🌱🎭 Grandma Sita shares her plant-based Galician-style Carnival pancakes, inspired by these traditional filloas — simple, comforting, and perfect for celebrating. These delicate pancakes are thin like crêpes, lightly tender, and perfect for both sweet and savoury fillings — just like traditional Galician filloas, but fully plant-based.
In Galicia, northwest Spain, filloas (traditional Galician pancakes) are one of the most beloved Carnival treats. Similar to French crêpes but with their own rustic charm, these thin, tender pancakes are a festive staple during O Entroido, Galicia’s vibrant Carnival season. There is no single “official” recipe — each region, village, and family adds its own twist, making filloas a dish full of heritage, memory, and personality.
- INGREDIENTS
Sweet Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups plant-based drink (oat drink works beautifully)
½ cup water
1 tablespoon fruit jam or 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water (flax “egg”)
1 lemon or orange, peeled in strips (optional, for flavour)
A pinch of salt
Savory Batter (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plant-based drink
1 cup vegetable stock (traditional caldo gallego or cocido stock)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water (flax “egg”)
A pinch of salt
For greasing the pan
Vegan butter
To finish / serve (sweet version)
Sprinkle of sugar or unrefined cane sugar
A dash of squeezed lemon (optional)
Honey (optional)
Fillings
Sweet version: fruit compote, plant-based cream
Savory version: sautéed vegetables or plant-based veggie stew
💡 Tip: Simply double the ingredients if you’re cooking for a crowd.
- METHOD
1. Prepare the Batter
Sweet version:
In a bowl, mix 1 cup flour, 1 ½ cups plant-based drink, ½ cup water, and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth and free of lumps. Add fruit jam or flax “egg” and lemon/orange strips if using. Let the batter rest at least 15 minutes.
Savory version (optional):
In a bowl, mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup plant-based drink, 1 cup vegetable stock, a pinch of salt, and fruit jam or flax “egg” until smooth. Let rest at least 15 minutes.
💡 Grandma Sita tip: Resting the batter helps the pancakes cook evenly and stay tender.
2. Cook the Filloas
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add a small amount of vegan butter.
Pour a ladle of batter into the center and swirl it into a thin, even layer covering the pan.
Cook until the edges start to brown, then carefully flip with a spatula. Cook the other side 30–60 seconds until lightly golden.
Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the pancakes as you go.
💡 Grandma Sita tip: The first pancake is your “practice filloa.” Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect — the next ones will be easier!
3. Serve
While still warm:
Sweet version options:
1- Sprinkle generously with sugar and add a dash of lemon (optional).
2- Add a dash of honey.
3- Fill with fruit compote, plant-based custard, or chocolate cream.
Savory version:
Serve with sautéed vegetables or your favorite savory filling.
4. Fold, roll, or layer the pancakes — Bon appetite!
🧓🏻💚 Grandma Sita’s tips
– A touch of citrus (lemon or orange) gives the filloas that unmistakable Carnival aroma. If you’re going to have them for dessert, you can prepare the batter just before eating, and let it rest until it’s time to make them.
– In Galicia, some people use a special pan called a filloeira, similar to a crêpe pan. It can cook several filloas at once, but if it’s your first time, it’s better to make them individually.
– Filloas are best eaten the same day, shared with laughter and music.
– Storage tips: Let them cool first at room temperature.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Store up to 2 months, separated by parchment paper to prevent sticking.
📗 A Short History of Galician Carnaval
In Galicia, Carnival (O Entroido) is a long-standing community celebration, with the province of Ourense reigning as its undisputed heart. The “magic triangle” of Xinzo, Laza, and Verín is particularly famous for its rural Carnival traditions, featuring iconic masked characters such as Peliqueiros and Cigarróns. These figures, with their intricate costumes and lively performances, have been part of the cultural landscape for centuries, bringing both spectacle and a sense of ancestral continuity.
Filloas de Carnaval are a beloved traditional sweet from Galicia, prepared especially during Carnival (Entroido). Their name comes from their thin, ear-like shape, symbolizing celebration and indulgence before the solemnity of Lent.
🤔 Did you know?
Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, or Martes de Entroido (Carnival Tuesday) marks the final day of Carnival — which means one delicious thing: it’s pancake time! Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent in the Christian calendar, has long been associated with pancakes. They were traditionally made to use up rich ingredients like eggs, milk, and sugar before the 40-day fasting season — a custom that still brings families together in kitchens today.
😋 Still craving more Galician Carnival treats?
Discover more Carnival recipes, traditions and flavours, and keep browsing Grandma Sita’s table:
👉 Plant-based Orejas de Carnaval – golden and crispy plant-based fried dough treats.
👉 Plant-based Hojas de Limón – lemon leaves dipped in batter and fried until crisp, aromatic and utterly irresistible.
♻️🌿 A Planet-Friendly Carnival
Carnival is about joy, sharing, and abundance — and it can be kind to the planet too. Grandma Sita’s plant-based Galician-Style Carnival Pancakes (Filloas-Inspired) use simple, seasonal ingredients with no animal products and minimal waste, proving tradition can be delicious and sustainable. By making homemade treats, reducing waste, and choosing plant-based recipes, we keep culture alive while caring for the planet. Small actions in the kitchen can turn Carnival into a moment of conscious, crispy, golden joy. Every bit counts — happy Carnival!
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