry bread halwa can be made in two ways:

1. With milk.

2. Without milk.

Today’s recipe is with milk. All it takes is to shallow fry the rusk in ghee. Then cook them in the sugar syrup made with water, milk, and sugar. Milk makes any halwa creamy. However, it is optional in bread halwa.

Bread halwa made at weddings is without milk. Instead, they use sugar syrup and add khoya at the end.

The bread halwa recipe is similar to double ka meetha but there are variations in the cooking method which makes both different in terms of the overall texture.

My bread halwa recipe will result in a soft and crisp texture. If you like halwa to be soft, add more milk. Also, adjust the sweetness according to your palate.

Reasons to make

Quick and easy.

Oh-so-delicious.

Minimal ingredients.

Bachelor and beginner-friendly recipe.

Bread halwa with rusk comes together in under 20 minutes.

Instant dessert when you have unexpected guests.

Ideal for family get-togethers, parties, sweet cravings, and special evenings. 

Smooth and melt in the mouth texture.

Tastes divine.

Less in calories compared to the deep fry version.

Pro Tips

Do not replace clarified butter with oil. This indulgent dessert will not taste as good when made with ghee.

Use a wide pan.

Fry the rusk on a medium-low flame. Toasting the rusk slices in ghee gives it a nice flavor.

Do not add the rusk to cold ghee, they will absorb all the fat and you will not get the desired result.

The color of the halwa will depend on the ingredients. It will be dark in color without milk and light in color when you make it with milk.

Ingredients

Rusk/Toast: It is the main ingredient for making the halwa.

Cardamom Powder is commonly used to impart natural fragrance to Indian sweets. As the rusk has cardamom, I skipped it.

Clarifies butter/Ghee: Traditionally Indian sweets are cooked in ghee and this rusk halwa is no exception. Do not replace ghee with oil.

Milk: Toned or full fat/cream, any milk is fine.

Sugar: I have used granulated white sugar to sweeten the halwa.

Dry fruits: I have used cashews, raisins, muskmelon seeds, and almonds. You can use other nuts like pistachios, walnuts, etc.

How to make Bread Halwa

Heat ghee in a pan over medium flame.

When warm, place the rusk slices and fry on both sides until golden color.

Remove them onto a plate.

Add 1 tbsp ghee and add the dry fruits of your choice. Fry stirring frequently until they turn golden brown.

Remove them onto a bowl.

Add water, milk, and sugar to the pan. Stir and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the flame to low and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the rusk slices.

Mix and mash the rusk slices until they start to become soft, with a few crispy crunchy pieces around. . Cook until the rusk absorbs all the liquid and comes together.

Add half of the fried dry fruits and mix well.

Add 1 tablespoon ghee and give a good mix.

Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame until it gets to a halwa stage. Bread Halwa is ready. Garnish with fried dry fruits before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Bread Halwa, warm or chilled as a dessert after meals (lunch or dinner).

You can also serve it as an evening snack or whenever sweet cravings strike.

Storage Suggestions

You can store the leftover in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days.

Before serving, reheat in a microwave or in a small pan on the stovetop until warm or hot.

Variations

You can follow the same recipe with white bread as well. Remove the edges of each white bread and cut it into four. Deep fry the bread pieces in ghee. Make the sugar syrup and simmer fried bread in it.

More Indian desserts recipe

Gulab Jamun

Sooji Halwa

Vermicelli Kheer

Rice Kheer

If you’ve tried this No Deep Fry Bread Halwa recipe with rusk, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Feedback and suggestions are highly appreciated. Also, please share the recipes with your friends and family members.

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