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    You are here: Home / Desserts / Candy / Potato Candy

    Potato Candy

    November 27, 2018 By Sam 408 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Potato Candy

    You read it correctly: Potato Candy! This recipe has been a favorite in my family for generations. Don’t be alarmed by the potatoes, they’re a critical ingredient that you’d never guess is hidden in this sweet old-fashioned candy! 

    My family loves making this potato candy around the holidays, especially for Christmas and Easter. You might even recognize the candy base as I’ve shared it before in my Easter Egg Candy. Be sure to read through the post for all of my most important tips before you begin!

    Peanut butter pinwheel potato candy on a plate

    If you’ve read this far you’re either really, really intrigued or you grew up making your own Potato Candy and already know how amazingly delicious this recipe really is.

    I’m guessing we lost some people with the title, but trust me, they’re missing out. You’re going to be so glad you stuck around (and I’m so grateful for you for trusting me on this one!).

    This recipe came from my grandmother’s grandmother. While the potatoes may seem off-putting at first, I promise you that you won’t taste them in the finished product. They mostly serve to bind the candy “dough” together, and they do so without making it too sweet (if you left out the potatoes, you’d have a much too sweet buttercream candy that you couldn’t roll into this cute pinwheel shape).

    I do have lots of tips and tricks for making this recipe, so let’s jump in. I highly recommend you read through this entire post before venturing out to make your own Potato Candy.

    How to make Potato Candy

    Tips for Making Potato Candy

    • Let the potatoes cool completely.  Don’t refrigerate them, just leave them at room temperature once you’ve drained them until they are completely cooled, and then mash them until no lumps remain. If your potatoes are still warm when you add them to your mixture, there’s a good chance they’ll melt your butter and your sugar, resulting in a watery dough that you’ll have to toss out.
    • Add more sugar as needed.  The dough will need to chill before you can roll it out, and it will be too tacky when first mixed up, but it should be somewhat shapeable. If it’s too sticky, you can always add more sugar, up to 2 cups more.
    • Dust your surface and your rolling pin with powdered sugar, it will make the whole process easier and your dough less likely to stick.

    Peanut Butter Pinwheel Potato Candy Recipe on a plate

    If the Mixture Becomes Watery, There’s a Good Chance You’ll Have to Start Over

    Here’s my biggest warning about this recipe, a mystery I haven’t yet been able to solve: Every so often I’ll have a batch that turns out watery.

    The first time this happened, I thought I hadn’t cooled the potatoes correctly and they melted the sugar. While that is definitely your most likely issue (and why I included the notes above) I’ve found that sometimes, even when I follow every instruction carefully and precisely, occasionally my dough turns out too runny. So runny that no matter how much sugar I add I just can’t salvage it.

    Why this happens is still a mystery to me, and my best guess at this time is that it’s an issue with the potatoes. Perhaps they’re too old? Perhaps they’ve been boiled a minute too long? Not long enough? It may even have nothing to do with the potatoes (could it be the humidity?)!

    If you have any suggestions I am ALL ears, I’ve spent so much time trying to solve this and have finally conceded the fact that this is just a risk of making this recipe. It only happens rarely now, especially now that I’ve learned to be so careful with cooling the potatoes (again, your most likely culprit), but it does still happen from time to time and I want you to be fully informed. It’s an issue that would typically cause me to not publish a recipe, but this is one that’s been in my family for generations and I felt it deserved publishing, just with a warning.

    sliced potato candy peanut butter pinwheels on a plate

    Alright, hopefully you now feel fully informed to make your own potato candy! Enjoy!

    More Recipes You May Enjoy

    • Buckeyes
    • Peanut Butter Bars
    • No Bake Cookies

    Potato Candy pinwheel slices

    Potato Candy

    My grandmother's recipe for Potato Candy (also sometimes called Peanut Butter Pinwheels).
    I recommend reading through the blog post before beginning, as it includes lots of tips.
    4.96 from 82 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Candy, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Chilling Time (total, for potatoes and for filling): 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
    Servings: 40 slices
    Calories: 94kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup mashed potatoes* see recipe notes for cooking instructions (105g)
    • ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter softened (113g)
    • 6-7 cups powdered sugar plus additional for dusting (800-910g)
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • Creamy peanut butter for filling
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Combine mashed potatoes, butter, and one cup of sugar in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to stir until combined. 
    • Add remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time and stirring until combined after each addition. Once you've added 6 cups of powdered sugar, check the consistency. If the dough is not moldable in your hands and can't be rolled into a ball, continue to add sugar until it is firm.
    • Stir in vanilla extract.
    • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (if you chill longer it may become too firm and brittle and will just need to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes until it is pliable).
    • Once chilled, divide dough into two pieces and place one piece on a clean surface that you've generously dusted with powdered sugar. Dust the surface of the dough with additional sugar, and use a rolling pin to roll dough out into a rectangle about ¼" thick. If your dough is too sticky or falling apart, you may need to add more sugar, re-shape it into a ball, and start over.
    • Once dough has been rolled into a ¼" thick rectangle, spread evenly with peanut butter, leaving a small amount of space peanut butter-free around the perimeter of the dough.
    • Starting with the longer side of your rectangle, gently but tightly roll into a log.
    • Use a knife to slice into pieces about ¼-½" thick.
    • Repeat steps 5-8 with remaining half of dough.
    • Serve and enjoy. Store leftover candy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

    Notes

    * Use russet potatoes, peel, dice, and boil until tender. Drain potatoes and then mash well. Allow potatoes to sit at room temperature until completely cooled before making your filling. You want to use just the potatoes, unseasoned, no milk/salt/pepper/etc. added. Thanksgiving leftovers unfortunately would not work well for this recipe.

    Cinnamon Cigars

    Another (peanut butter-free) version 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've also used this potato candy recipe to make my old fashioned Easter Egg Candy.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1pinwheel slice | Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 74IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sonya

      February 14, 2023 at 8:22 pm

      5 stars
      I just use potato flakes mixed with some cold water until it resembles a drier mashed potato. You can easily control the amount of liquid in the candy and make as little or as much of it as you’d like.

      Reply
    2. Nami

      December 29, 2022 at 6:19 pm

      5 stars
      It’s normal for the mixture to turn watery. I make these every year and I’ve never had the mixture NOT turn watery. You just keep adding sugar and it goes back to normal. However, I don’t use any butter or vanilla, just a potato, 8-10 cups of powdered sugar and peanut butter. That’s how my grandmother always made them.

      Reply
    3. Autumn thompson

      December 20, 2022 at 5:06 am

      5 stars
      I’m making These for my brother for Christmas his grandma died of lung cancer and they were one of his favorite recipes from him so I’m actually Word for word trying your recipe… I decided there is probably a chance for failure so to work on it early lol

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        December 20, 2022 at 9:13 am

        That’s very kind of you, Autumn! We hope the candy turns out nicely and brings back some sweet memories for your brother ❤️

        Reply
    4. Becky

      December 17, 2022 at 11:53 pm

      5 stars
      Super recipe!!! Exactly the same as the one my grandmother made and we sat together to make this candy!

      Reply
    5. Lily

      December 16, 2022 at 8:56 am

      My grandmother told me that this will happen sometimes and just to keep mixing and it will eventually come together, but don’t add more sugar to it. I haven’t had a chance to test this – I’ve only made it once by myself – but I’m making some this weekend. We shall see! It’s the first Christmas since she’s passed and she never wrote down a recipe, so I’m grateful for this one!

      Reply
    6. Tangee

      December 04, 2022 at 7:51 pm

      If the mix is too wet, would using potato flakes help firm it without sabotaging the potato’s? Just a thought. I haven’t made these but have tasted them in my youth and boy were they good!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        December 05, 2022 at 9:13 am

        We haven’t tried it, but it could work. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Lilly

      November 15, 2022 at 6:25 pm

      My grandmother made potato candy every Christmas. She’d divide the dough into 2-3 rolls and use food coloring in each: red/green/yellow. Then she’d put a nut -walnut or pecan half, a cut in half maraschino cherry and sometimes some coconut and use flavor in each. (peppermint in the red etc).I do not recall her using the unsalted butter. Otherwise the recipe is the same.

      Reply
      • Lisa

        December 21, 2022 at 1:59 pm

        Jacqueline,
        Similarly, we always wrapped the mashed potatoes in a clean dish towel while it cooled in the refrigerator. This probably helped absorb some of the moisture.

        @Lille, thank you for posting this recipe! I am looking forward to trying it. Potato candy was always my favorite!
        Lisa

        Reply
    8. Jacqueline

      November 15, 2022 at 2:11 am

      5 stars
      I’ve made this candy several times over the years, it’s delicious. I put just enough water to get the potato done sort of steam it. When it’s done I let it cool wrapped in a paper towel then smash it until smooth and with no lumps. However, you are right sometimes it doesn’t matter it will NOT turn out right😬😲😉.
      Your tips are spot-on for the people who have never tried to make this candy. Thank you.

      Reply
    9. Kathy Smith

      October 07, 2022 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      This candy works great for me using leftover mashed potatoes, just leave out the butter because butter has already been used in the mashed potatoes. I have even used the leftovers from Bob Evans original mashed potatoes.

      Reply
    10. Anna Curtis

      October 07, 2022 at 7:41 pm

      After cooking and draining the potatoes can you put them back in the pan and mash over heat to dry out the potatoes more then let cool?

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 09, 2022 at 9:51 pm

        Hi Anna! I haven’t tried it, but that could work. Some people like to bake their potatoes instead. 🙂

        Reply
    11. Charlotte

      July 28, 2022 at 3:04 pm

      5 stars
      I never heard of potato candy. I love candy but it’s too sweet. I am going to try this. Thank you for posting it. I really like your site. I like your recipes better than others. 🍬

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        July 28, 2022 at 5:13 pm

        We hope you love this recipe too, Charlotte! ❤️

        Reply
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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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