By: Jill Mills Posted: Dec 1, 2023

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Potato Candy is a must-have dessert at Christmas. It may sound surprising to use potatoes in a dessert but don’t let that scare you off. This easy Christmas treat has a special place in many families’ hearts as a holiday tradition.

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This is very good and I like it my mother made this at Christmas time for years

– Richard

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What is Potato Candy?

Potato Candy is a special treat that doesn’t actually taste like potatoes. The mashed potato is a binder to hold everything together and create a smooth dough. This is also sometimes referred to as peanut butter pinwheels and the flavor comes from the peanut butter and powdered sugar. It’s sweet, creamy, and perfect for holidays or as a gift.

Don’t confuse this potato candy with Irish Potato Candy which does not have potatoes in it.

What You’ll Need

For the Dough–Plain mashed potatoes work as the binder to hold everything together, combined with salted butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
Creamy peanut butter – The peanut butter is used as the filling in the potato candy.

How to Make Potato Candy

Make the Dough: In an electric hand mixer, combine the potatoes, butter, vanilla, and confectioner’s sugar. Add one cup of the powdered sugar at a time until it is all of it is added. The dough mixture will have a play dough consistency and should not be sticky. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

Making the Candy: When the dough has chilled, split it in half. Dust your work surface with powdered sugar. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the peanut butter over the dough and roll the dough into a tight log. Use parchment paper to help roll the dough.

Cut the Candy: Slice the rolled logs into 1/2 inch pieces.

Tips and Tricks for Old-fashioned Potato Candy

Perfect Potatoes: For this recipe, you need ½ cup of plain mashed potatoes. Use only peeled russet potatoes that you have boiled and mashed until there are no lumps. Leftover mashed potatoes cannot be used in this recipe as they may alter the texture and taste.
Handling Dough: If at any point during the process, the dough becomes hard to work with, place it back in the fridge. A little chilling time can help stiffen it up again, making it easier to roll and shape.
Use your favorite peanut butter: You can use either creamy or crunchy peanut butter, depending on your preference. For a more traditional taste, smooth and creamy peanut butter is recommended.
Add toppings: If you want to take your potato candy to the next level, try adding toppings like chopped nuts or chocolate chips before rolling up the dough. This adds an extra layer of texture and flavor to the classic recipe.
Experiment with flavors: While peanut butter is a classic filling for potato candy, don’t be afraid to get creative and try different fillings or nut butter. Almond butter, Nutella, cookie butter, or even jam can all make delicious variations of this sweet treat.

How to Store Potato Candy

Store the Potato Candy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. This makes it a perfect treat to prepare in advance for events or to have a sweet treat on hand throughout the week.

More Christmas Desserts

5 from 1 vote

Potato Candy

Potato Candy is a must-have dessert at Christmas. It may sound surprising using potatoes in a dessert but don't let that scare you off. This treat holds a special place in many families' hearts as a holiday tradition. The recipe is simple and the results are irresistible.

Servings: 40

Prep: 30

Chill: 2

Total: 2 30

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Ingredients

▢ ½ cup plain mashed potatoes cooled (see below)
▢ ½ cup salted butter softened
▢ 7 cups powdered sugar plus more for rolling
▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
▢ 1 cup creamy peanut butter

Instructions

In a large bowl using an electric mixer combine the mashed potatoes, butter, vanilla and one cup of powdered sugar until combined.
Add remaining powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until all combined. The dough should not be sticky and should be like playdoh.
Cover and refrigerate the dough for just 1 hour.
Once the dough is chilled split it in half.
Dust your parchment lines surface with powdered sugar and roll out a rectangle about ¼ inch thick.
You want to work quickly so your dough doesn’t crumble.
Spread half of the peanut butter on the rolled out dough.
Starting with the longer side of your rectangle and using the parchment paper to help you roll the it in a tight log.
Wrap the log in parchment paper and refrigerate for another hour.
Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Slice the logs into about ½ pieces.

Last Step:

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Notes

You need ½ cup of plain mashed potatoes. Just peeled russet potatoes that you boiled and mashed until there was no lumps.

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