Which State in India Consumes Most Sweets? Revealing the Real Winner

• 29 May 2025
• Posted by: Archer Thorncroft
• 0 Comments

Think you know which state in India eats the most sweets? You might be surprised—because it’s not just about who has the biggest festivals or the flashiest mithai shops. Actual household surveys from India’s National Sample Survey Office show West Bengal usually leads the pack when it comes to eating sweets. The numbers aren’t even close—Kolkata’s famous rasgulla gets all the headline hype, but the everyday mithai lineups are what keep Bengal on top.

Of course, it’s never that simple. States like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra don’t lag far behind, thanks to dozens of festivals and daily rituals that almost require you to pop a ladoo or peda. North Indians can’t resist their jalebi and barfi, while South Indians stick to payasam and Mysore pak. What’s the real driver here? It’s part tradition, part climate, part pure habit. And let’s be honest—no Indian celebration feels right without a table loaded with sweets.

• India’s Sugar Craze: Which State Tops the List?
• Why Do Some States Love Sweets More?
• Must-Try Regional Sweets & Tips to Make Them at Home
• Surprising Sweet Facts: Consumption, Festivals, and Local Secrets

India’s Sugar Craze: Which State Tops the List?

Let’s get straight to the point: When it comes to Indian sweets, West Bengal is hands-down the top consumer. Government surveys, especially from the National Sample Survey Office in recent years, show that folks in Bengal scoop up more sweets per month than any other state. Their love for sugary snacks is legendary in every street, home, and celebration. Some numbers make this pretty clear:

Why does West Bengal always seem to win the title? For starters, sweets are served at literally any event—birthdays, weddings, even job interviews. You’re never just offered chai. There’s always something like rosogolla, sandesh, or mishti doi. Everyone from school kids to grandparents dives in without a second thought.

But wait, the gap gets close when you head north. In Uttar Pradesh, sweets like peda, jalebi, and laddu aren’t just treats—they’re almost mandatory after meals. The competition heats up during festival seasons. Still, stats consistently show Bengal keeping a comfortable lead.

Maharashtra, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu hold their own, too, especially in big cities. Each state has special sweets that drive up those numbers at certain times of the year. For instance, Maharashtra’s modak sales shoot up during Ganesh Chaturthi, while Tamil Nadu busts out laddus and payasam at Pongal.

So, if you’re hunting for the truly “sweetest” state, Bengal takes the crown. But wherever you go in India, the obsession with desserts is everywhere—just the names and shapes change.

Why Do Some States Love Sweets More?

So what makes Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and a few other states go wild for mithai? It’s not luck—it’s all about culture, climate, daily habits, and, honestly, a bit of friendly food rivalry. Each region has its own reasons for why sweets are almost always on the table.

For starters, Bengal’s obsession with chhena-based sweets comes from history. Way back in the late 18th century, Portuguese settlers taught locals how to curdle milk, leading to a wave of new desserts like rasgulla and sandesh. Sweets soon became the showstopper at Bengali events—weddings, pujas, or just a regular Sunday.

Now, have you ever noticed how festivals seem to pile up in states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra? Every big festival—Diwali, Holi, even family birthdays—needs its own special sweet. It’s gotten so deep in the culture that you’ll spot sweet shops on nearly every street corner in cities like Varanasi or Lucknow.

Some states just have the weather for making and eating sweets. North Indian winters scream for warm gulab jamun or jalebi, while southern states tend to stick to lighter, milk-based desserts because let’s be real—nobody wants heavy syrupy stuff in hot weather. Local ingredients play a part too. Tamil Nadu’s classic mysore pak doesn’t even need a drop of milk, while Punjab’s rabri is loaded with it.

Money has a say too—urban areas and wealthier families buy a lot more sweets. But don’t ignore the social pressure; gifting mithai is almost mandatory during festivals. If you show up empty-handed, it’s like forgetting someone’s birthday.

The real secret? For a big part of the country, sweets are more than just food—they’re celebration, tradition, and bragging rights wrapped into one. So if you’re curious why Indian sweets have such a grip on folks, it’s a wild mix of history, habits, and that endless hunt for something tasty after a meal.

Must-Try Regional Sweets & Tips to Make Them at Home

If you're after authentic Indian sweets, you’ll want to try the classics from the states that top the charts in sweet consumption. Here’s a quick tour, plus tips to make them in your own kitchen—no matter where you are.

• Rasgulla (West Bengal): Made from chenna (fresh paneer) balls boiled in light sugar syrup. The trick is to knead the chenna till it’s smooth and boil it gently so the rasgullas stay soft. It takes less than an hour, a big win for beginners.
• Sandesh (West Bengal): If you’ve got leftover chenna, try Sandesh. Mix crumbled chenna with powdered sugar, knead, and shape. Flavor with cardamom or a touch of rose water for that authentic feel.
• Peda (Uttar Pradesh): Quick, rich, and made with mawa (reduced milk). No fancy technique here—just cook sugar and mawa together, then roll into small discs. Pistachio or cardamom on top gives instant street-cred.
• Jalebi (Uttar Pradesh and across North India): Irresistible spirals that need only flour, yogurt, and a sugar syrup dunk. Start with a squeeze bottle for even shapes, and remember—hot oil, not warm, for frying!
• Mysore Pak (Karnataka): Legend says this was first made in the palace kitchen. You’ll need besan (chickpea flour), ghee, and sugar. The ghee ratio is what gives its melt-in-the-mouth magic. Stir quickly and pour before it sets.
• Payasam (Tamil Nadu/Kerala): Creamy and simple, this rice pudding gets its flavor from jaggery or sugar, ghee-roasted nuts, and cardamom. Swap regular rice for vermicelli if you want it super fast.

Here’s a quick look at how much some of these top states spend on Indian sweets—the figures below are based on local expenditure patterns for 2024, as reported in FMCG market studies:

One real hack—use condensed milk for quick pedas or gulab jamuns. It cuts cooking time and dials up that rich flavor, all without spending hours in the kitchen. Another tip: try smaller batches first, so you get the technique right before big festivals or get-togethers. Don’t just rely on YouTube videos; chat with someone’s granny or check out local store-bought versions to get familiar with real textures and tastes. When you make these at home, it lets you tweak the sugar and size, so you’re not stuck with super-sweet shop versions or leftover piles.

For beginners, start with sweets that need fewer ingredients—think Indian sweets like peda or sandesh. Once you nail those, move on to more complex ones like Mysore pak or jalebi. You’ll not only save money but also unlock a new level of dessert bragging rights.

Surprising Sweet Facts: Consumption, Festivals, and Local Secrets

When you look at sweet consumption in India, the numbers don’t lie—Bengal takes the crown. According to a National Sample Survey (2011-12), urban households in West Bengal spend nearly 10% of their food budget on sweets. In comparison, the national average is closer to 6%. That’s not just rasgulla hype; that’s real sugar love measured in rupees and calories.

Festivals really crank up the sugar. In West Bengal, Durga Puja isn’t just about pandals—it’s about trays of sandesh and mishti doi, and if you skip mithai, you’ll get weird looks. Uttar Pradesh lights up during Diwali with kaju katli, peda, and heaps of laddus handed out like confetti. Down South, Pongal means steaming pots of sweet pongal and payasam, with almost every household competing for who made it best. Weddings, housewarmings, or just “it’s a good day”—any excuse works for rolling out the mithai platter.

Each state also hides its own secrets. In Gujarat, they hand out small servings of mohanthal as prasad during Navratri. In Tamil Nadu, you’ll find melt-in-the-mouth Mysore pak, especially during Deepavali. People in Maharashtra munch on puran poli during Holi, while Kerala sweet shops are loaded with banana chips and unniyappam for almost every occasion. It’s not a north-south fight—each region brings something wild to the table.

If you plan to sample local sweets while traveling, try asking locals for their “must-try” picks—sometimes the best stuff is hidden in tiny non-chain shops. If you want to make Indian sweets at home, watch out for family recipes shared around big festivals. Many home cooks swear by using full-fat milk and fresh khoya for the best flavor, but quick hacks like condensed milk and microwave timing are everywhere these days—perfect for busy teams or sudden guests.

• Travel tip: In Kolkata, head to famous shops like Balaram Mullick for the freshest sandesh—avoid airport gift box mithai, it’s always drier.
• DIY tip: For quick gulab jamun, try using instant mix but add a dash of cardamom powder and rose water—tastes almost homemade.
• Celebration hack: If you want to please a mixed crowd, make a sweet platter with bite-sized pieces of 2-3 types of mithai and a bowl of rabri on the side—always gets polished off.

The bottom line: No matter where you are in India, sweets are the real ‘comfort food’—and they tell bigger stories than any travel brochure can.