Old Fashioned Potato Candy
This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Mary Jo F for winning and please enjoy the recipe. Thanks!
This is an old fashioned candy recipe that I’ve received a lot of requests for. Mama said her Mama Reed used to make it around the holidays for all the kids. Mama Reed had ten children herself, but was known for her hospitality and open table policy: If a meal was being served, you were welcome to come join them. She made her potato candy a little different than how I’m making it here, but there are so many ways to customize this recipe that I’m sure you will be able to make it your own as well.
Mama Reed liked to divide her dough into two batches, tinting one pink with red food coloring and leaving one white. She’d then pinch off bits of dough and roll it into balls, storing the balls into the refrigerator until ready to serve to the younguns or whatever guests happened by. I’ve also seen folks roll out little balls of potato candy and dip them into melted chocolate to serve as a sort of poor man’s bon bon. Either way is delicious.
Now if you’re thinking potato candy sounds weird, I can see where you’re coming from so I’m gonna let you know what to expect : Old Fashioned Candy Heaven. This candy is kinda in the same taste category as Fudge or Divinity. It is just that good! You won’t be disappointed!
The ingredients for this are simple ones, my favorite kind! Peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, and a potato.
You can add a teaspoon of vanilla if you like, but you don’t have to. Y’all know I like things as simple as possible.
You can also leave the peanut butter out and just roll it into balls like Mama Reed did, but oh my goodness, I love the peanut butter!
You could also use nutella or a soy butter or such if you need to substitute.
Peel and slice your potato and cover it with water. bring to a boil and cook until tender.
Drain your potato water and place the cooked potato in a mixing bowl.
Beat it up real good.
Add about half of your confectioner’s sugar and mix it up well again.
Until you have a pulpy, liquidy, mess.
Dump in the rest of your sugar.
Sure you can add it “gradually” if you have all day but it’s just as good to dump it all in there and get on with making some candy.
After that second mixing, you’ll have yourself a good stiff dough, like the consistency of cookie dough, only maybe a wee bit stiffer.
You may need to add a little more sugar, depending on the size of your potato, to get this stiff consistency.
Now, because we don’t have all the time in the world to clean our kitchens and because we want this to be as easy as possible (so we enjoy it more, of course!),
place a big old sheet of waxed paper on your countertop.
If anyone is feeling particularly technical today, I think this is like…18 inches long – ish.
*I have a strict policy against unnecessary math in my life so go with an estimate here.
Put some confectioner’s sugar on that to keep your dough from sticking like tar.
Dump your blob of dough on that. You’ll have to scrape down the sides a bit to get it all.
Dust the top with some more sugar.
Okay, I didn’t dust, I just put a handful on there but sometimes I worry that y’all will think I have no grace at all so I throw out dainty little words like “dust”. While I was typing this I was drinking iced tea at the same time and just to help emphasize my supposed daintiness, I lifted my pinky as I held the glass.
~takes in a deep breath then a big old swig of tea~
Okay, I’m over that now.
Roll that out until it is about a quarter of an inch.
~tilts her head sideways and squints one eye~ Hold your head like this and it will look like a more even-ish blob.
Smear some peanut butter on that.
I have no idea how much peanut butter you’ll need so just go with your gut here.
You can do this because you are awesome!
Now roll that up log style, like you’re rolling up cinnamon rolls.
until you have this.
Now since we have the waxed paper already out there anyway, roll your log up in your waxed paper.
To make life easier, I cut my roll in half.
Then they will both fit in a gallon zipper bag. Place this in the fridge until thoroughly chilled.
When ready to serve, remove waxed paper and slice into inch slices.
Makes about forty pieces of candy.
Ingredients
- 1 small potato
- 2 pounds confectioner's sugar
- peanut butter
Instructions
- Peel and slice potato. In small sauce pot, cover potato slices with water and cook over medium heat until soft. Drain potato and place in mixing bowl. Beat until mashed. Add 1/2 sugar and mix well. Mix in remaining sugar, scraping down sides as needed.
- Line a countertop with a sheet of waxed paper dusted with confectioner's sugar. Scrape out dough onto waxed paper and dust top with more confectioner's sugar. Roll out to a thickness of about 1/4 of an inch (don't go getting a ruler here, just eyeball it. This isn't rocket science). Spread dough with peanut butter and roll up like you are making cinnamon rolls. Once you have rolled up into a log, roll log up in your waxed paper and cut in half. Place halves in a gallon zipper seal bag and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve remove waxed paper an slice into 1/4 inch slices. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
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Ingredients
- 1 small potato
- 2 pounds confectioner's sugar
- peanut butter
Instructions
- Peel and slice potato. In small sauce pot, cover potato slices with water and cook over medium heat until soft. Drain potato and place in mixing bowl. Beat until mashed. Add 1/2 sugar and mix well. Mix in remaining sugar, scraping down sides as needed.
- Line a countertop with a sheet of waxed paper dusted with confectioner's sugar. Scrape out dough onto waxed paper and dust top with more confectioner's sugar. Roll out to a thickness of about 1/4 of an inch (don't go getting a ruler here, just eyeball it. This isn't rocket science). Spread dough with peanut butter and roll up like you are making cinnamon rolls. Once you have rolled up into a log, roll log up in your waxed paper and cut in half. Place halves in a gallon zipper seal bag and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve remove waxed paper an slice into 1/4 inch slices. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
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This post is part of the Nestle Family Holiday Exchange, which means one person who comments will win a great prize pack courtesy of the Nestle Family.
Today’s prize pack is a Baking Package, great for a fun evening of baking with your family!
Baking Prize Pack Includes:
- VIP Coupon for free Carnation Evaporated Milk
- VIP Coupon for free Toll House Morsels
- VIP Coupon for free Refrigerated Cookie Dough
- $25.00 Visa gift card to cover other baking supplies.
This contest closes at midnight, Thursday December 9th. Winner will be notified by email and announced on this post Friday December 10. Please note that I will be out of town during this time for my Friday appearance on The 700 Club so the winner will not be announced until late Friday night.
To enter, leave a comment below sharing your favorite holiday recipe (you can just tell me the title of the recipe or include the whole thing if you like!). You can also visit Nestlefamily.com and tell me a recipe there you’d like to make this year.
Check out the Very Merry Cookie Wreath idea while you’re there!
“Something about an old-fashioned Christmas is hard to forget.”
~Hugh Downs
Disclaimer: I have partnered with Nestle Family to be a part of this holiday exchange series of posts. I have not been paid for a positive opinion and all opinions expressed in this post are my own.
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Dec 7 2010. Filed under Cookies, Dessert, Holiday Favorites!, Holidays.
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Jenn, I just made this last night using only powdered sugar, margarine, vanilla, and water. I only had one pound of powdered sugar, but I think it made it easier than trying to make two pounds at once. I used one pound of powdered sugar, one tablespoon of margarine, a half teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a couple drops or so of water. Mix the sugar, margarine, vanilla extract and water together. Take a piece of wax paper and sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. Lay the dough on the wax paper and lay another piece of wax paper on top of the dough and roll the dough out. Take the top wax paper off and spread peanut butter on the dough almost, but not quite to the end. Roll up and wrap it in wax paper and refrigerate to chill. Chilling makes it easier to cut. I have had this candy both ways, with the potato, and with the margarine, and I like the one with the margarine better, and it’s much easier to make. Hope this helps. Good Luck! Carol
Thank you SOOO much for putting your recipe here! I went through I don’t know how many websites that wanted me to download something. All I wanted was a recipe I could write down! A co-worker has been telling me about potato candy & I wanted to have a recipe for it. Sounds wonderful–can’t wait to try it! Thanks again!!
Thanks for this recipe! I have always loved potato candy and have been wanting to make it. I followed all of the directions as you put them, but ended up with a giant, messy burrito-thing LOL I don’t think it quite turned out, this one was a bit tough to make, but it will still taste great.
[...] Old Fashioned Potato Candy | Southern PlateDec 7, 2010 … This is an old fashioned candy recipe that I’ve received a lot of requests for. Mama said her Mama Reed used to make it around the holidays for … [...]
made this recipe and the potato and sugar did not turn into a dough consistency it was runny and i added alot of powdered sugar.. I will try again soon hopefully it will turn out right next time. I love potato candy and can’t wait to make it right.. thanks for the recipe.
the lager the potato the more suggar you need my grandma taught me this and have found its best if you use a potato you can make a fist around w/ verry little potato showing out side your fist any bigger your gonna need another bag of sugar also if you have trouble getting it stiff use your hands to kneed in the sugar a bit messier but it works…
[...] http://www.southernplate.com/2010/12/old-fashioned-potato-candy.html [...]
I have made this years ago but instead of the spiral I rolled it in balls and dipped it in chocolate. Different things I added to the dough are chopped nuts and maple flavoring, coconut and vanilla, roll it around a marichino cherry then dip in chocolate ( if you let this sit in your refrigerator it becomes liquid like cherry chocolates) add cocoa to the dough . I am so glad I found this recipe on your site as the lady that had given it to me has passed on and of course I couldn’t remember how I made them 30 years ago.
How this brought back memories of Momma making this for us when we were little. She always let us help and we had peanut butter everywhere as we started out with spoons to spread it and ended up with fingers. I like it best when it begins to harden. Have made it with chunky peanut butter and it was good too.
[...] candy and found the recipe, lol. All this time, I thought it was something my mother invented. http://www.southernplate.com/2010/12…ato-candy.html Dockworker likes this. Reply With [...]
My favorite is W.Va candy, don’t know what other’s call it but we’ve alway’s called it W.VA candy. You have to pull it like taffy and it cream’s and melt’s in your mouth.
I have not had potato candy since my aunt used to make it for the holidays when we were children. My sister and I were talking with a cousin a short while ago and the subject came up. I decided to google it to find if anyone else made it. I was delighted to find several recipes for this delicious candy.
I hope you enjoy it Patty!! It is so easy to make and has such heritage!!
OMG, I have been looking for this POTATO CANDY, for a very long time. now i got it. My Daddy made these all the time. they are so so very good. I miss making them with my daddy, my daddy and my mommy is in HEAVEN, miss them both so very much. when the hoildays comes around it’s so very hard to do anything. Well thank you again for sharing this.. happy hoildays …
so glad you published this. people thought I was nuts. My ex-husbands Aunt made this and I was hooked……….
My Grandma taught me this when i was verry young it had been passed down from her mother we make it just a lil diffrent we boil the potato whole with the peeling on then cut it into chunks to mash it w/ the suggar most people i know have never heard of it and when i mentioned it growing up there were several yucks …untill they tried it..lol..nice to see im not the only one w/ a taste for tater candy..lol
One of my favorite recipes to make for Christmas is Hummingbird Cake. Yummy!
Mother use to make this candy, but I did not have a receipt for it. A lady I bowl with said ,she had made some and someone had gotten the receipt from the web. So here I am Looking and will make some tooooo! Thanks a bunch.
I have never tried this but find it interesting! Might have to try it out this baking season! One of our favorites is puppy chow – can’t ever seem to make enough of it to go around!
Thank you so much for sharing this! My mother used to make it when we were growing up and I always loved it. I’ve never found an exact recipe using the potato so now I have it and I’m thrilled!
I miss my mother all the time but especially at Christmas!
My grandmother used to make this candy!! Thanks for the recipe and jogging the memories that went with it!!
I am a born & bred deep south southerner and I have never heard of this! Have I been missing something good all these years? I love divinity and fudge. Does it really taste similar? I can’t even imagine what this would taste like…
I have looked for this recipe and it never ‘looked’ right. My Grandma made this every Christmas…..Ymmmy! Yours looks just like hers!
Never heard of this, but I am going to try it, TYVM! “EASY” fudge is my favorite (if I’m making it)
O my goodness!!! I haven’t seen or eaten any of this since I was in 3rd grade! One of my classmate’s moms brought it in for the whole class for a Christmas treat! I now have a 3rd grader. I will have to make some for her to try! Thanks for sharing Christy!!!
My mother would use instant mashed potatoes to make this. I didn’t care for it too much, but I think if it were rolled into a ball and dipped in chocolate, I would LOVE IT! LOL, anything dipped in chocolate can’t be bad, can it?
I like the way you think Karen!!
Christy, (in the voice of Ernest T. Bass) …I Love You! I LOVE you… I am just sooooo glad to get this recipe! You make things so easy with the photos and I truly believe I can make this now. My best friend adores this candy and is going thru some really hard times right now, so I am making her 2 pounds of this heavenly stuff! The really COOl thing is, she always had been my “Martha Stewart” and makes beautiful creations and delicasies for my hubby and me. Now I can surprise her and her little girls with this. Sending you a huge hug! Cindy McD
She is so blessed to have a friend like you Cindy. I LOVE you too!!
My grandmother taught me to make this when I was about 10yrs old(1978) and I grew up in Ohio. Now living in Texas for the last 18yrs, I try to make it every Christmas. It has been around for many many years.
Love this Stuff!
One of the guys I once worked with brought this candy to work and I said “Oh you brought potato candy!” He was so shocked and said “There’s no potatoes in there.” Made with cake frosting, Oh well. Still make mine with potatoes.
I couldn’t believe it when most of the people I work with had never heard of this so I had to l candy there was except for homemade fudge..I know it will be a hit at work..ook it up to make them some….I grew up thinking this was the only
This is exactly how my Dad made potato candy and said it was how his Mom made it during the depression.
My husband’s grandmother made Potato Candy every Christmas. Yummy, tiny bites of heaven!
I make a variation of it substituting a banana for the potato.
And yes, it is as decadent as fudge. Probably more.
[...] Buckeye Bark Espresso Toffee Chocolate Clusters Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies Homemade Oreos Old Fashioned Potato Candy Cranberry Bliss Cookies Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
Thanks for having this on here my grandmother use to make this for me and my uncle she would have to make both of us our own because we would fight over it she had some out and we had one to bring home love those days now trying to give my kids the memories we had when we were young thanks christy braden
Potato candy is so yummy I can never rem a Christmas w/o it I’ve made it for our children, grandchildren & someday hope to for our great grand children also Its a must @ Christmas time
I followed this recipe step by step. The mixture never thicken even after adding additional confectionary sugar. It was a huge disappointment as it was planned surprise from childhood to my brother on Christmas Eve. Please explain what went wrong. The steps are easy but this mixture did not thicken at all. There was no way you could begin to put it into a ball and roll it. That would have been joke. The entire batch had to be thrown out. WHat a waste of ingredients. Please help me understand what might have gone wrong. Thanks.
One of My favorite “every” holiday recipe is “Pumpkin (aka Swiss) Cake Roll. I use Pumpkin in fall & substitute the filling depending on the holiday. For Christmas, I use a chocolate cake w/ a peppermint filling, Easter, I use a fresh berry filling. They are so delicious, & I can make ahead & freeze for up to 2mo.
Thank you for providing this wornderful recipe with pictures! It is nice to go straight to the recipe and not have to sign in andput in numerous passwords to get to the recipe..I used this recipe, except when I got ready to roll it out, I used conf sugar mixed with flaked coconut. Try it. Very yummy! (if you love coconut)
[...] Old Fashioned Potato Candy: Before you just skip this one, you’ve gotta hear me out. While it definitely sounds gross, potato candy is wonderfully sweet and melts in your mouth. If you have a potato, some powdered sugar, and a jar of peanut butter, you can make this. You can stop shaking your head now, just try it. Even if you don’t want to try it, make it anyways and don’t tell people what it is until they’ve already had some. Guaranteed mind blower. [...]
This is the way it is supposed to be made. Forget all that extra stuff like coconut or chocolate! My mom has made this for years, and we even used to sell it at the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta. We couldn’t make enough of it because visitors from all over wanted some to take home with them! Thanks for posting the step by step!
I have NEVER seen a recipe online for this before, but I am thrilled!! Potato candy is a family tradition on my mother’s side of the family!
Yum!