Peruvian picarones, traditional recipe of the classic fried sweet bathed in honey

Traditional to Peru, picarones are a popular dessert with a mestizo soul, originating from the fusion of Andean tradition and Spanish pastry-making. Although at first glance they resemble fritters or doughnuts, their distinctive feature lies in the dough: made with sweet potato and pumpkin, this sweet treat is characterized by its soft, airy texture and natural orange color. They are fried until light and crispy, and served generously drizzled with chancaca syrup, an aromatic variety flavored with cloves, cinnamon, and orange peel. If you prefer a simpler option, you can always drizzle them with wildflower honey.

First, heat the honey to infuse it for 5 minutes with the cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, and orange peel. Remove from the heat, discard the spices and orange peel, and set aside. Peel and chop the pumpkin and sweet potato, then cook them in plenty of boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain, mash with a whisk, and pass the mixture through a fine sieve to obtain a smooth purée free of any fiber.

Dissolve the brown sugar in half a glass of water, add the yeast, whisk by hand, and let it rest for 2 minutes. Transfer the vegetable puree to a good-sized bowl, add the sugar and anise, and stir before adding the yeast mixture. Add the flour, mix well, and begin preparing the dough for the picarones. Knead for 10 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

We transfer the dough to a piping bag and heat oil in a frying pan. We pipe the picarones directly into the oil and fry them until golden brown on all sides. If necessary, we can use chopsticks to open the holes in the center a little more by making circular motions in the hole of each doughnut.

Drain the picarones on absorbent paper and cover them with honey before serving.

What to serve with picarones

Since they are already a fairly complete dessert, our suggestion is to simply accompany them with some fresh seasonal fruit.