Layered Carrot Halwa Coconut Burfi Bars are two of my favorite Indian desserts combined into one delicious moist and chewy bar! They are portable, look sersiously impressive and make for the perfect edible gift for the holidays. Vegan Dairyfree Glutenfree Nutfree option

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 35 minutes
  • Total time: 110 minutes
  • Yield: 12
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For the Coconut Burfi layer

  • 1.5 cups desiccated coconut (this is just finely shredded coconut. If your shreds are large or medium, pulse them in a blender until they are somewhat closer to semolina)
  • 1 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar ((Indian sweets are sweet! Use 2 tbsp less if needed))
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom or crushed seeds of 2 cardamom pods

For carrot halwa layer

  • 1 1/4 cup grated carrot
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/8 tsp lime zest, (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour or use rice flour or cornstarch for gluten-free
  • 1 teaspoon vegan butter

Method

  1. Make the coconut Burfi layer: Add the coconut milk and sugar to a pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Mix well to mix in the sugar. Add in the dessicated coconut and mix well to hydrate all the coconut by pressing and mixing. Cook until the mixture comes together like a soft dough. 7 to 10 minutes depending on the pan and stove. Stir frequently so coconut doesn’t burn.
  2. Then add in the cardamom and salt and mix in and take off heat. Transfer into a parchment lined brownie pan or baking dish - 8 x 8” or 9x9 inch. Press it evenly with a spatula then put it in the fridge to set for 15-20 mins. (Don’t like coconut, make my almond Burfi or cashew Burfi and use that as the bottom layer instead!)
  3. Make the carrot halwa: Add the carrots, maple syrup, almond flour to the skillet over medium heat. Cook until the carrots don’t smell raw and and aren’t leaking moisture. 6 to 8 mins. Then add the sugar, flour, cardamom, zest if using and butter and mix in. Cook for another 5 to 8 minutes. Taste to check if the carrots are cooked and caramelized to preference. Else cook longer. Press and mix and bring together like a dough.
  4. Take the pan out of the fridge. Transfer the carrot mixture to the pan and press and spread it evenly on top of the coconut layer using a spatula. Top with chopped pistachios, press them in. Chill the Burfi for an hour, then remove the Burfi bars using the parchment, then slice and serve.
  5. Storage: Store on the counter if using in a few hours. Else refrigerate for upto 4 days. Freeze for upto a month

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.