Coconut Ladoo with Condensed Milk (Classic, Paan & Rose)
Toasted desiccated coconut bound with sweetened condensed milk, shaped three ways—plain nariyal ladoo, paan leaf and gulkand-stuffed ladoos, and rose-scented ladoos. Eggless Indian sweet for Diwali and gifting.
Ingredients
Shared base (one batch, about 8 small ladoos)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened desiccated coconut lightly packed
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk dairy or coconut condensed milk for vegan
- 1 teaspoon ghee or neutral oil optional
For classic coconut ladoo only
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra desiccated coconut for rolling optional
- 1 pinch fine salt optional
For paan coconut ladoo
- 3 to 4 fresh betel leaves paan; washed, stems trimmed, chopped
- 4 to 5 teaspoons gulkand rose petal preserve; for stuffing
- Few drops green food color, optional
- Extra desiccated coconut for rolling
For rose coconut ladoo
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon rose water reduce condensed milk if using syrup; or 1 to 2 teaspoons rose syrup
- 1 tablespoon dried edible rose petals crushed fine, optional for rolling
- Extra desiccated coconut for rolling
Instructions
Toast and bind (repeat per variation, or scale base once and divide—see notes)
- Warm ghee or oil in the pan on medium-low if using; for classic you may start dry in a non-stick pan. Add desiccated coconut and stir 2 to 3 minutes until toasted and dry, not raw.
- Divide toasted coconut into 3 parts.
- Classic: add condensed milk to toasted coconut. Paan: pulse chopped paan leaves with condensed milk in a food processor until combined; mix with toasted coconut; optional green color. Rose: mix rose water or rose syrup with condensed milk until combined; mix with toasted coconut; optional red color.
- Put the mixture back in pan turn by turn
- Stir on low heat until the mixture thickens, pulls away from the sides in one mass, and looks slightly glossy, about 2 minutes after it comes together. Do not leave the pan; it scorches quickly.
- Cool on a plate 3 to 5 minutes until shapeable; if too soft, chill 10 minutes.
Shape classic
- Grease palms with ghee or dab with water. Roll tablespoon-sized portions into tight balls. Roll in extra coconut if desired.
Shape paan
- Flatten a disk, place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon gulkand in the center, seal, roll smooth, then roll in extra coconut to seal the outside.
Shape rose
- Roll balls; if using crushed petals, mix petals with a little coconut on a plate and roll each ladoo lightly.
Notes
- One double batch of plain base can be divided; knead rose water into one portion and paan-condensed puree into another, with a short second heat if needed to re-bind.
- Stuffed paan balls are easiest when the mixture is still slightly warm.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 to 5 days, especially for gulkand-filled paan ladoos.
- Bring to cool room temperature for a softer bite.
- Gulkand is moist; do not store stuffed ladoos at room temperature for long periods.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!