Atta Laddu | Wheat Ladoo

Whole wheat flour is a versatile ingredient. The proof of the pudding lies in the fact that it can be used to make dishes, ranging from savory/salty to sweet. Just like this Atta Laddu or Atta Ladoo, which is made with whole wheat flour and just 2 more ingredients. These delicious Wheat Ladoo recipe is easy and gets made quickly. Quite the change that you sometimes need from your other regular Ladoo.

About Wheat Ladoo

There are some recipes that you learn while growing up and some later in life. Though, this Atta Ladoo recipe falls in the latter category, it has grown on me like none other. I can easily say that this Atta Laddu is one of my most preferred ones now.

I learnt to make Atta Ke Laddu from my mother-in-law. This sweet is primarily a Punjabi/North Indian specialty. Thus, is a winter favorite. Going by the same trend, my mother-in-law would also make 1 to 2 kgs of these yummy ladoo for the whole family.  

During the numbing chilly months in North India, the heat from shaping the hot ladoo mixture, used to be warming and comforting to the hands. Hence, it was a yearly ritual in the very Punjabi household, every winter season.

Though Maharashtra and nearby regions are not that cold, I still make the rustic Atta Ke Laddu at home. Ladoo made with flours are easier to make at home. And so were these Atta Laddu. These filling ladoo made with just atta, sugar and ghee are not only good during winters, but also suitable in monsoons.

Atta Laddu makes for an awesome snack for kids and adults alike. It is also apt for festive occasions, where the recipe can be doubled or tripled in order to make a huge batch. The only tiring and time taking thing would be to roast the whole wheat flour in a massive quantity.

Keep in mind that these laddu are made with ‘atta’ which is whole wheat flour that is used to make Indian flatbreads like roti, chapati and paratha. Atta is finely ground whole wheat flour made from soft to medium hard wheat grains. Unlike the whole wheat flour (available outside India) milled in metal rollers, atta is mostly stone milled.

This recipe works with atta and I think should also work with the whole wheat flour that is made and sold outside India.

How to make Atta Laddu

Powder Sugar

1. Take ⅓ cup sugar in a dry grinder or a small blender.

2. Grind to a fine powder and keep aside.

Roast Whole Wheat Flour

3. Take 1 cup whole wheat flour (atta) in a kadai or a broad thick bottomed pan.

4. Keep the pan on a low to medium-low heat or sim and begin to roast the whole wheat flour.

5. Stir continuously and non-stop while roasting the flour so that there is even roasting and browning.

6. Roast till the color changes and you get a nutty aroma from the whole wheat flour. About 7 to 10 minutes on low heat.

Timing will vary with the material, size and thickness of the pan. I used a steel kadai without a thick bottomed base. Thus, it took me 7 minutes to roast the flour.

Make Atta Ladoo

7. Then, add ⅓ cup ghee in the flour.

8. Begin to mix very well.

9. Keep on stirring and roasting this mixture for 3 to 5 minutes more. Again, here the timing will vary with the material, size and thickness of the pan.

It took me 4 minutes to get the roasting done at this step, due to the steel kadai I used.

10. Check the taste of the whole wheat flour, it should feel cooked. There should be no rawness.

11. Switch off the heat, remove the pan from stovetop and place it on the kitchen countertop. Add the powdered sugar.

12. Add 1 tablespoon raisins and mix well with a spoon or spatula.

13. Break the sugar lumps, if any, in the mixture with the spatula or spoon.

14. The sugar has to be mixed thoroughly in the flour-ghee mixture.

15. When the mixture is still hot and the heat is tolerable, take a heaped portion of it in a spoon.

16. Use this portion to shape into a ladoo or small to medium-sized round ball. If the heat is not tolerable, then wait for some minutes. Don’t burn your hands.

17. Similarly, make medium size ladoo from the remaining mixture.

In case, you are not able to form neat round balls and mixture is crumbling, then add a few more tablespoons of warm ghee. Mix well and then continue to make the round balls.

18. Once done, store them in an air-tight box or jar. These stay good for a month in winters. But in hot weather, you’ll have to refrigerate them. Serve Atta Laddu as a sweet snack.

More With Atta

When it comes to a multipurpose use, whole wheat flour or atta stands true to it. For instance, most our regular Indian flatbreads like paratha, chapati, roti or phulka are atta based. Along with these, there are many other recipes which feature it as an integral part.

And not just salty or savory, the varied list of sweet dishes or desserts that can be made with atta is quite impressive too. One example is this Atta Laddu and the very satisfying sweet of Atta Halwa, which is loaded with cashews too.

These are some of the other sweet recipes with whole wheat flour that I often make at home – Atta Cake, Panjiri (a traditional Punjabi grainy-textured sweet dish, also a common offering in Krishna Janmashtami bhog) and Kada Prashad (the quintessential velvety, rich halwa served in Gurudwaras all over the world).

Expert Tips

1. At home, I usually use ‘khand’ or ‘khandsari,’ which is Indian raw sugar for ladoo. When using raw sugar, I powder it first and then add to the ladoo. Though, you can even make them with regular powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar.  
2. Raisins is my choice of dry fruit which goes in this Wheat Ladoo. You can also use almonds. When using these, first roast them separately, then chop and add.
3. Extra flavorings like cardamom powder, etc. is not required in Wheat Laddu. The nutty aroma of the roasted whole wheat flour is enough to make it absolutely delightful.
4. While increasing the quantities, add more ghee if needed.

More Ladoo Recipes To Try!

Moderate • 15 mins

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Boondi Laddu | Boondi ke Ladoo

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Besan Ladoo | Besan Ke Laddu

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Ladoo Recipes

Peanut Laddu (Shengdana Ladoo)

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This Atta Laddu recipe from the archives first published in July 2016 has been republished and updated on 6 July 2022.