Coconut Ladoo, popularly known as Nariyal Ke Laddu, is a quick & easy to make, soft & melt-in-mouth instant Indian sweet prepared using three simple ingredients from your kitchen in less than 15 minutes. These are gluten-free and can be easily made vegan.
Make this traditional coconut ladoo for Raksha Bandhan, Independence day, Janmashtami, Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Varamahalakshmi, or any special occasion any time of the year. It is very simple and easy to make and loved by all.
Did you know coconut ladoo or nariyal ke laddu is also offered to God/Deity in the form of naivedyam for pooja (puja) during festivals or special occasions in the temple and then distributed to people in the form of prasadam? Yes, it is that popular all over India.
Coconut ladoo or Nariyal Ladoo can be prepared in multiple ways with
- milk and sugar
- condensed milk or milkmaid
- sugar syrup
- jaggery (gur, gud)
- dulce de leche
For this recipe, you can use freshly grated coconut (kachche nariyal), dry-desiccated coconut (sukhe nariyal), frozen grated coconut, or coarse coconut powder.
I have used regular milk instead. You also don't have to worry about the string consistency of sugar syrup. Also, no ghee or butter is used in the recipe.
If you are looking for coconut ladoo with condensed milk or milkmaid, check a similar version where I have made coconut ladoo with dulce de leche for all caramel lovers.
Ingredients for COCONUT LADOO RECIPE | NARIYAL LADDU | EASY LADOO
2 cups Coconut (Fresh, frozen, or desiccated)
¾ cup Sugar
1 cup Milk
½ teaspoon Cardamom powder (optional)
How to make the best COCONUT LADOO RECIPE | NARIYAL LADDU | EASY LADOO
In a wide pan, add coconut, sugar, and milk. Mix and continue to cook on medium flame, stirring continuously to prevent it from burning at the bottom.
In the beginning, if you feel the mixture is dry, do not worry. The sugar is going to release the moisture while cooking.
Continue cooking until everything comes together and the excess moisture evaporates. That is, the mixture must be moist but not soggy. Check here. You take a small portion of the mixture and see if you can form the ball easily without breaking. Switch off the flame.
Add cardamom powder and mix. Keep the mixture aside for 5 minutes so that it cools down a bit.
Then take a portion of the mixture and form round balls (check the video here to know how it is done). I was able to form 25 laddus. This may vary depending on the size of ladoos you make.
Store it in an airtight container. Use it as needed.
Tips:
- See that fresh frozen or desiccated coconut does not have large gratings. This will make it difficult for you to bind and shape laddus. Suppose you have coarsely grated coconut with uneven large coconut chunks. In that case, you can grind them for a few seconds in a mixer, blender, or food processor to obtain uniform-sized coconut powder.
- You can make the laddus more rich and flavorful by adding nuts like cashews and pistachios toasted in a tablespoon of ghee if desired.
- When using fresh coconut, you can slightly reduce the amount of milk in the recipe. Else you will have to cook for a little longer for moisture to evaporate. I have used desiccated coconut, and thus, I have used 1 cup of milk.
How long can I store this coconut ladoo?
Since milk is added, you can keep it at room temperature for a day and in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I am unable to shape my ladoos.
Taking the mixture from the pan too early while it is still soft, wet, and soggy is one of the reasons laddus don't retain their shape and fall apart. When the mixture is cooked for a long time, it may become dry and thus becomes difficult to shape the laddo. Check out the video to understand when to remove it from the flame.
How to make coconut ladoo or nariyal ke laddu with jaggery?
While making coconut ladoo with jaggery (gur, gud), do not use milk. The moisture content in jaggery is sufficient for binding. So you just have to use only two ingredients. Coconut and jaggery. Depending on the type of jaggery you are using, the color and the amount may vary. You can check the steps here for making coconut burfi with jaggery. It is the same for ladoo too.
How to make coconut ladoo or nariyal ke laddoo or laddu without fire?
If you are looking for a no-fire or no-cook version, just use coconut and condensed milk in the 1:1 ratio to make coconut laddus. Add both ingredients to a bowl, mix and shape them into ladoos. Adjust the amount of condensed milk depending on the desired sweetness.
Video recipe for Coconut Ladoo, Nariyal Ke Laddu, Coconut Balls
Detailed recipe for Easy & best coconut ladoo, nariyal laddu
COCONUT LADOO RECIPE | NARIYAL LADDU | EASY LADOO
Ingredients
- 2 cups Coconut (Fresh, frozen, desiccated)
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 1 cup Milk
- ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder (optional)
Instructions
- In a wide pan, add coconut, sugar, and milk. Mix and continue to cook on medium flame, stirring continuously to prevent it from burning at the bottom.
- In the beginning, if you feel the mixture is dry, do not worry. The sugar is going to release the moisture while cooking.
- Continue cooking until everything comes together and the excess moisture evaporates. That is, the mixture must be moist but not soggy. Check here. You take a small portion of the mixture and see if you can form the ball easily without breaking. Switch off the flame.
- Add cardamom powder and mix. Keep the mixture aside for 5 minutes so that it cools down a bit.
- Then take a portion of the mixture and form round balls (check the video here to know how it is done). I was able to form 25 laddus. This may vary depending on the size of ladoos you make.
- Store it in an airtight container. Use it as needed.
Notes
- See that fresh frozen or desiccated coconut does not have large gratings. This will make it difficult for you to bind and shape laddus. Suppose you have coarsely grated coconut with uneven large coconut chunks. In that case, you can grind them for a few seconds in a mixer, blender, or food processor to obtain uniform-sized coconut powder.
- You can make the laddus more rich and flavorful by adding nuts like cashews and pistachios toasted in a tablespoon of ghee if desired.
- When using fresh coconut, you can slightly reduce the amount of milk in the recipe. Else you will have to cook for a little longer for moisture to evaporate. I have used desiccated coconut, and thus, I have used 1 cup of milk.
- To make this laddu vegan, add coconut milk instead of milk
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Janessa
I wish I would have known sooner how easy it is to make Coconut Ladoo! This turned out so delicious.