Crispy outside, sticky inside, these lightly sweet Chinese Pumpkin Rice Cakes were much-adored when I was growing up and I still love eating them to this day. Naturally vegan and easily made gluten-free, this recipe comes together quickly—and can be shallow pan-fried or made in the air fryer!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- I’ve come up with the ultimate pumpkin rice cake recipe! I tested this recipe over six times, each time with variations in the ingredient quantities, ratios, and cooking methods, for the BEST flavour and easiest cooking method.
- While pumpkin rice cakes are usually fried, I’ve given two options for making this recipe: 1) the traditional shallow frying method and 2) a healthier air fryer recipe you’ll love.
- Chinese pumpkin rice cakes are naturally vegan, no substitutions required.
- Tired of Pumpkin Pie?! Not really, I will never be, but these pumpkin rice cakes are a festive alternative to traditional pumpkin-based treats.
History & Origins
Also called Nan Gua Bing (南瓜饼), pumpkin rice cakes have their origins in China where they are served as a breakfast or snack.
These lightly sweetened cakes were on regular rotation in my household when I was growing up. I’m so happy to be able to share another example of a traditional vegan Chinese recipe—just like Sichuan Doufunao (spicy tofu pudding) and Buddha’s Delight (vegetable bean curd medley).
Pumpkin rice cakes have historically been fried in oil (which I provide instructions for), but I present: my method for pumpkin cakes in an air fryer. And bonus, since the air fried version is less oily, you can eat more of them!
What You’ll Need
A few important notes on some of the ingredients used to make these Chinese Pumpkin Rice Cake:
Pumpkin: These Chinese pumpkin rice cakes are traditionally made with kabocha squash, a variety of squash that’s even sweeter than butternut squash. Also, kabocha squash is fairly dry. If your squash is dry, you need less flour for the cakes to come together. This results in a stronger pumpkin flavour. To make this recipe you’ll need to roast the squash until soft and scoopable. (I recommend roasting instead of steaming to ensure the pumpkin stays dry and doesn’t take on additional moisture.)
Tip: You can substitute canned pumpkin (make sure to get pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling). I actually love using canned pumpkin puree for this recipe because it gives reliable and consistent results.
Glutinous Rice Flour: Despite its name, glutinous rice flour is gluten-free. It is also known as sticky rice flour or mochiko. It’s made of finely ground glutinous or sticky rice, and once it’s cooked it gets super stretchy and sticky.
Note: Glutinous rice flour is essential for the chewy, sticky texture of the pumpkin rice cake, so do not replace it with regular rice flour.
Sugar: You can use either granulated white sugar or brown sugar for this recipe.
Panko Crumbs: Panko breadcrumbs do double duty in this recipe. They add a pleasant crunch to the outside of the cake while doing major work to prevent the surface from sticking. Otherwise, the rice cakes will stick to your frying pan or air fryer like crazy! You can sub sesame seeds for a gluten-free option—see below.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Ingredient Substitutions
If you’re following a specific diet or need to be aware of allergies, here are a couple ways you can modify this recipe:
- Gluten-free: Make these sweet Chinese pumpkin rice cakes gluten-free by swapping out regular panko crumbs for gluten-free panko crumbs. Another option is to substitute sesame seeds for the panko crumbs. This gives the finished cakes a crunchy coating and a strong nutty flavour.
- Refined sugar-free: Keep these cakes perfectly sweet without any added sugar, by using a sweetener such as granulated erythritol or stevia.
Tip: Some sugar substitutes are much sweeter than the same amount of white or brown sugar—consult a sweetener conversion chart for the most accurate measurements.
If you made this recipe with a successful substitution, please let me know! Post a comment describing what you did so I can add it to this section and help future readers. (Leave your name blank if you don’t want to be credited.)
Flavour Variations
These glutinous pumpkin rice cakes are perfect on their own, but it’s also common to stuff them with a sweet filling. Here are some of my favourites:
- The most popular filling is a heaping dollop of sweet red bean paste. You can use a store-bought version or try making your own Azuki Red Bean Paste at home!
- Another great option is black sesame paste. A very common Chinese pastry filling!
- Or stuff these rice cakes with taro paste, a creamy and sweet paste that’s bright purple in colour. Here’s my recipe for Homemade Taro Paste, which cuts out a good chunk of the manual labour normally required to make it by preparing the paste in a blender.
- Mix in a heaping tablespoon or two or Toasted Coconut Flakes when you’re making the pumpkin dough.
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Cook and cool your pumpkin or squash, then mash it into a puree (you can also use a food processor for this step). If you’re using canned pumpkin, skip this step.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed pumpkin with the glutinous rice flour and sugar, kneading the dough until it reaches the consistency of ultra-soft playdough.
Tip: If the dough is too wet, add more rice flour in small increments.
Step 3: Roll the dough in your hands into small balls (roughly the size of ping pong balls). Gently flatten each ball into cakes that are about 1 inch thick.
Step 4: Tip the breadcrumbs (or sesame seeds) into a plate or shallow bowl. Press each pumpkin cake into the bowl on both sides so that it’s covered in breadcrumbs.
Air Fryer Instructions (Harder Texture): Cover the tray basket with a layer of aluminum foil. Drizzle the foil with a generous amount of neutral-flavoured oil. Add the pumpkin cakes to the basket and sprinkle over more oil. Air fry at 400°F for 20 minutes, flipping the cakes once about halfway through the cooking time.
Pan Fry Instructions (Soft, Moist Texture): Fill a skillet with a ½-inch of oil and allow it to heat up. The oil is hot enough when you dip in the end of a wooden chopstick and bubbles start forming around the wood. Carefully put the cakes into the oil and fry until each side is golden brown. Transfer cooked rice cakes to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
Make Ahead & Storage Tips
Prep Ahead: The dough for these pumpkin rice cakes can be made, tightly covered, and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days in advance (although I’ve kept it in the fridge before for up to a week with absolutely no issues). You can also form the dough into the actual cakes (minus the panko coating), cover, and then add the panko crumbs just before cooking.
Fridge: Although pumpkin rice cakes taste their absolute best when piping hot, you can successfully reheat them in an air fryer or a toaster oven. Even the microwave will do in a pinch—once reheated, the pumpkin cakes will soften right up into their soft and squishy self.
Freezer: The cooked pumpkin cakes freeze well for up to 3 months. Make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then place in a resealable bag. They do get a bit hard after freezing but they’re like 90% as good as the fresh thing!
What to Serve with These Pumpkin Rice Cakes
I love to serve sweet pumpkin rice cakes with another vegan treat from Chinese cuisine—Chinese Haw Leather, basically a type of fruit leather made from hawthorn berries (or cranberries, which are easier to source).
You could also go all out and plan a Vegan Hot Pot menu, serving these pumpkin cakes as a fun appetizer or as part of a dessert course.
Recipe FAQs
Use a dry-fleshed, sweet squash such as kabocha or butternut (or canned pumpkin).
The dough can be made ahead of time, formed into cakes, and stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.
No. In order for glutinous rice cakes to have the correct texture and taste, they need to be made from glutinous rice flour.
The breadcrumbs are essential to prevent the pumpkin rice cakes from sticking all over your frying pan or air fryer tray. You can substitute with sesame seeds to achieve a similar effect.
Recipe Card
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Pumpkin Rice Cakes
Use Imperial/Metric buttons below to toggle between volume vs weight measurements. I recommend weighing out your ingredients for best results.
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree or cooked kabocha squash
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour aka sticky rice flour or mochiko
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- Neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Mash 1 cup canned pumpkin puree or cooked kabocha squash into a puree (it's ok if there are some small lumps).
- Add 1 cup glutinous rice flour and 1/3 cup granulated sugar and mix well. Knead into a dough and add more flour if it’s too wet. The consistency should be a little softer than playdough.
- Form into small balls the size of ping pong balls, and flatten into 1-inch thick cakes.
- Tip 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or sesame seeds) into a plate or shallow bowl. Press each pumpkin cake into the bowl on both sides so that it’s covered in breadcrumbs.
- Air Fryer: Cover tray basket with aluminum foil. Drizzle plenty of oil onto the foil. Add pumpkin cakes and drizzle with more oil. Air fry 400 °F for 20 minutes, flip halfway through.
- Pan Fry: Pan-frying is the traditional way to cook these Chinese pumpkin cakes, for a softer, moister texture. Fill up a skillet with half an inch of oil and drop in the pumpkin cakes. Flip until each side is golden brown.