Dry Fruit Laddu is an easy, nutritious recipe of energy balls that are healthy and tasty. Packed with nutrients, good fats and fibre, these energy balls are made with dates, figs and various nuts. This Dry Fruit Ladoo recipe is made without any added sugar or jaggery, ghee or oil, is naturally vegan and comes together under 20 minutes.
About Dry Fruit Ladoo Recipe
I have used dates, figs, almonds, cashews, raisins, desiccated coconut to make these laddu. Skip the desiccated coconut if you don’t like the coconut aroma.
There is no exact recipe to make Dry Fruits Ladoo or these energy balls. The proportions of the nuts and dry fruits can vary according to your choice.
Just make sure the dates and figs are a little extra. Since the dates, figs have cohesive and sticky properties that help in binding the laddu.
There is absolutely no need to add any sugar to the recipe. The sweetness of the dates, figs and raisins makes make the laddu sweet – in fact a little extra sweet.
Use pitted dates. If the dates have seeds, then remove the seeds and chop them. These ladoos can also be gift wrapped and sent to your family or friends during any festival or Diwali festival.
The best part of this dry fruit laddu recipe is that they can be had for the Navratri fasting season giving a good dose of nutrition and energy.
These healthy energy balls can also be made for the Diwali festival when you want to make a quick and easy sweet.
These energy balls are good for growing up kids also and will love it. These laddu can also be consumed with a glass of hot milk for breakfast. You can also check this Badam Ladoo, Badam Halwa and Dry Fruit Barfi.
Addition of Gond or edible gum is also possible in these laddu recipe. I also make Gond Laddu that are perfect during the Indian winters since they are warming to the body.
Note: If you have a gluten allergy, make sure that the nuts and dried fruits are processed and packaged in a gluten-free environment. Check the packaging for details.
How to make Dry Fruit Laddu
1: Firstly begin to roast 3 tablespoons almonds in a pan on a low heat. Keep stirring the almonds at intervals. You can also lightly roast the almonds. I roast them really well. Set aside the roasted almonds.
2: Roughly chop some dates and 8 dried figs. You will need 1 cup of chopped dates – so measure the chopped dates and set aside.
Also crush 2 green cardamom pods in a mortar-pestle to a coarse powder. Discard the peels.
Making Dry Fruit Laddu Mixture
3: In a spice grinder or blender or a mixer-grinder add 1 cup of chopped dates, figs, 2 tablespoons raisins 2 tablespoons cashews, 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut and the coarsely powdered cardamom powder. Add the roasted almonds as well.
It is alright if the roasted almonds are hot or warm while grinding. Grind to a coarse mixture and spread on a tray or plate or take the mixture in a bowl.
4: Make small balls from your hands and the dry fruit laddu are ready.
Serving and Storage
5: Serve the dry fruit laddu immediately or store in an air-tight container and refrigerate.
Dry Fruit Laddu stays good for a few days at room temperature and for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. But I don’t think they will last so long as they are really delicious and will get over soon.
You can also make a big batch and refrigerate these energy balls for a few weeks or freeze them for a couple of months.
Expert Tips
- Nuts: You can include any edible nuts but make sure they are fresh and not rancid or bitter. I use nuts which are easily available to me locally, like – almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts. You can make these healthy ladoo with the nuts that are available to you locally – walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, hazel nuts. You can use various proportions and combinations of the nuts.
- Dry Fruits: I suggest not to omit the dates and figs. Both these dried fruits have cohesive sticky properties that helps in binding and forming laddu. Moreover apart from their flavor, they also add so much sweetness that you do not need to include any sugar or sweetener in the recipe.
- Dates: I recommend to use good quality dates. If possible use pitted dates as they are a bit easier to chop. If your dates have seeds, then remove the seeds and chop them. Discard the seeds.
- Dried figs: For figs that are too dry, tough or dense, soak them in hot water for a couple of hours. Later drain all the water, pat dry them with a clean kitchen towel and then chop them.
- Desiccated coconut: Omit desiccated coconut if you do not have it. 2 tablespoons of fresh grated coconut can be added instead and they give a good taste too. However keep in mind that fresh coconut, will reduce the shelf life considerably. So try to consume it quickly and refrigerate any leftovers for 1 to 2 days.
- Scaling: This energy balls recipe can be doubled or tripled easily to make a big batch for festive occasions.
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Dry Fruit Laddu Recipe (Naturally Sweetened)
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 3 tablespoons almonds
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- 2 tablespoons cashews
- 8 dried figs
- 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut – optional
- 2 green cardamoms – crushed in a mortar-pestle
Instructions
Roasting almonds
- Firstly begin to roast the almonds in a pan until they get browned.
- Keep stirring the almonds at intervals. You can also lightly roast the almonds. Set aside.
Chopping dates and figs
- Roughly chop the dates and figs.
- You will be needing 1 cup of chopped dates – so measure the chopped dates and set aside.
- First lightly crush the cardamom pods in a mortar-pestle. Then remove the peels and crush the seeds coarsely. Set aside.
Making dry fruit laddu mixture
- In a spice grinder, blender or mixer-grinder add the chopped dates, figs, cashews, raisins, almonds, desiccated coconut and the coarsely powdered cardamom powder.
- Add the roasted almonds.
- Grind to a coarse mixture and spread on a tray or plate or take the mixture in a bowl.
Forming laddu
- Make small balls from your hands and the dry fruit laddu are ready.
Serving and Storage
- Serve the dry fruit laddu immediately or store in an air tight container and refrigerate. Dry fruit ladoo stays good for a few days at room temperature and a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
- You could also make a large batch and refrigerate them for a few weeks or freeze them for a couple of months.
Notes
- Nuts: Any nuts work well in the recipe. While I use nuts which are easily available to me, you can make these healthy ladoo with the nuts that are available to you locally – walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, hazel nuts. I get almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts locally, so I add these. You can use various proportions of the nuts.
- Dry Fruits: I recommend not to skip dates and figs in this recipe. Both have cohesive sticky properties which help you to bind and form the laddu. They also add so much sweetness that you do not need to add any sugar or any other sweetener.
- Dates: Use good quality dates. Preferably use pitted dates. If the dates have seeds, then remove the seeds and chop them.
- Dried figs: If the figs are too dry, tough or dense, then soak them in hot water for a couple of hours. Later drain all the water, pat dry them with a clean kitchen towel and then chop them.
- Desiccated coconut: Skip adding desiccated coconut if you do not have it. You can also add 2 tablespoons fresh grated coconut instead and they will give a good taste as well. But note that with fresh coconut, the shelf life will reduce considerably. So try to consume it quickly and refrigerate any leftovers for 1 to 2 days.
- Scaling: The recipe can be doubled or tripled easily to make a big batch.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This dry fruit laddu recipe from the archives was first published in October 2013. It has been updated on December 2024.
I loved your content and this recipe sounds delicious and simple. I’m wondering if I can use almond flour instead of roasted almonds. If yes, what quality should I use? Thank you again for sharing such incredible recipes.
Thank you. Since the recipe uses 3 tablespoons of almonds, you can substitute with about 3 tablespoons of almond flour. Just make sure it’s finely ground and unsweetened. The taste and texture will be slightly softer, but the laddus should still turn out well.
You’re the best, thank you!!
That’s really kind of you. Thank you so much.
can roasted edible gondh be added? if so how?
you can add gond. i have never used roasted gond. so i do not know how it is added. we always fry gond in ghee till they puff up. then break them or powder and then add.
Hello Ms. Dassana,
Very nice & nutritious recipe it is. I will surely try this. One question is there in my mind that whether we can add other dry fruits like walnut etc in these laddoos? One more thing i want to tell that cashew are included in the ingredient list but there is no mention of it in the recipe.
thanks anupam. yes you can add walnuts. i will add the cashews part in the recipe. i skipped it. thanks for letting me know.
pls tell if dates used are wet or dried
wet dates.
Laduu were delicious but were very sticky.
Can you suggest what could have gone wrong?
there will be slight stickiness due to the dates. the quality of dates also make a difference. if the dates have more stickiness, then the ladoos will also be sticky. hope this helps.
can fig be omitted if yes then what can be added ?
you can skip the figs and increase the dates in the same proportion.
Good..just wanted to know how long it will.last as prepearing for son’s hostel. As the food is not gd in hostel and he needs these..is there ant other nutritious dish for lang lasting .15..30 days..for young people.
thanks
welcome asheesh. dry fruits do not get spoiled. so it can last for one month. you can try wheat flour ladoo.
Excellent recipes Dassana .. wow!
thanks kajal
Awesome recipe Dassana….I was looking for vegan recipes and found this….I also love your cookies recipes….All in all a great site I must say!
thanks bhakti. glad to read your sweet feedback.
Hi, Dassana
Love ur blog
So many recipes n simple steps by u make it easy for us.
I prepared dry fruit ladoos n its so yummy my 2.5 yrs old son luvs it. He ate 3 ladoos at a time and he calls it chota bheem ladoos.
Thanx
thanks shaheen. so cute of your son. you should tell him, eat these ladoos and you will get lots of strength like bheem 🙂
Tried and tested….tastes great and super easy to make.
thanks pragya for trying the ladoos and giving feedback.
Sounds healthy and tasty too!
Yummy ladoo… healthy too…
love these! i once made a variation of it when a vegan couple came to our place for dinner. since it was a last min idea with whatever i had in hand, there are no pictures. i need to make again to share the recipe 🙂