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.
NEED ANOTHER DELICIOUS INDIAN SWEET RECIPE?
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead and drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love the coconut ladoo as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Coconut Ladoo
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1/3 cup Milk
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Mik powder
- 3/4 cup Desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp Desiccated coconut For rolling the ladoo/laddu
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a non stick pan. Immediately add milk, then sugar, then milk powder. Continuously stir on low heat until the mixture becomes thick. Make sure its lump free.
- As soon as the milk mixture thickens, add the desiccated coconut and cardamom powder. Cook for about 5 minutes, till it all comes together like a soft dough.
- Let it cool for 4-5 minutes, then roll it into even sized balls and dust liberally with coconut. Serve immediately!
Notes
Nutrition
Becca @ Fork in the Kitchen says
I was just asking my friends at a Diwali celebration how to make these - so glad I stumbled upon your recipe. Love the color, too! 🙂
natashaminocha says
Thank you so much Becca!So glad you like these! 🙂
Cheers
Deepika|TheLoveOfCakes says
I love coconut laddus..they are so soft and yummy!! I make mine with condensed milk..but this sounds yummier and easier too!!
natashaminocha says
These are so easy and fun to make!I've made the condensed milk version as well...also so good! Thank you so much for stopping by xoxo
Basira says
Lovely... how you got that pink color Tasha..
natashaminocha says
Thank you so much Basira!I added some dried rose petal powder to the coconut for rolling the ladoos in. This tipis also on the blog. 🙂
Cheers