Picarones
This Peruvian dessert builds orange-fleshed squash, sweet potato and active dry yeast into a hearty meal you can have ready in about 65 minutes. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and large pot. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, the ingredients are plant-based.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Peel and cube the squash and sweet potato, then simmer them with the anise seed in water for about 20 minutes until very soft, drain, and mash smooth while still warm, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let it stand for 10 minutes until foamy, then combine it with the warm mash, a pinch of salt, and enough flour to form a soft, sticky, almost batter-like dough.
- Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour until visibly bubbly and doubled, loosening with a splash of the reserved cooking liquid if it is too stiff.
- Make the chancaca syrup by simmering the chopped chancaca with the cinnamon stick, cloves, and a couple of strips of orange peel in about 200 ml water for 15 to 20 minutes until it coats a spoon, then strain.
- Heat the oil to about 180C, wet your hands, pinch off a portion of dough and use a finger to poke a hole through the center, then carefully lower the ring into the oil.
- Fry the picarones for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp, drain on paper, and serve warm drizzled generously with the chancaca syrup.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Large pot · Saucepan
What to serve with Picarones
- Aji de Gallina Chicken
- Anticuchos Beef
- Arroz Chaufa Chicken
- Carapulcra Chicken
Tips & common questions
How long does Picarones take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Picarones vegan?
Based on its ingredients, this recipe contains no meat, fish, dairy or egg, so it looks vegan-friendly. Always double-check labels on packaged items.
Related recipes
Picarones is an original Peruvian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Picarones Ayacucho 2026.jpg by Yhhue91, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.