Here are my irresistibly soft Gulab Jamun made with milk powder that you can serve at special occasions or festivals. The jamun are flavoured saffron then deep fried before they're dunked in a saffron cardamom sugar syrup.
Soft & Melt Away Gulab Jamun with Milk Powder
Indian sweets have always been the centrepiece of celebrations in our home. I have so many memories, especially on Diwali or birthdays, of my Mum making Gulab Jamun using traditional khoya. The kitchen would fill with that warm, floral sweetness of cardamom and rose.
This version is a little more approachable but still just as indulgent. Using milk powder keeps things simple, but when done right, you still get that soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture that soaks up all that saffron syrup beautifully.
I’ve learned that skipping semolina makes all the difference here, keeping the jamuns tender rather than firm. I made these for Raksha Bandhan one year, and they were the one thing everyone went back for, again and again. There’s something about breaking into a warm jamun and watching it gently collapse into syrup that just feels like pure comfort.
Have them hot or at room temperature, on their own or with a scoop of kesar pista ice cream. You really can't go wrong.
Hayley x
Recipe Tips & Troubleshooting
How can I make soft and melt in mouth Gulab Jamun using milk powder?
Usually, with milk powder, many add semolina, which makes gulab jamun hard and can crack. Don't add semolina, knead the dough thoroughly and make a soft and sticky dough. When you make balls, make sure there are no cracks.
How to prevent jamun breaking in the hot oil
If you've added too much baking soda to the dough, gulab jamuns will crack. Make sure balls are rolled properly without cracks. Do not overcrowd the kadai by adding many jamuns same time. Make sure oil temperature is maintained throughout the whole frying process.
What colour Gulab Jamun should be?
Gulab Jamun should be between light to medium brown.
For how long I should keep Gulab jamuns in the sugar syrup before serving?
At least 5 hours or the longer the better.
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Kesar Gulab Jamun with Milk Powder
Ingredients
Sugar Syrup
- 3 cup sugar
- 4 ½ cup water
- 12-15 strands saffron
- 4 green cardamom whole
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Kesar Gulab Jamun
- 1 ½ cup full-fat milk powder
- 3 tablespoon plain flour
- 3 tablespoon ghee
- 4-6 strands saffron
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 4-5 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon soda
- oil (2 cup) for deep frying
Instructions
Make Sugar Syrup
- In a big pan place sugar, water and cardamom.
- Heat it over a medium heat and bring it to boil.
- Once it starts boiling add lemon juice and cook until just about the sugar syrup reaches the ½ thread consistency.
- It will take about 12-15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add saffron threads and leave it aside.
Gulab Jamun
- In a wide and big plate, place all the ingredients of the kesar gulab jamun except oil.
- Mix everything well, and add milk little by little and knead a soft and sticky dough.
- Knead well to achieve soft gulab jamun without cracks.
- Leave the dough covered for 5 minutes.
- Then once again knead the dough for a minute.
- Divide the dough into equal size portions and make balls of an even size.
- Heat the oil in a kadai. Switch of the heat and then allow to cool a little.
- Drop in a few jamun and once they rise, turn the heat on again to a medium flame. Fry until the jamun are medium brown.
- Remove from the oil and drop them in the sugar syrup to soak.
- Repeat for all the jamuns.
- Allow to soak for 6-7 hours.
- Serve hot or cold, with ice cream or cream or on its own.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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Leslie Stuart says
I love the Indian sweets and desserts. These Gulab jamun looks so great.
Renee Nicole's Kitchen says
These look so pretty!! I have been on a cardamom kick lately and love finding new ways to use it.
Sharon says
These little golden dumplings look so good! My favorite kind of comfort food dessert. The fact that they stay in the syrup for 5 hours makes them even better.
Unknown says
This is a great dessert! I love changing up my recipes when it comes to dessert and this is a great recipe to do that with!
theseasidebaker says
I love trying different desserts from different cultures! This looks absolutely delicious!
Marisa Franca @ Allourway says
What a beautiful dessert!! The little round balls are perfect and bathed in a sugary syrup sound so very tempting. I love the details that you gave in explanation to the recipe and how you can make it. Your photos really make the dessert look delicious.
Savory Bites Recipes says
SO so yummy! perfect for any occasion and festive too.Loved the clicks.
Lorie says
My dad had a client years ago who made these. I forgot about them until now. Can’t wait to make my own!
Gloria says
Your photography is stunning. I love trying flavours of the world right from my own kitchen. This looks like a fun rainy weekend experiment for sure.
Girl Heart Food says
I've never heard or had these before, but would certainly love to give it a try! Love all the details about the recipe too - thanks!