Chewy coconut ladoos made with freshly grated coconut
and sweetened condensed milk.
The last recipe under my theme for week which is Diwali sweets and savories is this Coconut Ladoo. I started the series with Rava ladoo and ending it with yet another ladoo that can be made in under 30 minutes. The best part about this coconut ladoo is that it uses only half a can of condensed milk. That means we get to lick and enjoy the remaining half can of the condensed milk. I don’t know about you, but if there is one thing I cannot resist licking, that would be condensed milk. I often look for recipes that use a little condensed milk so I get a reason to open a can. If you want to make your own condensed milk, check out the recipe here.
This Ladoo is the easiest of all. If you have grated frozen coconut, just make sure to thaw it ahead of time and then the process is just a few minutes. The ladoos are very soft and chewy and the flavor lingers for a while in your mouth. I added a little bit of milk powder to add some richness to the ladoo. If you don’t have any milk powder in hand, that could be totally skipped.
Mixed roasted nuts can be added to the ladoo as well, but I like mine as is and I decided to leave it plain. These ladoos are a great choice for giving away to friends and family. I placed mine on tiny cupcake liners and that made it easier to serve and store.
Preparation time – 5 minutes
Cooking time – 15 minutes
Difficulty level – easy
Ingredients to make Coconut Ladoo – makes about 15 small ladoos
- Coconut – 1- 1/2 cups packed (freshly grated or frozen)
- Milk powder – 2 tbsp
- Condensed milk – 1/2 tin (7 oz or 200 g)
- Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
- Ghee – 1 tsp
Procedure to make Coconut Ladoo –
- I used frozen grated coconut to make the ladoo. If using frozen coconut, thaw the coconut and let it come to room temperature. I ran it in the mixer a couple of times to make it fine textured. If your coconut is not coarse, then you can make it as is and skip the grinding part.
- If using fresh coconut, grate the coconut as fine as you can and measure it out.
- Leave about 1/4 cup of coconut aside (optional) to roll the ladoos.
- Heat a tsp of ghee in a pan and add the grated coconut. Fry the coconut in low to medium flame only until all the moisture is gone. We don’t want to change the color of the coconut and hence it is very important to fry it on low flame. It needs only about 5 minuted of frying to get the coconut dehydrated.
- Add the milk powder and the condensed milk and mix well. Keep cooking the mixture until it thickens and starts to form a mass. It takes anywhere from 6 to 8 minutes for the mixture to thicken.
- Add the cardamom powder, mix well to combine and turn off the flame. Transfer the mixture to a plate and let it cool down enough to handle and form ladoos.
- Once the mixture is cool enough, pinch out a piece of the mixture and roll it between your palms to form ladoo. If you feel the mixture is sticking to your hands, grease your hand and roll.
- If preferred, roll the shaped ladoos over the reserved coconut.
- Let it cool down well before storing. The ladoo can be left outside for couple of days and can be refrigerated for about 10 days.
Srivalli Jetti says
This is surely such an easy recipe..I have always drooled over the Milkmaid recipe picture and wanted to make it many times, still never came around..your pictures look so inviting Sandhya.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
This definitely is a very easy recipe Valli. Thanks a lot.
Vaishali says
I love ladoos and this one is tempting me , they look absolutely fabulous .
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Vaishali, you are our ladoo guru!
Mayuri Patel says
Coconut lasdoos….yummy. Such perfect cute laddoos.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks Mayuri!
Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth says
I have made these a couple of times and love how it came out to be… the laddoos look perfect…
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
This is such a quick one. Thanks Rafeeda!
Veena Krishnakumar says
I make these too. Milk maid is such a boon. Looks very inviting Sandhya
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I love milkmaid. I can lick the whole can as is 🙂
Varada says
I love recipes that are done in under 30 minutes! Loved all your recipes in this series.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
They are a lifesaver for busy households.
Sharmila - The Happie Friends Potpourri Corner says
Coconut ladoo is my fav always.. Such a lovely recipe and love ur clicks..
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Thanks a lot Sharmila!
Ritu Tangri says
I have 4 cans of condensed milk lying in my fridge. Can make these easy and delicious ladoos
Priya Suresh says
Super like, my favourite quick version coconut laddoo, our family favourite.
themadscientiststskitchen says
Sandhya even I love licking condensed milk then feel guilty. I love these coconut ladoos. Milkmaid is a boon definitely.
sushma says
This is exactly how i too make, Its been a while I made these delicious ladoo. Your ladoo looks so delicious.
Padmajha PJ says
I can lick away a whole can of milkmaid! And that is the reason I usually don’t keep it in stock. But a few weeks back I got 2 small tins of mithai mate and I think it will be perfect for this recipe. I haven’t made these ladoos but now I have a reason to make them as soon as possible.
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs says
I love Indian sweets and these look DELICIOUS! I bet the coconut tastes fab with the condensed milk. I totally agree that stuff is delicious and I’ll happy lick the can clean!
Helene says
Your ladoos look perfect! Just the way I always see them in the shops here. I have never made coconut ladoo, only coconut barfi! I bet young and old go crazy for your ladoos. 🙂
Lauren says
Such an easy recipe! These look great!
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says
My husband would be all over this. He LOVES condensed milk. I love coconut, so there is something here for both of us to enjoy.
Adriana Lopez Martin says
This is a great recipe for a sweet treat. I do something similar but with pecans. I must try the coconut version. Loving all this Diwali sweet recipes. Amazing sweet celebration.
Carmen says
Your love of condensed milk makes me smile. We always made dulce de leche with it. So yummy! I’ve never had ladoos before. What is ghee?
Noel Lizotte says
What a simple recipe! These “cookies” look so pretty…I’m sure they don’t last very long when you bring that plate out!
Veena Azmanov says
OH My kids love coconut ladoo. I made it last year and the kids really enjoyed it so much. Now I feel like making them again. If I do I’ll try your recipe. Yum! Saving for later
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
What a great recipe to satisfy the sweet tooth! Now, I would make a double batch because I don’t want to be tempted by the sweetened condensed milk. But doubling the recipe would be a plus-plus!! I’ve never made any kind of ladoo but this would be a great first attempt.
Chef Mireille says
great holiday treat for sure – for any holiday
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
What a tasty sweet treat! These would be perfect to cure that afternoon sweet tooth, or awesome holiday treat!
Karyn Ryan says
This is such an easy delicious recipe..I think it would make a great Christmas party treat
Catherine says
These look and sound delightful! I also love the recipe for homemade condensed milk!
Jessica (swanky recipes) says
These coconut cookies look amazing! I always love to make cookies this time of year and I’ll be adding this to the holiday bake list, yum!
Priya Srinivasan says
Quick and easy treat for the festive occasion! Looks yumm sandhya!
Swathi says
This is an easy laddoo for busy Diwali schedule . I too make a simple sweet recipe this time. I like the white color of the ladoo.
Kalyani says
quick to make, yet totally delicious ladoo there, Sandhya ! and yes, the kids love to lick the can of condensed milk too – actually anything thats goooey and delicious 🙂