Oats Laddoo
- 15 min prep
- 47 min
- Mix
- Serves 7
- 260 kcal
- 5.7 g protein
Toasted oats, peanuts and seeds ground with jaggery and bound with a spoon of ghee. No sugar syrup, no stove-side panic, and they keep for weeks.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (90 g) rolled oats
- ⅓ cup (50 g) peanuts (or almonds)
- ¼ cup (35 g) pumpkin seeds or white sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp (10 g) desiccated coconut
- ¾ cup (125 g) grated jaggery
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- ¼ tsp cinnamon powder (optional)
- 2 to 3 tbsp (28 to 42 g) ghee
- 10 cashews, broken
- 2 tbsp (20 g) raisins
Method
- 1Dry roast the peanuts in a heavy pan over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until they crackle and the skins blister. Tip onto a plate to cool, then rub off the skins.
- 2In the same pan, roast the oats on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant and a shade darker. Move them to another plate.
- 3Roast the pumpkin seeds for 2 minutes until they puff, then add the coconut for the last 30 seconds. Add to the oats and let everything cool.
- 4Grind the cooled oats to a fine powder in a dry mixer jar. Add the peanuts, seeds, coconut, cardamom and cinnamon and pulse to a coarse powder.
- 5Add the jaggery and pulse in short bursts until it is fully blended and the mixture starts to clump. Tip into a wide bowl.
- 6Warm the ghee in a small pan and fry the cashews until golden, then the raisins until puffed. Pour the ghee, cashews and raisins over the oat mix and stir well.
- 7While the mix is still warm, take a heaped tablespoon (about 25 g) and press it firmly in your fist, then roll it smooth between your palms. If it will not bind, add 1 tsp more warm ghee. Makes about 14 ladoos.
- 8Let the ladoos sit for 20 minutes to firm up before storing.
Notes from the Department
- Use soft, sticky jaggery. Dry jaggery powder does not bind as well, so add an extra spoon of ghee or 2 soft dates.
- Shape while the mix is warm; it crumbles once cold. If it cools, warm it for 30 seconds in the pan.
- For a ghee-free version, grind a little longer so the peanuts release their oil, and add 4 soft dates.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5.7 g
- Carbohydrate
- 31 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 2.7 g
- Sugars
- 18 g
Why this works
Most ladoos rely on a sugar syrup that has to reach exactly the right stage. This one skips that. Jaggery, ground with roasted nuts and seeds, turns slightly sticky as the nuts release their oil, and warm ghee finishes the binding. Toasting each ingredient separately means nothing burns and everything tastes properly roasted.
Oats make up the base, so each ladoo carries whole grains, and peanuts and seeds add protein and good fats. They are still a sweet; jaggery is still sugar. Two make a sensible portion, and they hold up well in a bag on a long commute.
Swaps
Almonds, cashews or walnuts can replace peanuts, which also makes it peanut-free for lunchboxes that need it. Sesame seeds give a til-ladoo flavour that suits winter. Replace a third of the jaggery with soft dates for extra stickiness. For a vegan ladoo, use coconut oil instead of ghee. For gluten-free, use oats labelled certified gluten-free, since regular oats can pick up wheat in processing.
When to eat them
As an evening snack with tea, a tiffin sweet, a pre-workout bite, or a Diwali box filler that is a little less sweet than the usual suspects. The Ministry has no position on how many count as one serving.
Storage
Store in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 3 weeks, or in the fridge for longer in humid months.
Questions people ask
- Why are my oats ladoos not binding?
- The mixture is too dry or has cooled. Add warm ghee 1 tsp at a time, or pulse in a couple of soft dates, and shape while the mix is still warm.
- Can I make oats ladoo without ghee?
- Yes. Grind the mixture longer so the peanuts release their oil, and add a few soft dates for stickiness. The ladoos will be slightly firmer.
- Can I use sugar instead of jaggery in oats ladoo?
- Powdered sugar works, but it has no stickiness, so you will need about 2 tbsp more ghee to bind. The flavour will be plainer.
Inspired by Swasthi's Recipes. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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