Makhana Ladoos: Light, Nutritious & Festive

Name: How to Make Makhana Ladoos: Light, Nutritious & Festive | Easy & Delicious Makhana Ladoos: Light, Nutritious & Festive Recipe
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: indian

Makhana Ladoos are healthy, protein-rich sweets made with roasted foxnuts (makhana), nuts, ghee, and jaggery. Light, crunchy, and naturally sweet, they are perfect for festive occasions as well as a daily energy-boosting snack.

prep time 10 Mins

cook time 20 Mins

chef Ankita Singh

Makhana, also known as foxnuts or lotus seeds, is a nutrient-dense superfood commonly used in Indian fasting (vrat) recipes. When roasted, it turns crunchy and nutty, making it an excellent base for ladoos. In this recipe, roasted makhana is ground into a coarse powder and combined with jaggery, ghee, and dry fruits to create melt-in-the-mouth ladoos that are both delicious and nourishing.

These ladoos are rich in calcium, fibre, and plant-based protein, making them great for kids, pregnant women, or anyone looking for a wholesome sweet. Since they use jaggery instead of refined sugar, they are healthier and give sustained energy.

Perfect for festivals like Navratri, Diwali, or Janmashtami, these ladoos also make a great travel snack or post-workout energy ball. They can be stored for 2–3 weeks in an airtight jar.

Step 1

Roast Ingredients

Heat 1 tsp ghee in a pan and roast makhana on low-medium heat for 7–8 minutes until crisp.
Roast almonds, cashews, and walnuts separately for 2–3 minutes.

Step 2

Grind to Powder

Once cooled, grind roasted makhana into a coarse powder.
Coarsely crush nuts (do not make into fine powder for better texture).

Step 3

Prepare Jaggery Syrup

In the same pan, add 2 tbsp ghee and jaggery. Melt on low flame until it becomes a sticky syrup (check by dropping a little in water — it should form a soft ball).

Step 4

Mix Everything

Add powdered makhana, crushed nuts, cardamom powder, and desiccated coconut to the melted jaggery. Mix well.

Step 5

Shape Ladoos

While warm, grease palms with ghee and shape the mixture into round ladoos.
Roll in roasted poppy/sesame seeds (optional) for extra flavour.

Tips and Tricks

Always roast makhana well, or the ladoos will taste raw.
If ladoo mixture feels dry, add 1–2 tsp warm ghee for binding.
Use soft jaggery (or organic jaggery powder) for better binding and flavour.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks.
For vrat, skip walnuts if not allowed and just use makhana, cashews, and almonds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, but jaggery adds better flavour and nutrition. Sugar makes them more brittle.

You can lightly crush instead of grinding, but ladoos won’t bind as well.

Yes, they are calcium-rich, energy-dense, and great for kids above 2 years.

Yes, replace ghee with coconut oil, though flavour will differ slightly.

Calories 120 Kcal

Total Fat 6 g

Carbs 15 g

Protein 3 g

ESSENTIAL ITEMS

2 cups Makhana (foxnuts)

0.25 cup Almonds

0.25 cup Cashews

0.75 cup Jaggery (grated or powdered)

3 tbsp ghee

0.5 tsp Cardamom powder

OPTIONAL

2 tbsp Walnuts

2 tbsp Desiccated coconut

2 tbsp Poppy seeds (khus khus) or sesame seeds

Recipe by:

Ankita Singh

255 Recipes

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Makhana Ladoos: Light, Nutritious & Festive

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