We are so excited to bring you guys this Sweet Potato Spudnuts Donuts / Potato Donuts recipe! For those of you who don’t know what Spudnuts donuts are, please read below to get educated because you’re missing out!
How to make Spudnut Donuts
- Preheat the oil to 350°F
- Combine cinnamon and sugar. Set Aside.
- Combine hot and cold milk together to create luke warm milk.
- Make the dough: Activate yeast. To activate the yeast combine yeast and water together in a small bowl. Cream together sugar and shortening. Add sweet potatoes. Continue to cream. Add eggs, milk, yeast water, and salt and continue to mix until well combined.
- Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time and continue to mix until dough forms.
- Prep dough: Dump dough into a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but sticky dough forms, about 5 minutes. Place dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down and dump onto a lightly floured surface once again. Roll dough into a ½ inch thick slab.
- Cut out donuts: Using a 3 inch circle cutter cut Spudnuts from the slab and poke a hole in the center of each with your fingers (handle gently to ensure you don’t deform your Spudnuts) place onto a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment.
- Let dough rise: Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area until Spudnuts double in size.
- Fry donuts: Carefully remove Spudnuts from parchment and slide into the oil, 2 to 3 at a time. Fry each Spudnut for about 3 minutes on each side or until a light orange-golden color.
- Toss with sugar and cinnamon: Drain Spudnuts onto paper towels and while still warm, lightly brush each with melted butter on both sides, and toss in cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to three days.
Here is some equipment we love for this recipe:
Variations:
We used mashed sweet potatoes in our recipe which we love, but traditionally you use regular mashed potatoes, but without the butter and milk. We prefer russet or yukon gold. Here are some popular variations:
- Using mashed sweet potato instead of regular mashed potatoes (Like our recipe!)
- Roll in superfine sugar instead of cinnamon sugar
- Glaze the doughnuts with a simple glaze (like this vanilla glaze) instead of rolling them in sugar.
- Roll in powdered sugar instead of cinnamon sugar
- Top with a Maple Glaze, which we used for our Baked Pumpkin donuts, but would be delicious on these!
Spudnut Donuts FAQs
Spudnuts donuts are the lightest, fluffiest doughnuts made from mashed potatoes that you’ll ever experience! These are also sometimes called potato donuts. The mashed potatoes, or in our case the sweet potatoes take the place of some of the flour in a typical donut recipe. Spudnuts are must lighter than traditional donuts, and are prepared much in the same way.
These donuts are best served right away when they are warm. Store in an airtight container on your counter for up to three days.
As you will see in the comments of this post, a lot of people have made this dough ahead! Let the dough rise as per the recipe, then pat it down and carefully wrap with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. When you are ready to use, just continue with the recipe instructions and roll out your dough!
Spudnut donuts, or potato donuts are not gluten free. Although they are made with mashed potatoes, or in our case sweet potatoes, there is still flour in the recipe.
If you love these donuts – here are a couple other donut recipes you might also enjoy:
Sweet Potato Spudnuts
EQUIPMENT
- 3 inch circle cutter or donut cutter
- oil thermometer
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup milk, cold
- ½ cup milk, scalded
- 2 package active-dry yeast
- ¼ cup luke warm water
- ½ cup superfine sugar granulated is okay, but the superfine is preferred
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes, cooled completely
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
coating
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
to fry
- peanut oil for frying vegetable oil is okay
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oil to 350°F.
- In a mixing bowl combine sugar and cinnamon until completely combined. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine both milks together and stir to create a luke warm milk. (doing this will prevent you from having to wait for your scalded milk to cool)
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast and water and allow to sit for 5 minutes. (to activate the yeast).
- Place sugar and shortening into a mixing bowl (or in a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment) and cream together. Add sweet potatoes and continue to cream until fully incorporated.
- Add eggs, milk, yeast water, and salt and continue to mix until well combined. Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time and continue to mix until dough forms.
- Dump dough into a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but sticky dough forms, about 5 minutes. Place dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down and dump onto a lightly floured surface once again. Roll dough into a ½ inch thick slab.
- Using a 3 inch circle cutter cut spudnuts from the slab and poke a hole in the center of each with your fingers (handle gently to ensure you don’t deform your spudnuts) place onto a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area until spudnuts double in size.
- Carefully remove spudnuts from parchment and slide into the oil, 2 to 3 at a time. Fry each spudnut for about 3 minutes on each side or until a light orange-golden color.
- Drain spudnuts onto paper towels and while still warm, lightly brush each with melted butter on both sides, and toss in cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to three days.