Coconut Ladoo
Soft festival sweets of coconut and jaggery with cardamom. Plant-based and ready in minutes.
Coconut ladoo is one of the simplest Indian festive sweets to keep fully plant-based—no milk khoya required. Desiccated or fresh coconut both work; jaggery gives a warmer flavor than white sugar.
These keep well for gifting and festival thalis, and satisfy sweet cravings in a small portion.
Nutrition
Per 1 ladoo
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Dietary
plant based · gluten free · jain · no onion no garlic
Protein sources
coconut · cashew
Ingredients
- 12 cups Fresh or Desiccated Coconut
- 23/4 cup Jaggery, grated
- 31/4 cup Plant Milk or Water
- 41/2 tsp Cardamom powder
- 51 tbsp Cashew pieces (optional)
- 61 tsp Oil or coconut oil (optional, for binding)
- 7Extra coconut for rolling
Instructions
- 1
Warm plant milk or water with jaggery until jaggery melts. Strain if gritty.
Do not overcook or ladoos turn dry and crack.
- 2
Add coconut and cardamom. Cook on low heat 4–6 minutes until the mix leaves the pan sides and holds shape.
If the mix is too wet, cook 1–2 minutes more; if too dry, splash plant milk.
- 3
Stir in cashews. Cool just enough to handle.
Fresh coconut tastes juicier; desiccated is more convenient and shelf-stable.
- 4
Grease palms lightly, roll into ladoos, and coat with extra coconut.
Cardamom is the main aroma—freshly crushed is best.
Festival variations
- Add a saffron strand soaked in warm plant milk.
- Stuff with a raisin or almond in the center.
- Ragi coconut ladoo: replace 1/3 coconut with ragi flour lightly roasted.
Sweetness control
- Start with less jaggery and adjust—coconut sweetness varies.
- Date paste can replace half the jaggery.
- Roll smaller bite-size pieces for calorie control.