Kadoo ke Ladoo: Pumpkin Spice Ladoos are a unique twist on the traditional Indian sweet, ladoo.
Ladoos + Festive Season
These round fudge like sweets made from various ingredients like flour, nuts, and sugar, and are a staple in Indian cuisine. With, the arrival of pumpkins on the scene lets add a seasonal twist to the traditional sweet treat. Fall means the changing of leaves and the arrival of warm spices wafting from kitchens around the world. Among the countless culinary treats that make this time special, mithai is always something that’s a welcome treat. The pumpkin, a symbol of fall, is easily integrated into this traditional Indian treat. The rich, earthy flavor of pumpkin harmonizes beautifully with a blend of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The result? Warm and inviting flavors that work perfectly in an Indian style dessert.
Making Kadoo ke Ladoo
Made with only a handful of ingredients, one of them being a homemade pumpkin spice blend, it’s important to use great quality ingredients. I genuinely love making my own spice blends, the flavors are so much deeper and when I make a blend I always add a little bit of what I love most to it. For my pumpkin spice blend I add ground cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, ground nutmeg, and cardamom. The cardamom is such a natural fit to this warm and cozy spice blend; it adds a beautiful brightness and I love how you can add a little pinch of this blend in coffees, teas, desserts, and more!
Main Ingredients:
- Pumpkin Purée: You can use fresh or tinned, use the plain pumpkin purée not the pie mix.
- Parle G biscuits: This is a no cook recipe so we use biscuits as the binder. If you can’t access Parle G biscuits, you can swap them out for Graham Crackers.
- Powdered Sugar: to add a bit of sweetness
- Pumpkin Spice: a homemade spice blend of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, ground nutmeg, and cardamom.
How to make the pumpkin shapes:
Take a skewer or toothpick and simply run it down the peda creating the look of the natural grooves in pumpkin. For an added fun touch top the mini pumpkins with a chocolate chip.
A twist to the classic:
Kadoo ka Ladoo, Pumpkin Spice Ladoos are like a warm hug in a little bite. A bite of joy that brings together the spirit of fall and the love of Indian sweets in a delightful, mouthwatering package. They are a fusion of cultures, blending traditions of Indian sweets with the fall obsession of pumpkin spice. While making these ladoos it was truly a reminder of that there’s always room for innovation while paying homage to the classics.
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
- ½ tablespoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 5 cloves
- 24 Parle G biscuits, crushed
- ¼ cup pumpkin purée
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tablespoon pumpkin spice blend
- 12 chocolate chips (optional; for stems)
- 1 teaspoon ghee or butter to roll ladoos
- Grind all the spices in a coffee or spice blender and store in an airtight container. Add to coffees, teas, desserts, & more
- In a food processor crush the the Parle G biscuits into crumbs until they resemble a fine sand.
- Add in the pumpkin purée, powdered sugar, and pumpkin spice blend and blend together.
- Once you have a dough like consistency chill the mixture for 20-30 minutes so it’s easier to work with.
- When making ladoos rub your hands with a little bit of ghee or butter and roll the ladoos into ping pong sized rounds. Take a skewer or toothpick and simply run it down the peda. For an added fun touch top the mini pumpkins with a chocolate chip.
Enjoy,
