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Glazed Gulab Jamun Donuts

These Gulab Jamun Donuts are the Indian-American twist you didn’t know you needed. Pillow-soft and soaked in sweet rose syrup, this simple fusion recipe is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: diwali desserts, donuts, eggless, fusion desserts, gulab jamun, gulab jamun donuts
Servings: 10 donuts
Author: Sweta Patel

Ingredients

Gulab Jamun (from scratch)

  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 cup milk powder
  • 3 tbsp semolina
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 5 cups oil for frying

Syrup

  • 2 & ½ cups sugar
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 tsp rose water or rose essence
  • 2 cardamon pods
  • ¼ tsp saffron

Rose glaze

  • 3 tbsp powder sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp rose water

Instructions

Rose glaze

  • Mix everything together until there are no lumps and you have a smooth consistency. Set aside until donuts are ready to be glazed.

Gulab Jamun from scratch

  • Mix the semolina and 2 tbsp of milk together. Set this aside.
  • In a large bowl mix together the milk powder, all purpose flour, baking
    powder and ghee together. Add the mixed semolina mixture and stir
    everything together.
  • Slowly incorporate the milk, add as you go; mix everything together to form the dough. You may not need the whole amount of milk which is why I added tablespoon at a time.
  • Let the dough rest for 5 – 10 mins. In the mean time make the rose syrup.
  • In a sauce pan, combine the water, sugar, rose water, saffron and
    cardamon pods. Cook on med heat for 10 mins until sugar is dissolved.
  • Roll out your dough 1/2 inch thick, you don’t want to roll it out too thin because it will result into some flat donuts.
  • Using a round cookie cutter, press down firmly and cut your donut
    rounds! Using the back end of a piping tip to make the center hole for
    your donuts. Repeat and reuse the dough to make more donuts until you
    have no more dough!
  • Heat up some oil and fry these donuts until they are golden brown.
  • Once they are cooked, let me cool down for 10 mins and than place them
    in the rose syrup to soak. Let them soak for at least 1 hr, but best if
    you can let them soak for 2 hrs. Once they have been soaked, drizzle
    the rose glaze and enjoy!

Notes

  • Make Ahead Preparation & Hosting Tips

    This dish is the perfect way to end an extravagant Diwali or holiday meal. No matter what you use it for, here are my favorite tips and tricks to make your life easier:
    • If you use box mix gulab jamun, add 1 tsp baking powder to it so the donuts will rise really well. This is such an easy way to make it taste completely homemade too!
    • Let your gulab jamun sit and soak in the syrup overnight. This will be ideal for letting all the flavors and sweetness really come together, and it will also help with the texture of your final product.
    • You can use almond or oat milk as substitutions for regular milk in the rose glaze if you’re looking for a vegan or dairy-free option. (The gulab jamun mix I use is also 100% vegetarian). 
    • I love to garnish my donuts with chopped pistachio and dried rose petals after I drizzle the glaze. This adds a beautiful visual touch to the dish. Be creative and garnish with what you like!