Old fashioned potato candy originated during the Great Depression era as a sweet treat made with inexpensive ingredients. Made with just three simple ingredients, this old-fashioned candy is a popular no bake treat during the Holiday season and great to give as gifts. 

This old-fashioned potato candy recipe is 100 years old and a popular candy recipe to give as gifts and to enjoy during the holiday season.

During the Great Depression, this recipe became very popular because money and staples were scarce those days and people made do with what they had. So, potatoes, peanut butter, and confectioners' sugar came together to create this sugary, sweet treat. 

Jump to:

• Ingredients in This Old Fashioned Potato Candy Recipe
• How to Make This Old Fashioned Potato Candy Recipe
• What's Needed to Make Potato Candy
• How to Store Potato Candy
• Variations in Potato Candy
• FAQ's
• Does Potato Candy have potatoes in it?
• Why is My Potato Candy Runny?
• Can I use Instant Potatoes for Potato Candy?
• RELATED
• 📖 Recipe

This was my Grandma's potato candy recipe that has been handed down generations and is a must-make at Christmas. 

Old Fashioned Potato candy is perfect to make during Christmastime and to give to loved ones during the holidays. It makes a large amount so there's plenty to go around. Check out this Christmas Cookie Butter Cookies recipe, another delicious sweet treat to give out during Christmas. 

Ingredients in This Old Fashioned Potato Candy Recipe

It only takes 3 ingredients to make this candy:

• Russet potatoes, made fresh or use leftover potatoes - I like to use freshly mashed russet potatoes. Russet potatoes are best because they break down easily and don't retain a lot of moisture. 
• Confectioner's sugar - you'll need 7 cups of powdered sugar for this recipe, yes, it is a lot!
• Peanut Butter - creamy peanut butter works wonderfully in this recipe 

How to Make This Old Fashioned Potato Candy Recipe

The first step to making this peanut butter potato candy is to scrub and peel the medium potatoes and boil them until they are fork tender. Once the potatoes are boiled, it is time to drain them and mash them until smooth. Allow the mashed potatoes to come to room temperature before working with the mixture.

Add about ½ cup of powdered sugar at a time to the cooled mashed potatoes in a large bowl, kneading the mixture until a stiff dough begins to form. 

Line a workspace with parchment paper, dust it with powdered sugar, and flatten and spread dough out into a ¼ inch thick rectangle. You can place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough and roll it out using a rolling pin to spread the dough evenly. You will be rolling this potato candy up jelly roll style.

Once the rectangle is shaped, spread a thin layer of peanut butter onto the dough evenly. 

To roll the dough up jelly roll style, start at the long side of the rectangular shape and roll dough up tightly.  The parchment paper is very helpful to roll the dough up.

Wrap the potato candy dough log tightly with parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours to allow the peanut butter filling and the candy base to firm up before removing it from the refrigerator and cutting it into thick slices, about ¼ inch in thickness. 

Once sliced, store in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. 

What's Needed to Make Potato Candy

• A saucepan is needed to boil the potatoes
• A sharp knife or potato peeler to peel the potatoes before boiling
• Potato masher to mash the potatoes for the candy base
• Parchment paper to keep the workspace clean and for rolling up the candy

How to Store Potato Candy

It's straightforward how to store potato candy. When stored properly, it can last for up to 1 week.  Slice the potato candy into ¼ inch slices after chilling. Then, line an airtight container with parchment paper, and spread the potato candy in a single layer. Repeat with a layer of parchment paper and candy until all of the candy is stored. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. 

Variations in Potato Candy

To add some crunch and texture to this candy recipe, use crunchy peanut butter in place of creamy peanut butter. Keep in mind that it will make this candy more lumpy,

This recipe doesn't include vanilla extract as my grandmother and mother never added it and we loved it, but if you want, you can add two teaspoons of vanilla extract while binding the ingredients together. 

FAQ's

Does Potato Candy have potatoes in it?

Yes, this homemade candy really does have potatoes in it! However, the flavor of potato isn't found in the taste of this old-fashioned candy. The potato acts as a binding agent and gives this candy a smooth texture. 

During the Depression period, this old-fashioned potato candy became very popular because of how inexpensive the ingredients were and how easily obtainable the ingredients were.

Why is My Potato Candy Runny?

There's a bit of trial and error with potato candy and here are some helpful tips. Make sure that the mashed potatoes have cooled enough to work to get the right consistency. The water content in the potatoes will vary so it's important to add the powdered sugar a little at a time until the dough forms.

You don't want the powdered sugar to melt down into the potatoes and adding a little confectioners' sugar at a time will slow down the melting process of the sugar.  

Another helpful tip is to add a little cornstarch to the mixture and it will thicken the candy base without altering the flavor. 

Can I use Instant Potatoes for Potato Candy?

Because of how instant potatoes are processed, I do not recommend using them.  They retain lots of moisture and will make it difficult to create a form the stiff dough necessary to make this candy.  

RELATED

Potato Candy is a classic during the Christmas season as well as these peanut butter balls. These Christmas treats are perfect to add to any Christmas Candy Platter.