These sweet and moist pancakes are highly addictive, contain a load of (hidden) pumpkin for vitamins, and are suitable for a vegan diet. They are inspired by Caribbean cinnamon pumpkin pancakes, and will be a great breakfast or snack this fall and winter!
Jump to RecipeHaz clic en Pancakes Veganos de Calabaza (Receta Fácil) para la receta en español.
Caribbean Arepa di Pampuna
During my year-long stay on a Caribbean island, I was introduced to what turned out to be the love of my food life that year: the arepa di pampuna (pumpkin pancake in Papiamentu, and not to be confused with Colombian corn arepas). I ate them several times, cooked by a local lady who would deliver your order to you. They were soft, moist, sweet, cinnamon-y and slightly greasy in an addictive way. Finding myself thinking back of them often, I decided to make my own vegan version of them. Not so Colombian, but I’m sure Colombians will love them as well 😉
Vegan Caribbean Pumpkin Pancakes
These pancakes are incredibly moist and soft (I feel very ambivalent about the word moist though, but you get what I mean) because of the use of pumpkin puree. No dry pancakes allowed on this blog. Also, because of the pumpkin, the pancakes contain a natural sweetener. Therefore you only need to add a little bit of cane sugar (panela, to stay in the Colombian vibes) to these traditionally sweet pancakes. The cinnamon adds a delicious spiced flavor to them, making them perfect for seasonal fall and winter snacks and breakfast.
Ingredients
Pumpkin A butternut squash or round, orange pumpkin will do. Just make sure to find a good and flavorful one.
Panela Because this is a Colombian food blog after all I like to add panela (unrefined cane sugar), which has a delicious caramel flavor. Outside of Colombia, you can use brown sugar or cane sugar.
Instructions
Why you’ll love these pumpkin pancakes
- They are so moist, soft, sweet, and spiced that they don’t need anything else (move over dry American pancakes that need a liter of syrup to taste nice)
- These pancakes contain over 500 grams of pumpkin, adding hidden veggies and vitamins to feed your kids or non-veggie-liking guests
- They don’t contain any animal-derived products, making them suitable for a vegan diet
- Pumpkin pancakes are perfect for fall and winter but don’t restrain yourself from eating them only during those seasons, they are delicious year-round
- You can prepare these arepas di pampuna with common ingredients and you don’t need to buy anything fancy or complicated
- They are a great alternative to regular pancakes or banana pancakes
Serving suggestions
- For a cozy fall or winter’s breakfast, just as they are, or with some additional cinnamon and panela sprinkled on them
- As a snack, or as a dessert with a scoop of your favorite ice cream
- Add raisins to the batter as a variation to the basic recipe
You might also like:
Arepas de Choclo (Colombian Sweet Corn Cakes with Cheese) (savory-sweet Colombian arepas for breakfast or snacking)
Pandebonos (Colombian Yuca Cheese Bread) (homemade buns fresh for breakfast)
Almojábana Bread Pudding (Colombian leftover-bread pudding)
Aguapanela (Colombian Hot Sugarcane Drink) (Colombian-style, to drink with the pancakes)
Limonada de Panela (Colombian Sugarcane Limeade) (panela drink for the hot days)
Do you love this recipe? Give it a 5-star rating below and leave me a comment! Or tag @vecinavegetariana on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe now and make it later!
This recipe is inspired by the lady preparing the most delicious arepa di pampuna. Researching the ingredients, the Arepa di Pampuna recipe from A Taste for Travel was helpful.
Vegan Caribbean Pumpkin Pancakes (Easy Recipe)
Ingredients
- 600 g peeled and cleaned pumpkin, in cubes (replace by canned pumpkin puree)
- 200 g all-purpose flour (a bit under 2 cups)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 4 tbsp grated panela (replace by 2-3 spoons brown- or cane sugar)
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder (plus extra for serving)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 300 ml soy milk
- vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Boil the pumpkin cubes in plenty of water until tender (approx. 20 minutes), drain well, and mash into a smooth puree. Set aside
- In a mixing bowl, mix with a spoon the flour, baking soda, panela/sugar, cinnamon and salt
- Add pumpkin puree and soy milk. The exact amount of milk depends on how wet the pumpkin puree is. Start with 1/3 of the milk, and add gradually. Mix with a wooden spoon into a smooth, thick batter (similar to American pancakes)
- Fry pumpkin pancakes (roughly the size of American pancakes) in plenty of oil in a frying pan on both sides until goldenServe with extra cinnamon and panela, if desired. Enjoy!
