These delicious rolls are inspired by a traditional South Asian carrot pudding called Gajar ka Halwa and are the perfect winter dessert! Soft and fluffy rolls using my go-to cinnamon roll recipe filled with a quick and easy sweet carrot filling and topped with milky custard. It’s unlike any cinnamon roll you’ve eaten before!
As you all know by now, I am always inspired by traditional South Asian desserts and love creating fusion recipes using the same flavors. This time, I really wanted to give the classic cinnamon roll a twist, and since it’s winter, what could be better than using Gajar ka Halwa?
What is Gajar Halwa?
In case you don’t know, Gajar ka Halwa is a traditional South Asian dessert that’s made with carrots, milk solids, sugar, and spices like cardamom and cinnamon. It’s a very popular winter dessert and it’s served warm during the colder season, especially in weddings and parties.
While a traditional Gajar ka Halwa is quite a labor of love, this recipe uses a shortcut condensed milk version for the filling made with shredded carrots, ghee, condensed milk, and spices that pairs perfectly with the soft and fluffy rolls.
This recipe uses the same recipe as my cinnamon rolls. It’s a foolproof method I have developed after months of testing and results in the softest, fluffiest rolls. Believe me, you will never be able to go back to store-bought rolls.
Carrot Filling
The carrot filling for these rolls is made with only 5 ingredients – ghee, carrots, condensed milk, and spices and comes together in 15-20 minutes, it’s really that simple. Here’s how you can make the filling.
- First, shred the carrots thinly and squeeze out all the liquids from them. This step is important as you do not want high water content in the filling.
- In a pre-heated pan, add the ghee (clarified butter), then add the whole cardamom pods and let them crackle. You can also use butter if you do not have ghee, however, ghee provides more flavor.
- Add the shredded carrots and cook on medium heat until they start to change color and the moisture starts drying out.
- Add the condensed milk, then add the spices (I use cinnamon and nutmeg, but you can also add ginger or cardamom powder) and mix until combined.
- Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat until the carrots have softened, then add another teaspoon of ghee or butter, mix, and set it aside to chill before using.
Do you like carrot flavored desserts? Try out these recipes!
Custard
Usually, a classic Gajar ka Halwa is heavily mixed with milk solids that we call “khoya” in Urdu/Hindi. It adds a very nice touch to the carrots and perfectly complements the wintery flavors. I wanted to bring that milk element into these rolls which is why they are topped with a thin custard or Creme Anglaise instead of the traditional cream cheese frosting.
The custard is super simple to make and can be made ahead a day before. Here’s how to make it.
- In a saucepan, add milk and vanilla and bring it to a boil of medium heat, stirring often so that the milk does not burn.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Once the milk comes to a boil, temper the eggs by pouring some of the milk into the egg mixture and whisking it continuously. This will reduce the probability of the eggs getting a “heat shock’ and curdling when they are added to the saucepan.
- Return the egg and milk mixture to the saucepan on medium-low heat and keep whisking it continuously so that the eggs do not scramble. Whisk until the mixture starts to thicken, this should take about 5-8 minutes. Once the mixture thickens, take it off the heat, cover and let it chill in the fridge until ready to use.
How To Make Carrot Cake Rolls
You can easily make these rolls more carrot cake-like by changing the topping. Use the classic cream cheese frosting that is traditionally used for cinnamon rolls; this will change the flavor profile and make it more carrot cake-like. The filling uses the same flavors as a traditional carrot cake so it would definitely work well together.
You can find my recipe for a classic cinnamon roll cream cheese frosting here.
If you, like me, have grown up eating Gajar ka Halwa, you will absolutely love this recipe. And guess what? Your mom and dad will love it, too!
The best part about these rolls is that they can be easily made a day in advance and baked fresh for breakfast or your evening tea! You can find the make-ahead instructions in the recipe below.
So let’s get started!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are unreliable and can give different measurements, so I suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Carrot Cinnamon Rolls (Gajar Halwa Inspired Rolls)
Equipment
- Stand mixer with whisk and dough hook (recommended) or electric hand mixer with whisk
- Rolling Pin
- Floss string for slicing cinnamon rolls
- 9×11" baking dish
- Medium saucepan
Ingredients
Carrot Filling
- 250 gs carrots shredded
- 150 ml condensed milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder or any winter spice of your choice like ginger or cardamom
- 3 tbsp ghee clarified butter can sub with butter, but I recommend using ghee
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 92 gs granulated white sugar
- 78 gs unsalted butter softened
- 7 gs salt
- 1 large egg
- 454 gs all-purpose flour
- 6 gs instant yeast
- 255 gs full-fat milk lukewarm
Custard (Crème Anglaise)
- 100 gs egg yolks
- 80 gs caster sugar
- 500 ml full-fat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Instructions
Carrot Filling
- Shred the carrots thinly and squeeze out all the liquids from them. This step is important as you do not want high water content in the filling.250 gs carrots
- Add 2 tbsp ghee in a saucepan on medium heat, then add the whole cardamom pods and let them crackle.3 tbsp ghee
- Add the shredded carrots and cook on medium heat until they start to change color and the moisture starts drying out.
- Add the condensed milk, then add the spices (I use cinnamon and nutmeg, but you can also add ginger or cardamom powder) and mix until combined.150 ml condensed milk, 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder, 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat until the carrots have softened, then add another tablespoon of ghee or butter, mix, and set it aside to chill before using.
Roll Dough
- Cream the butter, sugar, and salt using a whisk attachment until fully combined, for 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and mix for 1-2 minutes.92 gs granulated white sugar, 78 gs unsalted butter, 7 gs salt, 1 large egg
- Add the flour, lukewarm milk (35-40 degrees Celsius), and instant yeast and mix using a spoon or spatula until the dough starts to come together.454 gs all-purpose flour, 6 gs instant yeast, 255 gs full-fat milk
- If you are using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook attachment. If not, use your hands to start kneading the dough. The dough will be sticky and wet at first but should become smooth, soft, and not sticky by the end. The kneading process can take up to 20 minutes if done by hand. If the dough is still very sticky after 5 minutes of kneading, add 15 to 20 grams of flour to the dough, a little at a time.
- Test if the dough is done by doing the windowpane test – cut a small piece of the dough and stretch it using your fingers. The dough should be able to stretch to paper thinness and be translucent without breaking. If the dough breaks during the test, knead it for a few more minutes.
- Lightly oil a bowl, place the finished dough inside and turn it around so that all sides of the dough are lightly coated with oil. Cover with cling film and let it rise in a warm place for 1.5 to 2 hours until it doubles in size.
- Punch the dough, then place a baking sheet on the surface and transfer the dough to it. Lightly flour the rolling pin and roll the dough into a rectangle (around 14×18 inches). Don’t roll the dough too thin; keep the thickness to around 2/3rd inch. If the dough is too thin, the rolls will be tough and chewy rather than soft and fluffy.
- Spread a layer of the carrot filling on the dough, making sure all the edges are covered.
- Roll the dough horizontally (breadth-wise) slowly, making sure you are tightly tucking it in, and roll it all the way through until it forms a cigar shape. If it does not work in the first go, unravel it and do it again.
- Place the roll seam side down and slice it with a string of floss. Mark the dough with roughly equal sizes across the roll, then place the floss string underneath the roll, making sure there is enough overhang on both sides. Bring the overhang up using both hands, then cross it across the dough roll the way you do while trying a string. (For make-ahead instructions, check the notes at the end to follow after this step)
- Place the cut rolls in a baking pan, making sure to leave enough space between each roll for them to rise. Cover them lightly with cling film, and let them proof and rise for another 1.5 to 2 hours until they are doubled in size.
- Once the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 160-170℃ and bake for 15-20 minutes. Don’t let the buns turn golden brown, take it out while they are still a little blonde.
Custard (Crème Anglaise)
- Place the milk and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a boil on low-medium heat.500 ml full-fat milk, 1 tsp vanilla essence
- While the milk boils, add the egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl and whisk using a hand whisk until the sugar is combined and the eggs are smooth and thick, about 2-3 minutes.100 gs egg yolks, 80 gs caster sugar
- Once the milk comes to a boil, add half of it to the egg and sugar mixture while continuously mixing. This process is called tempering the eggs and is done so that the eggs can get used to the heat before they are added to the boiling milk on the stove, and avoid scrambling the eggs when they come in contact with high heat.
- Transfer the milk and egg mixture to the saucepan and cook on low heat while continuously whisking to avoid any scrambling. Cook the custard for 3-5 minutes until it starts thickening. Take it off the heat and strain the custard it into another bowl immediately to stop the cooking process.
- Top the warm buns with custard, let them sit for 5-10 minutes before digging in.
Notes
- To make ahead, follow up till step 9 of the dough recipe, then place the cut cinnamon rolls (without rising them) into the fridge.
- Remove the buns from the fridge 3-4 hours before baking to help them proof and rise. Bake as mentioned in the recipe once they have doubled in size.
- The unbaked rolls can be stored in the fridge for up to two days.
This is one of those recipes that perfectly matches South Asian flavors to a western dessert. Trust me, once you try it, you will never go back!
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments. And of course, share it with me on Instagram.
Until next time!
