Sugar Free Peanut Barfi Recipe: Easy Moongfali Ki Barfi for Diabetics Without Mawa or Sugar, Just 0.3 GL Per Piece
Peanut Barfi for Diabetics: A 3-Ingredient Sweet in Neat Little Squares
If you love the taste of moongfali ki barfi but cannot have the sugar and jaggery that go into the regular version, this peanut barfi is the answer. Roasted peanuts, ground fine, bound with a light sugar free syrup and rolled out into neat squares that are easy to portion. Portion control matters a lot when you have diabetes, and a barfi makes it simple.
This peanut burfi uses just three ingredients: peanuts, Diabexy Sugar Free Powder and a little water for the syrup. No sugar, no jaggery, no mawa, no milk and no condensed milk. Each piece has an approximate glycemic load of just 0.3.
Traditional Peanut Barfi vs Sugar Free Peanut Barfi
Traditional peanut barfi is sweetened with a sugar or jaggery syrup, and often also has mawa or milk powder, so its glycemic load per piece is high and it is not safe for diabetics.
Diabexy Sugar Free Peanut Barfi is sweetened with a Diabexy Sugar Free Powder syrup. Ground peanuts and this sugar free syrup are the binder - no mawa, no milk powder. Its glycemic load is approx. 0.3 per piece, so it is safe for diabetics in a sensible portion.
Glycemic load tells you how much a food actually raises your blood sugar, based on both the type and amount of carbs. Peanuts are low in total carbohydrate and rich in protein, fibre and healthy fats, so once the sugar and jaggery are removed, the barfi becomes very gentle on blood sugar. Peanuts are filling and calorie-dense though, so keep the portion to one or two pieces.
Ingredients for Peanut Barfi
- Peanuts (moongfali) - 1 cup
- Diabexy Sugar Free Powder - 1/4 cup
- Water - 2 tsp, for the syrup
The only sweetener in this barfi. Zero glycemic index, dissolves into a light syrup with just 2 teaspoons of water, and gives a sweet barfi taste without the sugar spike.
Buy here: https://diabexy.com/products/sugar-free-powder
How to Make Sugar Free Peanut Barfi: Step by Step
Use a heavy pan for roasting and a kadhai for the syrup in this peanut barfi recipe. Keep the mixture warm while you roll it - it firms up as it cools.
Step 1: Roast the peanuts
Add 1 cup of peanuts to a pan and roast them for a few minutes, stirring often, until they are well roasted. Do not let them burn, or the barfi will taste bitter.
Step 2: Remove the skins
Take the roasted peanuts out on a plate and let them cool a little. Rub them to remove the skins.
Step 3: Grind the peanuts
Put the skinned peanuts in a mixer and grind them. The texture should look fine and powdery, as shown in the video. Grind in short pulses so the peanuts do not turn oily.
Step 4: Sieve the ground peanuts
Pass the ground peanuts through a chhanni (sieve) and sieve them well. This removes any coarse pieces and gives the barfi a smooth, even texture.
Step 5: Make the sugar free syrup
In a kadhai, add 1/4 cup Diabexy Sugar Free Powder and 2 teaspoons of water. Prepare a sugar syrup from it - its texture should be as shown in the video.
Step 6: Add the ground peanuts and cook
Add the sieved ground peanuts to the syrup and cook the mixture for a little while, stirring well, until it comes together like a dough.
Step 7: Take it out on a plastic sheet and mix
Take this dough out on a plastic sheet and mix it well with your hands while it is still warm, so it becomes smooth and even.
Step 8: Roll it flat
Put another plastic sheet on top and roll the dough flat with a belan (rolling pin). The two sheets stop it sticking and give a clean, even layer.
Step 9: Shape and cut
Give the rolled layer a rectangle shape, then cut it into barfi pieces, as shown in the video. Your peanut barfi is ready, with an approximate glycemic load of just 0.3 per piece.
Why Peanut Barfi Works So Well for Diabetics
Three things work in your favour here. First, there is no sugar or jaggery - the syrup itself is sugar free. Second, peanuts are naturally low in carbohydrate, so the glycemic load stays at just 0.3 per piece. Third, a barfi is a fixed-size piece, so you always know how much you are eating - unlike a halwa or a handful of mixture, which is easy to over-serve. If you want another portion-friendly barfi, try our sugar free gajar ki barfi recipe on the Diabexy blog.
Tips for Perfect Peanut Barfi
- Roast evenly: Keep stirring and roast on a steady heat. Under-roasted peanuts taste raw, over-roasted ones taste bitter.
- Skin them well: Leftover skins make the texture coarse and the colour dull.
- Grind in pulses: Peanuts release oil if you grind them continuously. Short pulses keep the powder dry and fine.
- Sieve, do not skip: Sieving is what gives this barfi its smooth, katli-like finish.
- Check the syrup texture: The syrup should look as shown in the video - too thin and the barfi will stay soft, too dry and it will crumble.
- Roll it while warm: The dough firms up as it cools, so mix, roll and shape it without waiting.
- Keep portions small: Peanuts are filling and calorie-dense. One or two pieces is a sensible serving, even at 0.3 GL per piece.
Want to plan your sweets and snacks better? The Diabexy Estimated Glucose Load Chart lists the glucose load of 300+ Indian foods.
Buy here: https://diabexy.com/products/egl-chart-download
Diabexy is India's number one diabetes education platform, trusted by more than 2 million people. Diabexy makes India's first low glycemic load foods, including Sugar Control Atta, India's first atta backed by published clinical evidence, and zero GI sweeteners. Our mission is to eradicate diabetes from India the way polio was eradicated, through the right knowledge and the right food. Visit diabexy.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Diabetics can eat peanut barfi if it is made without sugar or jaggery. This version uses roasted peanuts and Diabexy Sugar Free Powder, giving an approximate glycemic load of just 0.3 per piece. Keep it to one or two pieces after a meal, as peanuts are calorie-dense.
Roast 1 cup of peanuts, remove the skins, grind them and sieve the powder. Make a light syrup with 1/4 cup Diabexy Sugar Free Powder and 2 teaspoons of water, add the ground peanuts and cook briefly. Take the dough out on a plastic sheet, mix well, roll it flat between two sheets and cut into pieces.
Yes. This recipe uses no mawa, no milk and no ghee at all. The ground peanuts and the sugar free syrup give the barfi enough body to hold its shape once it is rolled and cut.
Usually the syrup was too dry, or the dough cooled down before rolling. Mix and roll the dough while it is still warm, and make the syrup to the texture shown in the video. If it has gone too dry, work it well with warm hands on the sheet until it comes together.
The syrup was probably too thin, or the mixture was not cooked enough after adding the peanuts. Cook it for a little while until it comes together like a dough, then roll it evenly - a thinner, even layer cuts into cleaner pieces.
Because it contains no milk or mawa, it keeps better than most barfis. Store it in an airtight container, where it stays fresh for up to a week. Keep it in the fridge in very warm weather.
With an approximate glycemic load of 0.3 per piece, most diabetics can enjoy one to two pieces after a meal. Peanuts are filling, so a small portion satisfies. Check your blood sugar two hours later the first time you try it.
Watch the Full Recipe Video
See the full sugar free peanut barfi recipe on the Diabexy YouTube channel:
Watch here: https://youtu.be/b37A9Oszw_w
0.3 GL per piece. Diabetic friendly. Family friendly.
