Dry Fruit Laddu (Date and Nut Laddu)

Nov 7, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Candy confections Easy

Soft dates and dried figs are cooked into a sticky paste with ghee, packed with toasted almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts, and rolled in toasted poppy seeds. Every bit of sweetness comes from the dried fruit, giving a dense, chewy, caramel-like laddu. Makes 16 laddus in about 55 minutes.

Prep 20 min

Cook 30 min

Cooling 5 min

Total 55 min

Yield 16 laddus

Diet Gluten free

Ingredients

Adjust yield

laddus

¾ oz (20 g)ghee, divided: 5 g and 15 g
7 tbsp (50 g)almonds, chopped
7 tbsp (50 g)cashews, chopped
¼ cup (30 g)walnuts, chopped
¼ cup (30 g)pistachios, chopped
2 cups (250 g)soft pitted dates, such as Medjool, chopped
½ cup (60 g)dried figs, stems removed, chopped
½ tsp (1 g)ground cardamom
1 ½ tbsp (15 g)white poppy seeds, (khus)

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Instructions

Toast the white poppy seeds in a dry heavy pan over low heat, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, 1 to 2 minutes. Tip onto a small plate.
Warm 5 g of the ghee in the same pan over low heat. Add the almonds, cashews, walnuts and pistachios and toast, stirring, until fragrant and lightly golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Tip into a bowl.
Pulse the soft pitted dates and dried figs in a food processor to a thick, coarse paste, 30 to 60 seconds.
Heat the remaining 15 g ghee in the pan over low heat, add the date paste and cook, stirring and pressing, until it softens, turns glossy and comes together as one mass, 4 to 5 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the toasted nuts and ground cardamom until evenly mixed.
Cool until you can handle it, about 5 minutes, then roll about 2 tbsp at a time into tight balls. Roll each in the toasted poppy seeds. Makes 16.
Let the laddus set at room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Tips

Soft, moist dates bind best; if your dates or figs are hard, soak them in warm water for 15 minutes and drain well before pulsing.
Grease your palms with a drop of ghee from the pan if the mixture sticks while rolling.
Cut a few nuts larger for crunch and pulse the rest finer so the laddus hold together.
Good with masala chai or warm milk.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make dry fruit laddu (date and nut laddu)?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking, plus 5 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 16 laddus.

How should I store dry fruit laddu (date and nut laddu)?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, or refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

Can I make dry fruit laddu (date and nut laddu) ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Serve it with masala chai or warm milk.

Variations

Saffron and almond: leave out the walnuts and pistachios, use 110 g (3/4 cup) almonds and 50 g cashews, and stir in a pinch of saffron crushed in 1 tsp warm ghee with the cardamom; timing unchanged.
Orange and cardamom: add 1 tsp (2 g) finely grated orange zest with the nuts; timing unchanged.
Date bar: press the warm mixture into a parchment-lined 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan, chill 30 minutes and cut into 16 pieces instead of rolling.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 16 servings this recipe makes.

121 Calories / serving

6.7g Fat

15.1g Carbs

2.4g Protein

11.5g Sugar

Whole recipe (16 servings): ~1936 cal · 107g fat · 242g carbs · 38g protein · 184g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Made with VanillaGoods

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