Vegan Besan Ladoos flavoured with sweet citrus cardamoms, nutty pistachios, aromatic coconut and roasted chick pea.
Get your skates on. And, indulge in a delectable Indian confection.
This dish will shatter any preconceptions you may have about vegan desserts.
When to Make This Recipe:
Make this:
- When you’re gearing up for the vibrant festival of Diwali
- When you’re hosting an extravagant party, these Vegan Besan Ladoos are sure to delight. Aunties and guests alike will be raving about these heavenly treats.
- When you’ve got crazy visions of singing and dancing to Bhangra
Inspiration Behind the Recipe:
This recipe is a tribute to the flavours of my childhood, inspired by my mother’s delicious Besan Ladoos. I’ve lovingly recreated the nutty, aromatic blend of pistachios, chickpea, and cardamom that I remember so fondly.
Vegan Besan Ladoos are not only a delight for the senses, but they’re also gluten-free and firmly rooted in the rich traditions of Indian cuisine. The sweet citrus notes, the fragrant coconut, and the roasted chickpea all come together to create a truly indulgent experience.
Recipe Highlights:
- Vegan and gluten-free, a delectable Indian confection
- Flavoured with sweet citrus, cardamom, nutty pistachios, aromatic coconut, and roasted chickpea
- Inspired by the flavours of the author’s childhood and the vibrant festival of Diwali
- A perfect treat for an extravagant party or to satisfy cravings for traditional Indian sweets
What equipment to use:
For this recipe, I suggest:
High speed blender/Grinder
Stove
What to do next:
Tag me on @ethiveganquantum on Instagram to show me what you’ve made and let me know you’re happy for me to share.
My recipes are featured in vegan speciality publications: Nourished, Vegan Life, Plant Based and Vegan, Food and Living.
Order my first self-published book, “Essence: The Beginner’s Guide to Veganism” part of the three-part Circle of Food series. My second book “Presence: The Ascending Vegan” – which explores how to maintain a vegan practice is out in 2027 – I have compiled all the chapters including recipes.
Going strong since 2013.
Love.
Edward x

Ingredients
- 250g chick pea flour (otherwise, known as gram flour)
- 125g unrefined cane sugar (rapadura or panela work perfectly too)
- 6 cardamoms, de-shelled
- 25g pistachios
- 115g coconut oil
Instructions
- Into a large non-stick saucepan, sieve in the chickpea flour.
- Turn on the medium flame; gently roast the flour, stirring constantly until it turns into a dark golden-brown colour – make sure it is well roasted and not undercooked. Be careful, not to burn the flour – which can so easily be done if you are not constantly watching the roasting that is taking place. Turn off the heat and allow to cool down.
- Take the sugar and place into a high-speed blender. Whizz for a few seconds until fine. Set to one side.
- Separately, place the de-shelled cardamom seeds in a grinder and ground to a finely powdered texture. Add the pistachios to the grinder and whizz for a few seconds only, to a grainy texture.
- Sieve the chickpea flour into a large bowl.
Top tip – I sieve the flour before cooking and after because otherwise the chickpea tends to clump together into small balls, not ideal for the texture, this recipe requires.
- Stir in the powdered sugar, cardamom and pistachios to the flour, using a spatula and make sure the ingredients are well combined.
- Heat the coconut oil, until it melts and add to the large bowl.
- On a flat surface, place some baking paper.
- Knead the dough, shape into about balls and place on the baking paper, leaving adequate room.
- Leave the Besan Ladoos to stand at room temperature for about an hour. They are then ready to serve.
- To store place in a sealed container in the fridge. Remove before half an hour before serving.