Besan Ladoo is gram flour roasted with ghee and then combined with sugar, cardamom, and nuts. Besan ke Ladoo is a must for Diwali.
When my mom visited me in California, we made Besan ke Ladoo together. She guided me through the process and rolled out those perfect ladoos into round balls.
What is Besan Ladoo?
Besan is gram flour also known as chickpea flour. Besan is roasted with ghee until a lovely aroma fills your kitchen. 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. This recipe is an absolute must around Diwali or any special occasion.
Can I make this recipe vegan, gluten-free?
Besan Ladoo is not vegan as this recipe uses ghee which is clarified butter. You can certainly try using vegan butter, but I’m not sure how the ladoos will turn out.
This recipe is already gluten-free.
What kind of nuts can I use for these ladoos?
For this recipe, I used almonds and cashews. You may also use walnuts, pistachios, pecans, or whatever you’d like. You can also skip the nuts if you wish.
Tips on making Besan Ladoo:
- Use a nonstick pan to make Besan ke Ladoos.
- 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.
- The entire process of cooking the besan will take you 25 minutes.
- 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.
Ingredients you’ll need for Besan Ladoo:
Ghee: Besan Ladoo requires ghee, don’t skimp on it, and don’t use butter.
Besan: Besan is gram flour or chickpea flour. The besan and ghee need to cook for roughly 25 minutes.
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.
Besan Ladoo is:
Mouthwatering
Melts in your mouth
Perfect for Diwali
Eggless
Gluten-free
6 Ingredients
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 ghee. I used liquid ghee since I live in a warmer area.
2. Once the ghee is melted and hot, 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. Keep stirring – this is the result 5 minutes later. 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 – this is a sign that you’re getting close to the finish line.
7. A couple of minutes later, the mixture is no longer crumbly and takes the shape of a ball.
8. Using your wooden spoon, spread out the mixture. It’ll be slightly glossy and grainy. This is done.
9. Transfer the batter into 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.
Add the sugar, cardamom, nuts. Form Ladoos.
1. 20 minutes later, add powdered sugar, cardamom, and nuts to the besan-ghee mixture.
2. Mix well.
3. Using a mini-scoop, add the besan mixture into the palm of your hand and roll it into a ball.
4. You should be able to get 10 ladoos.
Enjoy!
More Indian Desserts
- Ras Malai Mousse
- Rice Kheer | Indian Rice Pudding
- Gajar ka Halwa | Indian Carrot Pudding
- Rose Water Almond Cake
- Healthy Almond Date Ladoo
- Milk Peda
Besan Ladoo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup besan gram flour
- 1/4 cup ghee liquid
- 1 tbsp ghee if needed for later
- 6 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 5 cashews dry roasted & chopped
- 5 almonds dry roasted & chopped
Instructions
Roast the ghee & besan
- Heat up a nonstick pan on low-medium heat. Once hot, add ghee. I used liquid ghee since I live in a warmer area.
- Once the ghee is melted and hot, add besan (gram flour).
- Stir the besan into the ghee.
- This is what you'll have 3 minutes later - a crumbly mixture.
- Keep stirring - this is the result 5 minutes later. Since my mixture was a bit crumbly, I added another tbsp of ghee. Add it if you need it.
- A minute later - the mixture begins to combine. You should be able to smell the aroma of the besan - this is a sign that you're getting close to the finish line.
- A couple of minutes later, the mixture is no longer crumbly and takes the shape of a ball.
- Using your wooden spoon, spread out the mixture. It'll be slightly glossy and grainy. This is done.
- Transfer the batter into a large bowl. Let the besan mixture cool for 20 minutes.
Dry Roast the Nuts
- In the meantime, in the same pan dry roast the nuts. Saute for about 5 minutes.
- Chop the nuts.
Add the sugar, cardamom, nuts. Form Ladoos.
- 20 minutes later, add powdered sugar, cardamom, and nuts to the besan-ghee mixture.
- Mix well.
- Using a mini-scoop, add the besan mixture into the palm of your hand and roll it into a ball.
- You should be able to get 10 ladoos.
I made these for my parents this week, they were so delicious and quick to make, everyone loved them. So much better than store bought!
Hi Nisha
I made this recipe two days ago and it was amazing!! The sweetness was just right. Packed some for a friend and she LOVED it!! My 7 and 9 year old boys also savoured them 😊
I will be making them again for friends and family next week for Diwali!
Thank you for sharing this recipe Nisha!
Can the recipe be made without ghee? Can I substitute ghee with oil?
Hi Shital. Absolutely not. You must use ghee, or if you want you can try butter. Oil isn’t going to give you that richness the ladoo deserves and it won’t taste good. Sorry!