Desserts

Quick and Easy Burfee

Name: Quick and Easy Burfee
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Makes about 20 pieces
Ingredients: 500g milk powder / Klim (1 packet); 100g ghee; 500ml pouring cream / single cream (10 – 15% fat); 270g icing sugar; 3 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom; 1 tablespoon good-quality rose water (not rose essence)

1 November 2026

A soft, creamy burfee made with pouring cream and milk powder, flavoured with cardamom and rose water – no dessert cream, resting or grinding needed.

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Triangles of quick and easy burfee on a dark plate among Diwali sweets, diyas and a mauve cloth, at an angle

Close-up of moulded triangles of quick and easy burfee on a dark plate, from a low angle

My mum's decadent fresh cream burfee is still my favourite version – it hearkens back to authentic Indian sweetmeat making, an art I truly believe we need to preserve. When I shared that recipe, though, I did not expect it to go quite as viral as it did, with people all around the world giving it a try!

Many places do not have dessert cream, and not everyone has a grinder (or the time to hydrate, rest and grind the milk powder). So I set out to find a way around both, without compromising too much on taste or texture. I have tested about seven batches with creams of different fat percentages, and settled on pouring cream as the best – it has between 10 and 15% fat, depending on where you are in the world. It is less common in South Africa, but Woolworths does stock it. I do hope you give this a try 🙂

Triangles of quick and easy burfee on a dark plate with flowers and a lit diya behind, from the side

The recipe

Quick and Easy Burfee

Makes about 20 piecesPrep 3 minCook 7 minTotal 1 hr

adventureswithsugar.com/quick-and-easy-burfee/

Method

Method: burfee

Heat the pot: Place a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat.
Make the syrup: Add the ghee, cream and icing sugar to the pot and stir to combine.
Boil: Let everything dissolve and come to a boil, then boil for 4 – 5 minutes. To check, let a drop of the syrup cool, then press it between your thumb and index finger – it should feel tacky.
Add the milk powder: Add the milk powder in three batches, stirring well after each one so that it is fully mixed in.
Add the flavourings: Turn off the heat, then add the cardamom and rose water and mix well.
Let cool: Let the burfee cool completely.
Knead: Once cool, knead until soft.
Shape and decorate: Finally, shape and decorate however you like – I pressed mine into triangle moulds.

What should I know about making this?

What if I can't find pouring cream?

Use fresh cream (around 30% fat) mixed with milk: 75% fresh cream to 25% milk, so 375ml fresh cream and 125ml milk.

Can I use any milk powder?

Only full cream milk powder, such as Klim, Nido or Nespray.

Can I use pre-ground cardamom?

I would not advise it – freshly ground is best.

Which rose water do you use?

I use Bustan. Whichever you choose, use a good-quality rose water rather than rose essence.

Why a heavy-based saucepan?

The residual heat carries on cooking the burfee and helps it set after you take it off the heat, which reduces the cooking time.

What if my burfee is too wet once it has cooled?

Knead in more milk powder, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until it comes together.

What if it is too dry and crumbly?

Knead in water, a tablespoon or two at a time.

Can I make it ahead, and how do I store it?

Yes, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Let it come to room temperature before kneading and shaping.

A hand holding a triangle of quick and easy burfee in front of flowers

Close-up of the ribbed sides of triangles of quick and easy burfee on a dark plate, from a low side angle

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Quick and Easy Burfee