Pampoenkoekies (Pumpkin fritters with caramel sauce)
Pampoenkoekies (or South African pumpkin fritters) are a must-have at our family gatherings and Christmas celebrations. They're sweet, comforting, and downright irresistible. Plus, they can sneak in as a "veggie side," making them the ultimate feel-good indulgence.
If you are on a roll with South African desserts, you have to make our no-bake peppermint crisp tart next - creamy, minty, caramel layers that set in the fridge while you sleep.
Looking for an easy SA main to serve alongside these fritters? Our sticky, golden chicken with chutney and mayo is a South African family classic that belongs on the same table.
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Ingredients
Pumpkin fritters:
- Pumpkin - I prefer to use butternut squash, but there are many good options like
- Eggs
- Self-rising flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
Caramel sauce:
- Sugar
- Water
- Milk
- Butter
- Cornflour
- Caramel flavour
- Cinnamon
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for the pumpkin fritters with caramel sauce
Step 1: Roast butternut halves at 200°C until soft, scoop out flesh, mash well, and drain any liquid to prepare for light, fluffy fritters.
Step 2: Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then add eggs and mashed pumpkin, stirring until a smooth, thick fritter batter forms.
Step 3: Heat oil in a skillet over medium, drop spoonfuls of batter, and fry three minutes per side until golden brown and crisp on the edges.
Step 4: Drain fritters on paper towel to keep them crisp and light, letting any excess oil absorb before drizzling with sweet caramel syrup.
Step 5: Simmer sugar, water, milk, butter, cinnamon, and caramel flavour, then stir in cornflour slurry slowly until the sauce thickens nicely.
Step 6: Cook syrup gently until glossy and sticky, stirring to prevent burning, then spoon or drizzle generously over the hot pumpkin fritters.
Final Step:
Pour warm sticky caramel syrup over fritters, as much or little as you like, or serve on the side for dipping and extra sweetness.
If you love these warm, spiced pampoenkoekies, you'll also love my easy malva pudding. It's another classic South African recipes, soft, syrupy and perfect for serving warm with cream.
Storage
These pumpkin fritters taste even better the next day, warm up in the oven and have as a sneaky teatime treat.
What to serve with this recipe
- For absolute indulgence, serve these pumpkin fritters alongside our slow cooked lamb shoulder - the rich, fall-apart meat is the perfect contrast to the sweet, caramel fritters.
- Another beloved South African dish to try is our iconic Bunny Chow recipe - a spiced curry stuffed inside a hollowed loaf of bread that is always a crowd-pleaser.
- For a festive South African table, add a bowl of our honey roasted macadamia nuts - sweet, crunchy and done in minutes - as a nibble alongside the fritters.
FAQ
Yes! Many South African families sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar instead. They're just as delicious.
You can, but the texture is much softer and wetter than roasted pumpkin. If you do, drain it well before mixing.
Roasting keeps the pumpkin sweet and concentrated, while boiling adds water and dilutes the flavour.
Both! In South Africa, pumpkin fritters with caramel sauce are often dessert, but they also make an appearance as a sweet side with roasts at Christmas.
More sweet treat recipes like this:
- Honey roasted macadamia nuts
Pampoenkoekies (Pumpkin fritters with caramel sauce)
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
Description
True South African pumpkin fritters, golden on the outside, soft in the middle, and finished with a warm caramel sauce. Comfort food at its best.
Ingredients
For the Fritters
2 large eggs
500 ml self-rising flour
15 ml baking powder
5 ml salt
750 ml cooked and mashed pumpkin
Neutral oil for shallow frying
For the Caramel Sauce
500 ml sugar
250 ml water
125 ml milk
30 ml butter
10 ml cornflour
5 ml caramel flavouring
3 ml cinnamon
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Roast the pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Cut the butternut pumpkin in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and roast for 30 minutes until soft.
- Mash the pumpkin: Scoop out the flesh, mash until smooth and drain off any excess liquid.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Make the batter: Add the eggs and mashed pumpkin to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Heat the oil: Heat a shallow layer of oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Fry the fritters: Drop spoonfuls of batter, about ¼ cup each, into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side until golden.
- Drain: Remove the fritters from the pan and drain on paper towels.
- Start the caramel sauce: In a saucepan, heat the sugar, water and milk until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add flavour: Stir in the butter, caramel flavouring and cinnamon.
- Thicken the sauce: Mix the cornflour with a little of the hot sauce to form a slurry, then stir it back into the pan and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Serve: Arrange the fritters on a platter, drizzle with the caramel sauce and serve warm.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 60
- Category: Side
- Method: Oven & stovetop
- Cuisine: South African
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 344
- Sugar: 46.3 g
- Sodium: 265.3 mg
- Fat: 5.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 71.3 g
- Fiber: 3.1 g
- Protein: 5.3 g
- Cholesterol: 43.7 mg
Love this recipe? Explore all our easy South African recipes for more SA classics you can make at home.
Best ever pumpkin fritters with caramel sauce! Made it and everyone loved it, maybe just too much caramel sauce.
Thanks Sally, you can definitely make just half the sauce if you don't want it too sweet.
Best ever “pampoenkoekies” just like mum use to make.
Glad you liked it!