Vegan Richa

Vegan Food Blog with Healthy and Flavorful Vegan Recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • (new) Recipe Filters
    • Popular Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch / Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Indian
    • Instant Pot
    • Burgers
    • Pizza
    • Recipe Index
  • Videos
    • Instant Pot
    • Dessert
    • Holidays
    • Easy Vegan Meals
    • All Recipe Videos
  • CookBooks
    • Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen (Print & Digital)
    • Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen (Print & Digital)
  • Resources
    • How To Start A Food Blog
    • Resources for Food Bloggers
    • Vegan Subs & Resources
    • Our Vegan Journey and FAQs
    • Indian Pantry
    • Indian Dal / Lentil Names
  • Shop
  • About / Contact

Besan Ladoo Vegan Glutenfree Recipe. Sweet Chickpea flour balls

September 19, 2012 By Richa 58 Comments

Besan Ladoo Vegan Glutenfree Recipe

Another month, another festival! Another occassion to whip up some Indian sweets. Ganesh Chaturthi…is the Hindu festival celebrated on the occasion of birthday of Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati. Ganesha is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel.
 
In Hindu-ism, a large number of personal gods (Ishvaras) are worshipped as murtis/idols. There are several gods, human incarnations of gods and so on. Whenever I write something about any festival or practices, I realize how little I know about the religion.
 
 
Lately, my internal questions about the gods and their practices has led to a lot of conflict. I think a lot of us go through something similar when our known religious beliefs dont necessarily gel well with our practiced beliefs. in this case, trying to be vegan in all possible ways.
 
For example, Traditional stories tell us that Lord Ganesha was created by goddess Parvati. Parvati created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door while she bathed. Lord Shiva returned and, as Ganesha didn’t know him, Ganesha didn’t allow Lord Shiva to enter. Lord Shiva became enraged, severed the head of the child and entered his house. After realizing that he had beheaded his own son, Lord Shiva fixed the head of an elephant in place of Ganesha’s head. In this way, Lord Ganesha came to be depicted as the elephant-headed God.(This is just one of the stories among many)
 
Its confusing, isnt it. Why would a God be so enraged, then take a child’s life and then to bring the child back, take an elephants life. Dont ask me, I am as confused as can be. The answers might lie in the Hindu texts and scriptures, which I guess I will have to start reading.
 
Till my mind figures things out, everyone around us and we as a family, continue to celebrate the occassion. To celebrate being together, to celebrate the fortune and wisdom that has been bestowed upon us, to celebrate the goodness around. One of the sweets that makes an appearance during the celebration is a ghee laden Chickpea flour Laddoo. This one is dairy free. You can find my Chickpea flour and Semolina Laddoo from last years celebration here. This recipe is glutenfree and is lightly adapted from Dassana’s Besan Laddoos.
 
Steps:
1/4 cup chickpea flour ready to be roasted. Yes, i make small quantities, since between the 2 of us, we hardly ever finish any sweets, except probably chocolate 😉 I will make a larger batch on the weekend if we visit friends.
 
Besan Ladoo Vegan Glutenfree Recipe
 
Roast for 5 minutes, then add cocoa butter and coconut flakes and mix.
 
 
Roast on and on until the chickpea flour darkens and leaves a nutty aroma.
 
 
Add ground sugar and spices and mix.
 
 
Add coconut milk and mix to form a lumpy mixture. Add less or more. Take off heat and cool for a minute.
 
 
Make balls when the mixture is cool enough to handle. The mixture does tend to get crumbly as it cools because of the low oil content. To make balls of a cool mixture, warm the mixture on stove a bit, add a bit of oil or maple/agave syrup and form balls.
 
 
You can make a fat-free(oil free) version like this Wheat laddoo recipe.
And for more vegan-ized Indian sweets, see the collection here.
 
Sweet deliciousness.
 
 
Besan Ladoo Vegan Recipe. Sweet chickpea flour balls with cardamom and nutmeg
Gluten, grain, dairy, soy, nut, corn free recipe can be nutfree
Cook time: 30 minutes . Makes 7-8 small balls, easily doubled.
 
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 Tablespoon shredded coconut(dried small flakes , optional)
1 Tablespoon pure food grade softened cocoa butter( or 1-2 Tablespoons oil)
2.5 Tablespoons sugar(I used ground raw sugar)
1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
generous pinch of nutmeg powder
pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon coconut milk( or non dairy milk)
 
Method:
Add chickpea flour to a pan and Dry roast for 5 minutes on low heat. stir once or twice.
Add coconut flakes and cocoa butter, Mix well and roast for 15 minutes.
Press down and mix well every 3-4 minutes.
If making a large batch add enough cocoa butter or oil, so the mixture does not appear dry.
Add sugar, salt and spices and mix well. Roast on another 3 minutes.
Sprinkle coconut milk on the mixture and mix.
If the mixture doesnt comes together add a few drops more.
(You can add enough to make one big lump to make it easier to shape)
Take off heat. Let cool for a minute or so until warm to handle.
Make balls of the mixture. Press crushed cashew or pistachios or raisins on top.
 
 
 

Filed Under: dessert, gluten free, grain free, indian sweet, soy free Tagged With: low-fat, vegan



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

« Toasted Rainbow Quinoa Salad with Rainier Cherries, Raisins, Red onion. vegan gluten-free fat-free recipe
Banana Chocolate Cake /Bread. Vegan Oil-free recipe »

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Manali says

    September 19, 2012 at 5:49 am

    Ladoos look awesome! I never heard about cocco butter. Interesting substitute! Happy festival to you and your family Richa!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 19, 2012 at 6:06 am

      Thanks Manali! Same to you all!:)

      Reply
    • Richa says

      September 19, 2012 at 6:06 am

      Cocoa butter is edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean.

      Reply
  2. Harini says

    September 19, 2012 at 6:31 am

    Did not think of cocoa butter and I have it! Will make some next weekend.:) Today is all about modaks. These look maha-delish.

    I have maintained that the physical manifestation given to Hindu ‘Gods’ come from heroes of yore. Maybe over the generations we have added colourful tales to make them sound more heroic or to differentiate them from ordinary mortals. I chant simply because Sanskrit is an extremely beautiful, lyrical language and I like the sounds it can create through breathing exercises. That said, I do think our authors did a great job with reality and myth. We were pretty advanced technologically. People acutally flew across oceans and apparated with ease. I love the stories, and I can rejoice and cry with the incidents that happened, and am constantly inspired.:D

    A rather long comment!!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 19, 2012 at 6:40 am

      Thanks for dropping by Harini. yes do give cocoa butter a try 🙂 Modaks never made an appearance at our place, though i would snag a few from the neighbors:)

      We definitely were advanced if things are to be believed true.. We cloned 100 kauravas!:)
      I love the stories and the chants too. The deeper meaning in so many of the verses. I miss speaking to our family panditji who always had modern day explanations for so many things.

      Wish you and your family a happy Ganesh chturthi!

      Reply
    • sumati krishnan says

      September 21, 2012 at 5:29 pm

      To Harini,
      If i don’t revel and rejoice in Hindu mythology, I have suffered a tragic loss of innocence. If I don’t practice the religion ( perhaps due to a teenage rebellion against kanya puja or slaving in the kitchen,or both!), I miss out on joyous, soul and spirit uplifting celebrations of of life and community. If I don’t espouse the core philosophical tenets, then perhaps Hinduism is not for me. Would you agree?
      To Richa, I defer.
      Sumati

      Reply
  3. danielle rouse says

    September 19, 2012 at 10:35 am

    These looks so good Richa! Thank you for the visual on how to make them! loved that. Do they hold up well or delicate? I am wondering if I could send them in the kids lunches?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 19, 2012 at 3:57 pm

      yes they do. once you make the balls and they cool down, they dont break easily.. shake away in the lunch boxes 🙂
      You can add a bit more cocoa butter and coconut milk to make one large lump to make it easy to shape into balls. Let me know when you try them:)

      Reply
  4. Gabby @ the veggie nook says

    September 19, 2012 at 11:54 am

    Yummy yummy 🙂

    Reply
  5. lysa jordan says

    September 19, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    You always have amazing recipes ! This looks so delicious ! Beautiful photos also..

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 19, 2012 at 3:58 pm

      Thanks Lysa!

      Reply
  6. Nupur says

    September 19, 2012 at 3:14 pm

    I can totally grab one and pop in my mouth immediately.. Love the cliks…

    Please visit my blog for your participation in the running events

    Cook with-Poppy Seeds

    Cook n Bake with – Spinach

    Be My Guest

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 19, 2012 at 3:58 pm

      Thanks Nupur!

      Reply
  7. tadkapasta says

    September 19, 2012 at 4:37 pm

    Coconut milk in besan laddus, great idea, R! Never tried using cocoa butter though. We learn so much from you!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 20, 2012 at 10:04 pm

      Thanks TP. try it!

      Reply
  8. ANU says

    September 19, 2012 at 5:15 pm

    very nice and yummy ladoos!
    SYF&HWS – Cook with Spices

    South Indian Cooking (SIC) Series

    Reply
  9. VeganFling says

    September 19, 2012 at 6:44 pm

    I’ve totally had these before, several years ago, and they were so delicious! I love your updated vegan version of course. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 20, 2012 at 10:05 pm

      the usual ones have the same amount of clarified butter as flour:) all that sweet and fat is going to taste good:) these taste almost the same!

      Reply
  10. Srimathi says

    September 19, 2012 at 11:26 pm

    Besan ladoo, way to go.I love the ones sold at the local Indian store.I enjoy the vegan version of it.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 20, 2012 at 10:05 pm

      Thanks Srimathi.

      Reply
  11. Anonymous says

    September 20, 2012 at 8:24 am

    there are no gods … your mind tells you this, no so?

    Reply
  12. Veena Theagarajan says

    September 20, 2012 at 9:29 am

    prefect laddoo..looks sooo delicious
    Great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com

    Reply
  13. Hannah says

    September 20, 2012 at 9:02 pm

    I’m feeling so inspired by these unique sweets… I wonder if I could substitute green pea flour for the garbanzo? I still have a ton of it left, so it’s definitely worth a try!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 20, 2012 at 10:07 pm

      give it a try:) i think it should work out. just a different pea:). for all the flour sweets, the key is a good roast, else they end up tasting like flour. let me know when you do!:)

      Reply
  14. Kristy says

    September 20, 2012 at 9:15 pm

    These look awfully yummy! I loved this post and story behind the one god. So interesting! Thank you so much for sharing with us!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 20, 2012 at 10:07 pm

      Thanks Kristy! since you are stepping into some curry cooking, some sweets will soon follow:)

      Reply
  15. Cindy DG says

    September 21, 2012 at 12:58 am

    Love it, these look amazing! I’d like to invite you to link it up at our Gluten Free Fridays recipe party that is going on right now! 🙂 Hope you can join us!
    Cindy
    http://vegetarianmamma.com/glutenfreefridays-recipe-party-6/

    Reply
    • Cindy DG says

      September 24, 2012 at 11:13 am

      Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! We had some fabulous entries this week! Our gluten free blogger directory is growing too! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂 See you next Friday! Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

      Reply
  16. Sihi says

    September 21, 2012 at 5:55 pm

    Beautiful clicks and an awesome recipe. Love the laddoos. Thanks for sharing.
    Best,
    Sihi

    Reply
  17. April @ The 21st Century Housewife says

    September 21, 2012 at 8:55 pm

    These sound delicious but they are also a very wholesome treat. Thank you for sharing the recipe with us at Hearth and Soul.

    Reply
  18. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says

    September 22, 2012 at 2:40 am

    So delicious! In fact I almost made besan ka halwa today, but instead opted for suji. Hope you had a wonderful celebration 🙂

    Reply
  19. dassana says

    September 22, 2012 at 2:21 pm

    your ladoos are looking better than mine. adding coco butter is a healthy option. hope the celebrations are going on well there with you & family.

    Reply
  20. Anamika | madcookingfusions says

    September 23, 2012 at 8:35 am

    Lovely Lodoos Richa, have a great celebration!

    Reply
  21. Anonymous says

    September 17, 2013 at 12:27 am

    I made this last night and subbed cocoa butter for coconut oil. They were a hit at my potluck. Thanks!

    Reply
  22. Animesh Gupta says

    July 16, 2014 at 11:37 am

    Nice Recipe!!!!
    Can I use Raw cream butter instead of cocoa butter for storing Laddoos for short span of time?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      July 16, 2014 at 5:37 pm

      coconut oil or coconut butter would work better. I have not used dairy butter for years now to know how it will hold up.

      Reply
  23. Erin says

    October 22, 2014 at 9:55 pm

    I made these last night in preparation of my first Diwali with my fiance’s family tonight… oh… my… god. These are amazing, and so easy to make. They taste like some kind of awesome peanut butter cookie with flecks of toffee through it (not sure if the toffee thing is supposed to happen, but they’re there and they’re awesome). Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
  24. Monique Rijks-Surette says

    December 4, 2016 at 5:27 am

    Hi Richa,

    I followed this recipe to the letter but the mix was quite runny so I had to add about 1/3 cup of coconut flakes to solidify the mix. Has anyone had a similar problem?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 4, 2016 at 11:29 am

      I am not sure what happened. Did you use cocoa butter? you can add more chickpea flour. Roast some chickpea flour on a dry skillet over medium heat (stir frequently) until fragrant and add a tbsp at a time into t hemix until it is like cookie dough, then roll it into balls.

      Reply
      • Monique Rijks-Surette says

        December 5, 2016 at 6:11 am

        I’ll try that next time. Thanks, Richa! (ps – I did use cocoa butter).

        Reply
  25. D says

    June 4, 2017 at 8:48 am

    Wow! I made this yesterday ……… and today ! So Good!

    Reply
  26. Mādrī devi dasi says

    November 17, 2017 at 1:26 pm

    Oh I, if you want to know about what ‘hinduism’really his, just ask a Hare Krishna, we sort of know more about the Lord then most. Also, Ganesh always have an elephant head. And yes, Shiva does get angry, he is not a ‘God’ but a servant of the supreme personality of Godhead.

    I will try the recipe.

    Hare Krishna, Haribolo.

    Reply
  27. Lu says

    August 26, 2019 at 5:48 pm

    15 min roasting is too long, and it actually turned the ladoos dark chocolate brown. It should be 5-7 minutes at most.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 23, 2019 at 3:47 pm

      on low heat it takes a long time for the besan to roast. Your stove must be heating a bit higher heat

      Reply
  28. Meraki says

    September 14, 2019 at 6:59 pm

    CHICKPEA FLOUR AND CAOCO BUTTER DON’T EXACTLY TASTE INDIAN

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 23, 2019 at 3:35 pm

      cocoa butter flavor gets hidden after the roasting and cardamom

      Reply
  29. Satin says

    November 27, 2020 at 2:14 am

    Dear Richa, just checking that a quarter of a cup of chickpea flour is correct. It seems a very small amount for 7-8 ladoos, albeit small ones. Thank you 🙏🏼

    Reply

ORDER TODAY!

Vegan Richa's Everyday Kitchen Cookbook Now Available everywhere where Books are Sold | VeganRicha.com
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // BAM! // Chapter Indigo // International

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options. Read more about me and the blog...

Lets get Social! Join 1Million followers and friends

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Vegan Richa 's Indian Kitchen Cookbook
Amazon || Barnes & Noble || BAM! || IndieBound || Details & International

Affiliate Links

All content on this blog is owned by Vegan Richa LLC.  Links on some posts are affiliate links for e.g. we are participant in Amazon services LLC Associates program. Vegan Richa is monetized in part through the use of such affiliate links. More Details

LINKSPOPULAR POSTSKEEP IN TOUCH
My Favorite ThingsBuffalo Chickpea PizzaYouTube
Recipe IndexLentil Quinoa LoafFacebook
Advertise, Work With MeCrispy Orange CauliflowerInstagram
Privacy PolicyPumpkin Cinnamon RollsPinterest
Terms Of UseSweet Potato Peanut BurgersTwitter
Copyright and Disclaimers
Copyright © 2021 Vegan Richa LLC