Nariyal Ladoo is a traditional, soft and creamy Indian coconut fudge ball made from desiccated coconut, condensed milk, and cardamom. This quick and easy coconut Ladoo recipe is prepared in no time and is ready in 10-15 minutes.

When we were growing up, there was always a wide variety of Indian sweets around festivals, especially during Christmas. My mother made some Mithai (Indian sweets) at home and we bought some from a local sweet shop. Nariyal Ladoo, also known as Coconut Ladoo, has been my favorite since childhood.

Years ago, when I was flipping through my mother's recipe book, I found this quick recipe for coconut Ladoo with a handful of easily available ingredients. My mother always made this dessert whenever guests showed up spontaneously for dinner 🙂.

This quick recipe consists of only 5 ingredients and is perfect for weekday celebrations!

For my family, it has become an indispensable Christmas sweet in my home and I am happy to share this simple recipe with you today.

What is Nariyal Ladoo?

Nariyal Ladoo is a traditional Indian fudge-like sweet made from dried coconut flakes, condensed or dry milk, and sugar (or Jaggery).

Ladoo or Laddu refers to the ball shape of this dessert. The texture of Nariyal Ladoo is just like fudge, it is soft, creamy, and melts on the tongue!

Nariyal Ladoo - a quick recipe

In this recipe, I show you how you can easily prepare this Ladoo. You will simply love this recipe because:

• The dessert is ready from start to finish in 10-15 minutes, making it ideal for weekday celebrations.

• This sweet treat is finger-food friendly, you can just take a Ladoo and pop it straight into your mouth 😃. No extra utensils required, making it perfect for parties.

• It is completely vegetarian and gluten-free, with easy substitutions to make it vegan and lactose-free!

• It is a dessert recipe that is excellent as a gift and for parties.

Ingredients for Nariyal Ladoo

• Coconut: grated, dried, unsweetened coconut. Desiccated coconut is best suited for this recipe. But you can also prepare it with fresh, finely grated coconut. Since fresh coconut contains more moisture, the cooking process will take a few minutes longer. Simply skip step 1 and leave out the milk in the recipe and follow the other instructions.

• Condensed milk: Sweetened condensed milk is easy to find in the baking aisles of most supermarkets. Use the amount specified in the recipe. Transfer the rest of the can to an airtight container and store in the fridge, or use it directly in Kesar Pista Kulfi.

• Milk: Although optional, it helps the Ladoo stay soft for longer. Use 2% or whole milk.

• Cardamom: Ground cardamom gives these Ladoo an aromatic finish. For the best flavor, remove the seeds from 2-3 green cardamom pods and grind them with a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. For alternative flavors, you can use saffron (dissolved in 1 teaspoon of water) or a few drops of rose water.

Nariyal Ladoo Variations

• Vegan & dairy-free variation: To make Nariyal Lado vegan and dairy-free, replace the condensed milk with coconut milk condensed milk, use coconut or almond milk instead of milk, and use plant-based or coconut oil instead of Ghee.

• Fun variation for kids: Making colorful Nariyal Lado is a super fun activity for kids and a great way to involve them in cultural festivities. The pink color reminds me of my childhood, so I occasionally like to add 2 drops of pink food coloring and mix until a beautiful pink color is achieved.

You can use any food coloring of your choice.

Storage Suggestions

• Every time I invite friends to an Indian festival, I make this recipe a few days in advance. These Nariyal Ladoo keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

• For freezing, seal tightly, label, date, and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for 20 Nariyal Ladoos

• 1 cup shredded, dried unsweetened coconut (desiccated coconut) plus ¼ cup for coating the Ladoos

• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk

• 2 tbsp full-fat milk

• 1 tbsp ghee

• ½ tsp cardamom powder

Instructions

Heat the pan over medium heat. Add the desiccated coconut and roast for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. This helps the dried coconut become moist and releases its flavor.

Add condensed milk, milk and ghee to the coconut and mix well. Stir every 2 minutes so that the mixture does not stick to the bottom and burn.

Stir until the mixture begins to dry and the mixture reaches a soft, dough-like consistency.

Keep a close eye on the mixture from the 10-minute mark onwards. It can take between 12-15 minutes, depending on the heat level of your stove. Turn off the heat and add cardamom powder, then mix everything well.

To make Ladoos, take about a tablespoon of dough in your hands and roll it in circular motions between your palms to form a soft ball.

Sprinkle the ladoos with the reserved grated coconut.

The Nariyal Ladoo will keep in a clean container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

I look forward to hearing from you...

...if you like my blog, my recipes inspire you, and your curiosity for Indian cuisine has been awakened.

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