Potato Candy

Potato Candy showed up South during the Great Depression; making this tasty treat was a great way to create a delicious confection using inexpensive ingredients. Powdered or confectioner's sugar was (and still is) cheaper than white granulated sugar, but it works perfectly in this simple dessert.

Learn how to make old-fashioned potato candy, and impress your friends and family when you tell them how this treat is made.

A Brief History of Potato Candy

Not to be confused with Irish potato candy, a cream-cheese based sweet that originated in Philadelphia, potato candy is believed to have shown up in the United States around the time of the Great Depression. However, it likely existed long before it made its debut in the U.S. and was passed down from generation to generation in Europe.

Reportedly, it was Germany who first put the humble potato to work, though it wouldn't be long before Ireland, Scotland, and Russia began making the simple sweet treat.

Popular Potato Candy

This old-school candy reminds us of divinity and other traditional homemade Southern sweets, but gets bonus points for its creative use of the modest starch. Complete with creamy peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, Potato Candy is the unique Southern sweet that's sure to turn heads at your next family reunion, holiday festivity, or birthday celebration.

Potato Candy Basics

Chances are, you already have all of the ingredients to make this delicious sweet treat right in your kitchen.

• One potato (russet is recommended) serves as the core ingredient.
• A not-insignificant amount of powdered sugar takes the lead role.
• Milk, vanilla, peanut butter, and salt are the four other ingredients.

It's helpful to work with parchment paper to avoid sticking and make it easy to cut and serve after the dough has chilled. If you only have wax paper on hand, that'll work.

How To Make Potato Candy

The full recipe for potato candy is below, but here's a brief outline to help you get started:

• Step 1. Make dough: The key is getting the dough to a place that feels like a stiff potato dough—like cookie dough but a bit stiffer. The cold mashed potatoes, as the name suggests, are key in this recipe because they act as a binder, holding the candy's ingredients together.
• Step 2. Roll out dough: Once the dough is the right consistency, it is easy to work with and roll up using the jelly roll method. This method simply uses a piece of parchment paper as a guide to help you roll the confection into tight, beautiful layers.
• Step 3. Spread peanut butter: Smooth a layer of peanut butter over the dough, then roll and chill before slicing. Speaking of chilling the dough, this is a no-bake recipe. Hands-on time is roughly 30 minutes, and the dough needs about an hour in the freezer before this "candy" is ready to eat.
• Step 4. Slice: Once chilled, slice the rolls into individual pieces. Now the candy is ready to serve or store for your party or holiday gifts.

How To Store Potato Candy

The candy will stay good for a week or so if kept in an airtight container. We don't recommend freezing it. When it thaws, the moisture separation can make the candy grainy.

Why We Love This Recipe

We adore the texture of fudge, but sometimes it's just too rich. This recipe reminds us a little of fudge though, with its creamy, unctuous texture and toothsome bite, yet its sweetness comes from powdered sugar.

It's rich without being over-the-top though, and a little—after a meal, maybe with coffee in the morning before working in the garden—goes a long way. Plus, it's a fun conversation starter! Candy! Made from potatoes! Who would've thought?

Editorial contributions by Stacey Lastoe.