Dosa, idlis, and piping hot filter coffee are not the only pieces of heaven that South India
boasts of; the place is also the home to some of the most soulful desserts ever to be made. These candies are not just tiny sweet things, but memories of lines at the temple, the holiday mess, the kitchen of grandma and the recipes that were being passed by the mouth.
Most of these sweets are festive necessities such as Ariselu on Sankranti or Kozhukattai on Ganesh Chaturthi and others simply wait on the kitchen counters until someone insists on taking a bite (the most frequent lie in every home). These sweets are prepared using few ingredients such as jaggery, coconut, rice flour and ghee and when one takes them, one feels the warmth of culture in every bite of it.
What is Special about South Indian Sweets?
South Indian desserts are not fully reliant on refined sugar; having a sweetness that leans more towards jaggery, which gives the dessert the texture and consistency of caramel that cannot be attained with sugar. The desserts are earthy, reminiscent and quite delicious, mixed with coconuts, rice, lentils and much ghee.
Some signature elements you’ll find everywhere include:
- Coconut in every possible form — grated, milk, roasted, caramelised
- Rice flour as the base for both steamed and fried sweets
- Lentils as the hero ingredient, like in Mysore Pak
- Ghee as a non-negotiable act of love
- Temple heritage & family-kept recipes, passed down like sacred secrets
Preparation Styles That Make Them Special
- These sweets aren’t rushed. They’re slow, patient, and crafted with intention:
- Steamed – Kozhukattai and Ada Pradhaman
- Fried – Adhirasam and Unniyappam
- Roasted & Slow-Cooked – Tirunelveli Halwa and Dharwad Peda
- Boiled & Simmered – Payasams that feel like warm, drinkable comfort
Simple ingredients, time, and technique come together to make South Indian sweets.
Top 20 Must Try South Indian Sweets
Ready to meet the legends? Here are 20 South Indian sweets that have ruled temples, festivals, and family kitchens for generations — the ones you don’t just eat, you remember.
1. Mysore Pak (In Karnataka)
This sweet was accidentally made in the royal kitchens of Mysore and the overload of ghee was accidentally adopted. These days, two types are being used, the smooth, shiny Mysore style and the porous, crumbly shop-style. They both have a roasted flavour of besan and melt instantly leaving the taste of a deep caramelised ghee taste.
2. Tirupati Laddu (In Andhra Pradesh)
This laddu is made in the Tirumala temple only, boondi (thick), Ghee (high quality), cardamom, cashews and edible cardamom are added and the laddu has a distinct smell. Prepared in huge temple kettles, there will be no two batches that are similar. It is not merely a sweet, but blessed prasadam that is reported to be divine only in temple, which is sworn by the devotees.
3. Payasam (All South Indian States)
Payasam which is known as a warm hug in a bowl is a must-have in pujas, weddings and festive meals of South India. It is slow-simmered in milk or coconut milk, jaggery or sugar, and spicy with cardamom and is available in numerous favourite versions:
- Pal Payasam – rice cooked in milk until creamy
- Semiya Payasam – roasted vermicelli with nuts and cardamom
- Paruppu Payasam – lentils cooked in jaggery and coconut milk
All three deliver comfort with every spoonful.
4. Sakkarai Pongal (In Tamil Nadu)
Harvest special is cooked with rice, jaggery, milk, ghee and cashews and cardamom which are freshly produced. It is cooked in clay pots on a wood fire and gains an indefinable smokey caramelised sweetness not possible today. A taste of celebration, it is sticky, juicy and festive.
5. Ada Pradhaman (In Kerala)
The king of payasams of Kerala was prepared with ada (rice flakes), simmered in coconut milk, jaggery syrup, roasted bits of coconuts and ghee. It is prepared with smoky and stacked flavours as compared to milk based kheer and soft and chewy rice flakes that make it a luxury dessert.
6. Modakam or Kozhukattai (In Tamil Nadu and Kerala)
Jaggery and caramelised coconut are stuffed in steamed rice dumplings. They are tender, a little sweet and stinking, and they are dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Home recipes are the tastiest because every family can make changes in the balance of the dough and the filling, so that every bite would be associated with childhood and make it personal.
7. Rava Kesarior Kesari Bath (Tamil Nadu and Karnataka)
Semolina was roasted in ghee, cooked in sugar, coloured with a little bit of saffron or turmeric and sprinkled with roasted cashews and raisins. Had at temples, breakfasttime, weddings and feasts, it is plain though very nice, oily and smooth in the mouth when made up with sufficient ghee.
8. Adhirasam (In Tamil Nadu)
It is prepared using rice flour combined with thick jaggery syrup and allowed to ferment overnight, followed by deep-frying into a chewy caramelised type of doughnut sweet. Outside is crisp and inside is soft and as time goes on, the taste is gettier as it becomes a must have during Diwali and temple festivals.
9. Obbattu (In Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu)
Prepared by a combination of rice flour and thick jaggery syrup and allowed to ferment
overnight followed by deep-frying into a sticky caramelised doughnut-shaped confection.
Outside crisp and inside soft, its taste improves with time and it becomes an essential one
when it comes to Diwali and temple festivals.
10. Unniyappam (In Kerala)
Deeply fried, in small golden fritters, are banana, jaggery, bits of coconuts, sesame seeds and rice batter now. They are temple gifts and favourite tea snacks that are hard outside and spongy inside. Sweet, nutty, fragrant, you cannot have only one.
11. Dharwad Peda (In Karnataka)
This peda is prepared over 170 years; after milk of buffalos is caramelised by slow reduction, it is sweetened and then shaped by hand. Smoky, grainy and slightly chewy, its hidden formula is a secret of the Dharwad confectioners and it is a treasure of Karnataka indeed.
12. Pootharekulu (In Andhra Pradesh)
The rice starch papers are sprinkled with powdered sugar or jaggery, and with ghee. It is delicate and crackly and melts into syrupy sweetness at once. The art of preparing these sheets is only maintained by women in the place of origin of this dramatic dessert - Atreyapuram.
13. Ariselu or Athirasam (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana)
Ariselu is a crisp, jaggery laced disc of rice flour sprinkled with sesame seeds, which is a festival compulsory during Sankranti. Crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside, it is better as it gets old.
14. Kerala Black Halwa or Karuppu Halwa
Prepared using coconut milk, palm jaggery, and rice flour stirred, but not hastily, until glossy and black. Sticky, chewy and highly flavoured it will remain on your palate long after you have bitten. The darker it is the more the taste. Patience is key.
15. Halwa Tirunelveli (In Tamil Nadu)
Prepared using extracted wheat milk that is cooked in ghee until it becomes smooth, elastic and caramel laden. Served hot by the renowned Iruttukadai Halwa of Tirunelveli, which is sold at night. It is a ritual, not an ordinary dessert but sticky, glossy and addictive.
16. Halwa of Bananas (In Kerala)
Nendran bananas cooked slowly are combined with jaggery and ghee and cooked down to a thick dark chewy consistency. It has a sweetened banana caramel flavour that is fruity, earthy and nostalgic. One piece is never enough.
17. Madatha Kaja or Kakinada Kaja (In Andhra Pradesh)
Rolled dough was deep fried in flaky layers dipped in syrup until crisp on the surface and soft on the inside. It is a more light version of Balushahi with a very different layer and it is a holiday special neither being excessively sweet nor savoury.
18. Nei Appam (Kerala and Tamil Nadu)
Only rice flour, banana, jaggery, bits of coconuts and cardamom are fried using ghee. It’s light, with more caramel, it is warmer and celebratory, much like traditional sweet lava cake.
19. Thengai Burfi or Coconut Burfi (Across all Southern States)
Coconut that has been grated then cooked with sugar or jaggery and cardamom. Light, fanciful, and nostalgic, it is hardly complex, but memorable, that old childhood candy which appears in every festive box.
20. Benne Holige (Karnataka)
“Benne” means butter, and this Karnataka variant takes it seriously. It is filled with a smooth filling contained in dough that is thickened with ghees, cooked until it puffs slightly and served in melted butter. Unapologetically rich, soft, lavish.
Best South Indian Sweets on Various Occasions.
1. Festive celebrations and festivals
South Indian wedding is normally marked by a sweeten feast, which is served at the magnificent celebrations to signify happiness and prosperity.
- Sakkarai pongal – Pongal (In Tamil Nadu)
Cooked fresh during the harvest festival and shared as a symbol of abundance. - Ariselu or Athirasam – Sankranti (AP and Telangana)
Prepared using newly harvested rice and jaggery during the harvest season. - Kozhukattai or Modakam – Ganesh Chaturthi
Offered to Lord Ganesha as the sweet he is believed to love most. - Adhirasam – Diwali (In Tamil Nadu)
Made with fermented jaggery batter and fried for festive feasts. - Unniyappam – Vishu or Onam (In Kerala)
A popular banana-jaggery treat prepared for Kerala’s major festivals.
2. Temple prasadams
These sweets are first offered to the deity in temples and then distributed to devotees as prasadam.
- Tirupati laddu – Andhra Pradesh
Received after darshan and known for its temple-only flavour. - Kesari or Rava Kesari (Tamil Nadu and Karnataka)
Most commonly served as prasadam at temples because it is easy to prepare and it is also delicious. - Pal payasam (Kerala and Tamil Nadu)
A traditional milk-rice kheer is served in temples as a sacred offering. - Tirunelveli halwa
Often enjoyed near temples after darshan due to its warm, fresh, ghee-rich texture.
3. Weddings & celebrations
These sweets are commonly served at large gatherings because they suit big feasts and special meals.
- Obbattu or Puran poli
A celebratory sweet flatbread prepared in large batches for special occasions. - Ada pradhaman
A premium payasam is commonly served in grand feast menus. - Semiya payasam
A simple yet popular dessert that fits every celebration spread. - Benne holige
Buttery, soft, and a favourite in Karnataka’s wedding meals.
4. Daily indulgence and comfort sweets
Some sweets are made to be stored at home and enjoyed anytime, without waiting for a festival or special event.
- Thengai burfi or coconut burfi
Quick to prepare using fresh coconut from the kitchen. - Nei appam
A small, ghee-rich snack often made for no special reason at all. - Halwa of banana
Uses ripe bananas that would otherwise go to waste. - Chakka varatti
Made during jackfruit season and stored for later use at home. - Dharwad peda
Bought and shared as a stored treat, not just during celebrations.
5. Gifting & festive boxes
These sweets are usually picked for gifting because they pack well, travel easily, and stay fresh longer.
- Pootharekulu
Delicate, paper-like sheets that surprise everyone in a gift box. - Madatha kaja or kakinada kaja
Layers beautifully and keeps its texture even after travel. - Kerala black halwa
Chewy, glossy and lasts longer without losing flavour. - Mysore pak
The classic, rich gift that fits every celebration box.
Conclusion
From slow-cooked favourites to quick festival sweets, South Indian desserts truly cover
every kind of craving. Slow cooked delights to fast festival snacks, South Indian desserts
certainly have an answer to all types of cravings. You want something crisp, something
soft or something laden with ghee, you will always find one that suits you. Every sweet in
this list has its home and its place during feasts, and the only thing to do to discern why
they have endured so much is to taste them. When you crave something sweet, then you
can take the time to enjoy these olden day desserts and savour the sweets of South India.
Also Read: 40 Famous Indian Sweets and Mithais
FAQ’s
Which sweet is famous in South India?
Mysore Pak is also one of the most recognised and common South Indian desserts.
What are the traditional sweets of Tamil Nadu?
The traditional sweets that are made in Tamil Nadu are Sakkarai Pongal, Adhirasam, Kozhukattai, and Tirunelveli Halwa.
What are the sweets of Kerala?
Ada Pradhaman, Unniyappam, Banana Halwa and Chakka Varatti are known in Kerala.