These colored arepas are made just like traditional Venezuelan arepas, except instead of water you use carrot, beet or cilantro juice — and they’re ready in 30 minutes. They’re vibrant, nutritious and gluten-free, and once you try them, you’ll never want to make them any other way.
The trick is in the ratio: slightly more liquid than in a traditional arepa to compensate for the fiber in the vegetables. The result is a soft, pliable dough with a color that wins you over before the first bite.
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Colored arepas: a gift from my Aunt Nanny
I learned to make beet arepas, carrot arepas and spinach arepas from my Aunt Nanny — the most indulgent of all my mother’s sisters.
At the time I was still living in Miami, and Aunt Nanny came to visit with my cousin Adriana and her granddaughter Sophia. We spent a family weekend together in Marco Island. And I asked my aunt to make colored arepas.
Aunt Nanny was the daughter of my grandmother Ligia — who made arepas every single day of her life, for as long as she was on her feet. So she also made arepas the right way. First she’d seared them on a griddle or budare. Then she’d finish them in the oven until they puffed up.
I used to skip that last step — but with age comes wisdom, and the truth is that arepas finished in the oven cook more evenly and never come out raw in the center.
Let’s get to it!
Enri
What are colored arepas and why are they worth making?
Colorful arepas are a variation of the traditional Venezuelan arepa where water is replaced by the natural juice of vegetables like carrot, beet or cilantro. The result is an arepa with spectacular colors — orange, fuchsia and green — with a slightly sweet or herbal flavor depending on the vegetable, and far more nutritional value than a plain white arepa.
They’re perfect for getting more vegetables into the whole family’s diet — especially little ones, who won’t even notice they’re eating beets or carrots. And since they’re naturally gluten-free, they work for almost any table.
Ingredients
- Harina P.A.N. (precooked arepa flour)
- Fresh carrots
- Fresh beets
- Fresh cilantro (stems included)
- Water
- Salt
Exact amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Veggie-Colored Arepas
- Make the vegetable juices. Blend each juice separately with water until smooth and homogeneous.
- Mix the doughs. In a separate bowl for each color, add the juice, a pinch of salt and the flour little by little. Mix until no lumps remain and knead with your hands until you get a soft, uniform dough. Let it rest for a few minutes.
- Shape and cook. Roll the dough into balls, then flatten them with your hands to the thickness of a classic arepa. Not sure how to get the perfect shape? My post on telita-style arepas walks you through the technique in detail. Cook them on a preheated greased griddle or skillet over medium heat, flip and cook a few more minutes.
- Finish in the oven. Transfer the arepas to a preheated oven and bake until they start to puff up. This is the step that guarantees they’re fully cooked through with a perfect texture.
💡 In the video that goes with this recipe I didn’t include the oven step — back then I used to skip it. Today I’m convinced it makes all the difference. I highly recommend it.
FAQs
Did you know…?
ts owe their intense red color to betalains, a group of natural pigments studied for their antioxidant properties and potential to reduce inflammation. Unlike many other plant pigments, betalains are water-soluble — which is why they stain water, dough and everything they touch. And it’s exactly what gives beet arepas that spectacular fuchsia color that needs absolutely no artificial dye.
Fuente: USDA FoodData Central, 2024.
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Venezuelan Veggie-Colored Arepas Recipe
Ingredients
For the cilantro arepas
- 1 1/3 cups water 315 ml
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro (stems included)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup arepa flour (Harina P.A.N.) 130 g
For the carrot arepas
- 1 1/3 cups water 315 ml
- 1 cup carrots, grated 110 g
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup arepa flour (Harina P.A.N.) 130 g
For the beets arepas
- 1 1/3 cups water 315 ml
- 1 cup beets, grated 135 g
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup arepa flour (Harina P.A.N.) 130 g
Instructions
For the cilantro arepas
- IPlace the water and cilantro in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the cilantro juice into a bowl and add the salt. Add the flour little by little, mix until no lumps remain and knead with your hands until you get a soft, uniform dough. Let rest 5 minutes.
For the carrot arepas
- Place the water and grated carrot in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the carrot juice into a bowl and add the salt. Add the flour little by little, mix until no lumps remain and knead with your hands until you get a soft, uniform dough. Let rest 5 minutes.
For the beet arepas
- Place the water and grated beet in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the beet juice into a bowl and add the salt. Add the flour little by little, mix until no lumps remain and knead with your hands until you get a soft, uniform dough. Let rest 5 minutes.
To cook the arepas
- Preheat a budare, griddle or skillet over medium heat. Grease very lightly.
- Roll 5 balls of dough in each color. Using the palms of your hands, shape them into discs approximately ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick.
- Place the arepas on the hot griddle and cook for 5 minutes, until golden on the bottom.
- Flip and cook 3-4 minutes more.
- Transfer to a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven and bake 3–5 minutes, until they start to puff up.
- Serve hot with your favorite filling.
Video
Nutrition
Notes
- Nutritional values are approximate and were automatically calculated by WordPress Recipe Maker. They may vary depending on the specific ingredients and brands you use.
- If the dough cracks when shaping, add a little more juice or wet your hands before kneading.
- Spinach arepas have a more intense green than cilantro arepas and a milder, more neutral flavor — perfect if you’re not a cilantro fan.
- Store beet arepas separately — they stain everything they touch.
- They keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator, tightly covered; freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: covered skillet over medium heat or toaster. Never the microwave.
- Naturally gluten-free, vegan and low in calories.
- They taste even better fresh out of the oven. If you’re making all three colors at once, serve first — photograph later.
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