Arepas (pronounced ah-reh-pas) are round patties made from white cornmeal. Colombian arepas can be made sweet or savory and are prepared over 75 different ways. Arepas are eaten for breakfast, as a snack, meal, or as a side to accompany any dish. There are so many ways to eat them, and preparations vary by region.
This recipe will show you how to make Colombian arepas that are gluten-free, vegan, and so delicious!
However, for a recipe on how to make arepas with cheese, click here.
What You’ll Need:
- 2 1/4 cups of water
- 2 cups of white pre-cooked cornmeal (I always use PAN)
- 1 cup of shredded vegan cheese (I use follow your heart veggie shreds)
- 4 tablespoons of butter (I use Earth Balance Vegan Butter)
- olive oil spray
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Directions:
- Preheat a large non-stick pan to medium heat.
- Add the pre-cooked cornmeal flour into a large bowl.
- Heat the water and vegan butter in the microwave for 2 minutes.
- Add the water/butter mixture and salt to the pre-cooked cornmeal and mix well with a spatula until there is no dry flour remaining.
- Once the flour begins to absorb the water and the dough cools off, add the vegan cheese and begin mixing with your hands. Mix until there is no dry flour remaining. Note: once the dough is ready it should look (a little softer than cookie dough.
- Next, let’s make the arepa shapes. Take sections of the dough and roll them into a ball. Then use the palm of your hands to press the ball until it becomes a disc in between your palms. Rotate the arepa disc to ensure all areas of the arepa are smooth and similar in depth (it should be about ½ inch thick).
- After you get your desired arepa shape, hold your arepa in one hand and inspect the edges. Be sure to tap in any rough or dry edges (you want the edges to be smooth like a circle).
- Lightly grease the non-stick pan (I use olive oil spray) and then place the arepas in the hot pan.
- Let each side cook for 5-7 minutes until the arepa blackens and turns crispy. NOTE: be sure to lightly butter the arepas between each flip to prevent them from sticking to the pan.
- Yields 8-10 arepas.
- Serve the Colombian arepas with a meal, dip, or enjoy alone!
