Milk Peda Recipe

Milk Peda is a delicious Indian sweet made with milk, sugar, cardamom and ghee. Traditionally Doodh Peda is made by simmering full fat milk for several hours, until it cooks down to solids. In this post I will show you how to make it the easier way using milk powder or mawa (milk solids). These won’t turn out chewy but will melt in your mouth.

Before figuring out the methods to make peda with milk powder and mawa, all I knew was making it the traditional way from scratch. It isn’t easier because you need to stir it constantly and cook for hours.

I’m sharing 2 instant recipes in this post. These are very handy during festivals and come together under 30 mins. The first one uses milk powder & milk while the second one uses mawa / milk solids & condensed milk (for richness).

Many years ago when I first made milk powder peda, it turned out chewy like a milk gummy. It took me several trials and I figured out how to make this soft melt-in-the-mouth version, every single time.

The idea to add powdered sugar directly to the cooked & cooled milk powder for that smooth and melting texture. Many brands of milk powder when cooked with sugar turn very chewy. So my recipe fixes that issue. Years ago I would make the chocolate flavoured peda for my kids. I’ve that version as well below in the notes section of the recipe card.

Ingredients

• Milk powder or mawa form the base of this doodh peda. Use one of them. Milk powder is dry milk and mawa is milk solids. I use Nestle or nido brands of milk powder and for mawa I choose amul.
• Milk: a small amount of full fat milk is used
• Sugar or Condensed milk: I use powdered sugar for the milk powder version and condensed milk while making mawa peda.
• Ghee: a small amount of ghee helps to prevent the peda mixture from sticking to the pan.
• Cardamom powder is used for flavor. If you want rose flavor, you may add a tsp of organic rose water or saffron if you want saffron flavored.
• Pistachios add texture and slight nuttiness to the doodh peda. They also look great as garnishings.

More Diwali Sweets Recipes
Rasgulla
Rasmalai
Gulab jamun
Mysore pak
Puran poli

Photo Guide

How to make Milk Peda (Stepwise photos)

Recipe 1 with milk powder

This version makes non-greasy pedas. If you want to make them slightly greasy, use 2 tbsps ghee rather than 1 mentioned in the recipe.

1. Pour ½ tablespoon ghee to a non-stick pan.

2. Pour ½ cup milk. When the milk becomes warm, add 1 cup milk powder. I used Nestle everyday regular.

3. Regulate the flame to low and mix both of them well to make a smooth mixture.

4. Keep stirring constantly and cook on a medium flame. You will see the mixture begins to turn thicker.

5. After 1 to 2 mins, it becomes thicker and sticky. Then add another ½ tablespoon ghee.

6. Keep stirring continuously & cook until it becomes a mass and leaves the pan. While you stir ensure you also collect the mixture stuck to the sides of the pan. Instant mawa is ready.

Shape peda

7. Transfer this to a mixing bowl and cool down.

8. When it is slightly warm, add the ¼ to ½ teaspoon cardamom powder and 4 to 5 tablespoons powdered sugar. [Don’t add sugar when the milk solids are hot or even slightly hot. Sugar will melt and make the entire thing sticky]

9. Knead the dough to smooth. Taste test and add more sugar if you prefer. Divide to 8 equal portions and roll to balls.

10. Flatten and tuck in a sliced pistachio in the center of each peda. (Watch video). Store in an air tight jar. These milk powder pedas stay good at room temperature for 1 day and in the refrigerator for upto a month. They will remain dry and non-sticky if prepared properly.

Photo Guide

Recipe 2 – Mawa Peda

1. Defrost mawa/khoya either in microwave or refrigerator or leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes. If you are using frozen khoya. Do not begin to heat up very cold one, sometimes this makes the khoya taste bitter. [Optional: Soak 1 pinch saffron in 2 tablespoons hot milk. I did not use it.]

2. Crumble 200 grams khoya (about 1½ cup) and add it to a pan.

3. Add ½ tin condensed milk (½ of 400 grams tin). Also add in ½ teaspoon cardamom powder and saffron milk if using.

4. Begin to cook on a medium flame. Cook the mixture stirring constantly. It melts and turns gooey.

5. Next cook till the mixture thickens, while stirring constantly and becomes a mass. Turn off the heat.

6. After cooling the mixture looks smooth and slightly darker in color. It thickens as well.

Making peda

7. Grease your palms, take small portions and roll them to balls. Flatten them and dent in the center. Tuck the chopped pistachios. I had set aside a part of this mixture and added cocoa. Knead well and made some chocolate peda.

Store them in a air tight jar and refrigerate.

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Recipe Card

This recipe was first published in October 2014. Updated August 2026.