This Gulab Jamun recipe is as straightforward as it can get. There was a time when vegan equivalents of dairy products weren’t readily available in the market. But in 2022, there’s a direct vegan version of any dairy ingredient you can dream of. Our mission is not only to bring you the BEST tasting vegan gulab jamun, it’s also to encourage you to create your own vegan versions using your family recipes.
Traditionally Gulab Jamun calls for milk powder. In this recipe, we used a vegan creamer powder in place of that. Since the vegan creamer powder is made to dissolve easily into water, we adjusted the ratio of flour to creamer powder to create the perfect crack-free gulab jamuns.
What is Gulab Jamun ?
Gulab Jamun is a milk solids / milk powder based dessert. It’s essentially donut type dough balls deep fried and soaked in rose-cardamom flavored sugar syrup. It’s a famous dessert all throughout India and is a must-have during festivals and special occasions.
Is Gulab Jamun Vegan ?
It’s not because of milk powder.
How did you make it Vegan ?
We used Vegan Creamer Powder instead of dairy-based milk powder in our family recipe.
Is this version identical to the non-vegan version?
YES!! How exciting is that ? Because we’ve left most of the traditional recipe untouched and only swapped out the milk powder, we were able to create an identical Vegan version of this dessert.
Tips to set you up for success
Vegan Creamer Powder: If your creamer powder is coconut based, you may get slight coconut after-taste in your jamuns. If you dislike that, try to buy a neutral creamer powder made of soy or oats.
Flour to Creamer Powder Ratio: Since creamer powder is designed to dissolve easily in water, if you add too much of it to the flour, the jamuns will crack when they’re being deep fried. We found that 1/2 cup of creamer powder for every 1 cup of flour works best!
Frying Oil Temperature: If your oil is too hot, the jamuns will darken on the outside very soon but the inside won’t cook. This will lead to doughy jamuns that won’t absorb the sugar syrup well. If your oil is not hot enough, the jamuns will not turn golden brown easily and they will absorb too much oil. We measured the temperature for you and found out that 330-340 F works best for frying.
Resting Time: After you transfer the fried jamuns to the sugar syrup, leave them untouched at room temperature for atleast 16 hours. If you put them in the fridge too early, the jamuns will not absorb the sugar syrup very well.
Don’t forget to check out our kick-ass rasmalai recipe.. it is also very close to the traditional non-vegan recipe that you know and miss! If you’re not in the mood to make a large batch, then you will love our single-serve microwave rasmalai that takes exactly 2 minutes to make! We swear, we’re not making that up!
If you’re a visual learner, then check out our instagram video!
Vegan Gulab Jamun
Equipment
- 1 Deep Frying Pan A pan that's deep and narrow works best.
Ingredients
Gulab Jamun Balls
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour or Maida
- ½ cup Vegan Creamer Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1-2 tbsp Plant Milk
Sugar Syrup
- 2 cups Water
- 2 cups Sugar
- Dash of Rosewater
- 4 Cardamom Pods
Frying
- 4 cups Frying Oil
Instructions
Gulab Jamun Balls
- Sift and combine the flour, creamer powder and baking powder together.1 cup All Purpose Flour or Maida, ½ cup Vegan Creamer Powder, 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- Mix in the oil and plant milk into the flour mixture and form a dough. Don't over knead it. If you overdo it, the oil will start oozing out and it will make the balls crack when frying.1 tbsp Oil, 1-2 tbsp Plant Milk
- Divide the dough into 12 small balls and chill them in the refrigerator.
Sugar Syrup
- Bring water, sugar, rosewater and cardamom pods to a boil.2 cups Water, 2 cups Sugar, Dash of Rosewater, 4 Cardamom Pods
- Keep the syrup on medium heat and let it thicken until it coats the surface of a spoon but isn't at a string consistency yet.
- Transfer the sugar syrup out into a storing container. Leave it at room temperature.
Frying the gulab jamuns
- Heat up any frying oil of your choice to medium heat. For canola oil, I let the oil temperature climb upto 340°F.4 cups Frying Oil
- Fry the gulab jamun balls until they turn golden brown. We want them to cook thoroughly on the inside and be cripsy on the outside.
- Transfer the hot jamuns into the sugar syrup directly.
Serving
- Let the gulab jamun balls soak in the sugar syrup at room temperature for atleast 24 hours. Otherwise, the inside of the jamuns will be dry and may not taste great.
- Serve in a small serving bowl with some sugar syrup. I like to heat it up for 30 seconds in microwave and pair it with vegan vanilla icecream!