Pineapple Ladoo is a quick, easy, delicious, and sweet-scented Indian dessert made with crushed pineapple, semolina, coconut and sugar. This fantastic dessert is bursting with juicy and tropical pineapple flavors.
This Indian style dessert is infused with a touch of cardamom, and garnished with pistachios, fried nuts, and raisins. Bursting with sweet juicy pineapple flavors, these scrumptious pineapple ladoos are very quick and easy to make.
Incorporate savory ingredients like miso, pinch of salt, or saffron into desserts for a unique and memorable finish to your meal.
Table of contents
Made from scratch, this pineapple ladoo recipe gets done in under 15 minutes. You will only need a handful of ingredients to make this sweet.
On this page, you will get a step-by-step picture and video recipe on how to make the Best Pineapple Ladoo at home!
About Pineapple Ladoo
Gorgeous color, delectable flavors, melt-in-mouth texture and sweet and juicy taste of these pineapple ladoos make them really appealing and indulging.
As soon as you bite into this juicy pineapple ball, the delightful sweetness dissolves in your mouth with a mild coconut and distinct pineapple flavor.
This easy pineapple ladoo is a perfect after-meal dessert or an after-noon sweet snack. They are festive enough to serve for a get-together, festival or parties! Make them for parties and these yellow-colored tiny gems would win everyone’s heart. Don’t be surprised if they vanish in a flash. :)
Make these pineapple ladoos when you have surprise guests at home. These ladoos will definitely shine on your dinner table!
I prepared this instant pineapple ladoo using crushed canned pineapple, but this recipe can also be made using pineapple puree or even fresh pineapple.
This pineapple ladoo
✓ is a quick and easy to make
✓ gets ready in 15 minutes
✓ is made with handy ingredients
✓ is vegetarian & can also be made vegan
✓ is made from scratch
✓ makes a lovely holiday gift
✓ makes an excellent dessert
✓ ideal for parties and get-togethers
✓ stays fresh up to 5 days in the refrigerator
If you like such laddoos recipes, then check out some other delicious ladoo recipes: Motichoor ladoo, Instant Coconut ladoo, Besan ladoo Recipe, Til laddu, Aate Ki Pinni, atta ladoo, rava-laddu, and Malai Ladoo, and Dry Fruits laddu.
Ingredients used in pineapple ladoo
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Pineapple – I have used crushed canned pineapple with juice for making this instant ladoo. You can also use fresh pineapple for making this ladoo. Just crush 2 1/2 cups chopped pineapple with 1/2 cup sugar in a blender and replace it with canned pineapple. Just remember not to add any additional sugar while cooking https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/how-to-make-ghee-from-butter/when using fresh pineapple.
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Ghee – I have used ghee for roasting nuts, raisins and semolina. You can also swap ghee with coconut milk or with butter.
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Coconut – I used desiccated coconut here. You can also use fresh coconut paste here.
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Semolina – Normal semolina or suji is added here as a base. If you don’t want to use semolina, then replace it with the same amount of desiccated coconut or almond flour.
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Sugar – You will need a little sugar here because we have used pineapple with juice. I have added 4-5 tablespoons caster sugar — you can also use granulated sugar here.
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Nuts & Dried Fruits – I have used almonds, cashews and raisins here. You can also add pistachios, walnuts to this ladoo recipe.
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Cardamom powder – It is added for a sweet-smelling flavor. Addition of cardamom makes ladoos more flavourful and enhances the overall taste of this ladoo.
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Food color – I have added a few drops of deep yellow color to this ladoo. Adding any color to this ladoo is optional.
How to make Pineapple Ladoo
Making pineapple ladoo is very simple and easy. This is how it is done in just 6 steps:
Step 1 – Roast almonds and cashews in ghee until they are fragrant. Transfer them to a bowl. Also roast raisins and remove them to a bowl.
Step 2 – To the same pan, add semolina and roast for 3-4 minutes. Next add coconut and roast for 2 minutes. Transfer the coconut and semolina mixture to a plate and set it aside.
Step 3 – Add canned crushed pineapple with juice to a pan. Cook for 2 minutes. Add sugar and cook until the juice reduces to half.
Step 4 – Add roasted coconut and semolina mixture to the pan and mix well. Also add food color (if using) and mix again.
Step 5 – Add fried nuts, raisins and cardamom. Mix well and cook on low heat until the mixture comes together as a dough. Transfer it to a plate and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Step 6 – Once cooled, take out a small portion and roll into smooth ladoo. Roll it into desiccated coconut. Make all the ladoos similarly. Done!
You can get the detailed step-by-step photo instructions and a video recipe to make the best tasting Pineapple Ladoo in the recipe box on this page.
Storage suggestion
These pineapple ladoos stay fresh for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight box in the refrigerator. They don’t last long when stored at room temperature, so make sure to keep them refrigerated.
Serving suggestion
You can serve this Indian sweet as an after-meal dessert or as a sweet snack. If you want to serve these ladoos with a meal, then you can undoubtedly do that.
Following is a festive meal idea that goes enticingly well with this pineapple ladoo:
Prepare an Indian platter with whole Avocado Paratha, Jaipuri Aloo Pyaaz, Dal Tadka, Pineapple Raita, Salad, and papad, and round out your meal ending with sweet and juicy pineapple ladoo.
Tips, tricks, and variations to make the Best Pineapple Ladoo
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Sugar – I have used caster sugar in this recipe, but granulated sugar can also be used here. To make them healthier, use coconut sugar, raw brown sugar, or powdered jaggery.
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Nuts – I have only added almonds, and cashews to this recipe. You can also use pistachios, and walnuts in this ladoo recipe.
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This ladoo recipe yields about 13-14 ladoos. If you are making them for a party, then you can easily double or triple this recipe.
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Roasting – For this easy ladoo recipe, roasting semolina is highly recommended. It is because this way semolina doesn’t stay raw and you get a nutty aroma.
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Flavors – I have added cardamom powder to this ladoo. But like any other Indian dessert, you can also add rose water or kewra water to this ladoo mixture.
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Ghee – I have added homemade ghee in this recipe, but if you don’t have ghee, then you can also use unsalted butter.
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If you are using fresh pineapple, then you don’t need to add about ½ cup extra sugar.
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Use a non-stick pan – It is always best to use a non-stick pan for making this ladoo, because the non-stick layer of the pan prevents the mixture from sticking to the bottom.
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Garnish – I rolled pineapple ladoo in desiccated coconut. You can also garnish them with pistachios or any other dry fruits and nuts of your choice.
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Semolina – If you don’t want to use semolina in this recipe, then you can easily exchange it with the same amount of almond flour or desiccated coconut.
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Pineapple ladoos stay fresh for up to 5 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
Love pineapple dishes? Then you would definitely love these amazingly delicious pineapple dishes: Pineapple Coconut Smoothie, Thai Pineapple Fried Rice, Pineapple Juice, Banana Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and Kiwi Pineapple Honey Yogurt Parfait.
FAQ
How to make vegan pineapple ladoo?
Making vegan pineapple ladoo is very easy. You just need to substitute ghee with the same amount of coconut oil or vegan ghee.
Can I make pineapple ladoo without refined sugar?
This ladoo recipe uses caster sugar, but this can definitely be made without the use of refined sugar. You can swap caster sugar with jaggery powder, muscovado sugar, palm sugar, or coconut sugar.
Pineapple ladoo would taste good with all those sweetener alternatives above. Just keep one thing in mind that, adding jaggery and muscovado sugar would make ladoos golden brown. So they won’t have a yellow color.
Is Pineapple Ladoo gluten free?
No, these pineapple ladoos are not gluten-free because they have semolina. To make these pineapple ladoo gluten-free, substitute semolina (suji) with the same amount of coconut.
Can I freeze these ladoos?
Pineapple ladoos are absolutely freezer friendly. You can freeze them for up to 2 months. To freeze, place the pineapple ladoos in a freezer-safe tray and freeze them for about 3-4 hours or until frozen.
Once frozen, transfer them to a Ziploc bag or a freezer safe container and freeze. Whenever you want to enjoy these ladoos, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and enjoy!
Pineapple Ladoo (Step-by-step photo instructions)
How to make Pineapple Ladoo Recipe
- Heat ghee in a non-stick pan on low heat. Once hot, add sliced nuts and roast them for 1 minute or until they turn golden and aromatic. Transfer them to a bowl and set them aside to cool down.
- To the same pan, add raisins and roast them until they swell up. Once they swell up, remove them from the pan and transfer them to a separate bowl. Keep them aside.
- Add semolina and roast on a medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the raw smell from semolina is gone. To the same pan add desiccated coconut and roast for 2-3 minutes. Once done, transfer the semolina and coconut mixture to a plate and set it aside to cool.
- Clean the pan, add 1 can of crushed pineapple with juice. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Keep mashing the big chunks with a spatula. Once it starts to boil, add sugar and mix well. Boil the mixture until the juice reduces to half.
- Add the semolina and coconut mixture and mix everything well. Add a few drops of yellow/orange color. Keep mixing and cooking further for 3-4 minutes on low heat or until the mixture absorbs the liquid, and leaves the sides. Add fried almonds and cashew nuts, raisins, and cardamom powder. Mix everything well until well combined. At this point, it would come together like a dough.
- To check the doneness, take a tiny portion of the mixture and roll it between palms. If it forms a smooth non-sticky ball, your mixture is well cooked. Transfer the mixture onto a plate and let it cool down for 7-8 minutes.
- When the mixture is cooled enough to touch, apply some ghee on your palm. Pinch out a small portion of the ladoo mixture in your palms. Roll and shape it into a smooth golf-sized ball (ladoo). Shape all the ladoos similarly until all the ladoo mixture is used up. You can serve pineapple ladoos as it is, but I like to roll them in desiccated coconut to get a beautiful coco-nutty layer.
- Arrange them on a serving plate, and serve pineapple ladoo as an after-meal dessert with your festive meal.
Recipe Card
Pineapple Ladoo [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 3 reviews)
Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
---|---|---|
15 mins | ||
Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
Desserts | Indian | 13-14 ladoos |
Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
160 calories | 1 |
INGREDIENTS
For Pineapple Ladoo
- 1 can 400 gr crushed pineapple in juice, or use 1 3/4 cups of freshly crushed pineapple chunks
- 2 tablespoons ghee, or coconut oil
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut + 2 tablespoons for rolling
- 1/2 cup semolina (suji)
- 4-5 tablespoons caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds and cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2 tablespoon ground almonds
- A few drops of yellow/orange color, optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
How to make Pineapple Ladoo Recipe
- Heat ghee in a non-stick pan on low heat. Once hot, add sliced nuts and roast them for 1 minute or until they turn golden and aromatic. Transfer them to a bowl and set them aside to cool down.
- To the same pan, add raisins and roast them until they swell up. Once they swell up, remove them from the pan and transfer them to a separate bowl. Keep them aside.
- Add semolina and roast on a medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the raw smell from semolina is gone. To the same pan add desiccated coconut and roast for 2-3 minutes. Once done, transfer the semolina and coconut mixture to a plate and set it aside to cool.
- Clean the pan, add 1 can of crushed pineapple with juice. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Keep mashing the big chunks with a spatula. Once it starts to boil, add sugar and mix well. Boil the mixture until the juice reduces to half.
- Add the semolina and coconut mixture and mix everything well. Add a few drops of yellow/orange color. Keep mixing and cooking further for 3-4 minutes on low heat or until the mixture absorbs the liquid, and leaves the sides. Add fried almonds and cashew nuts, raisins, and cardamom powder. Mix everything well until well combined. At this point, it would come together like a dough.
- To check the doneness, take a tiny portion of the mixture and roll it between palms. If it forms a smooth non-sticky ball, your mixture is well cooked. Transfer the mixture onto a plate and let it cool down for 7-8 minutes.
- When the mixture is cooled enough to touch, apply some ghee on your palm. Pinch out a small portion of the ladoo mixture in your palms. Roll and shape it into a smooth golf-sized ball (ladoo). Shape all the ladoos similarly until all the ladoo mixture is used up. You can serve pineapple ladoos as it is, but I like to roll them in desiccated coconut to get a beautiful coco-nutty layer.
- Arrange them on a serving plate, and serve pineapple ladoo as an after-meal dessert with your festive meal.
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NOTES:
- You can also replace canned crushed pineapple with 1 3/4 cup of freshly crushed pineapple chunks. Use 1/2 cup sugar when using fresh pineapple.
- Pineapple ladoos stay fresh for up to 5 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Semolina – If you don't want to use semolina in this recipe, then you can easily exchange it with the same amount of almond flour or desiccated coconut.
- Ghee – I have added homemade ghee in this recipe, but if you don’t have ghee, then you can also use unsalted butter.