Easy and delicious Chocolaty Coconut Ladoo, with only 3 ingredients and ready in 10 mins!
Ladoos are a common Indian Sweet dish with many variations. Typically served during celebrations, events and festivities. Most common ones are made from different flours and contain nuts. Typically a laborious job, cooked for hours in ghee and dressed with nuts on top. Ladoos are delicious and hard to resist, most make exceptions and devour them during festivities. They are rolled in a ball shape but the sizes vary from small individual bit size to larger ones for sharing.
However it is very hard for those with nut allergies as most Indian desserts are made with nuts or at least garnished with nuts on top. Here is a simple healthier ladoo recipe that is nut-free, no ghee or butter, and with only 3 ingredients, it can be made in less than 10 mins! This is a great recipe to make with kids, get them involved in the kitchen. Children tend to eat foods that they helped make, this is easy for them to help with the rolling and coating step.
This is a perfect recipe that is simple, healthy and easy; especially during holiday season. During holidays many try to avoid unhealthy foods but its very hard as sweets are all around us. With no ghee or butter, this is a healthier option. Make a huge batch, put them in fancy containers and give out as gifts to friends and neighbors. Take them for a potluck and be the star of the table; because everyone loves chocolate!
Makes: 20 small Ladoos
Time: 10 mins
Level of difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
- 2 cups dry desiccated coconut
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup Desiccated coconut for coating at the end
- Optional: 1/4 tsp cardamom powder (elaichi)
Method:
- In a pan on low heat, add all the ingredients. Cook for 10 mins till the mixture dries out and becomes more like a dough, stir continuously to ensure it does not stick. It will be sticky but form into a ball, away from the pan.
- Turn off heat, cool till you can handle it
- Roll into small balls, any size you like.
- Roll them in the dry coconut to coat the outside, set aside to harden for 1 hour.
- Enjoy!
Tips:
- If you can eat nuts, add a 1/4 cup of largely chopped almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts would be great too. You could also use Nutella instead of the cocoa powder for an added nutty flavor.
- These are a great make ahead option for gifts, potlucks especially during holiday season. They stay good in a closed container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for a week.
- Check out other such simple basic recipes in the Sweets section