The 15 best typical Bolivian desserts that you must try

Bolivian gastronomy is rich in flavors that are the result of the mixture of indigenous customs, with the heritage obtained from the cuisine of the Spanish conquerors.

Although the country’s specialty is savory dishes, its desserts are also very tasty, therefore, we will dedicate this article to them. These are the 15 best typical Bolivian desserts.

1. Sweet Gaznates

This is one of the best typical Bolivian desserts. It is often said that whoever tries it always wants a little more.

It is made using cornmeal with which a dough is prepared that is shaped into a hollow tube, a little cognac is added and it is fried in oil or butter.

Once fried, a sweet filling such as some kind of cream, chocolate, coconut or a touch of liquor is placed on it.

2. Marbled cake

Delicious sponge cake that combines the flavor of vanilla cake with the flavor of chocolate.

It is prepared in the same way and with the same ingredients as a white or vanilla cake. Then, the mixture is divided to add chocolate powder to one of them. Pour the white half into the baking pan and intersperse it with the chocolate portion, stirring the mixture with a toothpick.

3. Bolivian churros

This traditional and typical Bolivian dessert is part of the Hispanic heritage that Bolivian cuisine possesses.

These are sticks made with wheat flour, eggs, sugar and vanilla, ingredients with which a mixture is made that is put in a pastry bag.

The jets are fried in oil and when they are removed they are bathed in sugar. In this way they will be ready to eat accompanied by a rich hot chocolate.

4. Alfajores

The alfajores are part of the gastronomic heritage left by the conquerors in Bolivian lands.

These are soft cookies prepared with cornstarch filled (sandwich type) with a layer of chocolate or dulce de leche.

The edges of the filling between the cookies are generously sprinkled with shredded coconut, leaving a tasty combination of flavors.

5. Pumpkin cake

In Bolivia they use the squash to prepare a rich and very healthy cake or biscuit. To do this you need oatmeal, bran, eggs, almond milk, raisins, baking powder, sugar and pumpkin puree.

After mixing the ingredients, take a little of the mixture to the oven and in a few minutes the cake will be ready.

6. Quinoa pudding

Quinoa has numerous culinary uses, one of them being the preparation of one of the typical Bolivian desserts: quinoa pudding.

Cook the grain until it is transparent, add raisins, beaten eggs and place it in the oven for 40 minutes. In less than an hour you will have this sweet and rich Bolivian dessert ready.

7. Cuajadilla with quinoa sauce

To make the curd with quinoa sauce, you must first prepare the dairy product with cow’s milk, to which you will add a tablet of rennet and then let it rest.

You must wash the quinoa as many times as necessary so that all the foam disappears and then place it on the fire to cook. When ready, add sugar, milk and cloves. Cook again and then add the curd, mix well and remove from heat. It is served in glasses and garnished with cinnamon powder.

8. Chancas

This typical Bolivian dessert consists of a nougat made with peanuts as the main ingredient.

First, a syrup is made with sugar and water; then add chopped peanuts and lemon juice. Then the mixture is kneaded and placed in a buttered mold, giving it a rounded and flat shape.

9. Peach cremolada

This tasty, refreshing and cold dessert typical of Bolivia is made with peaches as a base ingredient. The seedless pulp is mixed with a syrup and placed in the refrigerator. Being cold, it is liquefied by repeating the process of cooling and liquefying at least three times.

The product obtained is a cold peach cream, a caress for the senses.

10. Cayote candy with cinnamon

The cayote squash is the main component to make this typical Bolivian dessert.

The first thing is to peel and cook the cayote squash. When ready, it is placed in a pot with sugar, cloves, cinnamon, the juice of half a lemon and sugar. Cook until the mixture turns golden, a sign that it needs to be removed from the heat.

11. Milk Roast

One of the best typical Bolivian desserts is roasted milk, made with milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla essence.

Beat the eggs until the yolks and whites are completely mixed, then add milk and sugar, mixing well so that everything dissolves. This content is placed in a container to take to the oven for one hour. After cooling to serve, it is decorated with powdered sugar, strawberries, honey, blackberries or any other fruit of preference.

12. Bread Pudding

Typical traditional Bolivian dessert in the eastern part of the country. It is prepared with bread, which after hardening is soaked in milk to soften (it can be brought to the fire to soften faster). Eggs, sugar, vanilla essence and melted butter are then added.

The preparation is poured into a baking pan previously covered with butter and baked for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Once removed from the mold, it can be decorated with whipped cream and chancaca honey or vanilla ice cream.

13. Cochabamba blancmange

White manjar or dulce de leche that you can eat alone or use to spread on bread or cookies. It also serves as a cake filling.

It is prepared with ground dry rice that is boiled with milk, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and sugar, stirring until the content comes off the bottom of the pot.

14. Sweet Apples

A delicious and very showy dessert typical of Bolivia are sweet apples, whose main ingredient is red apples.

Fruits are de-stemmed, washed, and inserted for a skewer.

Prepare a sweet syrup or syrup with water, sugar, glucose, lemon juice, red food coloring and vanilla essence. When ready, submerge the apples until they are completely covered with the syrup. Let cool and eat.

15. Marshmallows

Marshmallows are perhaps the sweetest typical Bolivian dessert of all. Its origins date back to the same type of sweets that the Spaniards brought to America, also called alfondoques or arropillas.

For its preparation, sugar, water and vinegar are placed in a pot until the ingredients boil and thicken, forming pearls when stirred. Pour this mixture into a greased mold and when it is warm, add grated coconut and ground walnuts. Knead the preparation until it forms an elongated shape or rings and let cool.

History of confectionery in Bolivia

Bolivian confectionery is influenced by Spanish stoves, like almost all of its gastronomy. Its indigenous people cultivated a wide variety of vegetables and fruits also used to prepare sweets.

Ingredients from many parts of the world have been added to Bolivian dessert recipes, enriching an already tasty mix of national flavors.

Bolivian desserts for children

Among the tastiest Bolivian desserts for children are sweet apples, sugar-coated churros, peach cremolada, marshmallows, roasted milk, sweet throats, alfajores and bread pudding.

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