Name: Ras Malai Nut Bread
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 800 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup whole milk; 2 pinches saffron strands; 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup mawa powder (dry milk powder); 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp cardamom powder; 1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt; 1/3 cup oil; 1 tbsp ghee (melted); 6 tbsp sugar; add saffron milk prepared above; 2 tbsp pistachios (chopped); 2 tbsp almonds (chopped); 12 ounces evaporated milk; 1/2 cup whole milk; 2 pinches saffron strands; 2 1/2 tbsp sugar; 2 green cardamoms seeds (crushed); 1 tbsp pistachios (chopped); 1 tbsp almonds (chopped); 1/8 tsp cardamom powder (at the end); 1-2 tbsp edible dry rose petals; Spoon reserved milk over each slice and garnish with a few rose petals

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Ras Malai Nut Bread is soaked overnight in a rich saffron–cardamom milk infused with nuts, capturing all the classic flavors of traditional Ras Malai. This eggless Indian fusion dessert is soft, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make – perfect for preparing a day in advance to wow your guests.

A slice of moist Ras Malai Nut Bread with nuts and glaze sits on a plate, a forkful missing; more cake pieces temptingly rest on a tray in the background.

Ras Malai is one of my all-time favorite Indian desserts, right up there with Gajar ka Halwa. If I had the option to choose between the two at a Desi party, it would be a tough call. One is cold, soft, and creamy, while the other is warm, textured, and indulgent.

Ras Malai is a beloved Indian dessert that originated in the state of Bengal and has become famous across the country. It’s made from curdled milk that’s kneaded into a dough, shaped into flattened discs, and cooked in sugar syrup. The milk is then simmered with sugar, cardamom, saffron, and nuts to create a rich, flavorful ras (sweetened milk).

Ras Malai Nut Bread

My Ras Malai Nut Bread is inspired by my Gulab Jamun Nut Bread. This Indian fusion dessert loaf combines the soft, tender texture of a sweet bread with the rich flavors of traditional Ras Malai. While the bread base is similar, the syrup on top makes this version truly special.

The Ras Malai-inspired syrup is made with a blend of milk and evaporated milk, infused with saffron, and finished with sugar, chopped nuts, and cardamom to achieve that signature flavor. There’s no need to make the flattened discs from scratch or even to buy store-bought ras malai. Just prepare the nut bread and top with saffron-flavored milk – it’s almost like a Ras Malai Tres Leches (without using three milks and minus the whipped cream).

This recipe has a lot of steps, but I can assure you it’s super easy to make, and the results are well worth it. Ras Malai Nut Bread is the perfect Indian fusion dessert to make for Diwali – festive, fragrant, and best enjoyed with a hot cup of masala chai.

3 Popular Questions You’ll Ask Me!

Do I need fresh Ras Malai, or can I use store-bought?
There is no need for actual ras malai in this recipe, so you don’t need to make or buy it.
Is this cake eggless?
Yes!
What nuts work best?
I’ve used chopped pistachios and almonds, as those nuts are commonly used in ras malai; however, pistachios, cashews, or a combination of all three would also be great options.

A slice of Ras Malai Nut Bread with glaze and dried flower petals on top sits on a plate with a fork; more cake is visible in the background.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple Ingredients & Eggless – (you don’t need to make or buy traditional ras malai)
Bursting with Flavor – Flavored with cardamom, saffron, and nutty flavors
Easy to Make – Soft, moist, and quick to make
Festive – Perfect for gifting or serving during the holidays

Ingredients You’ll Need

A top-down view of labeled ingredients for baking, including white flour, mawa powder, sugar, yogurt, ghee, oil, almonds, pistachios, cardamom, saffron milk, baking powder, and baking soda. — **Ras Malai Nut Bread Ingredients**

Five labeled bowls and cups on a wooden board contain evaporated and whole milk, sugar, edible dry rose petals, pistachios, almonds, saffron, and cardamom. — Ras Malai Milk Ingredients for Soaking

Ras Malai Milk – You’ll need cardamom, saffron, milk, and evaporated milk for this recipe.
Nuts – Chopped pistachios and almonds.
Mawa – Don’t skip mawa, which is a type of dry milk powder. You can easily find mawa at your local Desi grocery store or find it on Amazon.
Fat – This oil-based recipe locks in moisture and incorporates a tablespoon of ghee for a subtle richness. Use any tasteless oil – I used avocado oil.

*See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.*

Substitutions

Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free white flour.
Vegan option – There aren’t many vegan options since this recipe uses mawa powder, and I’m unsure of its vegan equivalent. Ras Malai Nut Bread is also a very dairy-heavy recipe, so I don’t recommend making it vegan.

Let’s Make Ras Malai Nut Bread

Make the Saffron Milk

A small saucepan with milk and saffron threads is heating on a stove.

Step 1. Heat a small stainless steel pot over medium heat, add the milk, and once warmed, add a couple of pinches of saffron.

A small saucepan containing yellow liquid with saffron threads is heating on a stovetop burner.

Step 2. Once the milk is scalding (not boiling), turn off the stove. Let the saffron bloom while you prepare your ras malai nut bread.

Make Ras Malai Nut Bread

A glass bowl containing a mixture of flour, mawa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and cardamom sits on a decorative tray.

Step 3. Add the dry ingredients to a medium-sized bowl: flour, mawa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom powder, and salt. Mix well.

A glass bowl containing melted ghee, oil, sugar, saffron milk, and yogurt sits on a wooden surface with a decorative cloth in the background.

Step 4. In a larger bowl, combine the wet ingredients – yogurt, oil, melted ghee, sugar, and saffron milk that we prepared earlier. Use a whisk to mix well.

A clear glass bowl containing a mound of flour on top of a wet batter, placed on a wooden surface with a decorative cloth in the background.

Step 5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet.

A glass bowl filled with a rough, partially mixed dough sits on a wooden surface with a spoon inside.

Step 6. Mix the batter, however, do not over-mix – this is important.

A glass bowl containing a mixture of dough topped with chopped nuts, with a spoon resting inside, sits on a wooden surface.

Step 7. Add chopped pistachios and almonds.

A glass bowl containing a coarse, mixed dough with visible nut pieces, placed on a wooden surface with a metal spoon inside.

Step 8. Gently fold the nuts into the batter.

A rectangular metal loaf pan filled with unbaked, crumbly dough sits on a wooden surface. A decorative pink and gold fabric is partially visible in the background.

Step 9. Transfer the batter into a greased 8″ x 5″ loaf pan. Use a spatula to even out the top. Bake the nut bread for 35 minutes, checking after 30 minutes to ensure it is done.

A loaf of bread with a golden crust sits in a rectangular metal baking pan on a wooden surface.

Step 10. Once done, the top of your nut bread should be golden.

Make Saffron Cardamom Milk with Nuts

A hand whisking a milk and evaporated milk in a stainless steel saucepan on a gas stove.

Step 11. Add milk and evaporated milk to a pot, whisking occasionally.

A stainless steel saucepan on a stove contains a frothy milk with a few saffron strands floating on top.

Step 12. The milk will take about 5 minutes to warm up. At this time, add a couple of pinches of saffron strands. Keep whisking occasionally.

A saucepan with a light yellow, frothy milk with sugar is heating on a gas stove burner.

Step 13. Once bubbles form after 5 minutes, add sugar and whisk.

A saucepan on a stove contains a creamy milk with cardamom and chopped nuts floating on the surface.

Step 14. After about 3-4 minutes, add the chopped nuts – one tablespoon of pistachios and one tablespoon of almonds, along with the seeds of 2 green cardamom pods. Whisk.

A stainless steel saucepan with saffron milk mixture and cardamom powder heating on a gas stove burner.

Step 15. For a more enhanced cardamom flavor, add another 1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamom. Whisk.

A saucepan filled with saffron cardamom milk with nuts is heating on a stovetop burner.

Step 16. After a couple of minutes, turn off the stove and allow this saffron cardamom milk mixture to cool.

Pour Liquid over Nut Bread & Refrigerate

A hand inserts a toothpick into a rectangular loaf of baked bread on a white plate.

Step 17. Once the bread has slightly cooled, use a toothpick to poke holes all over the bread.

A loaf cake on a decorative plate is being topped with a creamy nut-filled saffron cardamom milk from a spoon.

Step 18. Spoon over half of the saffron cardamom milk mixture over the cake (we are saving half the milk for the next day).

Ras Malai Nut Bread covered in plastic wrap is stored on a shelf inside a refrigerator.

Step 19. Wrap the nut bread tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it, along with the reserved milk mixture.

Ras Malai Nut Bread is topped with nuts and dried rose petals, covered in creamy saffron cardamom milk, served on an ornate oval platter.

Step 20. The next day! Remove the plastic wrap and garnish with edible dried rose petals.

A hand pours whole milk from a measuring cup into a glass measuring cup containing reserved saffron cardamom milk mixture with a spoon and plastic wrap on the edge.

Step 21. Add 1/3 cup of whole milk to the reserved saffron cardamom milk to help thin it out.

A partially eaten piece of cake with rose petals is on a plate, and saffron cardamom milk is being poured over it beside a fork.

Step 22. Slice the nut bread and add a couple of spoonfuls of the milk mixture. It’s divine!

Nisha’s Tips for the BEST Results!

Saffron Milk: Prepare the saffron milk in advance and let it bloom and cool completely before adding it to the wet ingredients.
Batter: Do not overmix the batter – just mix until everything is well combined.
Ras Malai Milk (Saffron Cardamom Milk with Nuts): While the nut bread is baking and cooling, prepare the ras malai milk. Once ready, poke holes all over the nut bread and pour the warm (not hot) milk on top. This helps the bread absorb all that rich flavor.
Make Ahead: I know it’s tempting to dig in right away, but make the nut bread a day in advance and let it soak overnight for the best texture and flavor.
Storage: Ras Malai Nut Bread tastes best the next day – and perhaps one more day after that. After two days, the flavors fade and the texture changes. Since this is a dairy-based dessert, I don’t recommend keeping it beyond 2 days.

How to Serve

Slice the ras malai nut bread and spoon the reserved saffron cardamom milk with nuts over it. Enjoy with a hot cup of masala chai.

Ras Malai Nut Bread topped with soaked milk, chopped nuts, and rose petals, presented on a white and gold-trimmed serving platter.

Tried this recipe? If so, please leave a comment & rate this recipe. That would mean so much to me. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I’m happy to share and mention you. Thank you!