Besan Ladoo (eggless, gluten-free)

Besan Ladoo is gram flour roasted with ghee and then combined with sugar, cardamom, and nuts. Besan ke Ladoo is a must for Diwali.

The last time my mom visited me in California, we made Besan ke Ladoo together. It was around Diwali, so I wanted to make mithai.

She guided me through the process and rolled out those perfect ladoos into round balls. 

What is Besan Ladoo?

Besan is known as gram flour . Ladoo is an Indian sweet that’s rolled up into a ball.

Besan Ladoo is essentially gram flour that is roasted with ghee until a lovely aroma fills your kitchen. The cooking process takes about 20 minutes.

Once done, the mixture is cooled for 20 minutes before adding powdered sugar, cardamom, and nuts. 

Besan Ladoo is an easy recipe and so incredibly delicious. The store-bought ones just don’t compare to homemade ladoos. I promise you that making these ladoos is easy and totally worth it. This recipe is an absolute must on Diwali or any special occasion.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Ghee: Besan Ladoo requires ghee, don’t skimp on it, and don’t use butter. 

Besan: Besan, also known as gram flour, is different from chickpea flour. For best results, do not substitute chickpea flour in this recipe.

Powdered Sugar: Since powdered sugar is fine, it’s better to use powdered sugar than granulated sugar in this recipe.

Cardamom: A fragrant spice that is commonly used in Indian desserts.

Nuts: You can use any nut here, I used roasted cashews and almonds. Feel free to skip the nuts if you have an allergy.

---

How to make Besan Ladoo recipe step by step?

Roast the ghee & besan

1. Heat up a nonstick pan on low-medium heat. Once hot, add 1/4 cup ghee.

2. Once the ghee melts, add besan (gram flour).

3. Stir the besan into the ghee.

4. This is what you’ll have 3 minutes later – a crumbly mixture.

5. Continuously stir for another 4-5 minutes. The color of the besan will darken slightly. Since my mixture was a bit crumbly, I added another tbsp of ghee. Add it if you need it.

6. A minute later – the mixture begins to combine. You should be able to smell the aroma of the besan.

7. Two minutes later this is what you should have. Continue stirring.

8. This is 5 minutes later. Notice how the color of the darkened even more. The besan starts to take on shape.

9. Another 5 minutes later. The besan mixture appears more smooth and has darkened in color. Your mixture is now ready.

Pro Tip: we have cooked the besan and ghee together for about 22 minutes in total.

10. Transfer the batter to a large bowl. Let the besan mixture cool for 20 minutes.

Dry Roast the Nuts

1. In the meantime, in the same pan, dry roast the nuts. Saute for about 5 minutes.
2. Chop the nuts.

Form Ladoos

1. 20 minutes later, add powdered sugar, cardamom, and nuts to the besan-ghee mixture.

2. Mix well using a wooden spoon or even your hands.

3. Using a mini-scoop, add 1 1/2 scoops of the besan mixture into the palm of your hand.

4. Like so.

5. Squeeze the ladoo in the palm of your hands and ensure there are no cracks.

6. Roll into a smooth ball and enjoy!

---

Tips on Making Besan ke Ladoo

• Use a nonstick pan to make Besan ke Ladoos.
• You’ll need to saute the ghee and besan together for about 20 minutes in total.
• Cook the ghee and besan together until a crumbly mixture forms. 
• Add an extra tablespoon of ghee if needed, especially if your mixture is crumbly and not sticking together.
• Once the besan sticks together, keep sauteing it for a few more minutes until the ghee separates from the mixture. 
• Make sure you cool the besan-ghee mixture for 20 minutes before adding the powdered sugar, cardamom, and nuts. If you add the sugar while the besan mixture is hot, this will result in a flowy mixture, and as a result, you won’t be able to form ladoos.
• Use a mini-scoop to form even-sized balls. Roll the mixture in the palm of your hands.

Storage

Store the besan ladoos in an airtight container for a week or two.

You can also store them in the fridge for a couple of months.

I prefer leaving my ladoos outside the fridge since they do tend to harden when they’re in the fridge.

More Indian Desserts

• Ras Malai Mousse
• Rice Kheer | Indian Rice Pudding
• Gajar ka Halwa | Indian Carrot Pudding
• Rose Water Cake with Almonds and Rose Buttercream
• Healthy Almond Date Ladoo
• Milk Peda

---

---

Pin & Enjoy!