Vegan Coconut Ladoo / truffles with sweetened condensed coconut milk

These easy vegan coconut ladoos /truffles are soft, chewy, coconutty and wonderfully festive. Made with just two ingredients, they come together quickly and make a beautiful homemade sweet for any special celebration.

Instead of traditional dairy-based condensed milk, this recipe uses sweetened condensed coconut milk. I haven’t added anything else but you can also add a bit of cardamom for a more traditional Indian mithai flavour. 

The exact amount of condensed coconut milk can vary slightly depending on how moist your shredded coconut is and how thick your condensed coconut milk is. Start with a little less and add more as needed.

Ingredients

1.5 cups unsweetened dry shredded coconut

1/2 cup sweetened condensed coconut milk

Shredded coconut, for rolling (optional)

Cocoa powder for rolling  (optional)

Method

In a bowl, combine the shredded coconut and condensed coconut milk. Mix well until the coconut is evenly coated and the mixture holds together when pressed.

If the mixture feels too wet or sticky, let it sit for 5–10 minutes to allow the coconut to absorb some of the moisture. Add a little more shredded coconut if it still feels wet. If it’s too dry, add condensed coconut milk a tablespoon at a time.

I rolled the ladoos immediately but you can refrigerate the mixture for 15–20 minutes to make the mixture easier to handle.

Roll into small, bite-sized balls.

Roll each ball in shredded coconut and / or cocoa powder 

Tip: For consistently sized ladoos, use about 1 tablespoon of mixture per ball. This will give you those cute, bite-sized coconut truffles that are perfect for a festive platter.

Store the coconut ladoos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5–7 days. Enjoy them cold or let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving for the best texture.

I made these ladoos to celebrate Raksha Bandhan and Narali Purnima this year. Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bond between siblings, while Narali Purnima is a Maharashtrian festival where coconuts are offered to the sea to mark the end of the monsoon season. These coconut ladoos were the perfect little sweet to celebrate 🙂