The traditional sweets of Pakistan, known as mithai, are mostly built from milk, sugar, ghee, semolina and nuts, and flavoured with cardamom, saffron or rose. The ones to know are gulab jamun, jalebi, barfi, rasmalai, laddu, sohan halwa, gajar ka halwa, kheer and sheer khurma. Almost every town has a mithai shop, sold by weight and packed in a box, which makes sweets an easy gift to take home or share on the road.
This guide explains the main sweets, when they are eaten, where regional specialities come from, and how to buy and carry them.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Sold by | Weight (per kilo, half kilo or piece) in mithai shops and bakeries |
| Eaten | After meals, at weddings, at Eid and on happy news |
| Base ingredients | Milk, khoya, sugar, ghee, semolina, nuts, cardamom |
| Best for gifts | Sohan halwa, barfi, dry-fruit sweets |
| Prices | Vary by city and shop; ask the rate per kilo before ordering |
What are the main Pakistani sweets?
- Gulab jamun. Deep-fried balls of milk solids (khoya) soaked in sugar syrup, served warm or cold. One of the most widely eaten sweets.
- Jalebi. Spirals of fried batter dipped in syrup, eaten hot and crisp, often for breakfast with milk or as a winter treat.
- Barfi. A firm sweet of milk and sugar, cut into squares or diamonds, with pistachio, cashew or coconut versions.
- Rasmalai. Soft milk-curd discs in thickened, cardamom-scented milk, served chilled.
- Laddu. Round sweets of gram flour or semolina, common at celebrations.
- Halwa. A group of dense, ghee-rich sweets: gajar ka halwa (carrot) in winter, suji halwa (semolina) at religious events, and sohan halwa, made with corn flour, ghee and nuts.
- Kheer and firni. Rice or ground-rice puddings with milk, sugar and nuts.
- Sheer khurma. Vermicelli cooked in milk with dates and nuts, a classic for Eid morning.
- Falooda and kulfi. Cold summer sweets: kulfi is dense, slow-frozen milk ice cream; falooda combines vermicelli, rose syrup, milk and ice cream.
Which sweets are regional specialities?
Multan is the city most tied to sohan halwa, sold in flat tins and boxes; see our guide to Multani sohan halwa. Dera Ismail Khan also has a sohan halwa tradition, covered in our post on sohan halwa from Dera Ismail Khan; that district is under a UK all-travel advisory, so most visitors will find it in shops elsewhere. Lahore is known for its dessert shops (see best desserts in Lahore), and other cities have their own shops with loyal followings. In the north, Hunza and Baltistan have sweet dishes based on dried apricots, walnuts and wheat, which are quite different from the plains' mithai. See Hunza's traditional food for those.
When are sweets eaten?
Sweets mark celebrations and good news. Boxes are exchanged at Eid, weddings, births, exam results and job offers. Sheer khurma is the dish of Eid morning, kheer and halwa turn up at religious gatherings and shrines, and dates and milk-based sweets appear on the iftar table. Jalebi and halwa puri are also breakfast foods in some cities. If you visit a Pakistani home, you may be offered sweets on arrival; see our note on visiting a Pakistani home.
How to buy sweets
- Go to a busy shop. Fresh, well-turned-over stock is worth more than a famous name.
- Ask to taste before you order a kilo. Shops usually offer.
- Order by weight. A half kilo is enough to share among several people.
- Ask when it was made. Milk-based sweets such as rasmalai and gulab jamun keep for a short time, and should be eaten within a day or two. Dry sweets, such as sohan halwa and some barfi, last longer.
- Ask for a proper box with a tight lid if you are travelling far.
Carrying sweets home
Choose dry, firm sweets such as sohan halwa and nut-based barfi for a flight or a long journey, packed in a sealed tin or box. Milk-based sweets don't travel well without a cool bag. If you are flying abroad, check your destination's rules on carrying dairy products, and remember that some countries limit food imports. In summer heat, keep boxes out of the sun.
Are there health points to keep in mind?
Pakistani sweets are rich and very sweet, made with ghee and sugar, so a small piece goes a long way. If you have diabetes, ask about sugar content and eat small portions. Nut allergies are worth flagging, because pistachio, almond and cashew appear in many sweets. For food safety in general, our guide on street food safety applies: prefer busy shops with fresh stock, and be cautious with cold milk sweets left out in the heat. See our wider Pakistani food guide and experiences for more.
Which sweets suit whom?
If you want something light, try kulfi or a small cup of kheer. If you like syrupy sweets, gulab jamun and jalebi are the classic answer. For a gift to carry home, buy sohan halwa or dry-fruit barfi. If you visit in winter, look for gajar ka halwa, and try sheer khurma if you are in Pakistan at Eid.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous sweet in Pakistan?
Gulab jamun and jalebi are among the most popular, and sohan halwa is the best-known regional speciality, associated with Multan.
What do Pakistanis eat on Eid?
Sheer khurma, a milk and vermicelli dish with dates and nuts, is the traditional Eid morning sweet, alongside other sweets and savoury dishes.
Which Pakistani sweets are best to take home?
Dry sweets such as sohan halwa and nut-based barfi keep better than milk sweets. Ask for them in a sealed box or tin.
Are Pakistani sweets vegetarian?
Most are, being made from milk, sugar and flour, though they contain dairy and ghee, so they are not vegan. Ask about ingredients if it matters.
Where can I buy sweets in Pakistan?
In mithai shops and bakeries in every town, sold by weight. Popular shops are usually the safest choice.
