Peruvian Desserts: 15 Traditional Sweets You Need to Try in Peru
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Loading... - Kimberly Morris
- 10 Jan 2022
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Peru’s plethora of delicious savory dishes makes it arguably the best culinary destination in South America, but equally noteworthy are its desserts. Picarones and alfajores with manjar blanco are a given, but they’re just two of the many popular Peruvian desserts that should be on your list.
If you have a sweet tooth, then check out these fifteen traditional Peruvian desserts on your next visit to Lima and Peru.
THE BEST PERUVIAN DESSERTS
1. Mazamorra Morada (Purple Corn Dessert)
If you’re looking for a unique Peruvian dessert, then there’s no better way to start this list than with mazamorra morada or Peruvian purple corn pudding. It refers to a classic Peruvian dessert made with purple corn, fruits, and sweet potato flour.
This purple corn pudding is one of the most popular Peruvian desserts in the country. Known for its deep purple / burgundy color and jelly-like consistency, Peruvian purple corn is what gives the dish its characteristic color and flavor. Morada, in English, means “purple”.
Mazamorra morada is thickened with sweet potato starch (or corn starch) and can be made with different types of fruit like raisins, prunes, peaches, apricot, sour cherries, and pineapple.
2. Picarones
Just as popular as mazamorra morada are picarones. It refers to a type of Peruvian doughnut made with sweet potatoes and squash deep-fried in boiling vegetable oil and drenched in chancaca sauce – a syrup made from raw unrefined sugar. It’s one of the most common street food desserts in Peru.
This popular street food snack is said to be derived from buñuelos, a type of Spanish doughnut brought to Peru by the conquistadores. At the time, the ingredients for buñuelos were too expensive so Peruvians substituted them with squash and sweet potato.
Today, picarones is one of the most popular Peruvian desserts. It’s commonly eaten for dessert after snacking on anticuchos, another popular Peruvian street food.
3. Alfajores
If you’re familiar with South American and Spanish desserts, then alfajores need little introduction. Originally from Spain but popular in many former Spanish colonies like Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela, and the Philippines, it refers to a type of cookie sandwich made with manjar blanco or dulce de leche as its filling.
Depending on where they’re from, alfajores can be made in different ways, shapes, and sizes. The Peruvian version is typically about 1-2 inches wide and made with lots of butter and equal parts white flour and corn starch. The two cookies are held together with a generous amount of manjar blanco and then dusted with powdered sugar before serving.
If you’ve never heard of it, manjar blanco is very similar to dulce de leche – a sweet caramel cream made with thickened milk sweetened with sugar.
4. Lucuma Ice Cream
If you like exotic fruits, then you need to try Peruvian desserts made with lucuma. It refers to an Andean Valley fruit native to Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Ecuador.
Lucuma has a unique flavor reminiscent of sweet potato, butterscotch, or maple syrup. However, it’s a bit mealy and dry in texture when eaten raw, so it’s typically used as a flavoring agent in Peruvian desserts and drinks. One of the most popular is helado de lúcuma or lucuma ice cream.
Lucuma ice cream is available everywhere in Peru, but if you can get your hands on some frozen lucuma pulp (usually at Latin grocery stores), then you can try making it yourself. Other ingredients include evaporated milk (or dulce de leche), egg yolks, vanilla extract, whipped cream, and sugar.
Ice cream may be the most popular but lucuma is commonly made into milkshakes and juices as well.
Chocolate cake is a popular dessert in Peru. Here’s a version made with layers of lucuma.
This is what lucuma looks like in its natural state. It’s one of the most interesting Peruvian fruits and something you need to try in Peru.
5. Torta Helada
Torta helada is as delicious as it is colorful. It refers to a classic Peruvian dessert made with layers of vanilla sponge cake, chantilly whipped cream, and strawberry gelatin. Meaning “iced cake”, it’s a Peruvian cake typically served cold in summer, hence the name.
Torta helada is a traditional Peruvian dessert commonly served at children’s parties. It’s typically made with strawberry though it can be made with peach or orange as well, or even a combination of the three.
