Peanut Laddu (Shengdana Ladoo)

Nov 7, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Candy confections Easy

Freshly roasted peanuts are ground with jaggery and cardamom until the oils are released and the mixture clumps, then rolled into balls with no syrup or cooking of the sugar. They taste like a deep, caramel-sweet peanut fudge. Makes 14 laddus in about 45 minutes.

Prep 15 min

Cook 20 min

Cooling 10 min

Total 45 min

Yield 14 laddus

Diet Gluten free

Ingredients

Adjust yield

laddus

2 cups (250 g)raw peanuts, shelled
1 ¼ cups (150 g)jaggery, grated or finely chopped
½ tsp (1 g)ground cardamom
½ oz (15 g)ghee, melted, as needed

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Instructions

Dry roast the raw peanuts in a heavy pan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the skins crack and blister, the nuts smell toasted and a split one is golden inside, 8 to 10 minutes.
Spread the peanuts on a plate and cool until warm, about 10 minutes. Rub them between your palms or in a clean kitchen towel to loosen the skins and blow or pick the skins away.
Pulse the peanuts in a food processor to a coarse powder, 10 to 15 seconds; do not run it continuously or they turn to butter.
Add the jaggery and ground cardamom and pulse in short bursts until the mixture looks moist and clumps together when pressed, 20 to 30 seconds.
Squeeze a handful: if it does not hold, add the melted ghee 1 tsp at a time and pulse once more.
Roll about 2 tbsp at a time firmly between your palms into 14 smooth balls.
Let the laddus firm at room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Tips

Already roasted, unsalted peanuts work too; warm them in the pan for 2 minutes so they release their oil.
Soft, dark jaggery binds best; very hard jaggery should be grated finely first.
Stop pulsing as soon as the mixture clumps; overprocessing makes it oily and sticky.
Good with masala chai.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make peanut laddu (shengdana ladoo)?

Plan on 15 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking, plus 10 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 14 laddus.

How should I store peanut laddu (shengdana ladoo)?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

Can I make peanut laddu (shengdana ladoo) ahead?

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

Serve it with masala chai.

Variations

Peanut and sesame: replace 50 g (1/3 cup) of the peanuts with toasted white sesame seeds, toasting them separately for 4 to 5 minutes; timing otherwise unchanged.
Rose and pistachio: add 1 tsp (5 ml) rose water with the jaggery and roll the laddus in 30 g (1/4 cup) finely chopped pistachios.
Orange and cardamom: add 1 tsp (2 g) finely grated orange zest with the jaggery; timing unchanged.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 14 servings this recipe makes.

152 Calories / serving

9.8g Fat

13.4g Carbs

4.7g Protein

9.8g Sugar

Whole recipe (14 servings): ~2128 cal · 137g fat · 188g carbs · 66g protein · 137g sugar

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