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!
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.
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.
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.
Alright, hopefully you now feel fully informed to make your own potato candy! Enjoy!
More Recipes You May Enjoy
Potato Candy
Ingredients
- ½ cup (105 g) plain mashed potatoes* see recipe notes for cooking instructions
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter softened
- 6-7 cups (800-910 g) powdered sugar plus additional for dusting
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Creamy peanut butter for filling
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Combine mashed potatoes, butter, and one cup of sugar in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to stir until combined.½ cup (105 g) plain mashed potatoes*, ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, 6-7 cups (800-910 g) powdered sugar
- 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.2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Refrigerate for at least 30-60 minutes (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 (about 8x12"). 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 rectangle, spread evenly with peanut butter, leaving a small amount of space peanut butter-free around the perimeter of the dough.Creamy peanut butter
- Starting with the longer side of your rectangle, gently but tightly roll into a log.
- Use a harp knife to cut into slices 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
*Potatoes
Use russet potatoes. I recommend piercing your potatoes all over with a fork and heating in the microwave, rotating the potato every several minutes, until potato is tender when pierced with a fork. Then remove the potato filling from the jacket/skin and mash until smooth. I used to boil the potatoes and while this often works, I found this can sometimes cause the potatoes to retain water and make the mixture too watery to use. Mashed potatoes must cool completely before adding sugar. Otherwise they will melt the sugar and you will end up with a very runny mess. I recommend allowing them to cool at room temperature rather than the fridge, as sometimes the condensation from the fridge can also make the mixture runny.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
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.
Greta
I learned to make this from my mother-in-law my husband’s grandmother made it too and I used to dice the potatoes and like you got a mix of results I thought the way they did it was to time consuming but try it they just boil the whole potato with out dicing and my mother-in-law dose not peel them till after they are boild I haven’t been that brave yet but I do boil whole potatoes now and have been getting a better product at the end
Sam
Thank you for sharing, Greta! 🙂
Wendy
My aunt says to leave the cooked potatoes in the fridge for 2-3 days to let the starch come out. Could that be the secret to the water?
Wendy
Sam
Hi Wendy! It’s definitely something I will try! Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
Frankie
Don’t boil potatoes which takes chance of watery potatoes, as some potatoes absorb/retain more water than others. Bake the potatoes.
Patti
Hello my name is Patti from Kentucky. This is a very old recipe my mom made. It’s my brothers favorite. His birthday is tomorrow and he hasn’t had this candy in 20 years plus ! I thought I would surprise him for his birthday !!! Hope it turns out delicious, my first time making.
Lori Wharton
My mom would make this when I was little. I don’t remember the butter. Could that be the issue?
Ellen
This recipe has definitely perked my interest!! Have you ever tried freezing the slices to serve later? I would like to make a batch for Christmas cookie trays and need them at various times during the month?
Sam
Hi Ellen! I have not frozen it myself, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work well. 🙂
Emily
My texture and consistency came out the right way but after removing mixture from the fridge I found out my rolling pin was no where to be found, so I just combined the mix with peanut butter and cut into squares.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Emily! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the candy. Thanks so much for leaving a review 😊
Gotta
I remember my mom making this when we were kids, YUM!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
It’s definitely a nostalgic candy for a lot of us 😊 Enjoy!
Jessica Furubotten
My late husband used to make this but me and our kids. A used to add not only peanut butter but dark chocolate as well. So delicious I can’t wait to make it again.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, Jessica! We hope these bring back some fond memories for you ❤️
Kathy Conway
Another way to cook the potato is to steam it whole w/the skin on. Then peel it after it’s cooked while still somewhat hot. Then mash it or put through a ricer if you have one.The water from steaming will not be absorbed into the flesh of the potato as much as if it had been peeled, cut in cubes and boiled. Also, I use the same method as another person posted when making mashed potatoes which is to put the cooked potatoes back in the hot pot and steam off all the excess moisture before mashing the potatoes & adding milk & butter, etc. It works!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for the tip, Kathy!
wendy
Have you tried after draing the potatoes putting them back in the hot pot, it evaporates the water that is left. i do this with mashed potatoes all the time and they are never watery.
Debra
To Sam; Watery potatoes are caused by cutting the potatoes too small.
Bryan Smith
My Mother who is 88 was telling me she had a piece of this Candy given to her by Mrs. Carpenter when she was 4 years old. She was making for her Bridge Club. That was 84 years ago. So thank you very much for this recipe. I’ll see if I can make it to go along with her memory! This was in Bluefield, West Virginia in 1937.
Sam
That’s an awesome story! I know it’s been around for quite a while. I hope everyone loves it! 🙂
Davina
Hi I’m Davina from Indonesia. Can u make a video of potato candy? I want to make it
Sam
Hi Davina! I don’t have a video yet but do have plans to add one… stay tuned!
Jenny
Love this recipe! I’m making it for my friend who is 93. I know this wasn’t the way it’s done but I used a baked potato and dried it a little bit with a paper towel. The dough is perfect. Thank you for a great recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We hope your friend loves them, Jenny! ❤️
Angel
Finally I have found the recipe I’ve been searching for!! I can’t wait to try it out!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Sam
I hope you love it, Angel! 🙂
Delilah
I too have looked for this recipe. My great-grandmother made this for me when I was a child. I could remember all the ingredients except the potatoes. Love you for giving us this recipe.
Sam
I’m so glad it was helpful, Delilah! <3
Samantha
I’m making this for a coworker and I could not get the real potato to work well. So I found a recipe for instant potato’s and used milk instead of water 1/4 cup and 1/4 cup of instant potatoes and then I went back to your recipe after adding powdered sugar until it was consistent. And I’m gonna tell you. This is awesome!!!! Instant potatoes!!!! Who would know!!!!!