If you love cinnamon sugar as much as I do, then you are going to love these Cinnamon Sugar Shakarpara. Move over the regular shakapara and give this cinnamon-y version a try this festive season. They are sweet, spiced, crispy and perfect to be added to your Diwali box.

You can deep fry them but I like air frying them. They are highly addictive and you can’t stop snacking on these.

Diwali is incomplete without making a batch or namak para and shakarpara. And while I make the regular shakarpara all the time, I thought why not add cinnamon to it this time. I am a huge cinnamon fan especially in desserts like cinnamon bundt cake or crepes and cinnamon sugar is one of my favorite toppings to sprinkle over muffins, toast, ice creams. The addition of cinnamon to shakarpara makes it aromatic and gives it that sweet yet spicy and earthy flavor.

Ingredients

Flour: I have use regular flour in these shakarpara so that they remain light. You can replace it with whole wheat but know that it will make them desner.

Cinnamon: since these are cinnamon sugar shakapara, make sure to use a good quality cinnamon powder. You can use anywhere between 1 to 1&1/2 teaspoon cinnamon depending on how much you love cinnamon.

Ghee/oil: for the “moyen” in the recipe (so that it remains soft even after frying), you can use either ghee or oil.

How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Shakarpara

1. Put a small pot on medium heat and add 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoons water to it. Then add 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (67 to 100 grams, adjust to taste) and stir.
2. Stir until the sugar melts and then remove the pot from heat. There’s no need to boil the mixture.
3. To a paraat or large bowl add 2 cups of all purpose flour (260 grams), pinch of salt and 1 to 1 & 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder (to taste). Mix everything together with a wire whisk.
4. Then add 4 tablespoons of melted ghee or oil to the flour mix.

5. Incorporate the ghee/oil into the flour mix by rubbing the mixture between your palms for 2 minutes.
6. Now, pour the prepared water and sugar solution into the flour mix.
7. Knead to bring the dough together. If you need extra water while kneading, add 1 tablespoon at a time. I didn’t add any extra water at this point.
8. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.

9. Once the dough has rested, divide it into 2 parts. Start rolling one part of the dough while keeping the other covered. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick using a rolling pin.
10. Then cut it into any shape you like. I cut them into square shapes using a fluted pastry wheel. Roll and cut all the dough similarly. Once you have cut all the shakarpara, keep them covered with a cloth or else the dough will dry out.
11. Preheat your air fryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Arrange the cinnamon sugar shakarpara in a single layer. Spray with an oil spray.
12. Air fry at 370 F degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp and golden brown in color. Every air fryer is different so start checking around the 8 minute mark. I had to air fry in 2 batches since my air fryer isn’t big enough to accommodate it all in one go. Let them cool completely at room temperature.

Storage

Once the cinnamon sugar shakarpara has completely cooled down, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Make sure the lid is tight enough else they might lose the crispiness. Consume the shakarpara within 10 days for best flavor.

Can We Make This Without Cinnamon?

Of course, you can make this without cinnamon. It will just be plain shakarpara then. If that’s what you want to make, just skip the cinnamon powder. Rest of the recipe remains the same.

Baking in The Oven

If you want to bake these in the oven, preheat your oven at 375 F degrees and then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with oil and then bake at 375 F degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping them once in between.

More Indian Desserts with Cinnamon

Since I love cinnamon so much, over the years I have created some more cinnamon based Indian desserts.

This Salted Caramel Cinnamon Burfi combines two of my favorite things- cinnamon and salted caramel sauce.

Chocolate and cinnamon is another favorite combo and it pairs beautifully together in these Chocolate Cinnamon Gujiya.