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North India / pan-Indian · Indian

Kaju Katli (Cashew Fudge Diamonds)

The elegant, melt-in-the-mouth cashew fudge of Diwali: just cashews and sugar cooked into a smooth dough, rolled thin, and cut into the signature silver-leafed diamonds. Four ingredients, endless festive prestige.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published July 6, 2026

Diamond-shaped pieces of pale ivory kaju katli topped with edible silver leaf, arranged neatly on a plate.

Kaju katli (kaju barfi) is the most gifted sweet of Diwali — the box of silver-leafed cashew diamonds that travels between homes and offices during the festival. A staple of the Indian mithai shop, its prestige comes from cashews, once a luxury, and its deceptively simple, exacting technique.

Yield
Makes about 24 pieces
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min (plus setting)
Difficulty
Advanced

Kaju katli is the most prestigious sweet in the Diwali box — silver-leafed diamonds of smooth cashew fudge that melt the instant they hit your tongue. It’s the mithai that travels between homes and offices during the festival, and despite having essentially two ingredients — cashews and sugar — it’s one of the most exacting sweets to make well.

Simplicity that demands precision

There’s nowhere to hide in kaju katli. The cashews must be ground to a fine flour — pulse in short bursts and sift, because over-grinding releases their oil and turns them to paste. The sugar syrup must hit one-string consistency, no further, or the fudge turns grainy. And the cooking must stop the moment the dough comes together, or it dries and cracks.

Work while it’s warm

Once the cashew dough forms, speed matters: knead it briefly until smooth and roll it thin while still warm and pliable, because it stiffens fast as it cools. Apply silver leaf (vark) if you have it, then cut into the signature diamonds while just-set — fully cold, it cracks instead of slicing cleanly.

Why it carries such prestige

Cashews were long a luxury, and a sweet made almost entirely of them — smooth, refined, no syrup, beautifully cut — signalled care and occasion. That’s why kaju katli, more than almost any other, is the sweet you gift.

For more festive sweets, see gulab jamun and our guide to Indian festival sweets, or browse the full recipe collection.

Ingredients

Makes
24

For the fudge

  • 1.5 cups raw cashews Ground to a fine flour — the entire base. Room-temperature, unsalted, unroasted.
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
  • 1 tsp ghee (optional, for smoothness) Omit to keep it vegan; it helps prevent sticking.

To finish

  • edible silver leaf (vark), optional

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. Grind the cashews to a fine powder, pulsing in short bursts; sift to remove any coarse bits.

    Why: Cashews release oil if over-ground and turn to paste — pulse and sift so you get a fine flour, the key to a smooth katli.

  2. Make a syrup: boil the sugar and water just to a one-string consistency (about 1–2 minutes of rapid boil).

    Why: The sugar syrup stage controls the final texture; one-string consistency gives a fudge that sets firm but tender. Too far and it turns grainy.

  3. Lower the heat, add the cashew powder and cardamom, and stir constantly until it forms a soft, glossy dough that leaves the sides of the pan, 4–6 minutes.

    Why: Constant stirring on low heat cooks the cashew into a cohesive dough; overcooking dries it and makes it crack, so stop when it just comes together.

  4. Turn the warm dough onto a greased surface or parchment, knead briefly until smooth, then roll out to about 3–4 mm thick.

    Why: Kneading while warm makes it pliable and smooth; working fast matters because it stiffens as it cools.

  5. Apply silver leaf if using, cool slightly, and cut into the classic diamonds.

    Why: Cutting while just-set gives clean diamond edges; fully cold, it cracks rather than slices.

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Variations

  • Kesar (saffron) kaju katli

    Add saffron steeped in a teaspoon of warm milk for a golden, fragrant version.

  • Pista katli

    Use pistachios (or half cashew, half pistachio) for a green, equally elegant fudge.

  • Chocolate kaju katli

    Marble in a little melted chocolate or cocoa for a modern two-tone diamond.

Serving & Storage

Serve at room temperature as part of a Diwali mithai box or festive platter. The silver leaf makes them gift-worthy.

Pairs with: A festive sweets platter, Masala chai, Gulab jamun.

Storage: Keeps 1–2 weeks in an airtight box at room temperature (longer refrigerated). No syrup, so it stores dry and travels well.

Nutrition

Per serving (2 pieces)

Calories
170
Protein
4 g
Carbs
16 g
Fat
11 g
Fiber
1 g
Sugar
12 g
Sodium
5 mg

Notable micronutrients: Magnesium, Copper, Manganese

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my kaju katli grainy or crumbly?

Either the cashews were over-ground into oily paste, the sugar syrup went past the one-string stage, or the mixture was overcooked. Pulse-grind and sift the cashews, watch the syrup carefully, and stop cooking the moment the dough comes together.

Do I need a sugar thermometer?

Not necessarily — the 'one-string consistency' test works: a drop of syrup pressed between finger and thumb forms a single thread. It's an exacting sweet, so this stage is worth getting right; a thermometer (around 110–112°C) helps if you have one.

Is kaju katli vegan?

It can be — cashews, sugar, and water are all it strictly needs. Skip the optional ghee (use a neutral oil to grease surfaces) and it's fully vegan and naturally gluten-free.

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