Good Friday, on April 18, 2025, is a day of reflection and prayer for Christians all over the world. It’s the day of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and is very significant in India where churches have special services and families have quiet time of remembrance. While fasting and simple meals are common, some regions also make special desserts without eggs to break the fast at sunset.
In India where festivals and food go hand in hand, Good Friday desserts are a mix of tradition and cultural influence. Anglo-Indian and Goan households make sweet dishes passed down generations using coconut, jaggery, dry fruits and rice flour. These recipes are stories of faith, resilience and family bonding. From spiced hot cross buns to coconut-based sweets, each dessert has a special place in Good Friday meals.
If you are looking for traditional yet meaningful ways to mark this day, these classic desserts will comfort you while you honour the spirit of Good Friday. Whether you follow a family recipe or try something new, these sweet treats will give you a moment of warmth and remembrance.
Good Friday, on April 18, 2025, is a holy day that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. While many fast and have simple meals, desserts play a role in breaking the fast in many Christian communities across India. These traditional sweets, often eggless, reflect both religious significance and regional influences.
A Good Friday symbol, hot cross buns are soft, spiced buns with a cross on top, representing Christ’s crucifixion. Made with flour, yeast, sugar and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, they are often studded with raisins or black currants. You can make them by kneading a dough, letting it rise and bake until golden brown.
A Goan favorite, kulkuls are crispy, fried sweets that look like small shells. While more common during Christmas, they are also made for Good Friday gatherings. The dough, made with flour, coconut milk and sugar, is rolled over a fork to create ridges before being deep fried.
In South Indian Christian homes, coconut and jaggery-based sweets are common during religious observances. This pudding is made by slow cooking coconut milk, grated coconut and jaggery with rice flour until it thickens.
A layered Goan dessert, bebinca is prepared during Easter and also on Good Friday. Made with coconut milk, eggs (or substitutes like mashed bananas), and sugar, this dessert is slow cooked layer by layer in a traditional oven or stovetop.
A staple in Kerala Christian homes, rice payasam is made with coconut milk, jaggery and a handful of cashews and raisins. Unlike regular kheer, this dessert has a deep caramel flavour from slow cooked jaggery.
In many South Indian homes, jackfruit is used to make halwa for Good Friday feasts. The natural sweetness of the fruit is enhanced by slow cooking it with ghee, jaggery and cardamom. Once thickened, the mixture is set in trays and cut into slices. It pairs well with a strong black coffee.
These deep fried banana fritters are a traditional offering during Christian festivals in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Ripe bananas are mashed with jaggery, rice flour and a pinch of dry ginger powder, then shaped into small rounds and fried till golden brown.
A simple yet nutritious dessert, these balls are made by steaming sweet potatoes and mashing them with grated coconut and jaggery. Shaped into small rounds, they are coated with roasted sesame seeds for extra crunch.
Popular in Anglo-Indian homes, this fudge is made by roasting cashews and raisins in ghee before mixing them into a condensed milk and sugar base. It’s cooked till thick, then spread on a plate to set. Once cooled, it’s cut into squares and enjoyed with evening tea.
A traditional Kerala dish, vattayappam is a steamed rice cake made with coconut milk, sugar and cardamom. Prepared for Good Friday to break the fast, you can add a drizzle of Dairy Milk chocolate for a twist.