“Dulce” means “sweet” in Spanish. And the Peruvians sure do have a sweet tooth!
Peru is one of the most unique countries in South America.
Peru is largely multiethnic. Spanish settlers arrived during the Colonial Period.
People from Asia, especially the Chinese, Japanese, and Arabs, also arrived under Colonial Rule.
All of these rich cultures make Peru a hotspot for history and ethnicity.
One of the most striking features of Peruvian culture is its unique dishes inspired by their widespread ethnicities.
If you also have a sweet tooth, you’ll love some of these Peruvian desserts.
Are you planning a trip to Peru? Try these 22 desserts!
22 Peruvian Desserts You Need to Try!
Whether you’re traveling to Peru or you want to try making these dishes at home, these Peruvian desserts will have you salivating.
Here are some of the most delicious Peruvian desserts ever.
1. Picarones
Picarones are the Peruvian equivalent to our donuts.
You’ll find street vendors selling picarones throughout the country.
You combine yeast dough, flour, sugar, sweet potatoes, and squash. Mix them and mold them into a donut.
Cook them in a pot of boiling vegetable oil.
Then, take chancaca, or molds of raw sugar, and dissolve it in hot water.
The consistency will be syrupy. Serve the picarones with the syrup.
If you can’t find chancaca, make your own chancaca or dark brown sugar, muscovado sugar, or even molasses are fine substitutes.
2. Tres Leches
You can’t say “Peruvian desserts” without thinking of tres leches. This is a sponge cake soaked in a milk syrup.
The milk syrup is made by combining evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk (cream is also a fine substitute).
The result is the most addictive cake you’ll ever eat.
Even though it’s technically a cake, the consistency is more similar to pudding.
It’s big and heavy, so you should be hungry when you eat tres leches!
3. Crema Volteada
Do you like crème caramel? Perfect, you’ll love this dessert!
It’s essentially the Peruvian version of crème caramel.
Crema volteada translates to “upside down cream.”
It’s one of the most popular desserts in the country. This dessert is sweet but is light enough to enjoy after any meal.
It’s also one of the simplest desserts to make at home.
You make the custard out of sugar, whole milk, egg yolks and whites, and vanilla extract.
You make the caramel sauce out of water, sugar and lime juice.
To make the caramel sauce, combine sugar and water in a saucepan on medium heat. When the sugar dissolves, stop stirring and bring to a boil. Squeeze a lime.
Once the mixture turns to a brownish color, remove from heat. Pour into ramekins (but butter the ramekins first).
For the custard, start by heating up the oven and mixing egg whites with egg yolks.
Add sugar and start whisking. Pour in milk and vanilla. Whisk until well-mixed.
Pour the custard mix into the ramekins. Fill with boiling water until the ramekins are completely full.
Bake for an hour. After, set the ramekins aside to cool. Once cooled, place in the fridge overnight.
When you’re ready to eat, take a knife and let the custard fall upside down on your plate!
4. Pie de Límon
Lemon meringue pie is one of the most famous pies globally.
Peru has its own twist called Pie de Limon.
Here’s the kick — instead of lemons, they use limes!
That’s right, it’s a lime custard and not a lemon.
The result is an extremely sweet pie but still tart.
Since this version is so unique, it’s taking the dessert world by storm.
Many versions are made and everyone has their own techniques for making this pie.
5. Mazamorra Morada
The most unique Peruvian dessert out there is the mazamorra morada.
In short, it has the consistency of thick jelly. It’s usually eaten like pudding.
Mazamorra Morada is made of a myriad of fruits, including Peru’s unique purple corn.
The corn helps give this dish its striking purple color and flavor.
The mixture also includes cornstarch or potato flour and is further flavored with cloves and cinnamon.
The Peruvian purple corn pudding is one of the best Peruvian desserts. you never knew existed.
6. Guargueros
Guargueros are traditional Peruvian fried pastries filled with manjar and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
These traditional dessert treats come from southern Peru.
7. Torta de Chocolate
Are you a chocoholic? Torta de chocolate is simply Peru’s version of chocolate cake.
What makes the Peruvian chocolate cake is the specific cacao they use.
It has a distinct flavor and aroma, and tastes like no chocolate cake you’ve ever had.
To finish the cake off, it’s covered in a thick layer of fudge.
If you want to make this cake, you need to find good quality Peruvian cacao to achieve the same flavor.
8. Leche Asada
Leche Asada dates back to the Colonial era. However, no one knows exactly where this dish came from.
“Leche Asada” translates to “roasted milk.”
It’s very similar to crème brûlée, except it’s cheaper and easier to prepare. It’s a milk custard or oven-baked flan.
Instead of baking the flan in water, you bake it in the oven.
It’s still sweet, creamy, and above all, delicious!
9. Pionono
Pionono is a sponge cake rolled up. It’s named after Pope Pius IX, whose Italian name is Pio Nono.
The cake itself is made of sugar, eggs, and flour.
Inside, the cake is made of Manjar Blanco, or a reduction of sugar and milk. It is absolutely addictive.
If you’re not careful, you can find yourself snacking on this sweet dessert all day!
Especially since it’s very quick and easy to prepare.
10. Arroz con Leche
Arroz con leche is Peru’s rice pudding. It’s extremely popular and extremely sweet.
It’s simple to prepare — all you need is sweetened condensed milk, rice, and evaporated milk.
Just cook the white rice, add in the milk, and boil until it turns to a pudding texture.
You can further spice up the dessert by adding in cinnamon or raisins.
This dessert is thought to have been brought by the Spanish conquerors.
11. Frejol Colado
This may be Peru’s most unique dessert of all. It’s main ingredient is black beans?!
Once you try it you’ll ask for seconds.
Frejol Colado is made from a mixture of black beans, milk, sugar and spices.
12. King Kong
King Kong is a dessert made with alternating layers of various fillings and cookies, turning it into a huge layered sweet treat.
Back in northern Peru, a baker decided to make a popular confection into a supersized dessert.
Soon, people started using the name of the famous Cinematic ape to refer to the towering cookie.
A unique and delicious dessert of the Peruvian culture.
13. Panetón
Peruvian Paneton is a cross between cakes and breads.
It has a unique shape that looks like a dome placed on a high building, often described as a copula.
This Peruvian sweet bread can be enjoyed all year round, but it gains a special importance around Christmas.
There are many excellent brands to choose from but the most famous of all is Panetón D’Onofrio.
You can find Panetón D’Onofrio online.
14. Alfajores
In Peru and other parts of the continent, alfajores are a major part of the cuisine.
In fact, brand-name restaurant chains such as La Casa Del Alfajor, are now built around this delectable cookie and perhaps Peru’s most popular alfajor brand.
Peruvian alfajores are essentially sandwich cookies that have been filled with a caramel confection known as manjarblanco ( similar to dulce de leche), which is made from sugar and milk.
15. Suspiro Limeño
It’s one of Peru’s best-kept secrets.
Suspiro Limeño translates to English as “sigh of Lima”.
This authentic Peruvian dessert is anything but a sigh.
It’s creamy, custardy, and something adults would love.
Suspiro limeno is a type of manjar blanco.
This is the Peruvian analog of the dulce de leche from around the other countries in South America.
The suspiro limeno original recipe calls for many of the standard components of dulce de leche.
These include:
- Condensed milk
- Evaporated milk
- Egg yolks
The base of limeno itself is then combined with an Italian-style meringue that stands on its own.
People tend to sprinkle some cinnamon on their suspiro to taste.
If you want to make it a more adult dessert, you have a choice to add some wine and sugar as syrup to your suspiro de limeña.
The usual alcohol the recipe calls for is Port wine, which is both sweet and plum-like.
16. Turron de Doña Pepa
Turron de Doña Pepa is a sweet, cookie layered anise flavored treat soaked in brown sugar cane syrup (called chancaca) and topped with candy sprinkles.
While it is now enjoyed all year round in Peru, it is most popular during the celebratory month of October, also known as El Mes Morado.
Turrón de doña pepa is a classic Peruvian dessert enjoyed by both young and old.
17. Ranfañote
Toasted pieces of stale bread, queso fresco, raisins, almonds, walnuts, wine, orange zest, vanilla, and butter are the main ingredients in making Ranfañote.
This popular Peruvian bread pudding dessert is flavored with traditional spices like star anise, cloves, cinnamon and covered in chancaca syrup.
18. Lucuma Ice Cream
If you live in the United States, chances are that you may not have even heard lucuma.
However, this is a very popular fruit that comes from Peru.
Peruvians use it in a multitude of ways including in fruit juices and smoothies or in their desserts like cake, flan, milkshakes and most delicious of all, ice cream.
19. Arroz Zambito
Arroz zambito is Peru’s version of rice pudding.
It’s darker than your typical rice pudding because of of the chancaca used to make it.
Arroz Zambito is a colonial Peruvian dessert which dates back to the 1800s.
The dessert is said to have originated in the 1800s.
It was originally made with water, but over time, cooks started to add milk to give arroz zambito a creamier texture.
Serve it at room temperature after garnishing it with with toasted pecans and grated coconut.
20. Queso Helado
Don’t worry even though the name implies it (queso), there isn’t any cheese in this frozen dessert.
It gets its name from its resemblance to white cheese.
It’s ingredients include whole milk, evaporated milk, cinnamon, cloves, powdered coconut, sugar, and egg yolks
Queso helado comes from the Arequipe region of Peru.
21. Torta Helada
It’s as colorful as it is delicious!
Torta Helada is a rainbow layered sponge cake.
It can be a headache to make but for most it’s worth the effort.
Because of this it is usually only made for special occasions.
22. Cremolada
Cremolada is a beloved Peruvian dessert, especially popular during the warm summer months.
This refreshing Peruvian treat is similar to a slushy, made by blending fruit puree with ice to create a smooth, icy texture.
The most common flavors include maracuyá (passion fruit), mango, and limón, but nearly any fruit can be used, making it a versatile and customizable dessert.
Cremolada is known for its vibrant colors and intense fruit flavors, offering a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.
Street vendors often sell it in cups, and it’s a go-to treat for cooling down under the Peruvian sun.
Traditional Peruvian Desserts Are Waiting for You
These desserts are not only a part of Peruvian cuisine but are integral to Peru’s unique culture and history.
Have you heard of El Mes Morado and perhaps Peru’s most famous dessert of all?
And if you think Argentina was the only country that loved alfajores, think again! Peruvian alfajores are not to be missed.
Some of the ingredients for these Peruvian desserts require specific ingredients only found in Peru. Fear not!
You can find authentic Peruvian food and ingredients already imported from Peru.
More Peruvian Foods
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.