As the festive season draws near, India slips into its sweetest rhythm — homes lit with diyas, air rich with the scent of celebrations, and boxes of mithai passed from hand to hand as gestures of love. But this year, there’s a shift in the sugar, a modern remix of nostalgia that’s as much about design as it is about decadence.
Indian sweets are being reimagined as lifestyle statements: crafted, collectible, and deeply cultural. Boutique brands are redefining festive gifting through aesthetics, storytelling, and a renewed pride in tradition — while ice creams, their cool cousins, are spinning the same story of indulgence in technicolour. If mithai is the heritage heirloom, then ice cream is its slick, Gen Z-approved remix — together, they form the new grammar of gifting.
Tradition, Tailored
At Khoya, mithai is couture by another name, artisanal, intentional, and impossibly elegant. Their festive collection feels like a symphony of taste and texture: White Chocolate Aam Papad Barfi, South Indian Mixture, Amla & Supari Mukhwas, and Assorted Nuts — a delicate choreography of sweet, savoury, and tangy. Even their no-added-sugar box, featuring Pink Coconut Ladoo and Kesar Barfi, whispers restraint rather than excess. In Khoya’s hands, gifting becomes an art of editing — each box curated, not crowded; each bite steeped in nostalgia, but styled for the now.
Mumbai’s Bombay Sweet Shop takes the opposite route — maximalist, mischievous, and joyfully nostalgic. Think candy-striped boxes, chocolate-barfi bark cracked at live stations, and rasgulla tiramisu that turns the traditional on its head. Their stores function as experience zones, equal parts design gallery and dessert theatre. On social media, their riot of colour and wit has made mithai “grid-worthy” again, a pop-culture love letter to the flavours we grew up with.
The cool revolution
But even as mithai finds its fashion moment, there’s a cooler current running alongside, quite literally. Ice creams are taking over the festive table, not as afterthoughts but as innovations in tradition. If mithai is the heirloom silk saree, ice cream is the sequinned jacket thrown over it — bold, playful, and perfectly modern.
This year, Hocco and Haldiram’s delivered the most unexpected crossover yet: the world’s first Barfi Ice Cream. Designed as mithai-style cubes, they hide creamy ice cream inside, available in Orange Barfi and Milk-Cake Barfi. The collaboration marries legacy with experimentation, a symbol of how heritage can stay cool without losing its sweetness.
Meanwhile, Call Me Chunky is rewriting indulgence by the tub. Berry Cheesy Dream and Pop-Pop Caramel mix nostalgia with Netflix-era fun, while Raspy Choco White spins raspberry and white chocolate into a tart, festive swirl. It’s dessert with personality, creamy chaos that demands a spoon, not ceremony
And then there’s Chennai’s Scoop Dawg, with Mithai Madness, a decadent blend of Belgian chocolate ice cream, buttery kaju katli, roasted cashews, and butterscotch bits. It’s what happens when nostalgia melts into modernity — sweet, cool, and unmistakably Indian.
This Diwali, mithai isn’t just sweet, it’s a statement. Whether wrapped in gold foil or served in a tub, these creations remind us that indulgence can be both traditional and transformative. After all, the future of Indian desserts isn’t just warm, it’s deliciously cool.
Also Read:
Crave-Worthy Edible Diwali Gifts of 2025
Festive Escapes: Where to Ring In Diwali Away from the City Lights
The Luxe Pour: The Most Gift-Worthy Whiskies This Diwali
