Guyanese Pumpkin Spice Pone is a sweeter version of classic cassava pone and it’s the perfect treat for the fall. Nearly everyone can enjoy this Guyanese dessert because it’s gluten-free and can easily be made vegan.
Guyanese Pumpkin Pone
It’s fall so pumpkin is in season. Guyanese pumpkin pone is sweet, moist, dense, and spiced. This baked good is definitely a crowd pleaser and my kids love it!
Whenever I make it, my kitchen smells like a bakery. The aroma is eavenly, the texture is great and it’s dense but so soft!
Why You’ll Love This Guyanese Pumpkin Pone Recipe
- Easy Prep: Pone is really easy to make and this one is no exception. Simply combine the ingredients, bake, cool, and slice! It’s also easy to adapt this recipe, swapping and omitting ingredients. I have suggestions below.
- Yummy Fall Treat: If you love everything pumpkin spice but want something different from lattes or pie, this tastes like a pumpkin-spiced cornmeal porridge cake. Absolutely delicious and perfect for autumn!
- Fun Twist on a Classic: If you love traditional Guyanese cassava pone, this is a delicious variation that you may like more than the original!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Pone
Pumpkin pone is a delicious mesh of soft and chewy textures with a sweet, nutty, toasted flavor.
- Pumpkin puree: Ensure it’s 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. The latter is filled with sweetener that will alter the taste and texture of your Guyanese pumpkin pone.
- Grated coconut: Listen, don’t judge me. I am tired of buying fresh coconut only to get home and find that it is no good. Check the freezer section of your Asian markets and you might get lucky like I did.
- Cornmeal: This adds a grainy texture that works well in this pone recipe.
- Butter: Use it at room temperature for easier mixing.
- Brown sugar: For sweetening.
- Evaporated milk: This enriches the mixture so it’t thick and velvety smooth.
- Spices: I use warm spices like ginger powder, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and grated nutmeg.
- Vanilla essence: This adds vanilla flavor.
- Salt: This helps the other flavors pop.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Guyanese Pumpkin Pone
Combine Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 350°F. I put all the ingredients in the bowl of my kitchen aid stand mixer and mixed on low using the paddle attachment. You can also just add it to a large mixing bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon.
Mix until fully combined. It took about 3 minutes for everything to be fully mixed together.
Then I poured the mixture into an 8×8 baking pan lined with parchment paper. 
I baked the pumpkin pone in the oven at 350 degrees for 1.5 hours. My house smelled like a cozy fall day. I love it! Waiting for this to bake was absolute torture and my 5-year-old kept asking, “Is it done yet?”
After an hour and a half the pumpkin pone was a lovely shade of golden brown richness. I removed it from the oven and let it cool completely before removing it from the pan and parchment paper.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tips for the Best Guyanese Pumpkin Spice Pone
- Using parchment paper makes it really easy to remove from the pan but just greasing the pan works well too.
- Let the pone cool completely before slicing or cutting into squares or it will be sticky.
Recipe Variations
- Spice: ginger powder, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg can all be substituted for 1 tablespoon of pumpkin spice.
- Vegan Pumpkin Pone: This recipe can be made vegan by substituting butter for a vegan equivalent and using coconut milk instead of evaporated milk.
- Add Condensed Milk: I cut it into squares and drizzled some leftover condensed milk on my piece, cause I’m extra like that! It was heaven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cornbread is a combination of eggs, flour, sugar, salt, milk, and cornmeal. Conbread is sluffy and light, whereas pone is unleavened, with a richer, denser consistency. Pone also does not contain eggs or flour but usually contains another ingredient such as sweet potato, pumpkin, or cassava.
You can use butternut squash as a pumpkin substitute. They have similar flavors and textures but butternut squash is significantly smaller so ensure the measurements are accurate.
Guyanese Pumpkin (spice) Pone
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or a Large Mixing Bowl
- 8×8 Square Baking Pan or an 8 inch Round Pan
Ingredients
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 2 cups grated coconut
- 2 cups cornmeal
- ½ stick butter at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl
- Mix until fully combined
- Add to an 8×8 square baking pan or an 8 inch round pan
- Bake for 1.5 hours or until pone is completely brown
- Remove from the heat and let cool completely before slicing and serving
Nutrition
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
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Kamela Says
Hi Althea can I use the fresh pumpkin instead? If so, how much?. Thank you
Michelle Says
I just tried this and it was soooo good! I used fresh steamed pumpkin like my grandmother used to do. Keep sharing your recipes.
Michelle Says
Just tried it and it was sooo good! I used fresh steamed pumpkin and blended it up like my grandmother use to do. Keep sharing your recipes.
Amelia Says
No judgement here about the frozen coconUt! A dried COCONUT costs $1.99. Sometimes I’ll get 3 and come home to find that only 1 is good and fresh! Thanks for the recipe!
Althea Brown Says
Yah know right. Like there is no guarantee it will be good or sweet. Thanks for trying my recipe.
mary Says
Thanks, will try it soon. Is cornmeal flour same as cornmeal?
Althea Brown Says
Yes it is. Not sure why I didn’t just say cornmeal. I’ll change it to just say cornmeal.
Althea Brown Says
It is. I’m changed the recipe to just say cornmeal.
mary Says
You mentioned the prepackaged grated cassava but the recipe ingredients contain no grated cassava.
Althea Brown Says
Good catch Mary. I didn’t use cassava in the Pumpkin pone. I was making regular Pone too and must have gotten mixed up when blogging. I’ll edit that and update the pic. Thank you.
Marva Elizabeth Ambrose Says
Althea,
Thanks for your superb recipes.
What size can of pumpkin do you use.
Thanks kindly.
Althea Brown Says
So sorry that I’m now getting back to you. It’s the 15oz can.
Rehana Says
I’m gonna try this this weekend thank you for your wonderful recipes it helps alot I’ve learnt so so much I live in guyana for 12 years now after I was born in Germany to a guyanese mom and Pakistani father and grew up in barbados with my guyanese grandmother but wasn’t really taught much I’m married to a guyanese now and I’ve learnt so much by self taught and guyanese food bloggers so thank you again and keep those recipes coming….girl you taught me to bake bread lol….love from guyana ????????