Rich and delicious, melt in the mouth Besan Ladoo.
This Indian sweet recipe made from just three pantry essentials is naturally gluten-free and super easy to make!
Indian festivals means a lot of sweets to enjoy and share with family and friends.
From the classics like ladoo and peda to the more recent fusion recipes like coconut cranberry truffles and paan fudge; sweets from India come in all shapes and forms. Some are super complex to put together and some are so simple to make.
We love these sweets throughout the year and especially through the festive season. These sweets are popular among adults and kids alike.
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What is Besan Ladoo
Besan ladoo is one recipe that I make very often. An easy to make sweet that doubles up as a snack.
We make this recipe from besan (chickpea flour). Apart from that we only need sugar and ghee. All other add-ins like cardamom, nuts and seeds are completely optional!
Full of nutrition and healthy-ish compared to most sweets, these ladoos are a favorite in our house. Especially the type that is creamy and smooth.
We make a Gujarati sweet called Magaj from besan and this is like a close cousin. With minor variations, both the sweets are super addictive.
Why this recipe works
- It is fairly easy to make and comes together in under an hour of active time. We roast the besan for this recipe and that takes up maximum time. Other than that the recipe is pretty straight forward.
- We only need three essential ingredients to make this. Besan, sugar and ghee are the only mandatory ingredients. All the other nuts, raisins, cardamom etc are optional and can be skipped.
- It is easy to scale up or down. Again, a large amount of besan will take longer to roast but is easily achievable.
- These ladoos can be made and stored in air tight container for days. They do not have any wet ingredients and so they are shelf stable for a long time.
- This recipe works great as a sweet for Diwali, a hostess gift for any festival as well as a favor box for parties at home.
I have shared a small batch recipe here as that has been the ask of many readers. Using these ingredients we can easily make 8-9 medium size besan ladoos. To make a larger batch, just double all the ingredients and adjust the time accordingly.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Besan/ Chickpea flour: a flour made using either chana dal (yellow split bengal gram) or chickpeas forms the base for this recipe. This can be bought from the store or milled fresh.This flour is available in two variants; a slightly coarse coarse besan or the super fine besan for everyday cooking. Either one works here. However, I have used the fine variety to make my ladoos smooth and creamy.
- Sugar: Along with besan, we use finely ground sugar or confectioners' sugar. If the sugar is not powdered, it might not be possible to make smooth laddos from the mix.
- Ghee: We use ghee for binding everything together. Ghee is the only fat that can be used. I have never tried oil or any other substitute. I like to use homemade ghee for the recipe. Here is how I make ghee at home.
- Spices: Cardamom is my spice of choice for so many recipes. It imparts a brilliant aroma and flavor to the recipes. I also like to add a small pinch of nutmeg to the recipe. It gives a delicious flavor.
- Other add-ins: Nuts can be added to the besan ladoo too. From just almonds or cashews or pistachios to a mix of them all. Adding raisins is optional. I have not used them in this recipe.
- Plus, adding some silver varakh is great for making these besan ladoos great for the festive season!
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
How to make this recipe
1- Sift besan and set aside. Sift powdered sugar to remove any large chunks. Set aside. In a thick bottom pan heat ghee on low flame.
2- Once the ghee melts, add the sifted besan. Mix well and separate the clumps.
3- Roast the besan on medium flame for 25-30 minutes till it is golden in color, nutty and aromatic. It will start to release ghee.
4- On roasting it further it will turns to a smooth paste. Add a teaspoon of ghee if it feels dry.
5- Remove from heat and transfer the besan to a wide plate so that it cools quickly.
6- Then add nutmeg powder and cardamom powder. Mix well.
7- Once the mixture cools for 15-20 minutes, add in sugar. Also add almonds, cashews, pistachios and raisins (if using).
8- Mix well.
9- Grease your palms with some ghee and form small balls using the mixture. I could make 9 medium size ladoos.
10- Place some nuts on top. Then serve it right away or store in an air tight container.
Expert Tips and Notes
- Use fresh besan for the recipe. Besan that has been sitting for months may not give the best result. It can be milled fresh and used too. Sift the besan and sugar before using it in the recipe. That step eliminates lumps in the mix and results in super smooth ladoos.
- Roast the besan on low flame till it is nutty. This is the only crucial step in the recipe that needs some attention. It does take time, but it will all be worth in the end! My grandmother often said that the neighbors should be able to tell that besan ladoos are being made from the aroma of roasted besan. That is how flavorful it becomes!
- Use a thick kadhai or non stick pan to roast the besan. Remember that the pan might be super hot so transfer the besan on roasting to avoid it from burning.
- Use good quality ghee for the recipe. I make my own using this ghee recipe but store bought works too.
- Adding sugar after the mixture has cooled completely is essential. If we add sugar to to hot besan, it will melt and make the entire thing turn to liquid and it will not bind together.
- If you like grainy texture, substitute fine besan with ladoo besan or coarse besan.
Variations
I generally make these as round balls. However the same can be made as barfi too.
Known as besan chakki, the steps remain the same till mixing in sugar. Then, transfer to a greased tray and press it down. Once set, cut into cubes.
Adding a lot of nuts to the recipe makes perfect nutty besan ladoos. Also, these taste really good!
Recipe FAQs
The best besan ladoos are made with fine besan. This tends to give us creamy and super soft ladoos. Thick besan tends to leave the ladoos grainy.
If the besan is roasted too quickly on high flame, it tends to burn in parts and remain undercooked in other sections. This burnt besan generally gives a bitter taste. So roast the besan well on medium low flame till fragrant but not burnt.
If the mixture is dry, the ladoos tend to fall apart. To fix this, heat some ghee separately and add it to the mix. Do not place the sugar and besan mixed mixture on the gas else the sugar will melt and further make binding difficult.
Indeed. Making besan ladoos with jaggery powder works fine as long as you like the taste of jaggery in them. Just ensure the jaggery is in powdered form else it will not mix with the cooled besan and remain in pieces.
More Indian Sweet recipes
Besan Ladoo
Ingredients
- 1 cup Besan or Gram Flour
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- ¼ cup Ghee or clarified butter
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg powder
- 8-10 Almonds, Cashews and Pistachios (slivered)
- 5-6 Raisins (optional)
Instructions
- Sift besan and set aside. Sift powdered sugar to remove any large chunks. Set aside. In a thick bottom pan heat ghee on low flame.
- Once the ghee melts, add the sifted besan. Mix well and separate the clumps.
- Roast the besan on medium flame for 25-30 minutes till it is golden in color, nutty and aromatic. It will start to release ghee.
- On roasting it further it will turns to a smooth paste. Add a teaspoon of ghee if it feels dry.
- Remove from heat and transfer the besan to a wide plate so that it cools quickly.
- Add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Mix well.
- Once the mixture cools for 15-20 minutes, add in sugar. Add almonds, cashews, pistachios and raisins (if using).
- Mix well.
- Grease palms with some ghee and form small balls using the mixture. I could make 9 medium size ladoos.
- Place some nuts on top. Serve or store in an air tight container.
Video
Notes
- Use fresh besan for the recipe. Besan that has been sitting for months may not give the best result. It can be milled fresh and used too. Sift the besan and sugar before using it in the recipe. That step eliminates lumps in the mix and results in super smooth ladoos.
- Roast the besan on low flame till it is nutty. This is the only crucial step in the recipe that needs some attention. It does take time, but it will all be worth in the end! My grandmother often said that the neighbors should be able to tell that besan ladoos are being made from the aroma of roasted besan. That is how flavorful it becomes!
- Use a thick kadhai or non stick pan to roast the besan. Remember that the pan might be super hot so transfer the besan on roasting to avoid it from burning.
- Use good quality ghee for the recipe. I make my own using this recipe.
- Adding sugar after the mixture has cooled completely is essential. If we add sugar to to hot besan, it will melt and make the entire thing turn to liquid and it will not bind together.
- If you like grainy texture, substitute fine besan with ladoo besan or coarse besan.
- The nutrition information is for one ladoo made with this recipe.
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