Coconut Balls or Coconut Ladoo with Dulce de Leche is a no-bake melt-in-mouth bite-size treat made using three basic ingredients in less than 15 minutes. This quick and easy sweet recipe can be prepared for special occasions, festivals like Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Holi, or Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays.
Check out more simple and easy Indian sweets and desserts, including traditional coconut ladoo recipes.
About the recipe
If you are looking for a simple yet best dessert for this holiday or festival season, try this caramel coconut ladoo recipe. This sweet recipe is inspired by our traditional coconut ladoo and coconut burfi with jaggery, which takes a little longer time to reach the final stage—a shortcut method where even beginners can make this ladoo or balls easily: no sugar syrup consistency or long time stirring. You can make this even on a double boiler method. A no-fail dessert, and if you are lazy to make the balls, simply transfer the mixture to greased pan or parchment paper and spread it evenly. Then cut them into barfi or fudge.
I have used a can of homemade dulce de leche to make these delicious coconut balls or nariyal laddu. You can make this using sweetened condensed milk or caramel sauce if desired.
These laddus or coconut balls can be given in the form of a gift box or mithai box to your family and friends during Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Raksha Bandhan, Christmas, and Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
Dulce de leche: You can use homemade or store-bought dulce de leche sauce for this recipe. But if dulce de leche is unavailable, use a can of condensed milk (milkmaid) or 14 oz of caramel sauce to make caramel ladoo.
Coconut: Shredded coconut flakes - fresh, dry, desiccated, or frozen- work best for this recipe.
Garnish: Optional, for decorative purposes only.
Flavoring: For traditional Indian flavor, use cardamom powder, and for Western flavor, add vanilla extract, and it will taste like coconut fudge.
Ghee: Use desi ghee or butter to grease your hands to roll them into balls easily.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make coconut balls or no-bake coconut fudge?
- In a blender, mixie jar, or food processor, add 1 ½ cups of coconut and grind it to a coarse mixture. (This step gives a nice texture to your ladoo but is optional)
- Warm the store-bought or homemade dulce de leche using a double boiler or nonstick pan on low heat.
- Add coarsely ground coconut, remaining 1 ½ cups coconut, and cardamom powder, and keep stirring it in a double boiler or nonstick skillet until this mixture becomes thick and forms a mass, about 4 to 6 minutes.
- To check if the mixture is ready - take the mixture in a spoon and check if you can form balls out of this. Be careful, as this is going to be hot. Switch off the flame and keep this aside for 5 minutes.
- When the mixture is warm, grease your palm with ghee and prepare bite-size balls. Garnish it with almonds if desired.
- Store the ladoo in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to seven days.
Tips
- Add a total of 3 cups of coconut if you have a sweet tooth and 3 ½ cups if you like it moderately sweet, and 4 cups if you like it mildly sweet.
- You can use the double boiler method or make this ladoo on a nonstick pan.
- Instead of balls, you can even grease the plate with butter/ghee or use parchment paper. Transfer the mixture and spread evenly. Cut it to the desired shape of coconut fudge or barfi once it cools down completely.
- I have tried this recipe with both fresh and dry shredded coconut flakes. Coconut powder can also be used.
- If you do not have dulce de leche, you can make this ladoo with condensed milk or caramel sauce by following the same steps.
Variations
- ¼ cup of cocoa powder can be added to make chocolate coconut balls or ladoo.
- Dip the coconut balls in melted chocolate to taste like Bounty chocolate.
- Roll each ball in toasted coconut flakes.
- Add ¼ cup of gulkand to make gulkand coconut ladoo.
- Add more dry fruits and nuts to get a crunchy texture.
Recipe FAQs
A single serving of coconut balls contains 94 calories.
For vegan coconut ladoo or coconut ball, you can try this recipe with full-fat coconut milk. You may stir the mixture a little longer to reach the final stage.
More best coconut sweets
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Recipe card
Coconut Balls | Coconut Ladoo with Dulce de Leche
Equipment
- Nonstick pan
Ingredients
- 1 can Dulce de Leche Can use condensed milk or caramel sauce
- 3 cups Fresh or Dry desiccated coconut flakes shredded or grated, divided
- ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- Almonds, for garnish, optional
- 1 tablespoon Ghee or Butter, melted Optional
Instructions
- In a blender, mixie jar, or food processor, add 1 ½ cups of coconut and grind it to a coarse mixture. (This step gives a nice texture to your ladoo but is optional)3 cups Fresh or Dry desiccated coconut flakes
- Warm the store-bought or homemade dulce de leche using a double boiler or nonstick pan on low heat.1 can Dulce de Leche
- Add coarsely ground coconut, remaining 1 ½ cups coconut, and cardamom powder, and keep stirring it in a double boiler or nonstick skillet until this mixture becomes thick and forms a mass, about 4 to 6 minutes.3 cups Fresh or Dry desiccated coconut flakes, ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- To check if the mixture is ready - take the mixture in a spoon and check if you can form balls out of this. Be careful, as this is going to be hot. Switch off the flame and keep this aside for 5 minutes.
- When the mixture is warm, grease your palm with ghee and prepare bite-size balls. Garnish it with almonds if desired.Almonds,, 1 tablespoon Ghee or Butter, melted
- Store the coconut balls or ladoo in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to seven days.
Notes
- Add a total of 3 cups of coconut if you have a sweet tooth and 3 ½ cups if you like it moderately sweet, and 4 cups if you like it mildly sweet.
- You can use the double boiler method or make this ladoo on a nonstick pan.
- Instead of balls, you can even grease the plate with butter/ghee or use parchment paper. Transfer the mixture and spread evenly. Cut it to the desired shape of coconut fudge or barfi once it cools down completely.
- I have tried this recipe with both fresh and dry shredded coconut flakes. Coconut powder can also be used.
- If you do not have dulce de leche, you can make this ladoo with condensed milk or caramel sauce by following the same steps.
Nutrition
Note: We originally posted this recipe in July 2018. It has now been modified in August 2023 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.
Alana
Oh my! These look delicious! Definitely going to try this recipe.
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Ohhhh I am so excited that I can have these on my Keto diet!
Chethana Hegde
Oh… so delicious it looks, I am waiting to prepare…and serve my family.. thank you for this great recipe