Vegan Besan Ladoo with Coconut Oil, Cardamom and Pistachios
Vegan besan ladoo made with slow-roasted chickpea flour, coconut oil, cardamom, cashews and pistachios. A melt-in-your-mouth Diwali sweet with no ghee.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- 20 min
- Serves
- 14
Vegan Besan Ladoo with Coconut Oil, Cardamom and Pistachios is a vegan dessert recipe made with chickpea flour (besan), refined coconut oil, cashews. It takes 40 minutes of hands-on time, plus 20 minutes resting, serves 14, and each serving has 170 calories, 4 g of protein and 2 g of fiber.
The flavor of a good besan ladoo comes from roasting: chickpea flour cooked slowly in fat until it smells like toasted nuts and turns a deep golden tan. Refined coconut oil takes the place of ghee here. It firms up as it cools, just as ghee does, so the ladoos hold their shape without tasting of coconut. Wait until the roasted flour is only warm before you add the powdered sugar, so the sugar stays light and doesn't melt into a sticky paste.
Ingredients
- 2 cups184 gchickpea flour (besan), sifted
- ½ cup109 grefined coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp27 grefined coconut oil, melted, extra if needed for shaping, only if the mixture is too crumbly to hold together (optional)
- 3 tbsp26 gcashews, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp15 gshelled pistachios, finely chopped
- 1 cup120 gpowdered sugar, sifted
- ½ tsp1 gground cardamom
- 1 pinch0.4 gfine salt
- 1 tbsp7.7 gpistachios, slivered or chopped, for topping (optional)
Kit: heavy-bottomed skillet or kadai, silicone spatula, fine-mesh sieve, large mixing bowl
Tips
- Use refined coconut oil if you don't want the ladoos to taste of coconut. Virgin coconut oil works too but adds a clear tropical note.
- If the mixture cools too much to shape, warm it in the skillet over very low heat for 30–60 seconds, or put the bowl in a warm spot for a few minutes.
- Fine (not coarse) besan gives the classic melt-in-the-mouth texture. Sifting before and after roasting gets rid of lumps.
Swap ideas
- Use 1/2 cup neutral oil in place of the coconut oil
- Gives a softer ladoo that sets less firmly. Chill briefly so it holds its shape.
- Use almonds in place of the cashews
- Adds a firmer crunch and a slightly toasty, marzipan-like flavor.
- Add 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg along with the cardamom
- Brings a warm, festive spice note that suits Diwali and winter gifting.
- Use powdered coconut sugar (blitzed fine) in place of powdered sugar
- Gives darker, caramel-tasting ladoos with a less smooth texture.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
170kcal per serving
Everything else · 14 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 6.7 g 34%
- Sugars
- 9.9 g
- Sodium
- 20 mg 1%
- Potassium
- 136 mg 3%
- Calcium
- 8 mg 1%
- Iron
- 0.8 mg 4%
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg 0%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Chickpea flour (besan), Oil, coconut, Nuts, cashew nuts, raw, Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw, Sugars, powdered, Spices, cardamom, Salt, table
Method
Set a heavy-bottomed skillet over low heat and add the cashews. Toast them, stirring, until they are lightly golden and smell fragrant, 2–3 minutes. Tip them into a large bowl and set aside.
Pour the 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil into the same skillet and add the sifted chickpea flour. At first it will look like damp sand. Stir with a spatula until there are no dry pockets left.
Roast over low to medium-low heat, stirring and scraping the bottom constantly, for 18–22 minutes. It's done when the flour has turned an even golden tan, smells strongly nutty, and has loosened into a glossy, slightly runny paste. Don't rush this or turn up the heat. Underroasted besan tastes raw and gritty, and scorched besan tastes bitter.
Scrape the roasted besan into the bowl with the cashews. Stir in the chopped pistachios, cardamom and salt. Let it cool, stirring now and then, until it feels warm but no longer hot when you touch it, 15–20 minutes.
Sift in the powdered sugar and mix well with your hands or a spatula until the mixture is even and holds together when you squeeze it. If it crumbles, add the extra melted coconut oil 1 tablespoon at a time.
Shape the ladoos while the mixture is still slightly warm. Take about 2 tablespoons at a time, squeeze it firmly in your palm, then roll it into a smooth ball. If you like, press a few slivered pistachios on top.
Put the ladoos on a plate and leave them at room temperature until set, about 20 minutes, or chill them for 10 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Coconut oil firms up when chilled, so let refrigerated ladoos sit out for 10–15 minutes before serving.
Questions
- How much protein is in vegan besan ladoo with coconut oil, cardamom and pistachios?
- Each of the 14 servings has 4 g of protein, 2 g of fiber and 170 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is vegan besan ladoo with coconut oil, cardamom and pistachios vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does vegan besan ladoo with coconut oil, cardamom and pistachios take to make?
- 15 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, so 40 minutes of hands-on time, plus 20 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make vegan besan ladoo with coconut oil, cardamom and pistachios ahead?
- Store in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Coconut oil firms up when chilled, so let refrigerated ladoos sit out for 10–15 minutes before serving.
- What can I substitute in vegan besan ladoo with coconut oil, cardamom and pistachios?
- Use 1/2 cup neutral oil in place of the coconut oil — gives a softer ladoo that sets less firmly. chill briefly so it holds its shape.. Use almonds in place of the cashews — adds a firmer crunch and a slightly toasty, marzipan-like flavor.. Add 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg along with the cardamom — brings a warm, festive spice note that suits diwali and winter gifting.. Use powdered coconut sugar (blitzed fine) in place of powdered sugar — gives darker, caramel-tasting ladoos with a less smooth texture..
- Does vegan besan ladoo with coconut oil, cardamom and pistachios contain tree nuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes tree nuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 1, 2026 ·Indian
