Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside | These Chinese Pumpkin Cakes 南瓜饼 are a quick and delicious snack made healthier at home. You’re only 30 minutes away from these sweet treats!
I LOVE desserts or snacks that include s healthy ingredient, in this case it’s pumpkin! To be honest, I’ve never seen people sell 南瓜饼 amid the vast rage of fried goodies sold here in Malaysia and I really wish they did. But not to fret, because these Vegan Chinese Pumpkin Cakes are super easy to make at home!
If it’s fall season where you live right now (I can never tell because it’s summer 24/7 in Malaysia HAHA) I highly recommend you give this pumpkin recipe a go.
The sesame seeds provide a good crunch in contrast to the chewy cake and I like that they aren’t overly sweet. They’re also healthier, because we can pan fry them instead of deep frying. I’ve tried air frying them, but the cakes came out way too dry for my liking. My mom didn’t mind them though, so you can give it a shot!
Making the vegan Chinese pumpkin cakes
The method I’m using to make the dough has two parts which come together quite easily. You’ll mix the pumpkin, sugar and glutinous rice flour first, then incorporate a cooked paste consisting of rice flour, milk and a little oil. Refer to the recipe below for detailed instructions.
Form your dough, divide, flatten on a tray of sesame seeds and they’re ready to fry! Wasn’t that super simple?
I first made these with my 婆婆 (grandmother) during my stay in Kuala Lumpur. We made them twice, once with a sweet potato filling and then with red bean paste. However, I really enjoy them plain as well! I adapted this recipe from the one my 婆婆 (grandmother) copied from a Chinese YouTube channel, so I couldn’t find the original source.
No tips and tricks this time, because they’re THAT easy to make! What are you waiting for?
Some other dessert recipes I think you’ll love:
- Vegan Sunflower Butter Caramel Popcorn (Gluten + Oil-Free)
- Vegan Brown “Butter” Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Coconut Mango Mochi (Gluten + Oil-Free)
- Onde-Onde/Klepon (Pandan Glutinous Rice Balls With Coconut Palm Sugar)
If you’ve made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rating below, tag me on Instagram @eatwkriss or Facebook @Eatwkriss. Remember to use the hashtag #eatwkriss so that I can see your amazing recreations.
Chinese Pumpkin Cakes/南瓜饼 (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 125 g pumpkin puree
- 150 g glutinous rice flour
- 60 g brown sugar
- 5 g rice flour
- 15 g oil
- 50 g non-dairy milk
- 30 g black sesame seeds
- 30 g white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix the pumpkin, glutinous rice flour and brown sugar together. The mixture will still be really dry.
- Heat the rice flour, oil and milk in a small pan until it boils and a wet paste forms. Pour the boiling paste into the pumpkin dough and mix to combine.
- Once the mixture is cooler, knead it together with your hands on a clean work surface. It's going to seem really dry, but it will come together in a few minutes. You should get a pliable dough that doesn't stick to your hands at all.*
- Divide the dough into 10 equal parts and roll into balls.
- On a small baking tray, arrange the sesame seeds evenly. Flatten each ball of dough with your palm on the tray so that the seeds are embedded in the dough. Flip and repeat so that both sides are fully covered with sesame seeds. You should get about ¼-inch thick rounds.
- Heat up a large pan with some oil over medium heat. Pan-fry the biscuits until they turn golden brown. Flip and repeat with the other side.
- Let them cool slightly, patting off the excess oil with paper towels. Best served fresh while they are crispy. Enjoy!
Notes
SAVE THIS PIN FOR LATER ⇓
