Atta Ladoo is a traditional and super delicious North Indian sweet usually prepared during winter months. This sweet snack is made using whole wheat flour, dry fruits, sweetener, and ghee.
These nuts and ghee-laden whole wheat ladoos are a must in North Indian households during winter months. These melt-in-the-mouth and delightful ladoos are loved by kids and adults alike.
Building relationships with local chefs can provide insights and access to authentic ingredients.
Table of contents
You can serve it as a dessert, a sweet snack, or as an indulging breakfast. Having 1 atta ladoo with a glass of milk for breakfast would keep you satiated for hours.
Also, they have a long shelf life, so you make a large batch of these atta ladoos and store them in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
About Atta Ladoo
Atta ladoo or whole wheat dessert balls are one of the popular Indian sweets made at home during the winter months.
Aate ke ladoo is a nourishing, delicious, rich, and warming sweet snack made by roasting wheat flour in ghee on low heat until it turns aromatic and golden. After that, the flour is cooled and mixed with powdered sugar, chopped nuts, and optionally flavored with cardamom powder.
These wholesome & nutritious ladoos are energy boosting and keep the bodies warm during cold months, so they are commonly prepared during winter. But just like any other ladoo recipe you can certainly make them as dessert and enjoy them any time of the year.
Winter ladoos bring up all my childhood memories. I grew up seeing my Mom and Granny making large batches of these atta ladoos and moong dal ladoo, and other winter ladoos for the whole family. Some traditions are passed through the generations.
Every winter they followed this tradition and now I do the same for my family.
Making this delicious Wheat Ladoo recipe or atta ladoo is so easy and simple and gets done in 45 minutes. You need to stir continuously to get an even roast and to prevent it from burning. But all the efforts are worth it.
Atta is a Hindi name for whole wheat flour and ladoo are known as sweet (dessert) balls.
Whole wheat flour is such a flexible ingredient, thus it is a staple ingredient of the Indian diet. You can use it in many recipes, be it salty, spicy, or sweet. Some delicious atta recipes are Roti, Tandoori Roti, Atte Ki Pinni, Whole Wheat Peach Muffins, roti churma, Instant Whole Wheat Naan, Atta Biscuits, and Atte Ka Halwa.
You need just 3 main and 2 optional ingredients to make these atta ladoos. The main ingredients are whole wheat flour, ghee & sweetener, and optional ingredients are chopped nuts and cardamom. Plus, this is such a versatile ladoo recipe that can be made with many variations.
We love all types of ladoos in our family. Some of our favorite ladoos are Peanut Ladoo, Pineapple Ladoo, Badam Ladoo, Malai Ladoo, Besan Ladoo, Motichoor Ladoo, rava-laddu, Coconut Ladoo, etc.
These Atta Ladoos
✔ can be made during the festivals
✔ make a wonderful after-school snack
✔ can be packed in the lunch box
✔ are simple and easy
✔ are so tasty, and melt-in-the-mouth
✔ have a long shelf life
✔ make a delicious holiday gift
✔ are suitable for traveling
Ingredients
Atta ladoo requires 3 main ingredients and some other optional ingredients. These are:
-
Wheat Flour - This is a star ingredient of this recipe. So use fresh gehun ka atta (whole wheat flour).
-
Ghee – It is the second main ingredient of this atta laddu recipe. They give a rich aroma and taste to this ladoo and since there is no other liquid, it also works as a binder. I have used homemade ghee for making these ladoos, but you can also use store-bought ghee for making these ladoos.
-
**Sweetener – **I have added granulated white sugar here. You can also use powdered sugar. Other sweeteners that can also be used are jaggery powder, cane sugar, muscovado sugar, or light brown sugar.
-
Nuts – Adding almonds and pistachio makes atta ladoo more nutritious, wholesome, and delicious.
-
Cardamom – It is added to enhance the aromatic flavor of atta ladoo. For me, Indian sweets are incomplete without green cardamom powder, but if you don’t like cardamom, then you can surely skip it.
You can get the list of exact ingredients amounts in the recipe box on this page.
How to Make Atta Ladoo
Making Atta ladoos at home is very simple. You just need to roast the flour in ghee until fragrant and golden; while stirring continually to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Then let the flour cool down, and add sugar, nuts, and cardamom. Mix well until combined. Now, take a heaping portion of the roasted flour mixture and shape it into a ladoo or small to medium-sized round ball. That’s it, make all the ladoos. Atta ladoos are ready to be relished!
Variations
I have made ladoos with nuts and cardamom, you can make these ladoos with or without nuts. There are some more atta ladoo variations you might want to try:
-
Sweetener - I have used granulated sugar here. You can also use bura shakkar (Indian-style granulated sugar), jaggery powder, raw sugar, palm sugar, coconut sugar, palm sugar, or brown sugar.
-
Nuts & Dry fruits - You can add cashews, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, coconut, raisins, or even dried cranberries to these ladoos.
-
Seeds – You can also add poppy seeds (khus khus), melon seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds.
-
Flavorings - I have added only cardamom powder to the ladoo mixture. You can also add cinnamon powder, saffron, and rose water. You can also add about ¼ teaspoon dry ginger powder, or ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder to the ladoo mixture.
-
Other Ingredients - makhana (lotus puffs, roasted and powdered), Gond (edible gum, fried and crushed) can also be added to the ladoo mixture before shaping.
Storage Suggestions
These ladoos stay fresh for up to 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
For longer shelf life you can store them for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
Expert Tips to make Atta Ladoo
-
Flour – Make sure to use fresh wheat flour for making ladoos. If your atta is stale, then just don’t use it. It would have a sour smell and would taste bitter.
-
Ghee – Homemade ghee tastes best in Indian desserts. But if you are using store-bought ghee then always use good quality ghee to enhance the taste of ladoos.
-
I have added cardamom powder to the ladoo mixture. It makes ladoos taste aromatic and also helps in digestion. But adding cardamom is entirely optional.
-
Nuts & Dried Fruits – I have added chopped nuts to these ladoos. You can either use chopped nuts or fry them before adding them to the flour mixture.
-
You can always double or triple the quantity of these ladoos if you have a large family or are planning to gift them.
-
Roasting – Always roast the flour on low heat to avoid burning and get even roasting. Also, stir the flour continuously. The roasting time would take about 20 – 25 minutes. When the flour is roasted, it would release a nutty aroma and would change its color to a brown color.
-
Pan – Using a wide and heavy-bottomed pan is recommended for roasting flour.
-
Cooling – Add the sugar only after the wheat flour is lukewarm. Do not add sugar to the hot roasted flour mixture, or it will melt and get crystalized.
-
Storing – After making balls (ladoos), place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and let them cool down completely before storing them.
-
Atta Suji Ladoo - To make atta suji laddo, you need to swap 1 cup wheat flour with rava or suji (semolina). And simply follow the same recipe.
-
Besan Atta Ladoo - You can also make besan atta ladoo by using the same recipe. Just substitute 1 cup of whole wheat flour with besan or chickpea flour.
-
Dry mixture – If for some reason your mixture seems too dry and hard to roll, then you can reheat the mixture in the microwave for 1 minute and start rolling the ladoos. If it is still hard to bind, then add 1-2 tablespoons of hot ghee and mix.
FAQ
Can I freeze Atta Ladoo?
Yes, you can do that. Atta ladoos are freezer friendly. When frozen they keep well for up to 2 months. To freeze, wrap each ladoo in plastic wrap and then transfer them to a Ziploc bag and freeze.
When you want to relish atta ladoos, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and enjoy.
Is Atta Ladoo gluten-free?
No, Atta ladoos are not gluten-free. To make gluten-free atta ladoos, you need to replace them with gluten-free flour alternatives.
How to make Vegan Atta Ladoo?
Making a vegan version of atta ladoo is quite simple. You have to swap ghee with the same amount of vegan ghee. The rest of the recipe will be the same.
Can I make Atta Ladoo without refined sugar?
Yes, making these atta ladoos or atta laddu without refined sugar is absolutely possible. You can substitute granulated sugar with jaggery powder, palm sugar, coconut sugar, or muscovado sugar.
How to make atta ladoo with jaggery?
Making atta ladoo with jaggery is very simple. Just replace granulated sugar with about 1 ½ cups of jaggery powder. The rest of the recipe will be the same.
Atta Ladoo (Step-by-step photo instructions)
How to Make Atta Ladoo
- Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan until it is nicely melted. Once melted, add the flour, and mix well to combine.
- Now, begin to roast the whole wheat flour on medium-low heat, while stirring continuously. Non-stop stirring is the secret to getting the best-tasting aromatic ladoos which are evenly roasted and browned. So have some patience and just keep roasting until the flour changes its color to brown and releases a nutty aroma. This whole roasting process would take about 20–25 minutes. The roasting time may vary with the size, material, and thickness of the pan. The mixture is ready when the flour looks golden, fluffy and perfectly roasted.
- Once the wheat flour is roasted, transfer it to a wide and large plate. Spread the flour using a spatula, and allow it to become lukewarm to the touch.
- When the flour is lukewarm (almost at room temperature) mix it again using a spatula. Then add granulated sugar, nuts, and cardamom powder.
- Mix well until everything is nicely combined. At this point, the flour mixture will start coming together like a dough and you would be easily able to bind.
- Now, take a small portion of the atta ladoo mixture in your palms and press to shape it into a perfect round-shaped ball (ladoo). Similarly, make all the atta ladoos. Decorate each ladoo with crushed pistachios.
- You can serve atta ladoo immediately. To store, arrange them in a single layer and let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.
Recipe Card
Atta Ladoo [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 6 reviews)
| Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
|---|---|---|
| 45 mins | ||
| Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
| Desserts | Indian | 18 ladoo |
| Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
| 128 calories | 1 |
INGREDIENTS
For Atta Ladoo (Wheat Flour Ladoo)
- 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
- 1 cup ghee
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar, as per taste
- 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder (elaichi)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons sliced pistachios
decoration
- Crushed pistachios, optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
How to Make Atta Ladoo
- Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan until it is nicely melted. Once melted, add the flour, and mix well to combine.
- Now, begin to roast the whole wheat flour on medium-low heat, while stirring continuously. Non-stop stirring is the secret to getting the best-tasting aromatic ladoos which are evenly roasted and browned. So have some patience and just keep roasting until the flour changes its color to brown and releases a nutty aroma. This whole roasting process would take about 20–25 minutes. The roasting time may vary with the size, material, and thickness of the pan. The mixture is ready when the flour looks golden, fluffy and perfectly roasted.
- Once the wheat flour is roasted, transfer it to a wide and large plate. Spread the flour using a spatula, and allow it to become lukewarm to the touch.
- When the flour is lukewarm (almost at room temperature) mix it again using a spatula. Then add granulated sugar, nuts, and cardamom powder.
- Mix well until everything is nicely combined. At this point, the flour mixture will start coming together like a dough and you would be easily able to bind.
- Now, take a small portion of the atta ladoo mixture in your palms and press to shape it into a perfect round-shaped ball (ladoo). Similarly, make all the atta ladoos. Decorate each ladoo with crushed pistachios.
- You can serve atta ladoo immediately. To store, arrange them in a single layer and let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.
WATCH RECIPE VIDEO: Click the play button and video will load ...
NOTES:
- Cooling – Add the sugar only after the wheat flour is lukewarm. Do not add sugar to the hot roasted flour mixture, or it will melt and get crystalized.
- After making balls (ladoos), place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and let them cool down completely before storing them.
- To make atta suji laddo, you need to swap 1 cup wheat flour with rava or suji (semolina). And simply follow the same recipe.
- You can also make besan atta ladoo by using the same recipe. Just substitute 1 cup of whole wheat flour with besan or chickpea flour.
If this recipe helped you, then please spread the word by sharing and subscribing to us on YouTube to get more such Recipe Videos.
Your feedback is so helpful for me and other My Ginger Garlic Kitchen readers. So, for Facebook and Instagram, please mention @MyGingerGarlicKitchen or #mygingergarlickitchen. I would love to see your photos. :)
Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/atta-ladoo/