Vegan Coconut/Nariyal ladoos is a simple and easy Indian sweets recipe that can be made in just 15 minutes! These coconut balls are delicious! They are visually appetizing, make a great festive treat, and are also wonderful for gifting during the festive season. There is no condensed milk used in this laddu recipe.
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What are ladoos
As a dessert, Ladoo is significant to almost every Indian festival. We Indians love Ladoos and always look for an excuse to eat one.
It is a sphere-shaped sweet that is a very popular dessert in India. It's distributed on auspicious occasions like the birth of a baby, weddings, festivals, as prasadam, etc.
While the origin of this delicious dessert is unknown, rumor has it that it is a very old dish - one that was used in ancient times, not as a sweet, but more as a medicine by ancient doctors.
Nobody knows exactly when the transition from medicine to dessert occurred, but I'm so glad it happened!
My Favorite - Coconut Ladoo
There are many different varieties of Ladoos and all of them are equally delicious! One of the easiest, most common, and most popular laddu recipe is coconut ladoo.
Coconut ladoo also known as Nariyal Ladoo in Hindi/Marathi or Thengai Laddu in Tamil, is my favorite ladoo. They are usually white in color.
These delicious fudgy balls of coconut are similar to Coconut Macaroons and taste like little bites of heaven.
The main ingredients are coconut, milk, and sugar. Some add condensed milk instead of milk and sugar. This laddu is an instant dessert recipe that all love.
You will find many variations to this laddu recipe because it's prepared in nearly every home and each home has its own way of making it.
I have the non-dairy version called Rose coconut ladoo on the blog and that recipe calls for condensed milk. So this time, I wanted to make a vegan ladoo version.
A festive treat
I have many fond memories of celebrating many Indian festivals like Diwali, Holi, Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Janmashtami at home.
The hustle and bustle in the house during these festive times was really awesome. There used to be a constant aroma of yummy sweets and treats being prepared.
We would look forward to enjoying all these treats. Of the many dishes my mother would make, Gulab Jamun, Carrot Halwa, and Coconut Ladoos were my personal favorite.
In fact, Carrot Halwa Ice Cream, Carrot Halwa Baklava, and Gulab Jamun Kulfi recipes are my modern take on her traditional recipes.
Why make this
These coconut balls are soft, chewy, moderately sweet, and appetizing. The laddu recipe can easily be halved, doubled, or scaled up depending on how many you need.
- This coconut ladoo is vegan
- Simple and easy to make
- It's made without condensed milk
- Can be made in 15 minutes
- They can easily be made ahead of time
- Very delicious to taste
Ingredients needed 🧾
Coconut - This recipe is very versatile. You can use coconut in any form. Use freshly grated coconut (which is how it's traditionally made). Frozen coconut can also be used.
Or you can also use dry unsweetened coconut shreds, flakes, coconut powder, or even desiccated coconut (fine variety).
If using sweetened coconut flakes, then reduce the sugar quantity. I have used sweetened coconut flakes in this Indian sweets recipe.
Milk - Since this is a vegan recipe, I have used coconut milk. If using canned coconut milk, thin it down. If using it from the carton, then it's perfect. Also, use full-fat coconut milk.
Sugar - I have used regular white sugar in this recipe because that's how my mom would make it. You can use any other sugar or even jaggery to make it.
However, if you use brown sugar or jaggery, the color of coconut/nariyal ladoos will be brown and not white.
Other ingredients - almond flour (helps to bind), mixed chopped nuts like almonds, cashews, pistachios, and cardamom powder are needed.
Since most Indian desserts are made of ghee, we will need vegan ghee for this recipe. But you can also use coconut oil instead.
How to make it 🔪
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- Pulse the sweetened coconut flakes in the mixer grinder to a powder. If using fresh coconut, you can skip this step.
- Heat vegan ghee or coconut oil in a nonstick pan. Once it melts, add the sweetened coconut powder and roast for 2 minutes over a medium flame. Keep stirring continuously.
- Then add the coconut milk and mix it together and cook till the milk gets absorbed by the coconut. It could take around 2-3 minutes. Keep the flame on medium.
- Then add sugar, cardamom powder, and chopped nuts. Keep mixing on a medium flame till all the sugar is dissolved.
- The coconut mixture will eventually not stick to the sides of the pan and come together like a cohesive dough. This could take 4-5 minutes. Chef Tip - If it's not coming together after 5 minutes, add almond flour to help bind it. Do not overcook, else the ladoos will turn hard. You can test by pinching a small portion of the mixture to see if it holds its shape.
- Take it off the flame, transfer it to another plate and allow it to cool down a bit. It should still be warm though. Chef Tip - Grease your palms with coconut oil and shape the mixture into medium-sized balls. Use a tablespoon measure or a cookie scoop to make even-sized portions. Using your palm, shape them into round balls by pressing lightly. Repeat with the rest of the mixture to form more ladoos. Place the ladoos in the fridge for 15 minutes. Take them out and then roll them in some coconut powder.
Serving suggestions 🍽
To give them a festive look, press a sliced almond or pistachio on top. You can also garnish it with rose petals. Serve them in small muffin liners to make them appetizing.
Place these vegan ladoos on a plate and serve immediately or store them in an airtight container and put it in the fridge. These Nariyal Ladoos can be served as desserts or snacks.
Make this Indian sweets recipe for neividhyam or prasadam at any religious event. It's also perfect for festivals, parties, get-togethers, potlucks, and/or brunches!
This Indian sweets recipe is so simple that you will want to keep making it again and again. The best part is that you do not require condensed milk for this recipe!
With just a few basic ingredients, you can create this extremely delicious and mouth-watering Indian sweets recipe. Make these vegan ladoos today!
Top recipe tips 💭
If using canned coconut milk, thin it down. If using it from the carton, then it's perfect. Coconut milk works best in this recipe but you can use any other non-dairy milk.
If you have leftover coconut pulp from making coconut milk, you can use that to make vegan coconut ladoos and avoid any wastage.
Always remember to use the same measuring cup to measure all the ingredients to ensure a failproof recipe.
Recipe FAQs 📖
You can use coconut in any form to make these vegan ladoos. Use freshly grated coconut (which is how it's traditionally made). Frozen coconut can also be used.
If using frozen coconut, transfer the packet to the fridge section the previous night. Thaw it completely at room temperature before using it.
Just remember, if you use fresh or frozen coconut, you will have to roast it in coconut oil for a little bit longer time. Also, you may reduce the quantity of milk or add it as needed.
Or you can also use unsweetened coconut shreds, flakes, powder, or even desiccated coconut in this laddu recipe. Just pulse them so that they are of fine consistency.
If using sweetened coconut flakes, then add just 1-2 tablespoons of sugar. But if using unsweetened coconut flakes or freshly shredded coconut, only add ⅓ cup of sugar.
Roasting coconut in coconut oil is optional but it gives the ladoos a nice flavor. When roasting, keep the flame on low to medium.
Keep stirring the coconut continuously so that it's evenly roasted and be careful to not burn it. It doesn't have to change color.
While I always use white sugar to make these instant coconut ladoos, you can also use other kinds of sugar or even jaggery.
However, if you do use brown sugar or jaggery, the color of coconut ladoos will be brown and not white.
This laddu recipe is fail-proof and is perfect for someone just starting out with Indian desserts. But here are some tips in case anything goes wrong.
If the mixture is loose or soggy and you are unable to make ladoos, then put it back in the pan and heat for a few more minutes. Then try again.
If the ladoo mixture is too dry, gradually add coconut milk till it reaches the desired consistency. If the mixture is still loose, add almond powder to help bind it.
Nariyal ladoos stay good for a week when stored in an airtight container. In fact, you can also leave them on the countertop for 3-4 days but in an airtight container.
If stored in the fridge, take it out a couple of minutes before serving so that it comes to room temperature.
These nariyal ke ladoos also freeze well for up to a month. Store them in a freezer-safe container in a single layer. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and serve when needed.
If you are not following a vegan lifestyle, then roast the coconut in regular ghee. Add full-fat whole milk/half and half/evaporated milk, instead of coconut milk.
Instead of almond powder, you can also add milk powder to help form the nariyal ladoo mixture.
For a different flavor, add vanilla extract when making the ladoo mixture. Or use dulce de leche to add a delicious caramel flavor.
You can also add ginger powder and nutmeg along with cardamom. Some like to add food coloring to this recipe to make colorful coconut laddus.
More Indian desserts
All these Indian sweets recipes are either vegan or can easily be made vegan. I also have almond flour dessert recipes on my YouTube channel.
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Recipe 📖
Vegan Coconut Ladoos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil or vegan ghee
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup coconut milk at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped mixed nuts
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- some coconut powder for coating
Instructions
- Pulse the sweetened coconut flakes in the mixer grinder to a powder.
- Heat vegan ghee or coconut oil in a nonstick pan. Once it melts, add the sweetened coconut powder and roast for 2 minutes over a medium flame. Keep stirring continuously.
- Then add the coconut milk and mix it together and cook till the milk gets absorbed by the coconut. It could take around 2-3 minutes. Keep the flame on medium.
- Then add sugar, cardamom powder, and chopped nuts. Keep mixing over a medium flame till all the sugar is dissolved.
- The coconut mixture will eventually not stick to the sides of the pan and come together like a cohesive dough. This could take 4-5 minutes.
- If its not coming together after 5 minutes, add almond flour to help bind it.
- Do not overcook the mixture, else the ladoos will turn out hard.
- You can test by pinching a small portion of the mixture to see if it can be rolled.
- Take it off the flame, transfer to another plate and allow it to cool down a bit. It should still be warm though.
- Grease your palms with coconut oil and shape the mixture into medium sized balls.
- Use a tablespoon measure or a cookie scoop to make even sized portions. Using your palm, shape them into round balls by pressing lightly.
- Repeat with the rest of the mixture to form more ladoos.
- Place the ladoos in the fridge for 15 minutes. Take them out and then roll them over some coconut powder.
Sarah Smith says
These look so yummy!
Gab says
This looks delicious!
killingthyme says
These look so delicate and delicious! I've never tried these before, but now, it's kind of a must 🙂
Danielle says
I love any kind of coconut dessert and even better that this has pistachios in it.
Plating Pixels says
This is completely new snack to me but it looks amazing!
Annissa says
This is a perfect easy to make snack or treat anyone will love! Great photos btw!
Shanika @ Orchids + Sweet Tea says
These coconut ladoos look so amazing! I'm not a huge coconut fan, but my husband would LOVE these!
Hailey says
looks like a great recipe!! beautiful pictures too 😍