Coconut Ladoo | Coconut Laddu with Condensed Milk

Super simple and delicious Coconut Ladoo recipe with detailed step by step pictures. Easy to make Coconut Laddu recipe with condensed milk, 3-ingredient coconut ladoo recipe!

3-Ingredient Coconut Ladoo is an easy and simple sweet that can be made for Deepavali or any festival. It takes less than 30 minutes to make these melt-in-mouth delectable coconut laddu from scratch. And it cannot get any easier than that.

Deepavali is just around the corner and if you are looking for easy, simple sweets to make – look no further. This Coconut Ladoo recipe made using condensed milk is so delicious but super simple to make. The festival of lights is one of my most favorite festivals of India and every year I make atleast 10 sweet and savories.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step by Step Instructions
• Recipe Notes
• Top Tip
• Substitutions & Variations
• Storage & Serving Suggestions
• More Deepavali Recipes
• 📖 Recipe

This year however, I have my hands full with our little bundle of joy – Siya. Making elaborate Deepavali sweets and savories is out of the question, but old habits die hard. I resorted to making a couple of quick recipes, in the hope that they are surely others sailing in the same boat as me. I figured if I could make these with a hyperactive 8-month-old clinging onto me, anyone could! So do try out 🙂

Ingredients

This simple coconut laddu recipe uses only three main ingredients and is pretty fool-proof. I made two batches with varying proportions before finalizing the measurements.

Desiccated Coconut is the main ingredient for making these ladoos and while fresh grated coconut can be used, using packaged desiccated coconut increases the shelf-life and cuts short the effort.

Condensed Milk is the sweetening ingredient that we use for this laddu recipe. It does not require much cooking time and there is no need to worry about overcooking the sugar. It also makes the coconut ladoos creamy and rich.

Milk is an important ingredient that makes the coconut laddu soft and melt in mouth.

For full list of ingredients and exact measurements, check the recipe below.

Step by Step Instructions

In a nonstick pan dry roast 2 cups of desiccated coconut on low flame for 3-4 minutes. Do not let the coconut change color and continuously stir the mixture for even roasting.

Add ½ cup condensed milk to the roasted coconut. You can add 1-2 tablespoon extra if you prefer a sweeter ladoo.

Quickly stir the mixture and continue cooking on low flame. If you have used extra condensed milk, the mixture could look gooey and requires a few additional moments of cooking.

When the mixture begins to look crumbly, add ¼ cup of milk and ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder.

Mix well and cook it for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture comes together and is not sticking to the pan anymore.

Remove from pan onto a plate to cool down until it is hot enough to handle.

When the mixture has cooled down a bit, roll it into ladoos of desired size using your fingers and palm.

Roll the prepared ladoo in desiccated coconut and set it aside.

Prepare all the ladoos similarly and let them come to room temperature before storing them away.

Store in an airtight container in fridge for upto a week or ten days. Serve cold or at room temperature as desired.

Recipe Notes

• You can increase the amount of condensed milk to upto ¾ cup for a sweeter and richer version of the laddus. Alternatively, you can also reduce the quantity of desiccated coconut to 1.5 cups for same effect.
• Milk is optional however highly recommended as it makes the coconut laddus moist, which otherwise might turn slightly dense.

Top Tip

Dry roasting desiccated coconut helps release the coconut fat and makes the laddus flavorful. Make sure not to roast at higher flame as the coconut can change color quite quickly.

It is a must to stop cooking the coconut mixture as it begins to look crumbly or as it comes together without sticking to the pan. Else, the mixture might turn out dry and it becomes difficult to roll the laddus.

The ladoos must be shaped when the mixture is still warm as it is malleable and easy to work with. If the mixture is cold, it will be crumbly and not shape up easily. You can reheat it with a few tablespoons of milk again to get it to the right texture.

Substitutions & Variations

First and foremost, these ladoos are not overly sweet and are just apt. If you prefer a sweeter laddu, increase the condensed milk quantity to ¾ cup or alternatively add 1-2 tablespoon extra on top of ½ cup as you prefer.

You can add any roasted nuts like cahsews, pistachios or almonds – chopped or slivered. I prefer the plain goodness of coconut and milk, so did not add anything else.

A variation of this is rose coconut ladoos, where a few drops of rose extract and pink food color can be added to the mixture just before removing it from heat.

Milk is optional however it is highly recommended to be added to keep the ladoos moist and soft. If you want to increase the shelf-life further, do not add any milk.

Fresh coconut can be also be added instead of desiccated coconut but it is a must to roast it until there is no moisture left. The shelf-life is only for 3-4 days even if refrigerated.

Storage & Serving Suggestions

As the coconut ladoos get to the room temperature, stack them neatly in an airtight container and store them in fridge for upto a week or ten days. These laddus can be served cold but you can leave them out for an hour outside to get back to room temperature and they get back to their original texture too.

More Deepavali Recipes

📖 Recipe

I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to provide your rating for this recipe and do share your comments below. If you have any questions, you can always e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂