Lemon Milk-Powder Truffle Balls

From the image, these look like soft lemon truffle/ladoo-style balls made from milk powder, with a creamy yellow lemon mixture used to coat or bind them. The exact ingredient list isn’t visible in the photo, so the recipe below is a reconstructed, reliable home version, rather than claiming the image itself contains a specific recipe.

The combination of milk powder + a creamy binder + lemon is a known style of lemon truffle; milk powder is particularly prominent in some lemon-truffle recipes.
M
Moje Wypieki

Makes
18–22 small balls

Texture
Soft • creamy • milky • lemony • slightly chewy

Time
25–30 minutes + chilling

Ingredients
For the lemon balls
1 cup full-fat milk powder — about 100 g

½ cup desiccated coconut — about 40–45 g

¼ cup powdered sugar — about 30 g

2 tbsp melted butter or ghee

3–4 tbsp condensed milk

1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

½ tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

For the yellow lemon coating
½ cup white chocolate — about 85–90 g

2 tbsp heavy cream

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp lemon zest

Tiny amount of yellow food colouring, optional

For finishing
Desiccated coconut

Finely chopped almonds, pistachios, or cashews — optional

Powdered milk, optional

Full Step-by-Step Recipe
1. Prepare the lemon zest
Wash and dry the lemon.

Finely grate only the yellow outer skin.

Don’t grate deeply into the white part because the white pith can make the truffles bitter.

You need approximately 1 teaspoon zest.

2. Make the dry mixture
In a bowl combine:

1 cup milk powder

½ cup desiccated coconut

¼ cup powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

Mix very well.

Why milk powder?
Milk powder provides the creamy, milky body of these balls. It also absorbs moisture and helps create the soft dough.

3. Add butter
Add:

2 tablespoons melted butter or ghee

Mix thoroughly.

The mixture will still look crumbly at this stage.

4. Add lemon
Add:

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp vanilla

Mix.

Now gradually add condensed milk.

Don’t add all of it at once.

Start with about 2 tablespoons, mix, then add more only if needed.

5. Make the dough
Mix until you have a soft dough.

The correct consistency should be:

Soft enough to roll, but not wet or sticky.

Take a small amount and squeeze it between your fingers.

If it stays together, it’s ready.

Too dry?
Add:

1 teaspoon condensed milk at a time.

Too sticky?
Add:

1 tablespoon milk powder or coconut.

6. Shape the balls
Grease your hands very lightly with butter or ghee.

Take approximately 1 tablespoon mixture.

Roll between your palms to make a smooth ball.

Repeat.

For the appearance in your photograph, make them approximately 2–2.5 cm / ¾–1 inch in diameter.

7. Chill
Place the balls on parchment paper.

Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.

This makes them firmer and much easier to coat.

Lemon Coating
The yellow mixture visible in the lower part of the photograph looks like a thick lemon-colored cream/coating.

8. Melt white chocolate
Put:

½ cup white chocolate

in a heatproof bowl.

Melt gently over a double boiler or microwave in 10–15 second intervals, stirring between each interval.

Don’t overheat it.

9. Add cream
Stir in:

2 tbsp heavy cream

until smooth.

Then add:

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp lemon zest

If you want the bright yellow appearance shown in the photograph, add a tiny amount of yellow food coloring.

Mix until completely smooth.

10. Coat the balls
Place one chilled ball into the yellow lemon coating.

Use a spoon to turn it around until completely covered.

Lift it out with a fork or spoon.

Let excess coating drip back into the bowl.

Place on parchment.

Repeat with the remaining balls.

11. Coconut finish
While the coating is still soft, roll or sprinkle with:

fine desiccated coconut.

This gives you the pale, textured exterior seen in the picture.

For a more luxurious version, use:

coconut + finely chopped pistachios

coconut + almond

coconut + white chocolate shavings

12. Final chilling
Refrigerate for approximately 30–60 minutes.

The coating should become firm while the center remains soft.

Nut Information
The basic recipe is naturally nut-free
The recipe above does not require tree nuts.

That’s useful if you want a lemon-coconut-milk truffle without nuts.

Almonds
Add 2 tbsp finely ground almonds to the dough.

Result:

richer

slightly firmer

more marzipan-like

Pistachios
My favorite nut addition.

Add:

2 tbsp finely chopped pistachios

and/or roll the finished balls in pistachios.

They pair particularly well with lemon.

Cashews
Add:

2 tbsp finely ground cashews

This makes the center particularly creamy.

Walnuts
Possible, but not my first choice.

Walnuts have a stronger, slightly bitter flavor that can compete with the lemon.

Hazelnuts
Use lightly toasted, finely ground hazelnuts for a more sophisticated flavor.

Peanuts
Technically possible, but they change the character considerably and make it taste more like a lemon-peanut sweet.

Nut Allergy Notes
If serving someone with a tree-nut allergy, don’t assume that “just adding a different nut” is safe.

Tree nuts include:

almond

cashew

walnut

pistachio

hazelnut

pecan

macadamia

Brazil nut

Also check packaged coconut, chocolate, milk powder and other ingredients for may-contain/cross-contact statements.

Commercial lemon truffles can contain milk and soy, and some are produced on equipment that also handles peanuts and tree nuts, so packaged ingredients need to be checked individually.
E
Edward Marc Chocolatier
+1

How to Get a Stronger Lemon Flavor
For a very lemony version:

1½ tsp lemon zest

1½ tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp lemon extract, optional

Don’t simply add a large amount of lemon juice because too much liquid can make the milk-powder mixture sticky.

Lemon zest is the better way to increase lemon flavor without making the dough wet.

Best Version
For the closest appearance and flavor to the photograph, I’d use:

Dough
100 g full-fat milk powder

40 g desiccated coconut

30 g powdered sugar

2 tbsp ghee

3 tbsp condensed milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

½ tsp vanilla

pinch salt

Coating
90 g white chocolate

2 tbsp cream

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp lemon zest

tiny amount yellow coloring

Finish
fine coconut

finely chopped pistachios or almonds, optional

This produces a soft, creamy lemon center with a smooth yellow coating and a pale coconut exterior.

Q&A
Can I make these without condensed milk?
Yes.

Use approximately 2–3 tbsp thick cream plus additional powdered sugar to taste.

The texture will be somewhat different.

Can I use fresh coconut?
You can, but desiccated coconut is much easier because it contains less moisture.

Fresh coconut can make the balls spoil faster and become too soft.

Can I use coconut milk powder?
Yes, but don’t substitute it 1:1 for all the milk powder if you want the creamy milk flavor. A mixture of milk powder and coconut milk powder works better.

Can I skip the white chocolate coating?
Absolutely.

Simply roll the balls in:

coconut

powdered milk

crushed pistachios

almond powder

They’ll be much quicker to make.

Can I make them vegan?
Yes, but you’ll need to replace:

milk powder → coconut/soy milk powder

butter/ghee → plant butter

condensed milk → vegan condensed milk

white chocolate → dairy-free white chocolate

Check the chocolate carefully for milk and soy.

Why are my balls too sticky?
Usually too much condensed milk or lemon juice.

Add milk powder 1 tablespoon at a time until you can roll the mixture.

Why are they cracking?
The mixture is too dry.

Add ½–1 teaspoon condensed milk and knead again.

Why is my coating too thick?
Add ½ teaspoon warm cream at a time and stir.

Don’t add a lot of liquid at once.

Why did my white chocolate seize?
Water or too much acidic liquid can cause white chocolate to become thick and grainy.

For a particularly reliable coating, make a white-chocolate ganache first, let it cool slightly, and then add a small amount of lemon zest/flavor rather than pouring lots of lemon juice directly into hot chocolate.

How long do they keep?
Because this homemade version contains dairy, keep them refrigerated in an airtight container and ideally consume within 4–5 days.

Can I freeze them?
Yes. Freeze in a sealed container with parchment between layers for approximately 1 month for best quality.

Thaw in the refrigerator.

Can I make them less sweet?
Yes.

Reduce the powdered sugar to 2 tablespoons and use a more tart lemon.

The white chocolate coating will still contribute considerable sweetness.

Are these the same as traditional ladoo?
Not exactly.

They’re closer to a modern no-bake milk-powder truffle/ladoo. Traditional ladoos have many regional preparations and often use ingredients such as gram flour, semolina, coconut, nuts, ghee, or sugar syrup.

Author
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Sara Mitchell

Sara Mitchell is an expert restaurant content creator who writes easy-to-read guides about CAVA and other Mediterranean fast-casual chains in the United States. She covers locations, menus, prices, and hours, making it simple for visitors to find nearby restaurants and what to order quickly.

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