• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • ABOUT

Swasthi's Recipes

Home >> Recipes >> Sweet Recipes

Coconut ladoo | How to make coconut ladoo (Nariyal ladoo)

By swasthi , on August 21, 2020, 71 Comments, Jump to Recipe

Coconut ladoo are traditional Indian sweet balls made with coconut, cardamom powder, a sweetener & milk (optional). There are 3 different ways of making coconut ladoos & I have shared all of them in this post. We make these for most festivals and occasions as they taste delicious and are easy to make. These also make an amazing gift to share with friends.

coconut ladoo coconut laddu

Traditionally coconut ladoos were made with fresh grated coconut and jaggery as it was the most common sweetener used in traditional Indian cooking. These were made across India mostly in the coastal regions where fresh coconuts were grown in abundance.

Advertisement

However these delicious ladoos can be made using fresh coconut, frozen coconut or even desiccated coconut. To sweeten the balls you can use sugar, jaggery or condensed milk to suit your taste buds.

As I mentioned I have 3 recipes on this post. Choose the recipe depending on the ingredients you have.

  • Recipe 1 uses coconut (fresh, frozen or desiccated), sugar & milk.
  • Recipe 2 uses desiccated coconut & condensed milk.
  • Last one – Recipe 3 uses fresh or frozen coconut & jaggery.

You can also check these 30 ladoo recipes
Rava laddu
Besan ladoo
Boondi ladoo
Atta ladoo
Peanut ladoo
Poha ladoo

You may like to check these 30 Coconut Recipes.

Preparation coconut ladoo – recipe 1

1. Add 2 cups coconut, ¾ cup sugar and 1 cup milk to a pan. I used desiccated coconut so I used 1 cup milk. If using fresh coconut, you can reduce to half cup.

ingredients for coconut ladoo recipe

2. Mix well and leave aside for about 15 minutes.

soaking to make coconut ladoo recipe

How to make coconut ladoo

3. Begin to cook, stirring often to prevent burning. The mixture becomes gooey when the sugar begins to melt.

gooey mixture for coconut ladoo

4. Cook till the mixture gets cooked well and all the moisture evaporates. It turns thick as seen in the picture. The mixture should be moist but not soggy else they will not get a good shape when rolled. Add roasted nuts, cardamom powder and stir well. Set aside till the temperature comes down.

cooling mixture for making coconut ladoo recipe

5. When the temperature comes down to warm, take small portions of the mixture to your palms and press down with your fingers to form round balls. You can also roll them in desiccated coconut if you prefer. To roll the balls in coconut make sure the balls are still warm and moist.

rolling mixture to make coconut ladoo
Advertisement

Store coconut ladoo in an airtight jar. Refrigerate and use with in 5 to 7 days.

Recipe 2

Coconut laddu with condensed milk

1. Pour the half cup + 2 tablespoons condensed milk in a pan.

condensed milk for coconut laddu

2. Next add the 1½ cups desiccated coconut. If it is not fine, then process it in a grinder or food processor.

desiccated coconut for coconut laddu

3. Mix both of them together well. Taste test and check if it the sweetness is okay. If you like it more sweet add more condensed milk. Then begin to cook on a low flame.

cook the mixture
Advertisement

4. Cook stirring continuously until the entire mixture turns to a mass. It must still be moist. Do not overcook otherwise the ladoos will turn hard. Then turn off the stove and add cardamom powder and 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios or any nuts. Cool down.

adding nuts

5. When the mixture is still warm, take small portions of this mixture to your palm and press down gently to shape them to balls.

making coconut laddu

6. Roll them in coconut for garnishing. You can also skip this.

rolling coconut laddu in coconut

Store the coconut laddu in a air tight jar and refrigerate. Use within a week.

coconut ladoo recipe

Recipe 3 with jaggery

1. Add 2 cups fresh or frozen coconut to a pan. You can take ¾ to 1 cup jaggery. Read my recipe notes in the recipe card.

adding jaggery to a wide pan
Advertisement

2. Mix well and begin to cook on a low heat. Jaggery will melt and the mixture turns gooey. Taste test at this stage and add more jaggery if needed.

jaggery dissolves in the pan

3.Cook the mixture until most of the moisture evaporates. It must still be moist. Then add cardamom powder and turn off. Cool down the mixture.

adding cardamom powder

4. When it is still warm, take small portions of the mixture to your hand and press down with your fingers to give them a round ball shape. Cool them completely and store in air tight jar.

coconut ladoos with jaggery in a pan
Advertisement

Tips to make coconut ladoo

Choosing coconut: Fresh coconut tastes best to make these balls. But you can also use frozen coconut or desiccated coconut. If you prefer to use frozen coconut make sure it is raw coconut and not steamed.

If using desiccated coconut then use the fine shreds and not large ones. You can also use copra and make these no cook copra ladoos

Sweetener : You can use sugar, jaggery, palm jaggery or condensed milk to sweeten the balls. The coconut ladoos made with jaggery are the best and have a depth of flavor.

If your jaggery has debris then you will need to dissolve it first and then use. You can find the detailed step by step photos here on kobbari jaggery laddu.

Flavoring : Traditionally cardamoms are used to flavor the coconut ladoos. However during winters some people also use dried ginger powder & nutmeg.

Vegan : For a vegan version just replace the milk in the recipe with coconut milk or make them with jaggery. Jaggery has lot more moisture in it than sugar so the recipe works well without milk.

Quantity of milk: For the first recipe if using fresh or frozen coconut, the amount of milk used in the recipe can be scaled down to half. Otherwise the milk is simmered till it reduces to half the quantity and then the coconut and sugar are added.

coconut laddu

Optional ingredients

There are so many optional ingredients you can add to these coconut ladoos to make them taste rich. Khoya, milk powder, cashew nut powder & sesame seeds are some of the ingredients I use.

To make khoya coconut balls, you can check these stuffed kova ladoo recipe.

Related Recipes

mysore pak

Diwali sweets...

besan ladoo recipe

Besan ladoo r...

boondi ladoo

Boondi ladoo ...

atta ladoo

Atta ladoo re...

peanut ladoo recipe

Peanut ladoo ...

Aval laddu recipe | Poha ladoo | Atukula laddu

Aval laddu re...

Advertisement
coconut ladoo recipe

Coconut ladoo

Coconut ladoo are delicious sweet balls made with grated coconut, sugar & cardamom powder. These coconut laddus are a festive delight and are mostly made during festivals & celebrations. This post shares 3 recipes to make coconut balls.
Pin Recipe Print Recipe

For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings12 ladoos
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

Recipe – 1

  • 2 cups grated coconut (fresh or fine desiccated)
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 8 cashews (broken)
  • 1 teaspoon ghee (or any neutral oil)
  • ¾ cup sugar (adjust to taste)
  • 1 cup milk (½ cup if using fresh coconut)

Recipe – 2

  • 1½ cups desiccated coconut (refer notes)
  • ½ cup + 2 tbsps condensed milk (200 grams or ½ of 400 grams tin)
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Recipe – 3

  • 2 cups coconut (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup grated jaggery (or ¾ cup tightly packed)(refer notes)
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 10 cashews (chopped)
Advertisement

Instructions

Recipe 1 – Preparation

  • Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a pan, add 8 broken cashew nuts.
  • Fry them stirring often until they turn golden. Remove these to a plate and set aside.
  • To the same pan, add grated coconut, milk and sugar.
  • If using desiccated coconut set the pan aside for 15 minutes for the coconut to absorb the milk and soften.
  • Mix all of the ingredients well.
  • Begin to cook till the coconut ladoo mixture thickens and all the moisture evaporates completely.
  • The mixture must still be moist and not dry.

How to make coconut ladoo

  • Add cardamom powder and nuts. Mix well. Cool the mixture slightly.
  • When it comes down to warm temperature, take small portions of this to your palm and press down with your fingers to bind the mixture. This gives the round shape coconut ladoos. (Check video)
  • When they are still warm and moist you can also roll the ladoos in desiccated coconut.
  • Store coconut laddu in an airtight jar and refrigerate. Use within 5 to 7 days.

Recipe 2 – Coconut ladoo with condensed milk

  • To a pan, add 1½ cups desiccated coconut, ¼ tsp cardamom powder and ½ cup + 2 tablespoons condensed milk.
  • Mix up all of these and cook on a low flame stirring often. Taste test and If needed add more condensed milk for more sweetness.
  • Cook stirring continuously, till the mixture thickens and turns to a mass. (check step-by-step photos above for consistency)
  • Turn off the stove. At this stage the coconut ladoo mixture must be still moist. If you overcook then the ladoos will turn hard.
  • Cool and add chopped pistachios. When it is still warm, take small portions of this mixture to your palms and press down with your fingers to give a round shape to the coconut ladoos.
  • Cool these completely. Store in a air tight box and refrigerate. Use up within a week.

Recipe 3 – Coconut ladoo with jaggery

  • Heat 1 tsp ghee and fry cashews. Remove and keep them aside. In the same pan, mix together fresh coconut and grated jaggery in a pan.
  • Once the jaggery melts, taste test and add more if needed. Cook until the mixture smells good , turns thick & binds together.
  • Add cardamoms and fried nuts. Cool down and roll to balls.
  • Store coconut laddus in a air tight jar and store at room temperature. Use up within 7 days.
Advertisement

Notes

Recipe 1 –  if using fresh coconut then you can use only half cup milk or boil one cup milk till it thickens and reduces to half cup. Then add sugar and coconut.
Recipe 2 – If you prefer less sweeter ladoos, then you may add ¼ cup more of the desiccated coconut.
Recipe 3 – Please note that store bought jaggery powder and the traditional jaggery are different in the moisture levels and sweetness. So the ladoos may not bind. If you are using jaggery powder, you have to use more than the traditional jaggery that is hand grated. Once the jaggery dissolves, taste test and add more if needed.
 

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.

Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Coconut ladoo
Amount Per Serving
Calories 111 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 3mg1%
Sodium 11mg0%
Potassium 74mg2%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 14g16%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 35IU1%
Vitamin C 0.4mg0%
Calcium 25mg3%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

WhatsApp
Share9K
Pin15K
Reddit
Tweet
Email
24K Shares
FOR MORE RECIPES

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.


Coconut ladoo | How to make coconut ladoo (Nariyal ladoo)
WhatsApp
Share9K
Pin15K
Reddit
Tweet
Email
24K Shares

Related Posts

Advertisement

FEATURED RECIPES

Rice Recipes

Veg fried rice…

fried rice recipe

Veg Curry

Potato curry r…

potato curry aloo curry

Breakfast Recipes

Aloo paratha r…

aloo paratha

vegetarian

Paneer recipes…

paneer recipes

Dal Recipes

Dal makhani (S…

dal makhani recipe

Rice Recipes

Veg biryani re…

veg biryani

Advertisement

POPULAR RECIPES

Idli recipe (S…

soft idli

Samosa recipe …

samosa

Pav bhaji reci…

pav bhaji

Eggless chocol…

eggless chocolate cake

Palak paneer r…

palak paneer

Rajma recipe |…

rajma

Advertisement

Paneer butter …

paneer butter masala

Kadai paneer r…

kadai paneer

Paneer tikka r…

paneer tikka

Advertisement

About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
Read more..

Reader Interactions

Share Your Comments & Feedback: Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Advertisement
  2. Shikha says

    July 18, 2020

    4 stars
    I used jaggery recipe (cooked the mixture of 1.5 cup shredded coconut and 0.6-0.7 cup powdered jaggery for 5-6 minutes). Mixture was totally dry and un-bindable. Then I added half cup water and cooked for a few minutes again. Mixture tastes bitter and chewy and is of dark brown color. Is this the way it is supposed to be?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      July 18, 2020

      Hi Shikha
      The moisture and sweetness in jaggery powder (prepacked) is lesser than the regular grated jaggery. If using jaggery powder then you will need to use more than regular grated jaggery. You should have added more jaggery and not water. You can check these links to know how it looks
      without water – modak
      with water – kobbari louz.
      The mixture tastes bitter because it got overcooked.

      Reply
  3. Reenu says

    June 3, 2020

    Hi
    I tried your recipe using desiccated coconut powder and milk. Can you tell me the cooking time on flame? Also I found them difficult to bind and dry to eat. I had used 1 cup milk with 2 cups coconut powder. Can it be because it required more milk to bind and taste moist?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 3, 2020

      Hi Reenu,
      Is coconut powder the same as coconut flour? I mentioned about the desiccated coconut which is grated and not powdered. I feel powder requires more milk. The mixture has to reach the same consistency as with fresh coconut. You can check the step by step photos in the post. Yes add more milk and cook for some more time. If it still doesn’t work out, just blend the entire mixture. Then roll it to balls. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  4. Rita says

    January 13, 2020

    Can i use amul cream in the recipe

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      January 13, 2020

      Hi Rita,
      I haven’t tried anytime. I think it works

      Reply
  5. Shasi says

    October 24, 2019

    5 stars
    Just now I made coconut laddu and it came very well..I am so happy because I tried this very first time and kids liked this laddu very much. Diwali is going to be delicious with home made sweets😄.
    Thank you very much for your perfect receipe Swasthi😊

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 24, 2019

      Hi Shasi,
      You are most welcome! Glad the ladoos came out good. Thank you!
      Happy Diwali!

      Reply
  6. Aditi says

    August 12, 2019

    Hey..
    Please tell the quantity of milk for fresh frozen coconut?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 12, 2019

      Hi Aditi,
      You can use half cup milk.

      Reply
  7. Bhawna Sharma says

    May 17, 2019

    Thank you so much for sharing such a good recipe of coconut ladoos.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 12, 2019

      Hi Bhawna
      You are welcome.

      Reply
  8. Advertisement
  9. Karen Macha says

    January 13, 2019

    Hello! I’m enjoying your recipes. I visited India back in November and became obsessed with ladoos. I have yet to make them anywhere near as well as the ones I tasted in India.
    I’ve only been experimenting with the rava ladoos but I just can’t seem to get the consistency/ texture right. Also, I’m out of cashews and wondering what you think about substituting another nut? I’m in Texas and have a great quantity of pecans. Do you think pecans might be ok with coconut ladoos?
    Thanks for your input!!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      January 14, 2019

      Hi Karen
      You are welcome. We Indians make so many kinds of ladoos. Not sure which one you tasted in India. Please check this collection of 35 ladoo recipes. You should be able to find something similar. For rava ladoos if you are unable to bind the mixture just add little more ghee. You will need to press down the mixture in your palms to bind well. for the coconut ladoos you can use any kind of nuts you like including pecans.

      Reply
  10. Mansee says

    November 1, 2018

    5 stars
    The receipe is lovely..laddu tastes yummy

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 1, 2018

      Thank you so much

      Reply
  11. NP says

    September 24, 2018

    5 stars
    Dear Swasthi,
    Another awesome recipe from you. I tried this yesterday. The stage at which I stopped cooking the mixture, I got moist yet chewy and firm in shape ladoos. I really enjoyed making these ladoos and loved it’s taste. Thanks for the recipe. God bless!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      September 24, 2018

      Hi NP,
      You are welcome. Thanks a lot for the wishes. They mean a lot. Glad to know the ladoos turned out good.
      🙂

      Reply
  12. kashish says

    September 15, 2018

    Ik heb de ladoos vandaag gemaakt. En ze zijn goed gelukt. Dank je wel.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      September 16, 2018

      Hi Kashish,
      Thanks for the comment. Glad they turned out good.
      🙂

      Reply
  13. Piyali says

    April 3, 2018

    Thanks for the recipe..mam I want to know how we can store this coconut laddu for 6months?what else extra I have to add?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      April 3, 2018

      Hi Piyali,
      If you freeze they may stay good but don’t think they will taste good.

      Reply
  14. Advertisement
  15. Heera says

    May 16, 2017

    5 stars
    Hlw, thank you so mch fr the awesome coconut laddu recipe.. i tried it.. it was so easy and wonderful.. once again thank you so mch and lov u.. frm Nepal

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 17, 2017

      Welcome Heera
      Very happy to know you liked the ladoos. Thanks for the love.
      Have a good day!
      🙂

      Reply
  16. Vineeta says

    April 5, 2017

    5 stars
    First time I made nariyal laddoo n it was awesome my husband like it very much

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      April 5, 2017

      Hi Vineeta
      Thanks for sharing the outcome. Glad you both liked them

      Reply
  17. Violet says

    March 1, 2017

    5 stars
    Hello Swasthi and thanks for your fantastic recipes !
    Just a question : is there any way to make this recipe a vegan one by replacing the milk by something else like almond or coconut milk ?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      March 1, 2017

      Welcome Violet
      Yes you can use any vegan milk. You can also make without using any kind of milk. You will need to use only fresh coconut & add very little water to the sugar. Just soak everything together for a while and then cook until the mixture turns a mass. You can also refer these coconut ladoos & burfi where I have not used milk.
      Coconut burfi
      coconut jaggery ladoo
      coconut oats ladoo
      Hope this helps

      Reply
  18. dhana says

    October 27, 2016

    Very useful for me

    Reply
  19. Indu says

    October 26, 2016

    5 stars
    Too good….will try coconut laddo….

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 29, 2016

      Thanks Indu

      Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Advertisement

DIWALI RECIPES

JALEBI RECIPE
RASGULLA RECIPE
RASMALAI RECIPE
GULAB JAMUN
BESAN LADOO
KAJU KATLI
RAVA LADDU
Advertisement

CATEGORIES

DINNER RECIPES
SANDWICH RECIPES
BREAKFAST RECIPES
RICE RECIPES
CHUTNEY RECIPES
SNACKS RECIPES
SWEETS RECIPES

Follow me on social media

Facebook

Like

Instagram

Follow

Pinterest

Follow

Twitter

Follow
Advertisement

HEALTH CORNER

RAGI RECIPES
OATS RECIPES
MILLET RECIPES

Advertisement
Advertisement

© 2012 - 2020 - Swasthi's Recipes. The content is copyrighted to SWASTHI'S and may not be reproduced in any form.