Vegan Besan Laddoo
Hi friends! Diwali/Tihar is right around the corner and I have this special Indian recipe to share with you all.
Besan Laddoo is a sweet Indian dessert made with gram flour (besan). It has this coarse ‘grainy’ texture and is INCREDIBLY delicious.
Besan is oil-roasted in low heat for 18-22 minutes, or until it’s paste-like. It is then cooled down a bit, mixed with sugar + aromatics, and then shaped into a ball (laddoo).
This dessert is traditionally roasted with ghee but I used refined coconut oil. If you don’t mind the coconutty smell/flavor, you can use normal coconut oil too. I also added a pinch of turmeric to give it a yellow hue.
If you’ve never had Besan Laddoo, I recommend you try it. Pretty easy to prepare and makes a great treat for family gatherings.
Let’s go!
Vegan Besan Laddoo
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (preferably deodorized, or refined)
- 2 cups besan (gram flour)
- Pinch of turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 12 whole cashews (finely chopped)
- 12 whole almonds (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Set a non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add oil.
- Once it’s warm, add besan. Stirring continuously*, cook for 18-20 minutes, or until the mixture turns paste-like and appear a bit oily. *NOTE: Unattained besan burns quickly, so it's important to stir them continuously.
- Turn off the heat. Add turmeric powder, and give it a good mix.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Allow it to cool down for 8-10 minutes (but make sure they're still warm enough to work with).
- *After 8-10 minutes* Add all the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl : cardamom powder + cashews + almonds + sugar.
- Mix well using your hands. Make sure the cardamom is well-incorporated into the mixture.
- As you mix, the mixture will slowly turn crumbly and sticky. Once you achieve this texture, scoop around 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into a sphere (see video for reference). Repeat the same for the remaining mixture.
- Besan laddoo is ready. Let it cool further for about half an hour (or you can simply freeze them). You can store the laddoos in an air-tight container or about 5-6 days.
Nutrition
If you liked this Vegan Besan Laddoo recipe, check out this delicious Raw Cacao Energy Bites recipe I posted earlier.
If you like to support me and my work, check out my Indian Vegan, Air Fryer Vegan, and all my upcoming cookbooks where I teach you how to make hundreds of delicious plant-based recipes.
Thank you for stopping by!
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One Response
This is super easy to make and is going to be a perfect surprise for my vegan friend! Thank you. I substituted coconut oil for olive oil and worked great! ???? Love this recipe and will be using it again! ♥️