
Indian Sweets for Summer Season: Cooling Mithai Delights for Hot Days

Gagan Singh
Author
Published on July 27, 2025
When the temperature rises, our cravings shift from rich, heavy desserts to lighter, cooler treats. India’s culinary landscape is filled with seasonal Indian sweets that are perfect for summer. These sweets not only satisfy your sweet tooth but also help beat the heat with ingredients like rose, cardamom, saffron, mango, and coconut.
In this blog, we explore the best Indian sweets for the summer season, featuring classic cooling Indian desserts, light Indian sweets, and refreshing summer mithai to keep you chilled and cheerful.
Why Choose Seasonal Indian Sweets in Summer?
Seasonal Indian sweets are crafted with ingredients that align with the time of year. In summer, the focus is on hydration, digestion, and cooling the body. Summer mithai often includes ingredients with naturally cooling properties:
- Cardamom and fennel: Aid digestion and add a soothing aroma.
- Rose water and kewra: Infuse floral freshness.
- Coconut and milk: Light on the stomach, rich in nutrients.
- Mango and seasonal fruits: Refreshing and packed with vitamins.
These desserts are usually served chilled and don’t leave you feeling overly full or sluggish.
Top Indian Sweets for the Summer Season
1. Kulfi
A beloved traditional frozen dessert made with slow-simmered milk, sugar, and flavorings like cardamom, saffron, mango, or pistachio. Kulfi is denser than ice cream and ideal for beating the heat.
Try mango kulfi or rose-flavoured kulfi for an extra summery touch.
2. Rasgulla and Rajbhog
These spongy, syrup-soaked balls made from chenna (fresh cottage cheese) are light, airy, and served cold. Rajbhog adds a saffron and dry fruit twist for a richer version.
3. Sandesh
A Bengali delight, sandesh is made with fresh paneer and flavored with cardamom, rose, or mango. It's light, mildly sweet, and often served chilled.
4. Shrikhand
This creamy yogurt-based dessert is popular in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Made by straining curd and blending it with sugar, saffron, and cardamom, it’s best served cold. Mango shrikhand (amrakhand) is a summer favorite.
5. Falooda
A layered cooling dessert drink made from rose syrup, vermicelli, soaked sabja seeds (basil seeds), milk, and ice cream. Falooda is refreshing and filling.
6. Mango Halwa or Mango Burfi
Seasonal mangoes are turned into delightful sweets like mango halwa or soft mango burfi, offering a fruity and light mithai experience.
7. Coconut Ladoo
These simple sweets made from desiccated coconut and condensed milk are quick to make and have a cooling tropical feel, perfect for summer snacking.
8. Aamras
Though technically not a sweet, aamras (pulped mango) served with puri is a beloved summer treat in western India. Served chilled, it’s both indulgent and refreshing.
9. Kheer with Seasonal Fruits
Chilled kheer made from rice or sabudana with a splash of rose water or cardamom, garnished with summer fruits like mango or lychee, makes a perfect dessert after lunch.
10. Phirni
A close cousin of kheer, phirni is a creamy rice pudding made with ground rice, milk, and sugar, traditionally set in clay pots and served chilled.
Light Indian Sweets for Daily Summer Treats
Sometimes, you just want a sweet bite without the heaviness. These light Indian sweets are perfect for a mid-day pick-me-up or after-meal refreshment:
- Kaju Katli: Smooth cashew fudge that doesn’t weigh you down.
- Mango barfi: Light and fruity, offering the richness of mango with a minimalistic texture.
- Rose peda: Gulkand or rose-flavoured peda made with khoya is a cooling variant.
- Tilgul: Sesame and jaggery sweets that are light but energizing.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
To enhance the summer vibe of your Indian sweets:
- Serve desserts in clay pots or brass bowls to keep them naturally cool.
- Garnish with mint, edible rose petals, or slivers of almonds/pistachios.
- Pair with refreshing drinks like jaljeera, aam panna, or buttermilk.
- Use ice or refrigeration to chill sweets before serving, especially for guests.
Looking for inspiration? Try these dinner ideas in Singapore to pair your mithai perfectly.
Where to Find Summer Mithai in Singapore
If you're in Singapore and looking to indulge in authentic summer Indian sweets, visit Akasa, a premium Indian fine dining restaurant known for exquisite desserts. Whether you crave mango shrikhand or chilled gulab jamun with kulfi, Akasa brings you the essence of Indian summers in every bite.
You can also explore their seasonal menus:
Conclusion
Enjoying Indian sweets in summer doesn’t mean sacrificing health or comfort. With the right seasonal Indian sweets, you can stay refreshed, cool, and satisfied. Whether it’s a chilled kulfi on a hot afternoon or a spoonful of mango phirni after dinner, cooling Indian desserts elevate your summer experience.
So, go ahead—treat yourself to the best summer mithai and beat the heat with every sweet bite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kulfi, falooda, mango shrikhand, rasgulla, and rose milk are great cooling desserts ideal for summer.
Yes, sweets like sandesh, coconut ladoo, mango barfi, and kaju katli are lighter and suitable for hot days.
Many cooling Indian desserts are easy to prepare at home, including phirni, shrikhand, and coconut ladoos.
Light ingredients, cooling properties, and minimal use of heavy ghee or mawa make a mithai ideal for summer.
You can try Akasa, a fine-dining Indian restaurant in Singapore that offers seasonal Indian sweets and desserts inspired by summer ingredients.
Yes, many cooling Indian desserts can be made with natural sweeteners like jaggery, honey, or stevia. Options like sugar-free shrikhand, fruit-based kulfi, or almond milk phirni are great for health-conscious sweet lovers during the summer season.
Popular cold-served sweets include kulfi, rasmalai, shrikhand, phirni, mishti doi, and mango sandesh. These are ideal summer mithai options as they offer a cooling effect and refreshing taste when chilled.
Absolutely. Many light Indian sweets such as mango burfi, coconut laddoo, and chilled rasgulla are perfect for festive occasions, poojas, and family get-togethers during the warmer months.
Yes, most summer sweets like rasmalai, phirni, and kulfi need refrigeration. They typically last 2–3 days when stored properly in an airtight container to retain freshness and prevent spoilage.
Mangoes, lychees, watermelon, pomegranate, and tender coconut are excellent choices. Mango-based sweets like aamras, mango shrikhand, and mango kulfi are especially popular in Indian homes during summer.