Indian Desserts Made Vegan: Dairy-Free Recipes

Indian desserts always pull you in. From the moment you enter a sweet shop, the array of sweets takes you back to the memories of festivals, family gatherings, and childhood days when you used to gobble rasgullas and gulan jamuns like anything. But most of the traditional Indian mithai is made with dairy products. Be it ghee, khoya, milk, or cream, the idea of turning your favourite sweets vegan can sound a little hard, but the good news is that it’s possible. 

Since Indian cooking has always been adaptable, shaped by different regions and seasonal ingredients, the sweets, too, can be made with a few dairy-free swaps. To help you nail the desserts, Chef Varun, a Chef Consultant at Humane World for Animals India and the founder of Bodhi Greens Café, has shared some vegan sweet recipes that you can recreate at home.

Also Read: Bake Better: 5 Dairy-Free, Vegan Cake Recipes You Will Love

Mysore Pak

Ingredients:

• 1 cup kadale hittu /besan flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup vegan ghee

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, sieve the besan flour and keep it ready.
2. Heat sugar and water in a pan on a low flame.
3. Bring it to a boil till it is a one-string consistency.
4. In a thick-bottomed pan, heat the vegan ghee on medium heat. Add the besan flour.
5. Fry for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Remove from heat, add sugar syrup, and place it back on low heat, stirring constantly.
7. In a few minutes, once you reach a thick paste that leaves the pan smoothly, turn off the heat and transfer to a greased mould.
8. Let it cool, demold and cut into even pieces. Serve cool!

Vegan Semolina Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

• ½ cup fine semolina
• ½ cup almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
• 1 tsp sugar (for the dough)
• 1 tsp vegetable oil (for the dough, plus more for deep-frying)

For the sugar syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• Saffron strands (optional)
• 1 tsp rose water (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, add cardamom and saffron, stir till sugar dissolves.
2. Add rose water if using, turn off the heat, and keep aside.
3. In a pan, add non-dairy milk and 1 tsp sugar. Bring to a boil.
4. Add 1 tsp oil and whisk in ½ cup fine semolina, stirring briskly to avoid lumps.
5. Cook on a very low flame for 2–3 minutes. Switch off and let it rest for 5 minutes to thicken.
6. Transfer the mixture to a plate and knead it into a soft dough. If it feels dry, add a few drops of milk, the dough should be soft but not sticky.
7. Divide the dough and roll into smooth, small balls. Ensure there are no cracks in the dough balls.
8. Heat some oil on medium and deep-fry balls on medium-low flame until golden brown. Do not crowd the pan.
9. Let hot jamuns soak in warm sugar syrup for at least 2 hours to absorb flavour and soften.

Kesar Dry Fruits Shrikhand

Ingredients:

• 1 kg soy dahi
• 24 strands saffron
• 8 tbsp powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons pistachios, chopped
• 2 tablespoons almonds, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cashews, chopped
• 1 tsp cardamom powder

Instructions:

1. Hang the curd in a muslin cloth for at least 2 hours until thick.
2. In a small bowl, add the coconut milk and mix in the saffron. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.
3. Whisk the curd and add the saffron water, the sugar, and whisk for a few minutes.
4. Now add the dry fruits and green cardamom powder and mix well. Serve cold!