Oats Laddu (Indian Oat Balls)

Make delicious and healthy Oats Laddu under 25 minutes. Oatmeal, nuts, seeds, cardamoms, cinnamon and jaggery come together to make a guilt-free sweet snack that anyone can enjoy! This recipe shares 2 ways to make oats laddu aka Indian Oat Balls – with and without ghee.

Traditional Ladoo from the Indian sub-continent get a makeover resulting in these oats ladoo. Besan ladoo, Coconut ladoo and motichoor ladoo are some of the popular varieties often made during celebrations & festive season.

Most of these are loaded with sugar & ghee so if you are weight-watching or trying to eat healthy the traditional ladoos are a big NO!.

Whether you are looking forward to include more oats in your diet or trying to limit those ghee and sugar-laden sweets, these Indian style Oat Balls are just perfect for you.

These make a great snack for everyone – grown-ups, kids, toddlers and even the elderly.

About Oats Laddu

Like any other dish, these laddu can be made in many many ways. I had shared a lot of them earlier and the recipe shared here is the latest and is a no-fail recipe.

If you are making this for someone who is on a low fat diet, you can easily leave out the ghee in the recipe. The ladoos turn out slightly powdery that way but taste amazing.

For my boys, I prefer using a bit of ghee which reduces the powdery taste and keeps the ladoo softer. The entire recipe requires just 2 tbsps of ghee and makes 10 to 12 ladoos.

I have used peanuts here, you may replace them with cashew nuts, walnuts or almonds. For the seeds, I use pumpkin seeds and you can replace them with the same amount of sesame seeds.

Though you can make these only with oats and jaggery, I prefer to use nuts and seeds not only to improve the nutrition profile but also to help the ground oats bind well into balls.

When processed or ground, nuts and seeds begin to release oils and these act as a binding agent here. Jaggery, a natural unrefined sweetener is traditionally used in India to make traditional sweets.

Jaggery has a little moisture in it and that together with the nut and seed oils help to bind the oat mixture here.

Here is a picture of the oats ladoo made without ghee.

How to Make Oats Laddu (Stepwise Photos)

I made 2x recipe, so you will find double the quantities in the pictures.

1. Add 1 cup rolled oats to a pan and begin to toast them until aromatic, for 2 to 3 mins. This recipe also uses half inch Ceylon cinnamon (not cassia) which you will add here. If you have it in the ground form, you can use ¼ teaspoon later.

2. You will also need ¼ cup + 2 tbsps roasted skinned peanuts (or almonds) and ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds. If you don’t have them toasted, you can roast them separately one after the other on a low to medium heat until aromatic and golden. Cool and rub the peanuts to remove the skin.

3. You will need 125 grams jaggery (grated or crushed). To make these oat balls without ghee, make sure you use traditional jaggery. If using store bought powdered jaggery, you will require to use 2 tbsps ghee later. The store bought powder has no moisture like the traditional jaggery so using ghee is essential.

4. Add the cooled rolled oats and cinnamon to the grinder or food processer.

5. You want a fine powder. Add ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom.

6. Add the peanuts and pumpkin seeds.

7. Make a fine powder.

8. Add jaggery.

9. Grind/ process again to get a smooth fine powder. Taste test and add more jaggery if you want. If it is too sweet you may add more nuts, seeds or oats. If you want to make oat balls without ghee, make sure the oils from the seeds and nuts are well released. Test by taking a few tbsps of this powder to your hand and press down with your fingers, it should bind. You don’t need to test this if you want to use ghee.

Make Oat Balls without ghee

If you want to use ghee, scroll down to step 12.

10. I love adding 2 tablespoons of crushed skinned roasted peanuts. This gives a nice crunch to your ladoos.

11. Please note that these will be slightly powdery and will break down easily. So press down tight and hard. Store them at room temperature in a air tight jar for 3 weeks.

Oat ladoos with Ghee

12. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a pan and add 8 to 10 cashews (split open). Fry them until light golden and then add 2 tablespoons raisins. Soon they will turn plump. Turn off and remove the pan from the stove.

13. Cool down for 2 mins and then add the oat nut seed jaggery powder.

14. Mix well. And take portions of this to your palm and shape to balls. If you live in a cooler climate, you have to be fast before the ghee solidifies.

Store oats ladoo in a air tight jar at room temperature for 3 weeks.

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