Coconut Ladoo

This coconut ladoo is hands down the best homemade nariyal ladoo recipe. With a handful of ingredients, coconut shines in these fudgy, soft, and delicious sweets. At the same time, cardamom lends them a floral hint. The perfect dessert for Diwali and parties!

Looking for easy ladoo recipes? You won’t find one simpler than this. Passed down from my parents, who made it every Diwali, of all the coconut ladoo recipes I’ve tried, this one is the easiest by far.

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WHY TRY THESE NARIYAL KE LADDU?

Needs just 6 basic pantry ingredients

Perfect for festival get-togethers and Diwali gifting 

A very beginner-friendly recipe gives you melt-in-the-mouth mithai

Truly fail-proof with guaranteed yummy coconut ladoos each time

HOMEMADE VS STORE-BOUGHT DESICCATED COCONUT LADOO

Making coconut ladoos at home is faster than it would take anyone to drive to a shop and purchase some. Trust me. In 20 to 25 minutes, I had these bite-sized heavens rolled and ready to be devoured. 

Fabulously easy and quick to make, the nariyal ladoo recipe gives you moist, soft mithai with a slight chewiness, sweet but not cloyingly!

The control of ingredients is not the only reason I love to make Indian sweets at home (which, I agree, is fantastic). It’s about making your own traditions and memories with loved ones. That’s the most precious gift – the gift of love - you pass on to everyone around you.

HOW TO MAKE COCONUT LADOO?

Step 1: In your non-stick pan, heat ghee and then add milk, sugar, and milk powder to it. 

Step 2: On low heat, cook the mixture, stirring continuously so it doesn’t burn and remains lump-free. Scrape the sides and bottom of the pot until the sugar has melted.

Step 3: When the sugar has melted, and the nariyal ladoo mixture thickens, stir in desiccated coconut and cardamom powder. 

Step 4: Cook for 5 more minutes or until the mixture comes together.

Step 5: Remove from the heat. Let the coconut ladoo with milk powder cool slightly, undisturbed.

Final step: Shape into even-sized balls using your hands. Dust with more coconut, and serve!

MY COCONUT LADOO RECIPE NOTES

• If your desiccated coconut has large chunks, remove them. They make it harder to shape the coconut laddu. 
• Right after you take the coconut laddu mixture off the heat, add an extra tablespoon of ghee to it. This is optional and required only if you feel the laddu recipe needs a helping hand to bind. 
• Beetroot powder is a great way to inject some fun into the recipe. Mix it with desiccated coconut, then roll the ladoos in it for a gorgeous pink pop. Again, it’s completely optional and just something I did to humor my color-loving soul.

COCONUT LADDU INGREDIENT SWAPS 

Coconut: Desiccated coconut, or freshly grated coconut, use whatever you can get your hands on. 

Milk: I made the coconut ladoo with milk powder and whole milk. Both impart richness and sweetness to the ladoos. To make them even richer, you can substitute whole milk with condensed milk. Do adjust the amount of sugar, as both condensed milk and milk powder are sweet.

Sweetener: Sugar was my choice. You can sub it with raw sugar or jaggery powder. How to make coconut laddu with jaggery? The process remains absolutely the same. The only difference will be the color. Gud imparts a brown hue to the sweets.

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