Picarones with Purple Corn Syrup

Name: Picarones with Purple Corn Syrup
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) roasted butternut squash or similar winter squash, cooled, peeled, seeded, and mashed until smooth; ¾ cup (180 ml) roasted sweet potato, cooled, peeled and mashed until smooth; 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour; 1½ teaspoons (7½ g) baking powder; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine sea salt; ½ teaspoon (1¼ g) ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) ground nutmeg; 3 cups (720 ml) vegetable oil or neutral frying oil, for deep frying; 1 cup (200 g) purple corn kernels or purple corn extract, fresh or frozen; if using fresh, extract liquid by boiling or food processor; 1½ cups (360 ml) water; ¾ cup (165 g) packed brown sugar; 1 piece cinnamon stick, about 3 inches (7.5 cm); 3 whole (3 g) whole cloves; ½ teaspoon (2 g) orange zest, finely grated; ½ teaspoon (2½ ml) vanilla extract (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Picarones are soft, pillowy fried dough rings from Peru, made with roasted squash and sweet potato for natural sweetness and a tender crumb. They're served warm with a vibrant purple corn syrup (chancaca) infused with cinnamon, cloves, and a hint of orange zest. The contrast of crispy outside and fluffy inside, paired with the aromatic syrup, makes this a quintessential Peruvian street food and dessert.

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 35 min
Wait: 1 hr
Total: 2 hr 20 min
Makes: 12 picarones with about 1 cup (240 ml) syrup

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the picarones
1 cup (240 ml) roasted butternut squash or similar winter squash, cooled, peeled, seeded, and mashed until smooth
¾ cup (180 ml) roasted sweet potato, cooled, peeled and mashed until smooth
1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons (7.5 g) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine sea salt
½ teaspoon (1.3 g) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground nutmeg
3 cups (720 ml) vegetable oil or neutral frying oil, for deep frying
For the syrup
1 cup (200 g) purple corn kernels or purple corn extract, fresh or frozen; if using fresh, extract liquid by boiling or food processor
1½ cups (360 ml) water
¾ cup (165 g) packed brown sugar
1 piece cinnamon stick, about 3 inches (7.5 cm)
3 whole (3 g) whole cloves
½ teaspoon (2 g) orange zest, finely grated
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract (optional)

Equipment (11)

Large mixing bowl
Medium saucepan
Small saucepan (for syrup)
Wooden spoon
Measuring cups and spoons
Deep heavy-bottomed pot or large saucepan (for frying)
Candy/deep-fry thermometer
Spider strainer or slotted spoon
Paper towels
Piping bag with large plain round tip (½ inch / 1.25 cm opening) — optional but helpful
Small bowl (for oil separation if using piping bag)

Steps

Before you start

Roast and cool the squash and sweet potato ahead (or use leftover roasted or steamed). Have all spices measured before you begin frying. Use a candy/deep-fry thermometer to keep oil at the right temperature.
If using fresh purple corn, prepare the extract or syrup ahead so it cools before serving.
Set up a spider strainer or slotted spoon and paper towels for draining fried picarones.

1
Prepare the purple corn syrup
- If using fresh purple corn kernels, blend them with ½ cup (120 ml) of water in a food processor, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and discard solids to extract ½ cup (120 ml) of purple liquid; set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the purple corn liquid (or extract), 1.5 cups (360 ml) water, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, and orange zest.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves, about 3–4 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the syrup is fragrant and has darkened slightly.
- The syrup should coat the back of a spoon lightly.
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract if using, and let cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
- Strain out the cinnamon stick and cloves if desired, or leave them in for presentation.
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Ready when: Syrup lightly coats the back of a spoon and is fragrant; cooled to room temperature
Tip: Don't boil the syrup vigorously or it will reduce too much. The purple color will deepen as it cools.
2
Mix dry ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, 1.5 teaspoons (7.5 g) baking powder, ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) salt, ½ teaspoon (1.25 g) ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground nutmeg until evenly combined.
- This ensures the leavening and spices are distributed throughout the dough.
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Ready when: No lumps visible; mixture is uniform
3
Combine wet ingredients with flour
- Add the cooled mashed squash (1 cup / 240 ml) and mashed sweet potato (¾ cup / 180 ml) to the dry ingredients.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir and fold gently until just combined into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Do not overmix.
- The dough should hold together but be tender and easy to shape.
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Ready when: Dough comes together in soft folds; no dry flour remains
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes picarones tough. A slightly lumpy, wet dough is ideal.
4
Rest the dough
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- This allows the flour to hydrate and makes the dough easier to shape and fry.
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Tip: Resting prevents the dough from becoming too elastic and hard to shape.
5
Heat the frying oilOven 350°F / 175°C
- Pour 3 cups (720 ml) of vegetable oil into a deep heavy-bottomed pot or large saucepan.
- Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350°F (175°C), checked with a candy or deep-fry thermometer.
- This temperature allows the picarones to cook through while developing a golden-brown crust without burning.
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Ready when: Oil registers 350°F (175°C) on thermometer
Tip: Do not let the oil smoke or exceed 365°F (185°C), or the exterior will burn before the inside cooks. Use a thermometer for accuracy.
6
Shape and fry the picarones (first batch)Oven 350°F / 175°C
- Working with about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of dough at a time, use your lightly oiled hands or a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch (1.25 cm) round tip to form a rope about 4 inches (10 cm) long, then join the ends gently to form a ring.
- Carefully slide 3–4 picarones into the hot oil, making sure they don't touch.
- Fry for 2–3 minutes on the first side until light golden-brown.
- Using a spider strainer, gently flip each picarone and fry the second side for another 2 minutes until golden-brown and cooked through.
- The interior should be tender and fluffy.
- Carefully lift out the picarones with the strainer and place on a paper towel–lined plate.
- Keep the oil temperature steady at 350°F (175°C).
- Do not crowd the pan; work in batches of 3–4.
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Ready when: Exterior is golden-brown; interior is cooked through and tender when tested with a fork
Tip: If picarones brown too quickly on the outside but feel soft inside, lower the heat slightly and fry longer. Dough that's too warm or wet will spread and stick together; chill the dough between batches if needed.
7
Fry remaining picaronesOven 350°F / 175°C
- Repeat with the remaining dough in batches of 3–4, maintaining the oil temperature at 350°F (175°C) and draining each batch on paper towels.
- You should have about 12 picarones total.
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Ready when: All picarones are golden-brown and cooked through
Tip: Monitor the oil temperature closely; it will drop each time you add cold dough. Adjust the heat as needed.
8
Serve warm with syrup
- Arrange the warm picarones on a serving plate, allowing them to cool for just 2–3 minutes.
- Pour the purple corn syrup (warm or at room temperature) over the picarones, or serve it alongside in a small bowl for dipping.
- Serve immediately while the picarones are still warm and the interior is soft and fluffy.
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Tip: Picarones are best eaten warm. If they cool completely, they will firm up and become less fluffy, though they can be briefly reheated.

Good to know

Tips

Roast your squash and sweet potato until very tender and soft—either bake them halved and covered in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 45–60 minutes, or steam them until fork-tender (20–30 minutes). Mash thoroughly to ensure a smooth, lump-free base for the dough.
If the dough feels too wet after mixing, chill it in the refrigerator for 15–30 minutes before frying. This makes it much easier to shape and prevents picarones from spreading or absorbing excess oil.
Picarones are a street food and meant to be enjoyed immediately. The contrast between the warm, fluffy interior and the crisp exterior is key. Serve as soon as they are cool enough to handle.
Purple corn (chicha morada kernels) can be found in Latin American grocery stores or online. If unavailable, fresh or frozen purple corn from specialty suppliers, or a combination of beet juice and purple sweet potato, makes an excellent substitute.

Make ahead

The purple corn syrup can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator. Reheat gently over low heat before serving, or serve at room temperature. The dough is best fried fresh, but you can prepare the roasted squash and sweet potato up to 2 days ahead and store them covered in the refrigerator; bring them to room temperature before mixing.

Storage & reheating

Leftover picarones are best eaten warm or within a few hours of frying. Store covered at room temperature for up to 4 hours. To reheat, place on a baking sheet in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–10 minutes until warmed through and slightly crisped (they will firm up as they cool). Do not refrigerate or freeze, as the texture will become rubbery. The syrup keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; reheat gently before serving.

Substitutions

purple corn kernels or purple corn extract → Purple sweet potato or beet juice (use about ½ cup / 120 ml) plus ½ cup water. Beet juice will give a deeper red-purple color and slightly earthier flavor. If using beet juice, reduce the water in the syrup to 1 cup (240 ml). Boil together with sugar and spices as directed.
roasted butternut squash or similar winter squash, cooled → Roasted pumpkin or pumpkin purée. Use the same amount (1 cup / 240 ml). Pumpkin is denser than some squashes, so the dough may be slightly denser and require a touch more flour if it feels too wet.
packed brown sugar → White granulated sugar or unrefined whole cane sugar. Use the same amount by weight or volume. White sugar will create a lighter-colored syrup; unrefined cane sugar will give a caramel note.
vegetable oil or neutral frying oil → Canola oil or peanut oil. Neutral oils with high smoke points work best for frying. Avoid olive oil or butter, which will burn and impart unwanted flavors.