Creamy rich Indian rice pudding rolled into balls and coated in various toppings to make a perfect dessert that’s a hit at any dinner party. These kheer ladoos (rice pudding truffles) have an amazing texture and cardamom flavor! (gluten-free and soy-free)
These are an easy dessert for any festive season or for Diwali. I made this decadent rice pudding flavored with cardamom, which is basically Punjabi kheer.
Then, I mix it with some cashew cream, chill it, scoop it into balls, and roll them in different toppings like pistachios, cocoa powder, almond slivers, rose petals, melted chocolate, toasted coconut, or anything else you like.
Ladoo are basically Indian truffles, and these are flavored with cardamom for a simple yet delicious dessert.
You can change up the flavor with things like cinnamon or vanilla, and you can play around with toppings and mix-ins to make all kinds of delicious variations! For extra decadent rice pudding truffles, melt some chocolate with a little bit of coconut oil in a double boiler, then coat them in the melted chocolate.
Kheer ladoo are great to serve either as a snack or dessert. They don’t need extra bowls or spoons, and they’re already portioned. You can also make them ahead of time, so you won’t have as much cooking to do on the day of your dinner party.
Why You’ll Love Kheer Ladoo
- creamy truffles scented with cardamom
- easy, make-ahead dessert perfect for Diwali or any dinner party
- versatile! Add mix-ins and toppings of choice to make these your own
- naturally gluten-free and soy-free
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Make the rice.
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Wash the rice really well, then soak in water for at least 10 minutes. Drain and add to a saucepan with sugar, water, and a pinch of salt. Take the green cardamom pods, crush them with a knife or mortar and pestle, remove the black seeds, then crush the seeds coarsely. Add that to the saucepan.
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Heat the saucepan over medium, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to medium-low. Partially cover and cook 25 to 30 minutes, until the rice is very soft and almost dissolving into the water.
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Instant Pot method: Add all the rice ingredients with just 1 ½ cups water. Pressure cook for 15 minutes, let pressure release naturally, then open the lid.
Meanwhile, make the cashew cream.
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Drain the cashews, and add them to a blender with the remaining cashew cream ingredients. Blend for 1 minute. Let sit 5 minutes, then blend again for 1/2 minute. Repeat, if needed, until the mixture is very smooth and creamy.
Make the kheer.
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When the rice is ready, combine the cashew cream mixture and the cooked rice to a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook stirring continuously. The mixture will thicken at the edges and get lumpy, then even out. Stir every few seconds until evenly thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Taste and adjust flavor: add more cardamom, sugar, or add some saffron, if you like. See notes for other flavor options.
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Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Refrigerate to chill for about an hour to thicken more.
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This step is for the optional mix-ins, if you are using them. In a small skillet, over medium heat, add the oil. Add cashews, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn golden. Then, add the raisins. Toast until the raisins puff up, then remove the pan from the heat. You can fold these into the rice pudding or stuff them inside the rice pudding balls.
Make the ladoo (truffles)
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Place each topping onto small plates. For a coconut topping, dry-toast large flakes over medium-low heat until they turn golden.
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Remove the rice pudding from the fridge. Scoop portions with an ice cream scoop or spatula. Grease your hands, roll portions into balls, then roll each ball in whichever topping you want until it’s coated really well. Place on a serving plate or store in a container in the fridge. Repeat for all the rice pudding, and refrigerate until ready to serve. These keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge. Do not freeze, because the rice texture will change.
Serve at room temperature for the fudgiest, creamiest texture and best flavor. Kheer ladoo will also stay fine at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours without melting, so they’re perfect for parties.
You can also make this with brown rice, but it doesn’t soften as much as white rice. Cook it until very soft, or use something like quinoa instead of rice for better texture.
Flavor variations: add vanilla, vanilla with cinnamon, vanilla with cardamom, or almond extract to the rice pudding. For toppings, you can mix and match. Pistachio and cocoa powder go together really well.
Kheer ladoo are naturally gluten-free, and they are soy-free as long as you choose soy-free toppings. It would be hard to make this nut-free, since the cashews really help the rice pudding thicken up. If you want a nut-free version, you could try using coconut cream plus 1 tablespoons flour along with cornstarch to help it thicken without the cashews.
Calories: 135kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Sodium: 55mg, Potassium: 115mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- white basmati rice – You can use brown rice, you will just need more water and to cook it for longer, so it softens. You can also use quinoa!
- cardamom pods – To flavor the rice. You can also add other flavors, like vanilla, cinnamon, saffron, or almond extract, if you like.
- sugar – To sweeten the rice pudding/kheer.
- cashews – For the cashew cream that makes the rice pudding creamy. You can use coconut cream with a tablespoon of flour instead, but it might not thicken quite as well.
- cornstarch – Helps the rice pudding get nice and thick.
- ground cardamom– To season the cashew cream.
- mix-ins – You can toast some chopped cashews with raisins or chopped dates and mix those into the rice pudding, as well.
- toppings – Use toppings of choice like shaved chocolate, crushed pistachios, toasted coconut flakes, cocoa powder, almond slivers, etc. You can also mix-and-match toppings!
💡Tips
- If you are toasting the raisins, keep a close eye on them, because they puff up quickly!
- Serve at room temperature for the fudgiest, creamiest texture and best flavor. Kheer ladoo will also stay fine at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours without melting, so they’re perfect for parties.
How to Make Rice Pudding Truffles
Wash the rice really well, then soak in water for at least 10 minutes. Drain and add to a saucepan with sugar, water, and a pinch of salt. Take the green cardamom pods, crush them with a knife or mortar and pestle, remove the black seeds, then crush the seeds coarsely. Add that to the saucepan.
Heat the saucepan over medium, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to medium-low. Partially cover and cook 25 to 30 minutes, until the rice is very soft and almost dissolving into the water.
Drain the cashews, and add them to a blender with the remaining cashew cream ingredients. Blend for 1 minute. Let sit 5 minutes, then blend again for 1/2 minute. Repeat, if needed, until the mixture is very smooth and creamy.
When the rice is ready, combine the cashew cream mixture and the cooked rice to a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook stirring continuously. The mixture will thicken at the edges and get lumpy, then even out. Stir every few seconds until evenly thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Taste and adjust flavor: add more cardamom, sugar, or add some saffron, if you like. See notes for other flavor options.
Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Refrigerate to chill for about an hour to thicken more.
This step is for the optional mix-ins, if you are using them. In a small skillet, over medium heat, add the oil. Add cashews, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn golden. Then, add the raisins. Toast until the raisins puff up, then remove the pan from the heat. You can fold these into the rice pudding or stuff them inside the rice pudding balls.
Place each topping onto small plates. For a coconut topping, dry-toast large flakes over medium-low heat until they turn golden.
Remove the rice pudding from the fridge. Scoop portions with an ice cream scoop or spatula. Grease your hands, roll portions into balls, then roll each ball in whichever topping you want until it’s coated really well.
Place on a serving plate or store in a container in the fridge. Repeat for all the rice pudding, and refrigerate until ready to serve. These keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge. Do not freeze, because the rice texture will change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kheer ladoo are naturally gluten-free, and they are soy-free as long as you choose soy-free toppings. It would be hard to make this nut-free, since the cashews really help the rice pudding thicken up. If you want a nut-free version, you could try using coconut cream plus 1 tablespoons flour along with cornstarch to help it thicken without the cashews.