Best Soan Papdi For This Festive Season

Soan papdi is notoriously known for being passed on during Diwali. One house to the other! But what if we tell you that we found a soan papdi that is so good that you just wouldn’t want to pass on?

India’s take on candy floss, Soan Papdi is one of those melt-in-the-mouth desserts. Flaky and flavorful, soan papdi is a stack of sweetened strands with a bold nutty flavor. From ghee-roasted to chocolate and orange-flavored soan papdis, no one can stop after just a piece. Trust us, they are addictive!

We tried seven of the most popular soan papdi brands in India. For an unbiased review, we picked the classic variant of soan papdi that are just garnished with nuts like almonds and pistachios. Other parameters such as packaging, freshness, aroma helped us form an in-depth review of the same. After multiple tasting sessions, we chose Bikaji Soan Papdi as one of the best soan papdi brands in India. We Also Recommend  Haldiram’s and Jabsons Soan Papdi.

Did You Know- Pismaniye is the Turkish cousin of soan papdi.

Here is a comparison table discussing the details of all the brands of soan papdi we reviewed. 

Soan papdi is known for the characteristic flakiness and the slight nutty flavor. Roasting the flour and the presence of nuts are two primary factors contributing to the nuttiness. This section of our soan papdi brands review discusses more on the basics. 

1. Packaging type

All the soan papdis came in different types of boxes. 

• Outer cardboard carton
• Inner plastic box

Some came with plastic lids and some had a single-peel wrapper.

2. Main Ingredients

Flour, sugar, oil/ghee, nuts, and flavoring agents are the base ingredients almost recipes require. 

3. Available Sizes

Typically, desserts are offered in quantities of 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg.

4. Price Range

The prime price deciding factor is the quality of ingredients used. All the brands were priced between Rs 130/- and Rs 350/- for a 500 gram box.

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Here is how we found India’s best brand of soan papdi.

Our review process was a simple one that included two stages – a visual inspection and a taste test. The visual inspection helped us gauge the packaging, price, texture, aroma and color of the soan papdi.

We conducted the taste test to check the flavor and sweetness of the soan papdi. This also helped us check the signature texture and mouthfeel of the mithai.

1. Taste

Every parameter fails in front of taste when we review mithais. Festivities need something delicious to end the meal with, and packaged mithais do a brilliant job of doing that with added convenience. But what if convenience is all that it provides? Which is why taste is the prime parameter.

Does the flour seem well roasted or is it slightly raw? What about the sweetness? Have the nuts retained their crunch or have they turned soggy? If the nuts and oil used are not fresh, the entire mithai can have a rancid taste. Does the soan papdi have any aftertaste? 

2. Freshness

Packaging plays a role as significant as quality of ingredients when it comes to freshness. How was our experience? We checked all seven brands for this.

3. Texture

What makes soan papdi stand out from all other desserts is its texture. Imagine candy floss strands shaped into cubes, garnished with chopped, slivered nuts. As complex as it sounds, soan papdi has a cloud-like mouthfeel that instantly dissolves as soon as you take a bite.

Besan or gram flour lends the melt-in-the-mouth texture. Additionally, to ensure some sturdiness and shape, a binding agent like refined wheat flour is used. If added in the right quantities, the result is cottony soft.

Not all ingredient lists mention the proportions used. Typically, the most used ingredient is mentioned first, followed by others in descending order.

4. Packaging type

Packaging plays a vital role in the overall freshness of the product and the way it reaches you when being delivered. A frail box will get damaged easily, and a sturdy box will carry on for longer. Can you reseal or close the box or is the box designed as if it cannot be covered up. 

If it comes in a container, is it air-tight? Any external cartons? 

5. Price

Looking at the packaging and quantity, are these soan papdi boxes priced competitively or economically? Which is the most value for money purchase?

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Bikaji Sadabahar Soan Papdi comes in a yellow and red pack. Inside the pack the soan papdi is placed inside a plastic box which isn’t sturdy and squished by the time it reached us. It doesn’t have a lid and needs to be transferred into another container if you wish to use it further. A 200 gram box is priced at Rs 85/-.

Bikaji’s Soan Papdi checks all the boxes – texture, taste and ingredients! Made using ghee, this soan papdi melts in your mouth. The flakiness  is spot on and doesn’t feel dry at all. Unlike some mithais, the fat used in this doesn’t coat the entire palette. To top it all off, the sweetness is bang on and the subtle flavor of cardamom is delicious.

Features

• A 200 gram box is priced at Rs 85/-.
• Shelf life – 6 months
• Ingredients –  Sugar (47%), Clarified butter milk – fat – desi ghee, Refined wheat flour, Gram flour, Almonds (0.4%), Pistachios (0.1%) and Cardamom.

Haldiram’s Soan Papdi comes in a purple colored box pack. Inside this box, the continents are neatly placed in a plastic box with a lid.

We liked the fact that Haldiram’s Soan Papdi is made using cow ghee and it reflects in the taste as well. The mild cardamom flavor of the mithai is delicious. The thin, flaky strands of the soan papdi are delicate and melt-in-your mouth. Thumbs up for that! It was a small step-down from Bikaji, texture and flavor wise.

Features

• A 400 gram box is priced at Rs 315/-.
• Shelf life – 5 months
• It provides 512.7 Kcal of energy per 100 grams.
• Ingredients – Sugar, Clarified butter (cow ghee 25%), Gram flour, Refined wheat flour, Almonds (0.8%), Pistachios (0.2%) and cardamom powder.
• No artificial colors are used.

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The Jabsons Soan Papdi comes in a sturdy box, but the lid is very flimsy. It doesn’t sit well on the box. 

The aroma is very sweet and has that characteristic roasted besan and ghee fragrance. The shape of the soan papdi is more compact than the other two brands mentioned above. There are a few almond flakes scattered on top which taste fresh. It also has a powdery pista on top.

The strands are super thin and the crispy flakes of the soan papdi melt in your mouth. The only thing that didn’t work for Jabsons Soan Papdi is the higher than average sweetness levels. The cardamom flavor is delicate.

Features

• A 500 gram box is priced at Rs 230/-.
• Shelf life – 6 months
• It provides 160 calories per serve (30 grams).
• Ingredients –  Sugar (40%), Clarified Butter (desi ghee 17%), Bengal gram flour, Wheat flour, Almond (0.5%), Pistachios (0.3%), Cardamom. 
• It has zero trans fat.

Ghasitaram Jaiccha Soan Papdi had the most unique packaging. There are two small plastic boxes cling wrapped with plastic in a white carton box and the main cover slides through. (see picture)

Ghastiram’s soan papdi is almost powdery and has a few clumps here and there. Visually, this was a letdown but we hoped for some redemption in the taste test. Sadly, Ghasitaram failed there too. The sugar levels are average, and have almost solidified sugar granules. The crisp flakes do not melt in your mouth and have a slight oily taste. 

Features

• A 400 gram box is priced at Rs 299/-.
• Shelf life – 6 months
• Ingredients – Chickpeas flour, Wheat flour, Refined palmolein oil, Sugar, Cardamom, Almonds and Pistachios.
• Nutrition table and servings are not mentioned on the pack.

The Bikano Soan Papdi comes in a rectangular plastic box which is fairly sturdy. It is then placed inside a carton. We could see some almond flakes and small coarse almond toppings.

The aroma is very oily and is a bit off-putting. The ingredient list mentions sucrose, liquid glucose, maida and palm oil. Although the strands are thin, this isn’t as flaky and doesn’t melt in the mouth. The sweetness levels are moderate and the cardamom flavor is hardly traceable. 

Features

• A 600 gram box is priced at Rs 150/-.
• It has a shelf life of 6 months.
• Ingredients – Sugar (sucrose), Refined palmolein oil, Chickpea flour, Liquid glucose, Almonds (0.4%), Pistachios (0.2%), Cardamom (0.1%).
• Contains added flavour (nature identical substances)
• Calories – 150 Kcal per serving (30 grams).

There were a few things that worked for Nathu’s Soan Papdi – the balanced sweetness and flaky texture. The things that didn’t work were the oily aroma, meagre amount of nuts and the lack of cardamom flavor. 

Features

• The price was scratched off from the box, which is why we have mentioned the price we paid on an online portal. We paid Rs 330/- for two 500 gram boxes plus Rs 53/- as shipping.
• Ingredients – Sugar, Edible vegetable oil, Wheat flour, Gram flour, Almonds, Pistachios and Cardamom powder.
• It provides 515 Kcal of energy per 100 grams.
• Shelf life – 3 months

Gits Soan Papdi has delicate threads and medium flakiness. The aroma and taste is very oily. This soan papdi is extremely sweet and combined with the oily taste, ruins the overall experience.

We do not recommend Gits Soan Papdi.

Features

• A 500 gram box is priced at Rs 130/-.
• Shelf life of the soan papdi is 5 months.
• Ingredients – Sugar (sucrose), Refined palm oil, Refined wheat flour (maida), Bengal gram flour (besan), Liquid glucose, Almond, Pistachio, Cardamom.
• Contains added flavour (Nature and identical flavouring substances).

Why did we choose Bikaji Soan Papdi as our Top Pick? Why do we recommend Haldiram’s and Jabsons?

Cloud-like softness paired with traditional Indian flavors, we chose Bikaji Soan Papdi as our Top Pick. It has the best, flakiest texture along with the most balanced sweetness and cardamom flavor. The fact that it is made using ghee is an added plus.

We Also Recommend Haldiram’s and Jabsons for their delicious, flaky soan papdis. They were a notch down from our Top Pick, but still made a lasting impression.

Here are some interesting FAQs on soan papdi brands.

Flaky and mouth-meltingly delicious! Our Top Pick, Bikaji Soan Papdi, is all that and a bit more. The balanced sweetness, cardamom flavoring and near perfect texture. Haldiram’s and Jabsons performed very well in our taste test as well.

So, are you planning on passing on that little box of soan papdi? Tell us about your favorite Diwali mithai in the comment section below.

* If you do agree with our review, please give it a thumbs up! And, tell us which one is your favorite from this list. If you don’t, please tell us why!

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* Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.

* No part of this review is sponsored by any brand. All expenses were borne by us.