Besan ladoo is a popular Indian sweet made with gram flour (besan), sugar, and ghee and flavored with cardamom powder. These delicious melt-in-the-mouth ladoos are a must-have for celebrations and festivals like Diwali.
I'm sharing how to make the best besan ladoo at home, which is perfectly firm (not crumbly) and melts in the mouth.
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Besan Ladoo is very popular in India and is always part of celebrations and festivals like Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, and more.
There are many varieties of laddu, such as atta ladoo, rava ladoo, coconut ladoo, and motichoor ladoo, but besan ladoo is one of my favorite ladoo!
This is my family recipe, and I am so happy to share it with you all!
My Diwali Faral is incomplete without these homemade besan ladoos. You can also make these ladoo all year round and enjoy them as a quick after-school snack or as a dessert to satisfy sweet cravings.
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What is Besan Ladoo
Besan Ladoo is a traditional Indian sweet made with gram flour, ghee, and powdered sugar and shaped into round bite-sized balls.
Gram flour is also known as Besan in Hindi; hence, these Ladoos are called Besan ladoo. They are known as "Besan ke Laddu" in Hindi or "Besanache Ladu" in Marathi.
You can make this besan ladoo recipe using just gram flour, sugar, and ghee (clarified butter), but I like to flavor it with cardamom and add some coarsely chopped cashews for texture and crunch.
I've used a fine variety of besan, but a coarse variety of besan, also known as Laddu besan, can be used too. It adds more texture to the ladoos.
Sometimes, semolina (sooji/rava) is added to besan for crunch and texture. I skipped it since the cashews provide the needed texture to this ladoo.
My aaji (grandmother) always garnished homemade ladoo with raisins, so I do it too; otherwise, I feel the look is incomplete.
The Besan laddu recipe is really easy to make, although it does require time and patience.
To make besan ladoo, roast the besan and ghee until they turn golden and fluffy and a nutty aroma fills your kitchen. Cook the besan really well so that the raw flavor is gone.
Then add sugar, cardamom, and cashews to this aromatic besan (after cooling), and shape it into balls to make delicious melt in the mouth Besan ladoo.
Recipe Ingredients
Besan (gram flour): This gluten-free flour is also known as gram flour or chickpea flour. It's readily available in many Indian stores and online, but select a good quality fresh flour recently packaged. Old flour can taste bitter.
There are mainly two types of besan available in the market-the fine or regular besan, used to make chilla, pakora, and kadhi, and the coarse variety called Ladoo besan (mota besan).
Typically, Ladoo besan is used to make these besan ladoos, but the regular besan works well, too! I have tried this recipe with both varieties of besan, so use what you have on hand.
Ghee: For the best flavor, I prefer using homemade ghee. However, you can also use high-quality ghee from stores. You cannot skimp or skip ghee, as there is no such thing as besan ladoo without ghee.
Sugar (powdered): For this recipe, use regular white sugar, grind it to a fine consistency (powder), and then use it in the recipe. It is not the same as powdered confectioner's sugar at stores, but you can use that in a pinch. You can also use Boora/bura shakkar if it's available.
Flavor - I use cardamom powder to flavor the Besan Ladoo.
Nuts and Dry fruits: I add coarsely chopped cashews to this besan ladoo recipe, which provides a nice texture, and I use raisins to garnish. You can skip cashews to keep nut-free and use 1-2 tablespoons of semolina instead.
How to Make Besan Laddoo (Step-by-Step photos)
Prep Work
Measure ½ cup sugar (94 grams) into a blender jar. Grind to a very fine powder. Keep aside.
Weigh and measure 1 cup besan (120 grams) and ¼ cup ghee (56 grams) and keep it ready.
Using a mortal pestle, coarsely crush the cashews into small pieces. Set aside.
Roasting Besan
1 and 2 - Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium-low heat and add besan and ghee.
3 - Mix the besan and ghee together. It will look dry and clumpy. Don't worry, and keep stirring.
4 - Continue roasting for another 7-8 mins, stirring continuously. The mixture will look smoother and come together into a mass now.
5 - Keep roasting and stringing nonstop to prevent the besan from burning. The mixture will start to loosen up.
6 and 7 - It will start to loosen more and get a smoother paste-like consistency. Keep stirring on low heat. I roasted it for about 30 minutes in total. The time may vary depending on the thickness and quality of the pan. It will also give a nice aroma.
8 - The besan is done when it looks fluffy and airy, has a golden-ish color with a shine on top, and your kitchen is filled with a nice aroma.
Do a taste test to see if the besan is well roasted. If it sticks to your teeth or tastes raw, roast for a few more minutes, then check again.
Turn off the heat, remove the pan, and place it on the counter. Stir it for about 5 minutes until it cools down or transfer to another bowl to stop cooking. I do it in the same pan to avoid extra dishes. Just stir in between so you don't burn or cook the besan more. Allow the mixture to cool for 10-15 minutes.
As the mixture sits, ghee begins to ooze, turning more shiny and golden and thinner in consistency.
Make Besan ladoo
9 - Stir in cardamom and cashews and mix to combine.
10 - Add in the powdered sugar and mix. Ensure the besan has cooled down to a warm temperature before adding sugar. Adding sugar to hot besan will cause it to melt and ruin the mixture.
11 - The will look dry and crumbly, but don't worry. Mix, rub and knead the mixture with your hands. The warmth in your hand will melt the ghee and help bind all ingredients.
13 - I use a cookie scoop to make equal portions, but you can eyeball it, too. This recipe makes about 9-11 small besan ladoo; they are perfect bite treats.
14 - Take one portion and press the mixture between your palm and fingers to bind. The heat will cause the ghee to melt, which is sufficient for forming balls.
15 - Place a raisin on top and press the mixture again to bind and give it a rough round shape.
16 - Roll it between palms to make a smooth ball. Keep aside. Similarly, make the remaining besan ladoos. Delicious, nutty, and melt-in-your-mouth besan ladoos are ready!!
Storing Ladoo
You can store besan ladoo in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks.
Store them in the refrigerator for longer use. Reheat in the microwave for about 10 seconds before enjoying them.
Expert Tips
Roast the Besan Well: The key to good ladoos is thoroughly roasting the besan (gram flour) in ghee over low to medium-low heat. This brings out the nutty aroma and prevents a bitter and raw taste. Roast until the besan is a smooth paste, airy, fluffy, and aromatic. Make sure not to over-roast it; otherwise, you will burn it.
Cook on Low heat and stir constantly: Cook on low heat, stirring constantly to ensure even roasting and avoid burning the besan. This recipe is a good hand workout and takes time (about 25-30 minutes), but it helps develop a deep, golden color and rich flavor. If you roast besan on high heat or without frequent stirring, it can burn, producing a bitter, raw taste.
Roasting time can vary: roasting time for besan varies based on the heat source (gas, coil, or induction), heat intensity, and pan thickness; it may take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes on low heat. Roast on low heat and watch for a golden color and nutty aroma to know it's ready. Taste test to ensure it doesn't taste raw or stick to your teeth.
Use powdered sugar: Powdered sugar blends well with the roasted besan and creates a smoother texture. Granulated sugar may leave a gritty taste. This is regular granulated sugar that is powdered, not store-bought confectioner's sugar.
Let Mixture Cool Before Adding Sugar: Once the besan is roasted, cool to slightly warm (not hot or cold) before mixing in powdered sugar. Adding sugar too soon can cause it to melt, affecting the texture and making binding difficult. Similarly, adding sugar when the besan is still cooking will result in besan not being cooked properly and tasting raw.
Check for Binding Consistency: Make ladoo while the mixture is still warm to the touch, as it's easier to shape them. When rolling the ladoos, if the mixture crumbles, add a little warm melted ghee to help with binding. The right texture should hold its shape easily without falling apart.
You can replace ghee with a splash of warm milk for a grainier texture, but this shortens the shelf life, so refrigerate the ladoos. If the besan mixture is too runny, allow it to cool further (you can refrigerate it for 10 minutes, too). The ghee will solidify, and you should be able to form a round shape.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you roast the besan on high heat or don't stir it often, you may burn it, which causes the besan to turn bitter and remain uncooked and raw. Always roast the besan, stirring consistently at low heat to avoid burning.
Yes, replace sugar with dry powdered jaggery. You may need slightly more jaggery powder than sugar. The color will vary, but the rest of the process remains the same.
If the ladoo mixture is dry, the ladoo will not bind or not form a round shape. The reason is usually less ghee used while roasting. To fix the dry besan mixture, add a little warm and melted ghee or warm milk and mix. Start with a tablespoon and add more if required and then roll ladoo.
If the ladoo is not holding its shape and the mixture is runnier, this happens if more ghee is used than required. This should not be a problem if you stick to the ratio mentioned in the recipe. But Don't worry! Refrigerate the mixture for 10 minutes, and then try again. The ghee will solidify, and you should be able to form a round shape. Alternately, add more dry roasted besan without ghee to mix, adjust sugar as needed, and then form ladoo.
I hope you enjoy this Besan Ladoo Recipe!! If you try it, please rate it by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what's cooking in my kitchen!!
Recipe Card
Besan Ladoo
Ingredients
- 1 cup besan gram flour, 120 grams (you can use either coarse or fine variety of besan)
- ¼ cup ghee 56 grams, not melted
- ½ cup white sugar (powdered) 94 grams, not confectioner's/icing sugar.
- 1.5 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 10 cashews coarsely chopped, optional
- 11 raisins for garnishing
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Instructions
- Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium-low heat and add besan and ghee.
- Mix the besan and ghee together. It will look dry and clumpy. Don't worry, and keep stirring continuously. Reduce the heat to low.
- Keep roasting and stringing nonstop to prevent the besan from burning. The mixture will release ghee and start to loosen around 15 minutes.
- It will start to loosen more and get a smoother paste-like consistency. Keep stirring on low heat.
- I roasted the besan for about 30 minutes on low heat until it looked fluffy and airy and had a golden-ish color with a shine on top. By then, your kitchen will be filled with aroma. Taste test to see if the besan is well roasted. The time may vary depending on the pan's thickness and the intensity of heat.
- Turn off the heat, remove the pan, and place it on the counter. Stir it for around 5 minutes until it cools down a bit.
- Cool the mixture to lukewarm (about 10-15 minutes), stirring intermittently. Ensure the besan has cooled to a warm temperature before adding sugar.
- Stir in cardamom and cashews followed by the powdered sugar and mix well.
- Mix, rub, and knead the mixture with your hands. It will look dry and crumbly, but don't worry. The warmth in your hand will melt the ghee and help bind all ingredients.
- I use a cookie scoop to make equal portions, but you can eyeball it, too. This recipe makes about 9-11 small besan ladoo, they are perfect bite treats.
- Take one portion and press the mixture between your palm and fingers to bind. The heat will cause the ghee to melt and is sufficient for forming balls.
- Place a raisin on the top and press the mixture again to bind and give a rough round shape. Roll it between your palms to make a smooth ball. Make all ladoos similarly.
- Delicious, nutty, and melt-in-mouth Besan Ladoos are ready!! Store them in an air tight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on Nov 13, 2012, but it was republished in October 2024 with a video.
Annie says
Awesome recipe!! But I made a mistake. Can I fix under roasted besan?
Shweta Arora says
Thank you! Unfortunately, it's tough to fix besan after sugar is added. Try roasting it in the oven or microwave for few mins stirring at regular intervals, might help!!
Purna says
Love all the details in your recipe. But mine ended up being like pedas after a while and lost the shine
Shweta Arora says
Thanks Purna for trying! It is natural for the besan Ladoo to lose shine as they set since the shine is from ghee. As the ghee solidifies the shine disappears. You can warm it in the microwave for a few seconds and the shine will reappear but they will turn soft at this point.
Sorry the shape didn't hold. They probably still taste delicious irrespective of the shape 🙂 But to address them turning flat, you can reshape them. Microwave 1 ladoo at a time for about 30 seconds or more till it turns soft. While it's still warm roll them. If it's still losing shape, allow to cool a bit and then shape again. As the ghee solidifies they hold shape better. So you might have to roll them twice. Hope this helps!
Mina Joshi says
The ladoos look great. You have managed to make them all the same size. How did you manage that! I love your detailed instruction.
Hima bindu says
Delicious ladoos!