7 Easy Deepavali Cookies and Snacks to Make at Home in 2026

Deepavali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, and in many Malaysian homes the cookie jars start filling up weeks before. If you have always bought your festive snacks from a neighbour or a shop, this is a good year to make a few batches yourself. Most traditional Deepavali cookies use simple pantry ingredients like flour, ghee, sugar, semolina and spices.

This guide covers seven easy Deepavali cookies and snacks that beginners can handle, plus practical tips for keeping them crisp in our humid weather. You do not need special equipment for most of them, just a mixing bowl, a baking tray and a bit of patience.

Before you start: a few ground rules

Festive baking goes smoother when you plan the order. Fried snacks like murukku keep well for a couple of weeks in airtight jars, so they can be made first. Butter-rich cookies such as nankhatai are best made closer to the day because their flavour is freshest in the first week.

• Use ghee for a more traditional flavour, or butter if that is what you have.
• Weigh flour if you can. Cup measurements vary a lot and change the texture.
• Cool everything completely before storing. Warm cookies sweat in the jar and go soft.
• Bake or fry in small batches so you can adjust heat as you go.

1. Murukku

Murukku is the classic crunchy spiral made from rice flour and urad dal flour, seasoned with cumin or sesame seeds. You need a murukku press, which is easy to find in Indian grocery shops around Brickfields, Klang and Penang, or online. The key is a soft, pliable dough and oil that is hot but not smoking. If the spirals break apart, the dough is too dry; add a spoon of water at a time.

2. Nankhatai

Nankhatai are melt-in-the-mouth shortbread cookies made with flour, ghee, powdered sugar and a little semolina, flavoured with cardamom. They are one of the friendliest cookies for beginners because the dough is forgiving. Roll small balls, press a pistachio or almond on top, and bake until the bottoms are just golden.

3. Rava ladoo

These semolina balls need no oven at all. Toast semolina in ghee until fragrant, add desiccated coconut, sugar and cardamom, then bind with a splash of warm milk. Shape them while the mixture is still warm. Rava ladoo are best eaten within a few days, so make them in the final week.

4. Ribbon pakoda

Ribbon pakoda uses a similar dough to murukku but is pressed through a flat ribbon plate. It is a little easier to fry evenly because the strips are thin. Season with chilli powder and a pinch of asafoetida for that familiar savoury kick.

5. Samosa for the open house

Samosa is not a cookie, but it is often the first thing to disappear at a Deepavali open house. A potato and pea filling with cumin, turmeric and garam masala is a reliable start. If you are cooking for a crowd, fold the samosas a day ahead, keep them covered in the fridge, and fry just before guests arrive.

6. Coconut burfi

Coconut burfi is a soft fudge-like sweet made by cooking grated coconut with sugar and milk until it pulls away from the pan. Spread it in a greased tray, let it set, then cut into diamonds. A few drops of rose water or a sprinkle of saffron make it feel more festive.

7. Chocolate chip cookies for the kids

Not every jar has to be traditional. Plenty of Malaysian families add one modern cookie for younger guests, and chocolate chip is the easy winner. If you already enjoy weekend baking, the same humidity tips from our pandan chiffon cake guide apply here: keep your flour dry and avoid opening the oven too often.

Festive baking is about the people you share it with, not perfect shapes. A slightly uneven murukku made at home still tells guests you cared enough to make it.

How to keep Deepavali cookies crisp in Malaysian humidity

Humidity is the biggest enemy of homemade cookies here. Store each type separately in airtight jars, because soft and crisp cookies stored together will all turn soft. A small food-safe silica sachet in the jar helps, and so does keeping jars away from the stove and windows. For general storage habits in our climate, see our guide to food storage in Malaysian heat.

1. Cool cookies fully on a rack, ideally for at least an hour.
2. Pack into dry, airtight containers with a tight lid.
3. Label each jar with the date so you serve older batches first.
4. If cookies soften, re-crisp them for a few minutes in a low oven and cool again.

FAQ

When is Deepavali in 2026?

Deepavali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026. In most states Monday, 9 November is the replacement holiday, but Sarawak does not gazette Deepavali, and Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu follow a different weekend, so check your state calendar.

Which Deepavali cookie is easiest for beginners?

Nankhatai and rava ladoo are the easiest. Nankhatai uses a forgiving dough, and rava ladoo needs no oven at all.

How early can I make Deepavali cookies?

Fried snacks like murukku and ribbon pakoda can be made about two weeks ahead if stored airtight. Butter cookies and ladoo taste best within the final week.

Pick two or three recipes, start with the ones that store well, and leave the delicate sweets for the last few days. Happy Deepavali, and enjoy filling your jars this year.