My mother taught me how to make this Easter candy at least a decade ago.
It’s an old recipe that has been in the family for a long time. It’s also amazing, but the first time I ever made it I had some serious doubts.
Why? because my mother asked me if I wanted to help her make some candy (Yes, of course I did!) and then proceeded to peel and boil several potatoes.
Uh, what? “mashed potatoes” and “Easter candy” don’t exactly sound the same so I was pretttttty sure I didn’t misunderstand her….
And I didn’t. I will admit I had some serious skepticism when she told me that the potatoes go IN the candy…. but don’t let that deter you for even a second because it’s a good thing!
Whoever first thought up this recipe however many decades ago really knew what they were doing. The filling ends up being very sweet, the original recipe suggests coating the eggs with unsweetened chocolate but I (with my persistent sweet tooth) prefer to use semisweet instead.
So. Good.
Everyone should make this at least once in their life for Easter (or.. any time of the year).
Old Fashioned Easter Egg Candy
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mashed potatoes*
- 1/2 cup salted sweet cream butter softened
- 5 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 18 oz semisweet chocolate I use 1 1/2 bags semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
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With electric mixer, combine mashed potatoes, butter, and 1 cup sugar.
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Add in remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time.
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Stir in vanilla.
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Refrigerate filling for at least 30 minutes.
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Once chilled, roll into egg shape and place on wax-paper lined cookie tray. Return to refrigerator while you prepare the chocolate coating
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Pour chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat at 25 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted.
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Dip eggs in chocolate to coat and return to cookie sheet.
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Refrigerate until chocolate coating has hardened. Keep eggs refrigerated.
Recipe Notes
Allow potatoes to cool completely before adding sugar. Otherwise they will melt the sugar and you will end up with a very runny mess that will not conform to an egg shape.If needed, it is OK to add more sugar. The consistency will not be completely stiff and easy to roll into eggs before going into the refrigerator for an hour, but should be able to hold its shape.
Another variation of this candy can be made by rolling the filling into cigar shapes and rolling in 2 Tablespoons of cinnamon for Cinnamon Cigar Candy.
I have got to give these a try! I’ve never heard of potatoes in a candy, but I bet the flavors are amazing. What an interesting recipe!
It’s really SO good! You will have no idea there are potatoes in the candy either, I think they are mostly for consistency purposes, but it works out amazingly!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! For years my father kept asking me to find a recipe that tasted like his moms mashed potato candy recipe and boom! This is it! You made our Christmas! God bless you
That’s awesome, I’m so glad that you loved the candy, Laura!! Thanks so much for commenting! 🙂
My mom made these years ago. My dad and I loved them. Plain, Coconut and the cinnamon sticks were my favorite. Been looking for this recipe since she passed in 2010. Can’t wait to make them for Easter.
I’ve never tried them with coconut, but I’ve made them into cinnamon sticks (we always called them cigars) and have made peanut butter filled pinwheels, too. It’s a versatile filling, I hope you love the recipe as much as the one your mom made. Thanks for commenting.
I had a recipe that used mashed potatoes, powdered sugar and you could add either coconut or peanut butter mix alltogether amd cool in refrigerator then shape small pieces into eggs. Melt chocolate and parifinwax together in a double boiler then dip the eggs into the mixture to coat them and then cool on waxed paper. This was over 40 years ago. A neighbor gave this recipe when I lived in northeast Pennsylvania. I can’tell find a recipe, does anyone have a recipe? It possibly could Amish.
If you want to send me a quick email asking for it I can email it to you. I’m actually making that version of potato candy tonight!
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