Last Updated on April 13, 2022

These Healthy Vegan Pupusas are savory little cakes stuffed with beans, corn, and hash browns.

But what I loved about these tasty little pockets how easy it is to customize the filling.

Simple ingredients, for both the filling and the dough.

Forming the pupusas was the most intimidating part for me.

Because I was a newcomer to making pupusas, I had to find a way to form these perfectly round stuffed cakes.

First I tried rolling the dough into balls by hand, which didn’t work out so well, the dough is so sticky, what a mess!

Next I tried a silicon bag, another fail.

The last idea was a plastic sandwich bag, and that worked out perfectly!

I cut the sides of the bag so it will lay flat, placed the ball in the middle of one side, fold the other side over the top and pressed!

So much less mess and so easy!

What are Pupusas

These little cakes are made with masa harina (corn flour), but can also be made from a rice flour, they are usually filled with refried beans, some kind of cheese, and sometimes a meat.

Pupusas originated in El Salvador and are a beloved traditional treat.

During the Salvadorian civil war in the 1980s, many people fled the country and brought with them the pupusas to other parts of Central America, the United States, Canada, and even Australia.

In 2005, pupusas were declared a national dish of El Salvador and would be celebrated every second Sunday of November, which is National Pupusa Day.

Ingredients for these Healthy Vegan Pupusas

Masa Harina – This is a must, or you will not get the texture or flavor of the pupusas. Cornmeal will not work, for it is to course and it has a different flavor than the masa harina. It should have the consistency of wheat flour.
Boiling Water – The dough will be a dream to handle when using boiling water, since the heat causes the starch in the corn dough to absorb the water. The boiling water superhydrates the masa harnina.
Oil – I used olive oil for this recipe but any oil should work.
Salt

Filling Ingredients

Beans – I use whole black beans but any bean will do, whole or refried.
Cooked Corn – Optional
Hash Browns – I just used store bought potato hash browns and added a little extra seasoning. With this recipe I added a little salt, pepper, minced garlic, and powdered onion. Hash browns can be added to the pupusas as a stuffing or as a side.
Cheese – A vegan shredded cheese of your choice, optional.
Seasoning – Minced onion and garlic for flavor.

How to make these Healthy Vegan Pupusas

Mix the masa harina, salt, 1 tsp oil, and 2 cups boiling water together in a small mixing bowl, cover, and set aside to rest for about 15 minutes.

While the dough rests, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Grab a plastic sandwich bag or a quart sized bag and cut with a scissors along the seam on the sides of the bag but not the bottom, then set aside.

If using precooked corn or canned corn, drain and add the corn to a medium mixing bowl.

Open the beans, drain and rinse, mix in the corn, set aside.

Before cooking the hash browns mix in minced garlic, powdered onion, salt, pepper, and a little oil.

Cook the hash browns until they are browned, set aside to use as filling and/or a side.

Preparing the pupusa dough

After the dough is done resting, knead it for a few seconds.

Now it’s time to stress test the dough by flattening a golf ball sized piece.

If it cracks more than 1/4 inch on the edges, add warm tap water, 1 tsp at a time, until the dough is soft and slightly tacky.

Once the dough is the right consistency, transfer to the counter and shape into a large ball.

Divide into 8 pieces.

Use damp hands to form each piece into the shape of a golf ball, place the balls onto the baking sheet.

Place the open sandwich bag on the counter, put a dough ball in the center of one side, then cover the ball with the other half of the sandwich bag.

Gently press down on the dough until it spreads to about 4 inches in diameter.

Do this with each piece and set them aside.

Filling the Pupusas

Center a disk in the palm of your hand, add about 1/2 Tbsp of the corn and beans into the center, and then add 1/2 Tbsp of hash browns.

Top off the filling with cheese before closing if you wish to add cheese.

Bring the sides of dough up around the filling until the dough completely covers the filling.

Roll the ball until smooth, and return to the plastic bag.

Slowly press the ball into a 4 inch diameter disc again.

Place the disk onto the baking sheet.

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Prepare a skillet over medium high heat.

Add the pupusas onto the hot skillet.

Cook until spotty brown on both sides, about 4 minutes on each side.

Serving these Healthy Vegan Pupusas

Serve hot with the left over hash browns, corn, and beans.

These cakes are traditionally served with a side of Curtido, which is a spicy pickled cabbage slaw.

But if you don’t have any curtido, your favorite salsa will work just fine.