It’s always pleasant to chat with friends about recipes that evoke memories, those dishes we consider our “comfort food.” These reciopes vary not only based on our place of origin and upbringing but also from family to family. In this case, I’d like to share the recipe from my good friend Andreína Torres’ grandmother, who used to prepare sweet arepas.
Sweet arepas are a traditional Venezuelan dish, especially popular in the central region where our friend Andreína is from. Her recipe is the best I’ve tried so far, and it has become a sort of tradition to invite her over to my house to prepare them. They are truly a delicacy!
The Art of Preparation
Making sweet arepas is an art. The process begins with creating a panela syrup by boiling panela, or papelón like we call it in Venezuela (a type of unrefined cane sugar) with water and anise. Once the syrup is ready and has reached the right temperature, the dough is prepared using cornmeal, wheat flour, water, panela, and a touch of anise. The real art lies in shaping the dough into small round patties and frying them until they achieve the perfect golden color and a slightly puffed shape. This results in a crispy exterior and a soft, tender center. Once cooked, the arepas are traditionally sprinkled with nata criolla (a type of cream) and grated queso llanero (a regional cheese), creating a delightful balance of sweet and savory that is very common in Venezuelan cooking.
When we prepare traditional dishes—those that we grew up with and that became part of our identity as adults—we are preserving tradition, honoring the legacy left by our family members, and sharing a piece of our heritage. When we delight our friends and loved ones with these delicious dishes, we create a deep connection and strengthen our bonds.
So let’s follow the example of our friend Andreína and share those delightful recipes. I’m sure those around us will be grateful!
Grandma’s Sweet Arepas
20
servings15
minutes40
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
2 lb 2 Corn Flour (Harina de Maiz)
1/2 cup 1/2 Wheat Flour (Harina de Trigo)
32 oz 32 Panela / Papelón (unrefined cane sugar)
1 1/2 tbsp 1 1/2 Anise (Anis)
4 cups 4 Frying Oil
2 lb 2 Queso Blanco Llanero (white Llanero cheese)
12 oz 12 Nata Criolla (Venezuelan cream)
5 cups 5 Water
Salt to taste
Directions
- In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of water with the panela and a tablespoon of anise. Bring to a boil and let it simmer over medium heat until the panela dissolves. The resulting syrup should have the texture of a thin syrup, not too liquid but not too thick.
- Strain the syrup to remove any lumps and excess anise.
- In a large bowl, mix the entire package of corn flour (harina de maiz) with the wheat flour and half a tablespoon of anise. Gradually add half of the panela syrup along with water and mix. Continue adding panela syrup and water until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous but not watery.
- Shape the dough into small balls and flatten them well. They should be thin and round to puff up nicely.
- Heat the frying oil in a pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and bubbling, add the first arepa. Flip it to brown on both sides, then remove it and let it rest on paper towels. Depending on the pot size, you can fry two or three arepas at a time. Repeat this process with all the arepas.
- You can fill the arepas or top them with creole cream and grated Llanero cheese. Enjoy this delicious treat!
Notes
- “I want to thank Andreína from gprintersusa not only for sharing her grandmother’s delicious fried arepas recipe but also for recording the wooden board on which we took photos for Javier Happy Eats. A big thank you and hug to you and your entire family!”
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @javierhappyeats on Instagram and hashtag it with
Like this recipe?
Follow @javierhappyeats on Pinterest
Join our Facebook Group!
Follow Javier Happy Eats on Facebook
Venezuelan Asado Negro
Difficulty: Medium
Pisca Andina – The Signature Breakfast Soup that Trascends Time
Difficulty: Easy
