Coconut Ladoo recipe with step by step photos. Depending upon the method and the ingredients used there are many recipes for making coconut ladoo. Example – You can make them with fresh or dry coconut by adding either khoya or condensed milk or jaggery or sugar syrup.
You can also choose to flavor coconut ladoo with cardamom powder or saffron or skip them altogether. In this recipe post, I am sharing two easy methods of making coconut ladoo.
Table of Contents
Coconut Ladoo – 2 Ways
1. Coconut ladoo with condensed milk (photo above): This is a quick & instant 15-minute recipe of making coconut ladoo with fresh coconut, condensed milk (milkmaid) and cardamom powder. This is an easy recipe, gets done quickly and can be made even by a newbie in cooking. Generally, only the white part of the coconut is used. But the one I had grated, had both white and some brown parts. Yet, I made the ladoo as it does not matter to me as long as the end result tastes good.
2. Nariyal ladoo with sugar syrup (photo below): These are melt in the mouth delicious coconut ladoo made with desiccated coconut & sugar. I make this three-ingredient traditional recipe when I have to offer ladoo to bhagwan ganesha or any other diety or for a religious occasion. These nariyal ladoo are easy to make provided you get 1 thread or “ek taar” consistency in the sugar syrup. If you overcook the sugar syrup beyond the 1 thread consistency, the coconut ladoo will become hard. I have mentioned the recipe details both in the notes section of the recipe card and in the step by step pictures below.
You can choose any recipe that you find easy and make coconut ladoo as a sweet snack or during festivals.
Tips to make Best Coconut Ladoo
- Both these above recipes can be easily halved or doubled or tripled.
- In both the recipes you can easily substitute fresh coconut for desiccated coconut powder and vice versa.
- If planning to offer coconut ladoo for any deity, then I suggest making the second coconut recipe made with desiccated coconut powder and sugar.
- Coconut ladoo made either way with any of these two recipes taste too good. A lovely sweet treat for your loved ones.
- Coconut ladoo made with condensed milk stays well in the fridge for about a week.
- The coconut ladoo made with just sugar stays well for more than a week.
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Coconut Ladoo – Recipe 1
Roasting the coconut
1. Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a frying pan or kadai. You can also use coconut oil.
2. add 1.5 cups tightly packed grated coconut.
3. Stir and roast the coconut on a low flame for 3 to 4 minutes. The roasting is to just get rid of some moisture. Don’t brown them. If using desiccated coconut, then no need to roast it in ghee. Just mix the desiccated coconut with condensed milk and heat the mixture. If using frozen coconut, then let it come at room temperature before you begin to roast it.
Making coconut ladoo
4. Now add ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk. Here I used amul mithai mate.
5. add ½ tsp cardamom powder.
6. Stir very well and cook this mixture on a low flame.
7. When you see that the mixture has begun to thicken, then keep stirring regularly.
8. When the mixture begins to leave the sides of the pan and when you see some coconut fat at the sides, switch off the flame.
9. Pour the coconut ladoo mixture in another bowl or pan. Allow it to cool.
10. When the mixture has cooled completely, pinch small to medium balls from the mixture and form ladoos. Apply some ghee on your palms when shaping the coconut ladoo. in case the mixture is loose and you cannot make ladoo, then put it back on the pan and heat for a few more minutes.
11. Roll the ladoo in desiccated coconut (nariyal ka burada) or in fresh coconut evenly.
12. You can also make all the coconut laddu at once and then roll in the desiccated coconut.
13. Place the coconut laddu in small muffin liners or just place them in a tray.
14. Serve coconut ladoo straight away or refrigerate and serve them later. These coconut ladoo stays good for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
Coconut Ladoo (2 Ways)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups tightly packed fresh grated coconut
- 1 teaspoon Ghee (clarified butter)
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder or 4 to 5 green cardamoms crushed in a mortar-pestle
- ¾ cup condensed milk or 220 grams sweetened condensed milk or about ½ tin of sweetened condensed milk
- ⅓ cup desiccated or fresh coconut for rolling
- chopped dry fruits of your choice (optional)
Instructions
roasting the coconut
- Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a frying pan or kadai. Keep flame to a low.
- Add 1.5 cups tightly packed coconut.
- Stir and roast the coconut on a low flame for 3 to 4 minutes. The roasting is to just get rid of some moisture. Don't brown them.
- If using desiccated coconut, then no need to roast it in ghee. Just mix the desiccated coconut with condensed milk and heat the mixture.
making coconut ladoo
- Now add ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk. Here I used amul mithai mate.
- Add ½ tsp cardamom powder.
- Stir very well and cook this mixture on a low flame.
- When you see that the mixture has begun to thicken, then keep stirring regularly.
- When the mixture begins to leave the sides of the pan and when you see some coconut fat from the sides, switch off the flame.
- Pour the ladoo mixture in another bowl or pan. Allow it to cool.
- When the mixture has cooled completely, pinch small to medium balls from the mixture and form ladoo.
- Roll the coconut ladoo in desiccated coconut (nariyal ka burada) or in fresh coconut evenly.
- You can also make all the ladoo at once and then roll in the desiccated coconut.
- Place them in small muffin liners or just place them in a tray.
- Serve coconut ladoo straight away or refrigerate and serve them later.
- This ladoo stay good for a week in the fridge.
Notes
2nd recipe for making nariyal ladoo
Ingredients:- 1.5 cups desiccated coconut powder (unsweetened)
- ⅔ cup regular sugar or organic unrefined cane sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder or 3 to 4 green cardamoms – husked and powdered in a mortar-pestle (optional)
- Mix the sugar with the water and dissolve it. If there are impurities than strain the sugar solution. The sugar can be adjusted as per your sweet likings. For a less sweet taste you can use ½ cup sugar and for a more sweeter taste use ¾ cup sugar.
- Keep the sugar solution on fire and on a low flame cook the solution.
- The solution will start to thicken and continue to cook till you get the one thread consistency in the sugar solution.
- Switch off the flame and add the desiccated coconut powder and cardamom powder to the sugar solution.
- Quickly stir and make small balls from the mixture.
- If the heat is too much too handle, wait for a few minutes till you are comfortable in making the ladoo. The mixture should be hot or warm while making the coconut ladoos.
- If the mixture becomes cold, then making the coconut ladoo is impossible.
In this case, return the pan or bowl on the fire and slightly warm the mixture and continue to make the ladoo. - Make all ladoo this way.
- Serve the nariyal ladoo as naivedyam or bhog to lord ganesha.
Nutrition Info (Approximate values)
Nariyal Ladoo – Recipe 2
I have mentioned the recipe details in the recipe card above too.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
- ⅔ cup regular sugar or organic unrefined cane sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder or 3 to 4 green cardamoms (choti elaichi) – husked and powdered in a mortar-pestle (optional)
How to make Nariyal Ladoo
1. Mix ⅔ cup sugar with ½ cup water and dissolve it with a spoon. If there are impurities than strain the sugar solution. Keep the sugar solution on fire and on a low flame cook the solution.
2. the solution will start to thicken and continue to cook till you get the one thread consistency in the sugar solution. This takes some minutes. This is a very hot solution, so when checking for one thread consistency, cool the solution in a spoon and then check.
3. Switch off the flame and add 1.5 cups desiccated coconut powder. Also add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
4. Be quick enough to stir the whole mixture well.
5. Make small balls from the mixture. You can spread some coconut oil or ghee in your palms before making these ladoo. If the heat is too much too handle, wait for a few seconds till you are comfortable making the nariyal ladoo. The mixture should be hot or warmer while making the nariyal ladoo. If the mixture becomes cold, then making the coconut ladoo is impossible. In this case, return the pan or bowl on the fire and slightly warm the mixture and continue to make the coconut ladoo. Sprinkle some drops of water or milk if the mixture looks too dry.
6. Make all nariyal ladoo this way.
7. Serve the Nariyal ladoo as naivedyam or bhog to Lord Ganesha.
Hello Mam,
The laddoos came out exactly as you have shown in the recipe and tasted good.
Thank you so much all your recipes are simply awesome and with pictures and perfect measurements it becomes very easy to follow and make them .
Thanks much.
Welcome Ruchi. Glad to know this. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback on coconut ladoo recipe.
After my marriage i have learned all the cooking from u.. u have an ausome collection of everyday essential recipes.. the first site i search for, for all my cooking needs..thank u very much for sharing these.. and keep sharing.. lotzz of love to you..
Welcome Priti. Glad to read your positive feedback on website. Thanks for your appreciation.
Hello mam…thx a ton for your easy and lovely recipes. Your site is the first one that I visit of I have to try something new. And the results are always impressive. Thanks a ton. God bless for the good work.
Welcome Reeti. Thanks for your positive feedback and best wishes.
Hlo mam I m your big fan of u & your recipe’s ????????????????????
thanks mandeep for your kind words.
Thanks so much for recipe! I had a lot of coconut left over after extracting coconut milk, and I luckily saw this recipe. My husband loved them (even though he’s not a big fan of sweets). Hope to try this again!
welcome shreyasi. thats a good idea to make coconut from the leftover coconut after extracting coconut milk. i usually make cookies with them. thanks for sharing the positive feedback on the coconut ladoo recipe.
Hi I tried it but they are very soggy. Do you think I should have cooked for some more time?
yes, the moisture needs to be less. now also you can put the mixture back in the pan and cook for some more minutes.
Love this recipe! I tried it today and the ladoos have come out perfectly round and delicious. The recipe is easy to follow and the pictures are a great guide. Thanks a lot! Happy Diwali!
thank you amrita for the positive review on the coconut milk ladoos. wish you too a happy diwali.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe, am just waiting it to cool before shaping them and rolling in coconut ready for navrati tonight. Very easy to follow instructions.
welcome nita and thanks for sharing the feedback.
Hi..
I guess there is some sequencing problem with the recipe(text ,not the pics).kindly rectify it.by the way,your blog is the first thing I check when i think of cooking something special..going to try these laddus today.
thanks archana for pointing this out. i did check and will rectify it. hope the coconut laddus turn out good.
Hello Mam,
On the ocassion Of Vinayak Chaturthi , i tried Your Receipe of Coconut ladoo with Condensed milk.
It Was Really Delicious!! My family & frnds really Luved it
And
I m really Thankful to u.
welcome richi. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive feedback on coconut ladoo recipe.
Can I use dry coconut (gari gola) to make this?
yes anshu, you can use dry coconut. just saute for half a minute. don’t brown the coconut and proceed with the recipe.
Any substitute for condense milk??
you can use khoya/mawa or evaporated milk.
in this recipe sugar is not required.
reena since condensed milk is sweet sugar isn’t required. hope this help’s you.
I did try out was the best ever thanks for sharing they become one of my favorite
welcome haszra. glad to know that you liked the coconut ladoo recipe.
fresh coconut means freshly grated sukha/dry coconut or kachcha coconut available with vegetable vendors…bit confused
the fresh coconut available with veggie vendors. not sukha or dry coconut.
Should i use fresh coconut or desiccated coconut for better taste…??
fresh coconut tastes good. but you can use desiccated coconut too.
yummmy
i better try this at home.thanks for share
surely try sebar and thankyou.
My mom asked me if we can find “Coconut ladoo with condensed milk” recipe on internet? I said sure I know the right place, and here it is 🙂 easy and simple to make recipe. Also, we checked out Coconut barfi with condensed milk — both we are sure going to try. Thanks, thanks a lot for sharing these recipes.
thank you shailesh and welcome. happy cooking to both of you.
Hello Dassana …
Your website is the first page i visit when i want to make something new and i always find an unfailing recipe that everyone at home enjoys heartily…
Please write a cookbook (compiling all the tidbits from everypost) so i can buy a 1000 copies and gift it to everyone i know as diwali presents, bday return gifts and make sure the real gem “You” gets to reach every home and spread smiles and love and make the world lot less angry with your awesome recipes 😀
Best wishes and regards
Manasi
i am touched manasi. i have tears in my eyes. thanks a million and hugs 🙂
i do plan to make a book, but the issue is that in a book its difficult to include so many step by step photos. so i am thinking of a way around. but i do plan to publish a book. not decided ebook or hard copy, but yes one day for sure 🙂
🙂 the pleasure is all mine, Dassana. Your recipes saved me in many ways… god bless you and your loved ones… Happy Diwali !!!
Best,
Manasi
thanks again manasi. wish you too a happy diwali 🙂
I love your recepies
thankyou dharshini 🙂
Hi….I used same method….but after keeping in fridge they became little hard not soft as I see in shops
preeti due to the cold atmosphere in fridge the ladoos become hard. but if you keep them outside for some time it would soften again. hope this help’s you.
Dear Dassana
I made coconut ladoos today, it was awesome. Everybody liked your recipe. Thanks a lot.
thanks for sharing the positive review, maria.
Hi Dassana,
A quick question, grating with a grater is really a pain for me and I don’t have a food processor, can I use the dry spice grinder to grind them…if yes, to what consistency ?
Try to respond quickly bought a huge nariyal and my mouth is tired of eating nariyal now 🙁
deepika, nariyal takes a lot of load while grinding. if you have a good sturdy indian mixer grinder then you can use one of the grinder jar and add the small coconut pieces in it.
Thanks Dassana for your quick response !
I am not in India, I have Philips blender and dry grinder… I guess Blender I can’t use but I should try with the small jar in batches…as I have made coconut chutney in it before (But the coconut was grated)… M gonna try these laddoos coming weekend…will update you how it goes 🙂
Thanks 🙂
yes you can try in the small jar in batches. even when i don’t use the table top grater, i break the coconut shell and chop the white flesh in small pieces. then add them to a grinder and grind till i get grated coconut like texture. do update 🙂
The grated coconut used is the dry coconut or the water coconut?
sweta, its not the water coconut where you get to drink a lot of water. it is a mature coconut where the water amount is less (e.g. water is approx 1/4 of glass) and the white flesh is thick.
I just love you recipes,started trying them.My Coconut Ladoo’s turned out to be aewsome..It’s my daughter’s favourite..She is not a sweet eater..Thanks a lot for your recipe.
thanks for the sweet feedback ruchi. glad to know 🙂
Since last few days, i have been trying new recipes from your website. I tried rasgullas. They looked and tasted great when cooked. However, hardened a little on refrigeration. Plus the sugar syrup didn’t seep in it seems. It wasn’t sweet inside. Can we use dry dessicated coconut available in stores to prepare ladoos in the same manner? If yes, how long will it stay fresh inside and outside the fridge? Thanks in advance.
either the rasgullas have hardened thats why the sugar did not seep inside or the sugar syrup got cooked too much and started turning into thread consistencies. yes you can use desiccated coconut in this recipe. usually i soak the desiccated coconut in some milk. but without this method also you can use the desiccated coconut straightaway. since its condensed milk, i would suggest to keep in the fridge. stays good for about a week in the fridge.
Hi,
Nice Recipe but might be the coconut I used is hard so tell me how to soften it as while eating ladoos i have to chew coconut a lot.
which coconut you used. dry or fresh?
Hi D,
Tries this today but it was kinda chewy, is it supposed to be like that?
does it make any difference if made with fresh coconut or desiccated coconut?
bhakti, its not chewy. it became like this because the mixture got cooked too much. both ways ladoo taste good.
easy to make n tasty
thanks kusum
Thanks a lot for the wonderful recipes, that you are so kind enough to share with us!
I tried these ladoos, exactly as per your recipe, and they turned out great and that too with so much less effort.
My best wishes to you, your family, and your blog! Please keep up the awesome blogging…love to read it!
welcome kunti. glad to know this. thanks for sharing your encouraging feedback.
Ur recipes are awsum. Really
thanks ekta
Hi,
i must say thank u amit…..u know how difficult to impress in-laws after marriage your lovely recipes help me a lot….spl bhindi masala, coconut ladoo,paneer dishes….my husband fav. dish lauki kofta..
welcome swati. thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes. happy cooking.
These look fabulous!!!! coconut and condensed milk are such a lovely combo..
thanks olivia
Thanks for all your recipes, everything I try to make turns out well. Do you think I can use for this recipe aluminium or cast iron frying pan? I can see from the pix that you are using a non stick one . Thanks a lot.
welcome natasha. yes you can use either of them. but just make sure that the pan is well seasoned and thick bottomed.
Hi ,
Excellent n attractive pics.. Wil try it.
thanks divya