This Gulab Jamun recipe for a globally loved dessert is easy, foolproof, and delicious. Prepared with three simple ingredients (excluding the sugar syrup), this dessert is worthy of any celebration.
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A gulab jamun is like a fried doughnut shaped like a ball, dipped in aromatic sugar syrup, and garnished with pistachios and rose petals. Popular at religious holidays such as Eid in Pakistan and Holi in India, this gulab jamun also graces many a wedding dessert table in South Asia.
This easy version of the traditional recipe will allow you to make gulab jamun right in your kitchen anytime the craving hits. If you like South Asian desserts, try my Quick Kulfi, milk barfi, sooji ka halwa, or mango kulfi.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Famous recipe: This gulab jamun recipe is so popular that an entire day is devoted to it! October 10th is World Gulab Jamun Day!
- This is a delicious dessert: You won't be able to stop eating it! The fried round balls of dough coated in the infused sugar syrup melt in your mouth!
- Easy recipe: The dough and sugar syrup require just a few ingredients and a short preparation time.
- It's a great make-ahead option: This gulab jamun recipe is super freezer-friendly, so you can make it ahead and warm it before serving. Check the FAQs below for complete instructions.
Ingredient notes
- Nonfat milk powder: Nonfat milk powder is more accessible than traditional milk solids, known as khoya, and results in perfect gulab jamun.
- Bisquick mix: This is essential to the success of this gulab jamun recipe. I tested it with different pancake mix brands and found the taste and texture weren't as good.
- Heavy whipping cream: The fat in the cream helps give the gulab jamun that perfect dense texture and also helps bind the dough.
- Sugar: The syrup is made using equal amounts of sugar and water. Please refer to the tips section below to ensure your syrup is perfect.
- Lemon: The acid in the lemon juice helps prevent the sugar syrup from crystallizing.
- Cardamom: Fresh cardamom pods are broken and added to the syrup for aroma. A fundamental part of all Pakistani desserts, I don't recommend substituting the pods for just the seeds or powder.
- Saffron: I always add a pinch of saffron to my syrup for authenticity, but if you have trouble sourcing this, feel free to skip it.
- Pistachios: A sprinkle of chopped salted pistachios adds the perfect balance of flavor and a beautiful contrast of color to this gulab jamun recipe.
- Rose petals: Often used as a garnish for traditional South Asian desserts, rose petals are optional but highly recommended when serving the gulab jamun for a special occasion.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Use ghee: Traditionally, all Pakistani sweets, such as pumpkin and carrot halwa, are cooked in Ghee. This gulab jamun recipe can get very expensive since you’ll need a lot of ghee. However, you can mix ghee with a high-smoke-point oil for a truly traditional taste.
- Try a different garnish: Skip the rose petals and use edible silver leaf instead.
- Add some Rose Syrup: Gulab means rose water, and this dessert traditionally contains some. I usually stick to saffron and cardamom in my sugar syrup, but you can add a quarter teaspoon of rose water at the end of the cooking process.
- Add a topping: To make your dessert genuinely decadent, serve it with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream!
Step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: Mix the water, sugar, cardamom, saffron, and lemon juice in a wide pot and cook until you have a slightly sticky syrup. Please refer to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Step 2: Mix the nonfat milk powder, Bisquick, and heavy whipping cream to create your dough.
- Step 3: The dough should be soft, smooth, and slightly sticky. Chilling it for 15 minutes helps shape the gulab jamun more easily.
- Step 4: Divide the dough into 24 equal portions and shape each into small, grape-sized balls with your hands.
- Step 5: Check for cracks to prevent the gulab jamun from breaking during frying. Greasing your hands slightly with oil as you shape them helps with this.
- Step 6: Preheat the oil and reduce the temperature to medium or low heat as you fry the gulab jamun. Use a thermometer like the chef alarm to maintain a frying temperature of 225-250℉ for best results.
- Step 7: Batch fry the gulab jamun and use a slotted spoon to move them around constantly so they get a nice, even golden color.
- Step 8: Once they seem done, about 2-4 minutes per batch, remove them onto a paper towel to soak up the grease and then add them to warm syrup for about 2 hours.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overwork the dough: Overworking the dough can lead to gluten formation and hard jamun. If the dough seems too sticky, chill it for 15 minutes and grease your palms to help make the process smoother.
- Test the sugar syrup: If it is too thick, your tiny fried sweets won’t absorb it; if it’s too thin, it can make them break. Place a teaspoon of hot syrup on a small plate to test the consistency. This allows it to cool a little so you don’t burn your fingers. After about 10 seconds, dip your forefinger in the syrup. Press the finger against your thumb to test if the syrup is sticky. It does not need to form a thread; it just needs to be sticky!
- Make sure your syrup is warm. The syrup must be warm when the fried dough balls are added to absorb the sweet liquid properly.
Recipe FAQS
Why is my gulab jamun so hard?
The most likely reason is a lack of moisture. If the dough seems too dry, add a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream until you have the perfect texture.
Why is my gulab jamun too soft?
Your dough probably has too much moisture, or the sugar syrup was too watery. Adding a few extra tablespoons of milk powder will help fix the dough, and reheating the sugar syrup will help thicken it slightly.
How can I store this dessert?
Gulab Jamun should be refrigerated in an airtight container for 7 days or frozen for 3 months.
What is the best way to reheat the gulab jamun?
The gulab jamun must be defrosted in the fridge overnight and then heated in 10-second increments in the microwave until it reaches the desired temperature.
Other desserts you may like
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Gulab Jamun Recipe
This Gulab Jamun recipe, prepared with Bisquick and milk powder, results in a delicious deep-fried dessert dipped in a flavored sugar syrup.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup bisquick mix
- 2 cups dry low fat milk powder
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Sugar Syrup
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 5 pods cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon saffron strands
- 1 teaspoon rose water (optional)
Garnish
- 4 tablespoon chopped pistachios
- 2 tablespoon rose petals (optional)
- 2 edible silver leaf (optional)
Instructions
Sugar Syrup
- Mix the water, sugar and lemon juice in a sauce pan and set it on a high flame to make the syrup.
- Break open the cardamom pods, discard the husk, slightly crush the seeds and add to the syrup.
- Take the saffron, slightly crush it between your fingers and add to the syrup.
- Cook just till the sugar is dissolved and the syrup starts to bubble around the edges.
- Take a teaspoon of the syrup and place it on a plate. After about 10 seconds or so, once it has slightly cooled, dip your forefinger and thumb in it and press together. if they feel sticky the syrup is ready and you can stop cooking it.
- If you want to add rose syrup, now is the time to do so.
The Gulab Jamun
- Mix together the Bisquick mix, flour, and heavy whipping cream just until the mixture comes together. (see notes)
- Divide the mix into 24 equal portions and shape into tiny balls. (see notes)
- Heat the cooking oil.
- Fry the dough balls on medium low heat for 2-4 minutes till they are golden brown color. Use a slotted spoon to constantly move them around so they brown evenly on all sides.
- After they are cooked, remove them onto a paper towel for a few seconds to drain the oil and them add them to the syrup for about 2 hours.
- After the soaking period is over remove the gulab jamun, and sprinkle them with your chosen garnishings
Notes
Rose Water: I don't add rose water to my Gulab Jamun. The saffron and cardamom are fragrant, and the rose can be overpowering. However, you can choose to use it or not.
Rose petals: I do use dried rose petals as a garnish. They bring an element of rose to the dessert without the overpowering fragrance and look beautiful as well.
Silver leaf: This is optional, but most Pakistani and Indian sweets have edible silver leaf, which looks beautiful.
Mixing the dough: Don't overwork the dough! This releases gluten and results in hard Gulab Jamun. Work the ingredients until they are just combined and then shape the balls.
Shaping the gulab jamun: As you shape the tiny balls, ensure there are no cracks, or they may crack when fried. A trick that helps is to keep some cream in a small bowl close by and dip your fingers in it to smooth out the cracks.
Frying the gulab jamun: Ensure your oil is very hot before frying your sweets. When you add them to the oil, reduce the heat and fry on a medium setting to ensure they get cooked through. For best results, batch fry the gulab jamun, as adding them all at once results in uneven cooking and browning.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gulab jamunCalories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 122mgPotassium: 213mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 373IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 145mgIron: 0.3mg
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Pamela
This is how my mother made them decades ago except instead of whipping cream, whole milk warmed was used. They always came out perfect.
Nosheen Babar
So glad to hear that Pamela. The best recipes come from our moms.
Sumaira Toor
I've been making gulab jamun for years with a much more involved recipe. This recipe is so much easier and they came out better than the ones I've been making for years - much softer with the syrup getting into every last bit of the jamun. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Nosheen Babar
Thank You Sumaira. I'm so glad you tried this recipe and liked it. I've used the Bisquick method since I moved here to the USA 25+ years ago.