Picarones: Traditional Peruvian Recipe Step by Step

Picarones are Peruvian doughnuts made with squash and sweet potato dough, deep-fried, and drizzled with chancaca syrup spiced with anise and clove. Traditionally sold from street carts in Lima, they're one of Peru's oldest desserts (from colonial times). The recipe isn't hard, but it requires patience with the dough.

Ingredients (8-10 picarones)

For the dough

• 300g squash (zapallo macre / kabocha) — peeled and cut in chunks
• 150g sweet potato — peeled and cut in chunks
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp dry yeast (or 25g fresh yeast)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp anise seeds
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Vegetable oil for frying

For the chancaca syrup

• 250g chancaca (panela) — available at Latin stores
• 1 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Orange peel (optional)

Make the dough

1. Boil squash and sweet potato in water with 1 tbsp anise for 20-25 minutes until tender. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
2. Mash to a purée (no chunks).
3. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm (not hot) cooking water with 1 tbsp sugar. Let sit 10 minutes until foamy.
4. Mix purée + flour + salt in a large bowl. Add the activated yeast and combine well.
5. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rest 1.5 to 2 hours in a warm spot until the dough doubles.

Make the syrup while the dough rises

1. In a small saucepan, simmer water + chopped chancaca + cinnamon + cloves over medium.
2. Once chancaca is dissolved, add lime juice and orange peel.
3. Cook 15-20 minutes until syrup-thick (should coat the back of a spoon).
4. Strain and cool.

Fry the picarones (critical step)

1. Oil at 175°C / 350°F. Colder and they absorb oil. Hotter and they burn outside, stay raw inside.
2. Wet your hands with salted water. This prevents the dough from sticking.
3. Take a portion of dough, poke a hole in the center with a finger (donut ring shape).
4. Drop directly in the oil. Flip with chopsticks or fork when the bottom is golden (1-2 min). Cook the other side 1 more minute.
5. Move to paper towel to drain.

Serve

Serve hot, just out of the fryer, with chancaca syrup poured over. Some families add vanilla ice cream on the side. In Lima, picaroneros serve them stacked on a stick, 3 picarones per portion.

Common mistakes

• Dough too liquid. If you can't form a ring, add flour.
• Dough that won't rise. Old yeast or water too hot kills it. Restart with fresh yeast.
• Heavy picarones. Dough didn't rest enough or oil was cold.
• Syrup too sweet. Lime juice balances — don't skip it.

If you'd rather eat them ready-made, in LA they're sold at fairs during Fiestas Patrias and at some Peruvian bakeries.