Ring-shaped fritters made from sweet potato and squash dough, deep-fried until crisp and drenched in a spiced sugarcane syrup.
Picarones are one of Peru's most beloved street food desserts, ring-shaped fritters made from a dough of mashed sweet potato and squash mixed with flour and yeast, fried until golden and airy, then generously drenched in chancaca -- a spiced syrup made from unrefined sugarcane, often flavored with cinnamon, clove, and orange peel. They're distant relatives of Spanish buñuelos, adapted in colonial Peru with native sweet potato and squash worked into the dough. The technique that defines picarones is achieving a light, airy dough despite the dense vegetables mixed into it: yeast is essential for lift, and the dough needs enough resting time to properly rise before being stretched into rings and fried, resulting in a fritter that's crisp outside but pleasantly light and slightly chewy within, rather than dense and heavy. Shaping the dough into rings, traditionally done by stretching a ball of dough between wet fingers into a hole-punched circle, allows for even, quick frying throughout. Served hot, drenched in warm chancaca syrup, picarones are found at street stalls and festivals across Peru, their distinctive ring shape and spiced syrup making them instantly recognizable as one of the country's signature sweets.
Serves 8
Combine mashed sweet potato and squash with flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and anise if using. Add warm water gradually until a soft, sticky dough forms.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours until doubled and bubbly.
Combine chancaca or brown sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel in a saucepan. Simmer 15-20 minutes until syrupy. Strain and keep warm.
Heat oil to 175C/350F in a deep pot.
With wet hands, take a portion of dough and stretch it into a ring shape, dropping it directly into the hot oil.
Fry 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and puffed.
Drain briefly and serve hot, drizzled generously with the warm chancaca syrup.
Let the dough rise fully -- a properly risen dough is what gives picarones their signature light, airy texture rather than a dense, heavy fritter.
Wet your hands before shaping each ring to keep the sticky dough from clinging and to make stretching it easier.
Serve the syrup warm and drizzle it generously just before eating, as picarones are best enjoyed fresh and hot from the fryer.
Use only sweet potato if squash isn't available, adjusting flour slightly if the dough feels too wet.
Add a small pinch of ground cloves directly into the dough for extra warm spice flavor.
Make smaller picarones for bite-sized party servings.
Best eaten immediately while hot and crisp. If needed, store fried picarones separately from syrup up to 1 day and reheat briefly in a hot oven before drizzling with warmed syrup.
Picarones evolved from Spanish buñuelos during Peru's colonial period, with cooks adapting the fritter using native sweet potato and squash instead of the original wheat-only dough, becoming a distinctly Peruvian dessert now sold widely at street stalls and festivals.
Chancaca is unrefined, solid cane sugar, similar to panela or piloncillo, commonly used across Latin America; it can be found at Latin American grocery stores, with dark brown sugar serving as a reasonable substitute.
The mashed vegetables may have had too much residual moisture. Drain them well after boiling, and add water to the dough gradually, only as much as needed to form a workable, sticky (but shapeable) dough.
The dough is best used shortly after its rise; if needed, you can let it rise in the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to room temperature before shaping and frying.
Per serving (110g / 3.9 oz) · 8 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.
