# Picarones Peruanos

A traditional Peruvian dessert, picarones are fried squash and sweet potato donuts, typically served with a sweet chancaca syrup.

- Cuisine: Peruvian
- Category: Drink
- Language: es

## Ingredients

- camote
- zapallo
- canela
- 8 g dry yeast
- warm water
- chancaca (panela)
- 1 cup water
- 0.5 glass orange juice
- star anise
- clavo de olor
- fig leaves
- 2 cups unprepared flour
- 0.5 tbsp anise grains
- oil for deep frying
- water with salt

## Instructions

1. Peel the camote and cut it into smaller pieces.
2. Cook the camote in a small pot with water and cinnamon sticks.
3. Cut the zapallo into small pieces for easier cooking.
4. Activate the dry yeast by adding warm water and mixing well. Let it rest for 8-10 minutes at room temperature.
5. After 6 minutes of cooking the camote, add the zapallo to the pot.
6. For the honey, cut the chancaca (panela) into smaller pieces to help it melt faster.
7. Place the chancaca in a small pot and add approximately one cup of water.
8. Add half a glass of orange juice, cinnamon, star anise, clavo de olor, and fig leaves to the chancaca pot.
9. Boil the chancaca mixture for 35-40 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent it from overflowing.
10. Once the camote and zapallo are cooked, drain all the excess water and reserve the cooking water.
11. Remove the cinnamon sticks from the cooked camote and zapallo.
12. Mash the camote and zapallo until pureed.
13. Add the activated yeast to the camote and zapallo mash.
14. Add two cups of unprepared flour.
15. Gradually add the reserved cooking water from the camote and zapallo, mixing well.
16. Add about half a tablespoon of anise grains and knead the dough very well.
17. Cover the dough with a small white rag and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
18. Heat oil for deep frying.
19. Dip your hands in water with salt to prevent the dough from sticking.
20. Grab a small portion of dough and form it into a ring shape (arito).
21. Place the dough rings into the hot oil.
22. Use a stick (like a sushi stick) to help prevent the middle part of the picaron from closing while frying.
23. Turn the picarones over with the stick to ensure even browning.
24. Once the picarones are golden brown, remove them from the oil and place them in a strainer to drain excess fat.
25. Serve the picarones on a plate with plenty of the prepared honey (miel).

## Equipment

- cacerola
- colador
- potato presser
- tool for mashing
- small white rag
- palito
- sushi stick
- plate

## Tips

- Always move the chancaca syrup while boiling to prevent it from overflowing.
- Use water with salt on your hands to prevent the dough from sticking when forming the picarones.
- Support the picarones with a stick while frying to keep the middle part from closing.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Cdadbbzm6/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/d76e8347-483f-4f27-9022-3d43be046328
- Extracted: 2026-05-16

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt