My gran’s pumpkin fritters | Pampoen koekies
Light and fluffy pumpkin fritters (pampoen koekies) with caramel sauce. This recipe handed down to me by my grandmother is nostalgia on a plate and will become a family favorite in no time.
Whenever my Ouma (Afrikaans for grandmother) brought a tray of these delicious pumpkin fritters out after lunch, I jumped up and down like only a little girl in love with her gran’s cooking could. I was obsessed with the light and fluffy fritters covered in rich caramel sauce. And now, years later, I feel no different.
These phenomenal pumpkin fritters (or as we call them in Afrikaans, Pampoen koekies), really are all they are hyped up to be. I once cooked a fellow food blogger friend a batch and he proceeded to eat close to 20. In one sitting. They are rich, sticky, buttery and absolutely drool-worthy.
My gran used to serve these fritters with this caramel sauce and I remember it being a light coloured but incredibly rich sauce. I also added a pinch of salt flakes as the salty caramel works so well with the pumpkin. These fritters are an absolute crowd pleaser and you’re guaranteed to love them.
Ingredients needed
- Pumpkin. I make my own pumpkin puree but canned pumpkin will also work.
- Flour.
- Baking powder.
- Sugar.
- Salt.
- Eggs.
- Milk. Coconut or almond milk can be substituted.
For the caramel sauce
The fritters can be served covered in cinnamon sugar but this caramel sauce is what my gran always served them with.
- Sugar.
- Butter.
- Cream.
- Vanilla extract.
- Golden syrup. Honey or maple syrup can be substituted.
- Salt.
How do you make pumpkin fritters?
The batter is incredibly simple and very much the same as a pancake batter. Flour (you can use 1:1 gluten free flour if you wish), sugar and baking powder are mixed with pumpkin puree, egg and milk to form a smooth, thick batter. Spoonfuls of the batter are fried until golden and crisp before being drenched in delicious caramel sauce.
Can you freeze pumpkin fritters?
The fritters will lose their texture when frozen so its not recommended. They are best served fresh and warm but you can make them a few hours ahead and keep them covered, in a low-heated oven for up to 2/3 hours. You can also pour over the caramel sauce ahead of time to allow the fritters to soak up the sauce. You can also refrigerate the fritter batter covered for up to 2 days ahead of time.
Pumpkin recipes
- Pumpkin sheet cake with Chantilly cream
- Soft Pumpkin Dinner Rolls with Sage Butter
- Spicy Miso Coconut Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
For the fritters
- 1 cup pumpkin cooked and pureed
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup milk
- pinch of salt
- oil for deep frying
For the Caramel Sauce
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 cup cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp butter
- ½ cup golden syrup
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
Instructions
For the fritters
- Combine all the ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and fry spoonfuls of the batter until golden brown and cooked throughout, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the oil and allow to drain on kitchen paper.
- Continue until all the fritters are cooked.
For the Caramel Sauce
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and allow to cook over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Pour the syrup over the fritters and serve.
Nutrition
I would like to make them a day before. Do I store them fried and pour over the sauce when serving or would you suggest I store them with the sauce? I don’t want it to loose its nice puffiness
Hi Louise – They will never be QUITE as amazing as when freshly fried but you can fry them, allow to cool on a wire rack then store them in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. The next day I would pop them in the air fryer to crisp them up slightly (you can do this in the oven too) and then only pour over the sauce.
Super lekker… Maak dit baie
I just made these and I have to say they are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS 😋
Simple ingredients and simple recipe but so, so good
I used powder sugar instead of the caramel and I am enjoying them right now with a cup of black coffee, thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe
This is the best pumpkin fritter recipe there is. I first used it in 2014 and till today (2024) it remains my favourite! It’s so hearty and indulgent. My family always say that this can be a desert as well, with the caramel sauce that’s so rich and sweet. I love having these with a leg of lamb or roasted chicken.
Thank you for sharing this recipe it’s delicious!
You’re so welcome!