Some of the most lip-smacking sweet dishes of Nalanda include khaja, thekua, tilkut, pedukiya, laai and anarsa. Khaja is a crisp and layered dish dipped in sugar syrup, eaten mostly during festivals and special occasions. In Nalanda, one would find khaja available in different varieties like chandshahi, round, palvidar and gandhi topa. The rectangularly shaped khaja is, however, the most popular.

Thekua is a popular snack made from wheat flour and jaggery mixed together, moulded and deep-fried. Tilkut is made from sesame seeds mixed with jaggery or sugar. Pedukiya is Bihar's version of the popular Gujia. It is made by stuffing flour with semolina, khoya or grated coconut after which the moulded dough is deep fried in ghee (clarified butter). Pedukiyas are eaten mostly during the Teej festival in Bihar. Laai is a humble sweet dish made by dipping puffed rice balls in jaggery syrup and is mostly made at homes. Anarsa is made using rice flour and jaggery, which are moulded and coated in sesame seeds before they are fried until they turn the perfect shade of red.

The Silao khaja is a traditional delicacy of Nalanda that has also received the Geographical Indications tag. Silao khaja is known for its taste, crispness and multi-layered texture, which is due to the climatic conditions and water of Silao. The delicious sweet has twelve to sixteen very thin dough sheets placed over each other. It is made from wheat flour, maida, sugar, ghee, cardamom and aniseeds. According to a popular belief, Lord Buddha was served silao khaja by locals of Silao, when he was travelling from Rajgir to Nalanda.

Sattu pani or Sattu sharbat is a savoury drink from Bihar, which is loved in almost all parts of the country. Sattu is flour made from ground pulses and cereals like black chana. Sattu pani can be both sweet and salty, depending on your choice. To make it sweeter, sattu powder is mixed with water and sugar. The salty version is made by mixing cumin seeds, coriander leaves, green chillies and black salt to the sattu powder along with water. It also acts as a great cooler during the summer season.

The people of Nalanda are known for their simplicity, which is also reflected in their food habits. Since Nalanda's culture is largely influenced by Buddhism, its cuisines are mostly vegetarian. Litti chokha is a speciality of Nalanda region and enjoys a pan India popularity. While litti is a ball-shaped stuffed preparation, chokha is prepared with smoked brinjal or tomato.

Dalpuri, a type of fried bread made using salted wheat flour and boiled gram pulse filling, is another famous delicacy of Nalanda that one should not miss. Some of the most famous snacks include dahi choora (beaten rice mixed with ripe banana, yoghurt and sugar) and jhaal moodhi, which is made with puffed rice, onion and green chillies.

Khaja is a popular sweet of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, which is usually relished during religious festivals. To make khaja, refined wheat flour is mixed with sugar and oil to form a layered dough. The dough is then stuffed with dry fruits and lightly fried in oil until crisp. The crisp layered croissants are then dipped in a sugar syrup until they absorb it completely. The delicious sweet is one of the most important food items of the Chhatt Puja Festival in Bihar.