Diabetic-Friendly Indian Sweets
Most Indian sweets are high in sugar, but some raise blood sugar less than others — and with the right portion you don't have to give up mithai entirely. These sweets are ranked from lowest glycemic index upward, so you can see which are relatively safer choices and which to keep for special occasions.
Updated · ranked by glycemic index, lowest first · How we source our data
Treat sweets as an occasional small portion, not a daily habit. Pick a protein-rich or milk-based sweet over a syrup-soaked or pure-sugar one, eat it after a balanced meal rather than alone, and share or halve the serving.
At a glance: GI, GL and nutrition compared
| Food | GI | GL | Serving | Calories | Protein | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Chocolate (70%) | 23 | 2 | 2 small squares (20 g) | 120 kcal | 1.5g | 2g |
| Dates (Khajur) | 42 | 12 | 3-4 dates | 112 kcal | 1g | 3g |
| Sandesh | 55 | 12 | 2 pieces | 180 kcal | 8g | 0g |
| Chhena Poda | 55 | 17 | 1 slice | 250 kcal | 10g | 0g |
| Chak-Hao Kheer (Black Rice Kheer) | 55 | 20 | 1 small bowl | 230 kcal | 6g | 1.5g |
| Vanilla Ice Cream | 57 | 10 | 1 scoop | 145 kcal | 2.5g | 0g |
| Mishti Doi | 58 | 16 | 1 small pot | 160 kcal | 5g | 0g |
| Peanut Chikki | 58 | 7 | 1 piece | 125 kcal | 4g | 1g |
| Qubani ka Meetha | 60 | 31 | 1 small bowl | 250 kcal | 2g | 4g |
| Shrikhand | 61 | 18 | 1 small bowl | 230 kcal | 6g | 0.5g |
| Puran Poli | 62 | 28 | 1 piece | 280 kcal | 6g | 4g |
| Enduri Pitha | 62 | 26 | 2 pithas | 250 kcal | 6g | 3g |
| Laddu (Besan) | 65 | 16 | 1 medium laddu | 210 kcal | 4g | 1.5g |
| Bebinca | 65 | 22 | 1 slice | 300 kcal | 4g | 0.5g |
| Modak (Ukadiche) | 66 | 25 | 2 modak | 220 kcal | 3g | 2g |
| Milk Barfi (Khoya Barfi) | 68 | 14 | 2 pieces (about 40g) | 160 kcal | 4g | 0.3g |
| Til Pitha | 68 | 23 | 2 pithas | 210 kcal | 4g | 2g |
| Payasam (Vermicelli/Moong Dal) | 69 | 22 | 1 small bowl (about 150g) | 220 kcal | 5g | 0.8g |
GL and nutrition are per serving. How these values are sourced
Looking for every option? See the complete list of low-GI Indian foods.
Explore each food
GI 23· LowDark Chocolate (70%)
डार्क चॉकलेट · డార్క్ చాక్లెట్
Chocolate with at least 70% cocoa, less sugar and more cocoa fat and fiber than milk chocolate. A couple of squares cause only a small rise in blood sugar.
GI 42· LowDates (Khajur)
खजूर · ఖర్జూరం
Natural dried fruit used as a sweetener and snack. Medium GI but nutrient-dense with potassium, iron, and fiber.
GI 55· LowSandesh
संदेश · సందేశ్
A delicate Bengali sweet made from fresh chhena (paneer) lightly sweetened and flavoured with cardamom. High in protein for a dessert, with a moderate sugar content.
GI 55· LowChhena Poda
छेना पोड़ा · ఛేనా పోడ
Odisha's signature dessert of fresh chhena (cottage cheese) and sugar slow-baked until caramelised. High in protein for a sweet, with a moderate sugar load.
GI 55· LowChak-Hao Kheer (Black Rice Kheer)
चक-हाओ खीर · చక్-హావో ఖీర్
Purple-black kheer from Manipur made with chak-hao (black rice) slow cooked in milk with sugar and cardamom. Black rice keeps its bran and antioxidants, so it rises more slowly than kheer made with white rice.
GI 57· MediumVanilla Ice Cream
वनीला आइसक्रीम · వెనిల్లా ఐస్ క్రీమ్
Frozen dessert of milk, cream and sugar. The fat slows the sugar so its GI is only medium, but most of its carbohydrate is added sugar, and cups and cones are rarely just one scoop.
GI 58· MediumMishti Doi
मिष्टी दोई · మిష్టి దోయి
Bengal's iconic dessert of yogurt set with caramelised jaggery or sugar in earthen pots. The fermented dairy base softens the sugar's impact, but it remains a sweet.
GI 58· MediumPeanut Chikki
मूंगफली चिक्की · పల్లీ పట్టీ
Crunchy brittle of roasted peanuts set in jaggery syrup, a winter and travel snack from Lonavala to Hyderabad. The peanuts slow digestion, but the jaggery still makes it a sweet with a medium GI.
GI 60· MediumQubani ka Meetha
खुबानी का मीठा · ఖుబానీ కా మీఠా
The classic Hyderabadi wedding dessert of dried apricots stewed with sugar into a thick compote, often topped with cream or custard. Apricots add fiber, but the added sugar gives it a high glycemic load.
GI 61· MediumShrikhand
श्रीखंड · శ్రీఖండ్
A Gujarati and Maharashtrian dessert of strained, sweetened hung curd flavoured with cardamom and saffron. The dairy base tempers the sugar, but it is still a sweet to enjoy in moderation.
GI 62· MediumPuran Poli
पूरन पोली · పూరణ్ పోలి
A festive sweet flatbread from Maharashtra and Gujarat, stuffed with a cooked chana dal and jaggery filling. The dal adds protein and fiber, but the jaggery keeps it a medium-GI treat.
GI 62· MediumEnduri Pitha
एंडुरी पीठा · ఎండూరి పీఠా
A steamed Odia festival cake of fermented rice and urad dal batter filled with coconut and jaggery, cooked wrapped in turmeric leaves. Steaming keeps it light, but the jaggery filling adds sugar.
GI 65· MediumLaddu (Besan)
बेसन लड्डू · బేసన్ లడ్డూ
Gram flour, ghee, and sugar sweets. The besan base provides some protein, but the sugar and ghee make it calorie-dense.
GI 65· MediumBebinca
बेबिंका · బెబింకా
The queen of Goan sweets: a dense layered cake of coconut milk, egg yolks, sugar, ghee and a little flour, each of its many layers baked one at a time. Very sweet and rich; the fat slows it down a little, but the sugar load is high.
GI 66· MediumModak (Ukadiche)
मोदक · మోదక్
The steamed rice-flour dumpling filled with coconut and jaggery offered to Ganesha in Maharashtra. Steamed rather than fried, but the rice flour and jaggery keep it a medium-GI sweet.
GI 68· MediumMilk Barfi (Khoya Barfi)
खोया बर्फी · ఖోయా బర్ఫీ
Dense fudge made from reduced milk solids (khoya) and sugar. High GI from sugar, slightly lower due to milk protein and fat.
GI 68· MediumTil Pitha
तिल पीठा · తిల్ పీఠా
Assamese Bihu sweet of thin rolls made from sticky rice flour, roasted on a pan and filled with black sesame and jaggery. Sesame adds healthy fat and fiber, but the rice flour and jaggery make it a sweet.
GI 69· MediumPayasam (Vermicelli/Moong Dal)
पायसम · పాయసం
South Indian pudding of vermicelli or moong dal simmered in sweetened milk with cardamom and cashews. High GI from refined vermicelli and sugar.
Common questions
Can diabetics eat Indian sweets?
Occasionally and in small portions, yes. No sweet is truly 'safe' in large amounts, but choosing a lower-GI, protein-rich sweet, keeping the portion tiny, and eating it after a balanced meal rather than on an empty stomach all reduce the blood-sugar spike.
Which Indian sweets are best for diabetics?
Milk- and paneer-based sweets eaten in small portions tend to raise blood sugar a little less than syrup-soaked sweets like gulab jamun and jalebi or pure-sugar ones. Portion size still matters more than the type.
Are sugar-free sweets safe for diabetics?
Sugar-free mithai replaces sugar with sweeteners, but it is often still made with refined flour, ghee and milk solids that affect blood sugar and calories. They are better than regular sweets in moderation, but not unlimited.
Sources
- Atkinson FS, Brand-Miller JC, Foster-Powell K, Buyken AE, Goletzke J. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021: a systematic review. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2021; 114(5): 1625–1632.
- University of Sydney, Glycemic Index Research Service — GI Database (glycemicindex.com).
- Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad.
- ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition. Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024.
- ISO 26642:2010. Food products — Determination of the glycaemic index (GI) and recommendation for food classification.
Many Indian dishes have never been clinically tested, so some values are estimates — each food page shows whether its GI was measured or estimated. See our methodology.
This guide is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Glycemic index values are approximate and individual blood sugar responses vary. Please consult your doctor or a registered dietitian before making changes to your diet — see our full disclaimer.