Super soft and fluffy, these Potato Doughnuts is an absolute classic recipe. Made using mashed potatoes as one of the ingredients to create a soft textured doughnut.
You are probably thinking, why on earth are there mashed potatoes in the doughnuts? Well, The mashed potatoes are actually the ingredient creating the magic in this recipe.
It adds moisture to the dough, which contributes to the amazingly soft, light and fluffy texture.
In addition to the amazing taste and texture of these doughnuts, it is really easy to make. Although the recipe has yeast in it, there is no 10-minute kneading involved. Means that you can give those arms a rest today.
But hey, if you are here for an upper arm workout, go ahead and try out some of my bread recipes. Guaranteed to firm upper arms while creating a great loaf of bread for your dinner too 😉
HOW DOES POTATO DOUGHNUTS TASTE?
You really want to know if it tastes like mashed potatoes, don't you?
The answer to that is a big NO, it does not. Like I mentioned, earlier, the mashed potatoes are just an ingredient, which contributes largely to the soft and light texture of the doughnuts.
So forget about serving these doughnuts with sausage and baked beans or whatever you serve with mash. Instead, pair the delicious taste and great texture of this recipe with your favourite toppings.
For the crowning glory, how about giving some of the following a try.
DELICIOUS SWEET TOPPINGS
- After frying, Dip the doughnuts in melted white or dark chocolate
- Add some fun and colour with sprinkles over the melted chocolate
- Roll the warm doughnuts in a mixture of cinnamon sugar
- Drizzle a glaze over the fried doughnuts.
CREATE THE PERFECT POTATO DOUGHNUTS
The following will ensure perfect doughnuts:
The water, milk and mashed potatoes should be warm. Not too hot or cold as this will affect the yeast. The right temperature ensures that the dough rises well
Make sure that the yeast is fresh and not past the expiry date.
The mixed dough should be left covered in a warm place to rise for at least 40 minutes.
Can I make these doughnuts without eggs?
Yes, these doughnuts can be made without eggs.
Buttermilk is a great substitute for the eggs in the doughnuts
If you do not have buttermilk, then just add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar to ¼ cup ( 60ml) milk. Allow standing for 5 minutes before adding to the recipe in place of eggs or buttermilk.
Making the potato doughnuts
This is the easy part, the difficult part is trying not to eat all the doughnuts at once 🙂
COMBINE THE DRY INGREDIENTS
In a large bowl, mix together the yeast, sugar, flour, and salt.
COMBINE THE WET INGREDIENTS
In a separate bowl or pan mix together the warm water, melted butter hot mashed potatoes, warm milk, and buttermilk or egg
COMBINE THE WET AND DRY INGREDIENTS
Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until you have a soft dough.
Cover the dough and leave to rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a well-floured surface.
Press or roll out a ½ inch ( 1 ½cm) thick. Cut out using a doughnut or cookie cutter.
Place the cutout doughnuts onto a tray and leave to rise again for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Using a deep pan, add sufficient oil to deep fry the doughnuts.
Allow the oil to heat up to between 350°F - 370°F ( 176°C - 185°C ) before frying the doughnuts.
Deep fry the doughnuts for about 1 minute on each side, until cooked and golden brown.
Drain the doughnuts on paper towel and top as preferred.
Enjoy ♥
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my other amazing doughnut recipes
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Potato Doughnuts
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 2 teaspoons / 7g instant dry yeast
- ½ cup / 100gsugar
- 3 cups / 360g all purpose / cake flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup / 125ml warm water
- ⅓ cup /75g melted butter
- ½ cup / 165g hot mashed potatoes
- ½ cup / 125ml warm milk
- ¼ cup buttermilk OR 1 egg SEE NOTE 1
Instructions
COMBINE THE DRY INGREDIENTS
- In a large bowl, mix together the Yeast, sugar, flour, and salt.
COMBINE THE WET INGREDIENTS
- In a separate bowl mix together the warm water, melted butter hot mashed potatoes, warm milk, and buttermilk or egg SEE NOTE 2
COMBINE THE WET AND DRY INGREDIENTS
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until you have a soft dough.
- Cover the dough and leave to rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.
- Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a well floured surface.
- Press or roll out to ½ inch ( 1 ½ cm ) thick. Cut out using a doughnut or cookie cutter.
- Place the cut out doughnuts onto a tray and leave to rise again for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Using a deep pan, add sufficient oil to deep fry the doughnuts.
- Allow the oil to heat up to between 350°F - 370°F ( 176°C - 185°C ) before frying the doughnuts.
- Deep fry the doughnuts for about 1 minute on each side, until cooked and golden brown.
- Drain the doughnuts on paper towel and top as preferred.
Notes
If you do not have buttermilk, then just add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar to ¼ cup ( 60ml) milk. Allow standing for 5 minutes before adding to the recipe in place of eggs or buttermilk.
2. The water, milk and mashed potatoes should be warm. Not too hot or cold as this will affect the yeast. The right temperature ensures that the dough rises well
I've used sweet potatoes to make scones before but mashed potatoes to make donunts? Ingenious! (And delicious too!)
So... the recipe said it only made a dozen donuts... so I tripled it for my family of 10. I ended up with 70 donuts! Can't complain much though since they were so delicious. Just maybe adjust the yield haha 😄
I’ve seen recipes for cinnamon rolls made with potato, Ashika, all to rave reviews. These doughnuts are so tempting, they look so light and fluffy! I may just put my potatoes here instead of the cinnamon rolls! YUM!
Absolutely so inviting and frugal too since it could be done with mashed potatoes leftovers 🙂 Thank you. xo
Could this be done in an air fryer?
Hi, Peggy 🙂 Sorry but I have not tried this recipe in an air fryer, so I am not sure how it will turn out. If you do give it a try, I would love to know how it turns out.
Made a batch today & they were gone before I could even get a pic! So good, definitely making again.
Hi Emily, thank you, I am so glad that you and your family enjoyed this recipe too.
By the way, I am looking forward to seeing pictures next time you make these donuts 🙂
Mmmm, I remember having these as a child, a family friend used to make them. I have a batch rising now, can't wait to share them with my own children!
Hi Jenni 🙂 Arent classic recipes the absolute best? They always bring back great memories. I am glad that you are sharing this deliciousness with your family now too.
Thank you for giving this recipe a try and I would love to know how they turned out too 🙂
Can you make the dough ahead of time and fry the next day?
Hi Natalie, yes you can make this dough a day in advance. After kneading, allow the dough to rise for an hour. Then punch it down, roll and shape it into donuts. Place the shaped donuts on a tray in the refrigerator and leave overnight. Remove the next day and allow the dough to rise and reach room temperature before frying.
I hope that this helps answer your question 🙂
Yes, thank you for the quick response and additional instructions! 🙂
So excited to try these! Would these freeze okay? I imagine the glaze would get weird after freezing, so maybe freeze them plain and glaze after thawing? Thanks!
Hi Carly. I am glad that you are going to give these a try 🙂
To answer your question: Yes these will freeze well without the glaze.
Do these donuts stay soft? I want to fry these in the morning and take to a party in the afternoon, but do not want them to be stale? I find most homemade donuts are only good for a short time after frying.
Hi Patti, donuts are usually best eaten within 1 hour after frying, so I can suggest a few ways that to keep them on the softer side.
Is it possible that you can fry these at least an hour before taking them to the party?
If not, then you can fry them in the morning and keep in an airtight container until ready to serve.
These can also be microwaved for a few seconds to revive the freshness.
I hope that this helps answer your question 🙂
It doesn't mention what type of oil you used. suggestions?
Hi Donna, it is best to use a neutral flavoured oil like canola or sunflower oil 🙂
I made these following recipe and weighing ingredients. My dough was very wet, it still rose but I added more flour in order to be able to cut out the donuts. When frying they absorbed so much oil. The inner texture is light, airy and delicious. The outer donut is crispy and brown however they held so much oil even after draining and cooling, still greasy. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thank you!
Hi Michelle, Thank you for giving my recipe a try. I am sorry that the donuts turned out greasy for you. I do have a few suggestions that could help when you decide to make these donuts again.
The number one reason for greasy donuts is that the oil temperature was not hot enough. Here are ways to check the oil temperature if you do not have a thermometer: 1.Dip the handle of a wooden spoon into the heated oil. If the oil starts steadily bubbling, then the oil is hot enough for frying. If the oil bubbles vigorously, then the oil is too hot and needs to cool for a few minutes If no or very few bubbles pop up, then it’s not hot enough.
Another way to check the oil is to drop a small piece of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, then the oil is between
350°F - 370°F(176°C - 185°C) and is ready to be used.
I hope this helps answer your question 🙂
Do I just mash some potatoes for the mashed potatoes ingredients? Or do I have to add something in them?
Hi Ameenah, Yes, just peel, boil and mash the potatoes before adding it to the recipe.
No seasoning or butter needs to be added to the mashed potatoes.
Do I have to use russet potatoes? or normal ones? and should I just boil the potato peel and mash?
Hi Akbar, normal potatoes perfectly are fine to use in this recipe.
Yes, just peel, boil and mash the potatoes before adding it to the recipe. No seasoning or butter needs to be added to the mashed potatoes.
I just got back from Maint where I went to Holy Donut and tried potato donuts for the first time and they were amazing! I can't wait to try the recipe. My favorite was their stuffed donut with bacon and cheddar in the center. It looked like the dough was rolled thinner and folded with goodness in the middle. Have you tried anything like this?
Hi Rebecca, Potato donuts have great texture and taste and I am glad that you are going to give this recipe a try 🙂
This is a real coincidence, but I have been working on a few stuffed donut and bread recipes. These should be up on the blog by next month. Hope you give some of these a try too 🙂
The first batch I made was a little too gloopy. The mash wasn’t overly wet. But, maybe the recipe should advise to add the extra water gradually so that it doesn’t become overly sticky? The proofing of the dough takes out some of that stickiness maybe I make mash potatoes too wet, as on my second attempt, I added maybe 30 or 40ml of water and the dough was wonderful to work with. Lovely, airy doughnuts. I will be making them again.
Could these potato donuts be baked instead of fried or do you have a baked recipe you would share.I know the potato dinner you buy in the store are delicious, l am sure these are to.l would like to try, but want to be more health conscious. Thank you.
Hi Brenda
Yes you can bake these donuts for about 15 minutes in a pre heated oven of 350°F/180°C or(160°C fan/thermal oven) until golden brown. Watch over the donuts as they bake because all ovens are different and temperature and times specified are just a guideline. Make a note of the perfect time and temperature the next time you bake these donuts and use that whenever you use this recipe.
Keep in mind however that baking will change the texture as compared to fried donuts. Turning out more like a sweet bread.
To make up for the drier texture, dip the baked donuts in the glace frosting as soon as you remove it from the oven.
I hope that this helps answer your question 🙂.
I do have a recipe for baked donuts here if you would like to give it a try
I hope this helps 🙂
https://thegardeningfoodie.com/baked-doughnuts/
These look great?! Before I attempt them I have to make sure I'm understanding correctly.... You don't need to knead the dough? Just mix it to combine and that's it? Thanks!
Hi Kathie, thank you 😊
Yes, that is correct, there is no kneading of the dough, it’s simply mixed and combined. Leave for 40 minutes to rise, punch down. Roll out and cut into shapes. Leave for another 15 minutes to rise again, then fry.
Super easy and delicious.
Give it a try, I’m sure you will love the ease and deliciousness of these donuts too 🙂
This recipe was soooo good. The dough was way too sticky to roll but just I pressed it out on a floured board and just handled it as little as possible and it worked great. I cut the dough in strips and formed donuts and crullers with strips because I don’t have a special cutter. I made them all a smaller size for snacking; one recipe made 30 donuts! It was so much fun to watch them puff up in the hot oil.
Hay how long you kneed the dough for in the recipe it doesn’t say for how long you kneed it for
Hi Em, there is no kneading the dough for this recipe, just mix the wet and dry ingredients with a spatula or your hands until a soft dough is formed. This should take about 2 minutes.
I hope this helps answer your question:)
Can you use regular yeast or does it have to be instant
Hi Dana, by regular yeast, I'm assuming you are referring to active dry yeast. Then sure, this type of yeast can most definitely be used as well.
To use: If you can only find regular yeast (usually labeled “active dry yeast”) then dissolve yeast in water first according to package instructions. then add it with the wet ingredients and mix. Proceed with the recipe as written.
I hope this helps answer your question 🙂