Besan ladoo are delicious sweet balls made with gram flour, sugar, ghee & cardamoms. Besan is the Hindi word for gram flour and ladoo are ball shaped sweet delights from Indian cuisine. These are mostly made during festivals & celebrations. Besan ladoo are not only delicious & aromatic but also have a melt in the mouth texture. In Indian cuisine, gram flour is used to make so many sweets like besan burfi, mysore pak, besan halwa and many more.
All of these are so delicious & much loved by everyone since the combination of gram flour, ghee & sugar is simply unbeatable in terms of flavor and taste.
These besan ladoos are no exception to it & are the best – so aromatic, delicious and simply melt in the mouth.
Apart from gulab jamun, rasmalai and rasgulla these besan ladoo are also quite popular and are made for Diwali. I made these for Ganesh Chaturthi along with Coconut ladoo.
It is said that Lord Ganesha loves ladoos too apart from modak. So a variety of ladoos like Coconut ladoo, Rava laddu, Bondi ladoo and Peanut laddu are also made for Ganesh chaturthi.
Making besan ladoo at home is simple and pretty straight forward. But the most important part is to use the correct ratio of flour:ghee & using the right ingredients. Here is how to choose & use them in this recipe.
Choosing Ingredients
1. Besan (gram flour): Always choose good quality flour to avoid bitter taste. The best choice is the freshly milled flour or using a fresh pack of besan. Gram flour has a nature to turn bitter within a few months of milling. So always taste it first before using to ensure it is not bitter.
There are different kinds of besan sold in the market with varying levels of texture.
Super smooth flour, moderately fine flour and coarse flour also known as ladoo besan are the most commonly available kinds. The texture of your besan ladoos depend on the kind of flour you use.
If you prefer slight texture in your besan ladoo then use coarse flour or use a small portion of semolina. If you prefer a melt in the mouth texture then choose the smooth and fine besan.
Some people don’t like super smooth besan ladoos as they feel they stick to the teeth and the mouth while eating. So choose your flour depending on how you like your ladoos to be.
2. Sugar: I have used organic sugar. But traditionally bura shakkar or tagar is used. If you are using regular refined white sugar, you may need slightly lesser sugar.
3. Ghee: Using good quality puree ghee helps to make these besan ladoos more aromatic. Homemade ghee is the best . I made it following this ghee recipe.
Tips to make best besan ladoo
1. Roasting besan correctly is the key to aromatic and delicious ladoos. If this step is not done properly the aroma does not come out from the besan resulting in raw tasting besan ladoos.
If the flour is over roasted, the ladoos can have a bitter and burnt flavor. So roasting the flour stirring constantly on a medium to low heat is very important.
When the besan is roasted properly it turns aromatic indicating it is done. Also taste test it to ensure it is not raw.
2. Non stop stirring: You have to keep stirring non-stop & continuously without taking a break even for a few seconds especially at the later stage. Otherwise there are chances of the besan getting burnt.
3. Roasting time: I suggest not to go by the time as it depends on the kind of stove, pan and the intensity of the flame. The time frame I have mentioned in the post is just a guideline.
Preparation
I have doubled the recipe (2x) so you will find the ingredients more in the pics.
1. Measure ½ cup sugar and add it to a blender or grinder jar. Add 3 cardamoms and make a fine powder. Powder it very finely. You can use white sugar or any variety of sugar.
2. Set this aside.
3. Weigh or measure your besan and ghee correctly. We will need
1 cup besan (105 to 110 grams)
¼ cup ghee (4 tbsps) (50 grams).
If you go wrong with the quantities your ladoos may not bind or may turn flat. Fluff up the flour in the jar with a fork and then scoop it to the measuring cup. You can use ghee in liquid or solid form. Both will be same.
Roasting besan
4. Add 1½ tablespoons ghee to a heavy bottom pan (from the ghee you measured earlier). Heat it. We are using only 1½ tbsps ghee at this step from the total amount required for the recipe. Add 2 tablespoons cashews to the ghee and fry them on a medium flame until crunchy. Remove them to a bowl. If you don’t prefer cashews, you may skip them.
6. Lower the flame. Add besan to the same pan. Do not add any more ghee at this stage. Adding all of it at this stage will make it hard to fry the besan well.
7. Mix both of them well. Keep stirring and begin to fry on a medium low heat. You may see small lumps of ghee and besan. Just ignore them.
8. Keep stirring constantly for even roasting and to prevent burning. After 5 mins of roasting, the color of the besan begins to change to a slightly deeper color with a slight aroma.
9. Reduce the flame to lowest, then quickly add the rest of the ghee.
10. Do not stop stirring. Keep stirring to incorporate the ghee well & continue to roast the besan on the lowest flame. The flour will absorb all of the ghee and become lumpy at this stage.
11. As you fry the mixture will turn to a mass.
12. Keep roasting and stirring non stop till the besan smells aromatic and turns deep golden color. It took 25 mins for me to reach this stage from the time I added the flour to the pan. Timing may vary depending on the kind of pan and intensity of heat used.
13. As soon as you smell it aromatic, remove the pan immediately from the stove & place it on the counter. If you don’t remove the pan in time, the mixture will burn. In just few minutes you will notice ghee begins to ooze out from the mixture. The color changes to golden and the consistency begins to change.
The quantity of ghee that oozes out depends on the texture of besan. Most times it turns to a semi solid stage. But since there are different kinds of besan in the market, the mixture may not turn runny or semi solid stage. So once the mixture turns aromatic stop roasting.
How to make besan ladoo
14. After keeping on the counter, stir for another 2 to 3 minutes as the besan will continue to cook in the hot ghee. This is how it was after 3 mins. Taste test this to ensure it is not raw. If it tastes nutty it is roasted correctly.
15. Allow it to cool down completely. Add cashews.
16. Add powdered sugar. If you prefer less sweetness in your besan ladoo reduce the sugar. I use all of the powdered sugar. Ensure the besan has cooled down before adding sugar. If you add sugar to hot besan, sugar will instantly melt and ruin.
17. Mix well to incorporate the sugar with the besan mixture. Knead with your hand. At this stage, it will look dry but as you mix, the warmth in your hand will melt the ghee and help to bind all of the ingredients.
18. The mixture should look something like this. It will be greasy.
19. Take small portions and roll to balls. Store them in a air tight jar and use with in 3 weeks.
Since I doubled the recipe I got 16. If using coarse besan, ladoo may not look smooth. To give a nice smooth finish, after few hours of making these, place each ladoo in a clean white muslin cloth and roll gently.
I did not use a cloth but just rolled them once more after 30 mins. Store besan ladoo in a air tight jar.
Storing
Besan ladoo keeps good at room temperature for at least 3 weeks if handled well. Store them in air tight jars and keep away from high humid places like kitchen counter.
If refrigerated they keep good for 2 to 3 months but ghee will solidify. So reheat them in oven at 80 C or 160 F until the ladoos become slightly hot (little more than being warm). Do not keep for too long the ladoos will melt down. Alternately you may leave them at room temperature during summers.
You can also check these easy 30 ladoo recipes and 100 + Diwali sweets recipes.
Notes
Please note that patience is the KEY to making awesome besan ladoos. Do not get impatient while you roast the besan. Initially you can roast the besan on a medium flame.
Once it turns hot and begins to change the color slightly switch over to low flame completely until the last stage.
If you feel the mixture is getting too hot at any stage, take off the pan from the stove for a while to bring down the temperature.
Making besan ladoos is a lot of arm work as it involves stirring continuously. If you have weak arms, please do not attempt this without a helping hand.
Related Recipes
Recipe card
Besan ladoo recipe | How to make besan ladoo
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
Ingredients for besan ladoo
- 1 cup besan (1x – 105 to 110 grams gram flour)
- ¼ cup ghee (1x – 4 tbsps, 50 grams clarified butter)
- ½ cup sugar (adjust to taste) (or boora shakkar or powdered jaggery)
- 3 green cardamoms (elaichi (or ⅓ tsp ground cardamoms)
- 2 tablespoons cashews chopped (optional)
Instructions
Preparation for besan ladoo
- Powder sugar and cardamom pods finely in a grinder/blender jar. Set aside.
- Heat a pan and add 1½ tablespoons ghee.
- When it melts, add chopped cashews and fry them until lightly golden. Remove them to a small bowl.
- Add besan to the same pan. On a medium low flame keep stirring and begin to roast the besan for 5 to 6 mins. You may see small lumps of ghee and flour. Just ignore them.
- After 5 mins, it begins to turn slightly aromatic & changes to a slightly deeper color. Regulate the flame to lowest immediately.
- Add rest of the ghee. Mix well and keep roasting on a low flame stirring continuously without stopping. Otherwise it may burn.
- Besan will absorb all of the ghee and turn lumpy at this stage. Just continue to cook it stirring constantly.
- After a while besan begins to turn deep golden in color and aromatic. Your kitchen will be filled with a aroma indicating the flour is well roasted. It took 25 mins for me to reach this stage. Timing may vary depending on the kind of pan and intensity of heat used.
- Be cautious at this stage & remove the pan quickly from the stove. Begin to cool down by stirring it for another 2 to 3 mins.
- Cool little bit of the roasted besan and taste test it. It should be nutty and not taste raw even a bit.
- Cool down the roasted besan completely. This step is important.
How to make besan ladoo
- When the besan cools down add powdered sugar. If you prefer less sweetness in your ladoos, add little lesser than mentioned in the recipe. I use all of the powdered sugar.
- Mix very well to combine the sugar. At first your mixture may seem dry but keep mixing or knead it with your hand. The warmth in your hand will melt the ghee and bind all of them well.
- Take small portions of this and press down in your palm to roll to balls. You can make about 8 ladoos.
- Store besan ladoo in a air tight jar at room temperature and use within 3 weeks. Alternately you can refrigerate them for up to 2 to 3 months. Reheat them in microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or in the oven at 80 C or 160 F for a few minutes until they become warm.
Notes
- Choose fresh besan or least cut open a new pack of besan to avoid bitter taste. Stale flour often tastes bitter. So avoid it.
- Under roasting the flour will leave a raw smell of besan to the ladoos. So roast until you begin to get a nice aroma and the color changes to deep golden.
- Do not use the entire ghee at the beginning to roast the besan. Adding all the ghee in the beginning makes the flour mixture heavy. It is hard to roast the besan.
- It only takes a minute for the well roasted besan to burn. So be extremely cautious at the final stage. Once done remove it from the stove.
- Ensure the flame is medium until the besan turns hot. Later regulate to low flame till the end until the besan turns golden & aromatic.
- When the besan is done, you will get a very nice aroma. This is the indication to remove from the stove. It may or may not turn semi-liquid depending on the flour. Sometimes it turns to a semi-liquid stage after it is removed from the heat.
- The most important point is to add sugar only when the roasted besan cools down. If you add sugar to hot besan, then sugar will melt and the mixture turns runny. You won’t be able to bind the mixture.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Neha says
Thanks a bunch… followed the excat recipe and the result was awsum…. no one can believe they are home made… its just i added 1 extra tbsp of ghee as it seemed that my mixture is a bit dry than the one shown in pic… it was my very first attempt of making laddoo and it was a hit… thanks
swasthi says
Hi Neha
You are welcome! Glad to know they turned out good.
Thank you!
Shanthi Rao says
It came out very well.Even I have done this sweet first time
swasthi says
Glad to know! Thank you
Jayashree says
Very nice recipe, very well instructed.
Thanks for sharing ?
swasthi says
Welcome Jayashree
Priyanka Khatri says
I made these with ladoo besan & desi ghee from the Indian stores. Wow!!! Got a great authentic texture. I had always used semolina for the crunch but my family never liked it. Thanks for the amazing recipes.
swasthi says
Hi Priyanka
You are welcome! Glad to know your ladoos turned out good. Thanks much!
Susan says
Love these! This was my first time cooking Besan Ladoo and they turned out delicious thanks to your great instructions – very helpful with pics :).
swasthi says
Hello Susan,
Glad to know the ladoos turned out good.Thank you so much!
🙂
Chavvi says
Hey!
I made these besan ka ladoo last week. Turned out very very delicious ?. Tonight I will be making another batch. I have some mawa to use up. Can you suggest me the quantity? Will I have to increase sugar?
swasthi says
Hi Chavvi
Glad to know! You may add about 3 tbsps mawa. I don’t think you will need more sugar, may be a tbsp more should be okay
Rita says
This was the first time I made besan ladoo. It came out perfectly,thank you very much for the recipe . Next time I will have to double the quantity as 8 laddoos didn’t last long?
swasthi says
Hi Rita
You are welcome. Glad to know! Thank you!
Gypsy Arora says
Swasthi.. you’re such a saviour..
I can bank on you blindly when it comes to my culinary skills..
Keep posting
Keep inspiring
?
swasthi says
Thank you so much!
🙂
Sujatha says
These besan ladoos turned out awesome. Thank you
swasthi says
You are welcome!
Rahul says
Which type of besan ..fine besan or coarse ?
swasthi says
Coarse besan gives better texture. But if you don’t have then go with fine besan
Poornima says
I tried besan laddu, it really came very well, thanks for posting this recipe
swasthi says
You are welcome! Glad to know!
Thank you!
Christopher Mansukhani says
Hi Swasthi,
Am going to try out your recipe today and am sure the besan ladoos will be super; however it would have been helpful to have a printable version of your recipe. If possible would you kindly email the recipe to me so that I may take a print out instead of running from the kitchen to the computer it would be easier.
Prachi says
Hi Swasthi,
Do you sieve the besan? I have butter do you think I can use it? If yes how much? TIA
swasthi says
Hi Prachi,
I don’t sieve besan. With butter the ladoos may go bad quickly. You can use about 8 tbsps butter, make ghee first and remove it to a bowl. Use the same pan to roast the besan following the recipe. Hope this helps.
Roshni says
I really love your recipe’s, it’s easy to cook and very tasty…
swasthi says
Thanks Roshni
Monika says
Hi Ma’am,I am someone who do not know much how to cook and I hate cooking!I have always depended on my helpers for cooking.I am married and with a kid.In this current scenario my daughter asked for laddoos!Of course we cud not order from outside and for the first time I googled besan laddoo recipe and saw your recipe…Tried my hand and it came out fab!The way u explain is amazing!now I can’t wait to try some snacks from your recipes!Thank u for teaching me that cooking is not that bad after all!!
swasthi says
Hi Monika
You are welcome! So glad to know! Hope you enjoy more recipes. Thanks much and stay safe!
🙂
Monika says
You too ma’am!I have already tried cutlets,upma vermicelli and egg biryani!It was very delicious!Thank u once again❤️
swasthi says
You are welcome! Glad to know. Thank you
Shahna yesrabi says
Thank you.my childhood favourite laddoos..you are really a very good teacher you explain very nicely.
swasthi says
You are welcome! Thank you!
Deepa says
I loved the ladoo but you really need arm strength.
swasthi says
Hi Deepa
Glad you loved them. Yes it needs a lot. Anything over 1 cup is too difficult to handle alone.Thanks for rating!
🙂
Bhavana S says
Can I prepare gram flour at home?
swasthi says
Yes you can if you have a powerful blender. You have to dry roast for a while until crunchy, cool and powder. If it is small quantity you can make.
Manju says
It seems I have added sugar lillte early.. I couldn’t bind kaadu.. Any help to correct the same
swasthi says
Hi Manju,
Unfortunately No! it cannot be corrected as the mixture turns runny. The only way is to keep it in the fridge until it turns a bit hard. Then either cut them to squares or roll to balls.
Pushpinderjeet says
I am inspired to try making besan laddoo s after reading your reciepe…
I liked that you wrote the stages that needs to be taken care at different times…
Will let you know how it turned out.
swasthi says
Thank you
Vidya Venkat says
I followed your recipie for Besan Ladoo. It turned out so tasty. Thank you for all those important tips that you have given as a part of foot note to the recipie. I will be next trying Vegetable Korma and also items that can be part of lunch box. Thank you once again Swasthi.
swasthi says
Hi Vidya,
You are welcome! Glad your besan ladoos turned out good. Thank you for the comment! Hope you enjoy more recipes from here.
🙂
Sheetal says
I made this ladoos….It turned out unbelievable tasty…So awesome…Thanks so much..
swasthi says
Hi Sheetal,
You are welcome. Glad your besan ladoos turned out good. Thanks much for the comment!
🙂
Utkarsh Prakash says
Very easy to understand
Thank you
swasthi says
You are welcome!
Arathi says
Good evening ma’am
Today I tried Besan ladoo from yr recipe, came out super yummy, thank you ❣
swasthi says
Good Evening Arathi
You are welcome! Glad to know! Thank you