Crispy, golden pumpkin and sweet potato doughnuts drizzled with warm chancaca (spiced cane syrup). Peru's answer to churros, with a deeper, earthier flavor.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Vessel: plate
Garnishes: chancaca syrup (fig and spice molasses) drizzle
Instructions
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1
Boil the squash and sweet potato cubes in water for twenty minutes until very soft. Drain, reserving a quarter cup of the cooking water. Mash the vegetables together until completely smooth with no lumps, then let cool to lukewarm.
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2
Dissolve the yeast in the warm reserved cooking water and let stand for five minutes until foamy. Add to the mashed vegetables along with the flour, anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix and knead for five minutes until a soft, sticky, pliable dough forms.
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3
Cover the dough and let rise in a warm place for one and a half hours until doubled in size and bubbly. The dough should be soft and stretchy, much stickier than bread dough. Oil your hands when handling it to prevent sticking.
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4
Make the chancaca syrup by dissolving the panela in water over medium heat with the orange peel, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Simmer for fifteen minutes until thick and syrupy. Strain out the whole spices and keep the syrup warm.
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5
Heat oil in a deep pot to 175C. Oil your hands generously, take a ball of dough, and poke a hole through the centre with your thumb. Stretch into a ring shape about ten centimetres in diameter. Carefully drop into the hot oil.
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6
Fry the picarones for three to four minutes per side, turning with long wooden skewers or tongs, until deep golden brown and puffed. They should be crispy on the outside and soft and airy inside. Drain briefly on a wire rack.
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7
Serve the warm picarones drizzled generously with the warm chancaca syrup. These Peruvian pumpkin doughnuts are traditional street food enjoyed in the evening, and are a direct descendant of the bunuelos brought by Spanish colonizers, reimagined with Andean ingredients.
Did You Know?
Picarones date back to colonial Peru and were created as an affordable alternative to Spanish buñuelos, using New World pumpkin and sweet potato.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- deep pot for frying
- mixing bowl
- slotted spoon
Garnishing
chancaca syrup (fig and spice molasses) drizzle
The Story Behind Picarones
### The Story
Picarones evolved from the Spanish bunuelo -- fried dough balls brought to Peru by colonial settlers in the 16th and 17th centuries. Enslaved African cooks in colonial Lima reimagined the recipe by incorporating indigenous Andean ingredients: sweet potatoes and squash replaced European flour as the primary dough components, creating a more flavorful, naturally sweet fritter. The dough is shaped into rings, deep-fried until golden, and drenched in a syrup made from chancaca (unrefined cane sugar) infused with cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel. The name "picarones" may derive from picaro, meaning "rogue" or "rascal," perhaps reflecting the treat's irresistible, mischievous appeal.
### On the Calendar
Picarones are associated with the month of October and the Senor de los Milagros (Lord of Miracles) procession in Lima, Peru's most important religious festival. They are also popular at harvest celebrations and as evening street food year-round.
### Then & Now
Picaroneras -- women who specialize in making picarones -- remain a fixture of Lima's street food scene, frying the golden rings to order and ladling warm chancaca syrup over them. Peru's independence from Spain in the 19th century cemented picarones as a symbol of Afro-Peruvian culinary heritage, with recipes passed through families for generations. Modern gourmet versions experiment with syrups and presentations, but the street-side picaronera tradition endures.
### Legacy
Picarones tell the story of colonial Peru through food: Spanish technique, African ingenuity, and Andean ingredients combined to create a dessert that outshone its European ancestor.
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