This chocolate burfi recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make. Made with ricotta cheese and milk powder, this is a delicious treat perfect for any occasion.
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Burfi is a quintessential Indian sweet treat made for any celebration. Here is a quick and easy to make Chocolate Barfi aka peda. This is a perfect to make for rakhi, diwali or birthdays.
This is a delicious variation to the more traditional peda or milk fudge. Using chocolate and ricotta cheese make this quite a fusion of western and Indian cooking.
Traditional method of making peda/ milk fudge takes quite a long time. It involves boiling the milk until it gets to the creamy, thick consistency.
But this easy burfi recipe takes less than 30 minutes of hands-on time. The texture is very similar to the traditional version.
Ingredients
This chocolate burfi recipe needs just a few pantry staple ingredients.
Ricotta Cheese - I recommend using full-fat to get the best texture in the barfi. But low-fat is all you have, then go for it.
Dry Milk powder - again I recommend full-fat milk powder. I use Nestle brand dry milk powder. Indian groceries often carry whole milk powder as well.
Unsweetened Cocoa powder - any good quality cocoa or cacao powder will work in this recipe. I use Navitas Organics Cacao powder.
Other ingredients you need:
- unsalted butter or ghee
- granulated sugar
- sliced almonds
- ground cardamom
Instructions
Line a 8" square baking pan with parchment paper with 2" overhang on 2 sides. Alternately lightly grease a plate and keep ready.
In a nonstick pan on medium heat, melt butter or ghee and add the ricotta cheese. Mix and cook until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Add the milk powder and sugar and cook till the mixture is creamy.
Stir in the cocoa powder and mix well until incorporated. Add the sliced almonds and mix again.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan, this will take about 15~20 minutes.
Add ground cardamom and stir well to combine. Remove the mixture into the prepared pan into a ¾" thick layer. Smooth the top and set aside to cool.
Once the mixture is completely cooled, lift the burfi with the parchment onto a chopping board. Cut into squares or diamonds using a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and enjoy!!
How to ensure that you got the correct texture?
Cooking the milk-ricotta mixture to the correct texture is a critical step in this burfi recipe. If it is not long enough, then the fudge will not set and if it is cooked too much, it will crumble.
Here a few tips and suggestions to ensure the perfect texture to your chocolate burfi:
- Use a non-stick pan otherwise there is a chance that the mixture will stick to the pan and scorch.
- Keep the baking pan with parchment or greased plate ready.
- Once the mixture starts to form a ball and leaves the pan, stir continuously and do not step away. At this stage, it comes together pretty quickly.
- Once done, cooked mixture should become somewhat dry. It should not stick to the pan or to the spoon.
- Remove the mixture onto the prepared pan and smooth out while still hot.
- If the cooled mixture is still sticky, do not fret. Put it back in the pan and cook for another 5~8 minutes until the texture is as noted in point #4.
Tips
- If you want to make traditional burfi, then simply omit the cocoa powder. Follow the recipe as is.
- Make sure to cook the fudge mixture on medium flame and stir constantly. Otherwise the mixture might stick and burn.
- If the burfi does not set and is still sticky, then do not fret. Simply put it back in the pan and cook for another 5~8 minutes until it starts to leave the pan and feels dry.
- Burfi can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Savory recipes to celebrate Indian festivals
Festive Sweet dishes
- Til ki Burfi
- Chocolate pistachio burfi rolls
- Figs, Date & nut bars
- 7-cup burfi
- Dulche-de-leche Peda
- Microwave doodh peda
Chocolate Burfi | Peda with Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter or Ghee
- 2 cups Ricotta Cheese
- 1 cup Whole Milk powder
- ⅔ cup Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Cardamom
- 2 tablespoons Almonds, chopped
Instructions
- Line a 8" square baking pan with parchment paper with 2" overhang on 2 sides. Alternately lightly grease a plate and keep ready.
- In a nonstick pan on medium heat, melt butter and add the ricotta cheese. Mix and cook until well combined.
- Add the milk powder, sugar and mix well until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in cocoa powder and mix until well incorporated. Add the chopped almonds and mix.
- Cook, stirring frequently until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan, this will take about 15~20 minutes.
- Add ground cardamom and mix well and remove the mixture into the prepared pan into a ¾" thick layer. Smooth the top and set aside to cool.
- Once the mixture is completely cooled, lift the burfi with the parchment onto a chopping board. Cut into squares or diamonds using a sharp knife.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and enjoy!!
Notes
- If you want to make traditional burfi, then simply omit the cocoa powder. Follow the recipe as is.
- Make sure to cook the fudge mixture on medium flame and stir constantly. Otherwise the mixture might stick and burn.
- If the burfi does not set and is still sticky, then do not fret. Simply put it back in the pan and cook for another 5~8 minutes until it starts to leave the pan and feels dry.
- Use a non-stick pan otherwise there is a chance that the mixture will stick to the pan and scorch.
- Keep the baking pan with parchment or greased plate ready.
- Once the mixture starts to form a ball and leaves the pan, stir continuously and do not step away. At this stage, it comes together pretty quickly.
- Once done, cooked mixture should become somewhat dry. It should not stick to the pan or to the spoon.
- Remove the mixture onto the prepared pan and smooth out while still hot.
- Burfi can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey
Love peda barfi anytime and this chocolate peda looks yummy, we too use ricotta cheese when there is no khouya in the house.
sapana
I too always add cocoa powder in my barfi/peda just to make sure girls would eat it. The use of ricotta cheese sounds interesting.
Priya Srinivasan
chocolate burfi looks perfect pavani! i love such quick to make desserts, simple, easy and you have something interesting in minutes.
Amrita Roy
Festive season has started and would love to make this different flavor of peda ...the texture of the peda looks perfect
Vandana
This chocolate peda looks so delicious and the recipe also sounds so easy. I wish I would have checked this post before Ganesh Chaturthi. Thankfully the festival season will start soon, saving this recipe to try then.