Gulab Jamun Cheesecake

This Gulab Jamun Cheesecake is inspired by an Indian dessert with the same name and this Gulab Jamun Cake. It is flavoured with saffron, cardamom and Gulab Jamun Syrup and is so delicious!

What is Gulab Jamun?

Gulab Jamun is a very popular Indian dessert often served at weddings and parties.

The dessert is essentially soft sugar syrup soaked dough balls.

Gulab means rose and Jamun means Berries. The berry refers to a purple berry that is available in India also known as Java Plum.

The dough balls are usually made with milk powder, khoya or bread. Khoya is a dairy product and refers to  evaporated dry milk solids.

The sugar syrup is flavoured with saffron, cardamon and rose water. I don’t add much rose water in the syrup because my family prefer it that way but you can adjust the quantities in this cake according to your taste.

I love Gulab Jamun served hot with Vanilla Ice Cream. 

For this cheesecake, I brought ready made Gulab Jamun. 

How to make your own Gulab Jamun

Traditionally, gulab jamun is made using khoya (dry milk solids). Making Khoya is a long process and as such most people buy it or tend to use Milk Powder in place of khoya. 

Gulab Jamun Ingredients

Milk Powder, Plain Flour, Baking Powder, Butter, Egg, Milk, Sugar, Cardamom, Saffron, Rose Water (Optional), Orange Food Colouring (Optional).

This is a simple recipe:

DOUGH

1 cup Milk Powder (Full Fat)

2 tbsp Plain Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Ghee or Butter melted

1 Egg

7 – 8 tbsp Warm Milk

Combine Milk Powder, Flour and Baking Powder in a large bowl. Stir in egg and butter. Add milk 1 tbsp at at time stirring in between. Knead GENTLY to form a dough. Grease your hands with a little oil. Make small balls from the dough and deep fry on medium low until a deep golden (6 – 8 minutes). Make syrup and add dough balls to the syrup for 30 minutes.

SYRUP

2 cups Water

1 cup Sugar

8 Cardamom Pods cracked open

1/2 tsp Saffron Threads

1/2 tsp Rose Water

You can add orange food colouring too but I don’t.

Add all the ingredients for the syrup to a pan and simmer on low heat for 6 – 8 minutes.

Top tips for making Gulab Jamuns 

Make sure your hands are oiled when handling the Gulab Jamun dough

Don’t handle the dough too much. Just enough to bring the dough together.

Fry dough balls over medium low heat.

Stick to the correct quantities for baking powder.

Don’t over simmer the syrup!

Tips to make the best Gulab Jamun Cheesecake

Heating the Saffron and infusing into cream brings out the flavour.

This cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months and keeps well in the fridge for 3 days.

You can replace the cream cheese with Mascarpone. 

Use full fat cream cheese in this recipe. The lighter versions don’t set as well.

How to make Gulab Jamun Cheesecake

Break and heat the Saffron in a dry pan and add to the Double Cream. Add Cardamom, mix through and allow to stand.

Add Gingernuts to a ziplock bag and bash with a rolling pin to form fine crumbs. You can use a food processor instead if you prefer.

Melt butter until completely liquid. 

Combine the ginger nuts, butter and gulab jamun syrup in a large bowl and mix till completely mixed through.

Press into the base of a 20cm springform tin and place into the freezer.

Add the cream cheese, sour cream and icing sugar to a bowl and mix using a hand blender till combined.

Stir in the Saffron Cream.

Spread over the frozen base. 

Notes

Print

Gulab Jamun Cheesecake

No Bake Gulab Jamun Cheesecake with Cardamom and Saffron

Course Baking/Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Gulab Jamun, Indian Desserts

Prep Time 10 minutes

Fridge 5 hours

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 546 kcal

Author Safira

Ingredients

Saffron Cream

• 6 - 8 Saffron Strands
• 250 ml Double Cream
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder

Base

• 200 g Ginger Nut Biscuits
• 75 g Butter Melted
• 1 tbsp Gulab Jamun Syrup Or add 1 tbsp more of Butter

Complete Cheesecake

• 750 g Cream Cheese I use Philadelphia Full Fat
• 50 ml Sour Cream
• 100 g Icing Sugar

Decoration

• 6 Gulab Jamun
• 1 tsp Dried Rose Petals

Instructions

Saffron Cream

1. Break and heat the Saffron in a dry pan and add to the Double Cream along with the Cardamom Powder.

Base

1. Add Gingernuts to a ziplock bag and bash with a rolling pin to form fine crumbs. You can use a food processor instead if you prefer.

2. Combine the ginger nuts, melted butter and gulab jamun syrup in a large bowl and mix till completely mixed through.

3. Press into the base of a 20cm springform tin and place into the freezer.

Complete Cheesecake

1. Add the cream cheese, sour cream and icing sugar to a bowl and mix using a hand blender till combined.

2. Stir in the saffron double cream.

3. Spread mixture over the frozen base. 

4. Leave to set in the fridge for 5 - 6 hours.

5. Top with Gulab Jamun and rose petals and serve!

Recipe Notes

Tips to make the best Gulab Jamun Cheesecake

• Heating the Saffron and infusing into cream brings out the flavour.
• This cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months and keeps well in the fridge for 3 days.
• You can replace the cream cheese with Mascarpone. 
• Use full fat cream cheese in this recipe. The lighter versions don't set as well.

Nutrition Facts

Gulab Jamun Cheesecake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 546 Calories from Fat 423

% Daily Value*

Fat 47g72%

Saturated Fat 26g163%

Cholesterol 139mg46%

Sodium 413mg18%

Potassium 149mg4%

Carbohydrates 27g9%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 15g17%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 1611IU32%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 104mg10%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.