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Growing up I lived about 20 minutes from the town I currently live in (we’ll call it P-town, because it starts with the letter “P”, not because it smells like a urinal). The only thing I knew about P-town was that it had a craptastic shopping mall that my mother would drag me to every now and then. Finally the mall closed and I never had to come back.
Then I met my future husband. And he made me move to P-town. And, okay, he didn’t make me, but we found a house there and it was agreed upon that we would move and I hated everything about it.
13 years I’ve lived here. It grows on me a little more each year and I think I can now safely call this town home without barfing or making the angry eyes. I kinda even like it.
When we first moved here my husband tried selling me on it with the local donut shop. He knows that donuts rank high with me. The thing is, these donuts are made from potatoes and I’m sorry, but no. Take me home, I want to move back in with my mama, where the donuts are made from normal things like flour and sugar.
I finally gave one of the potato donuts a shot, though. And, well, here I am making and sharing my own version with you. I think you know what that means. Potatoes and donuts do actually go well together. Spudnuts are delicious.
Also, potatoes are vegetables and vegetables for breakfast is super practical and healthy. Trust.
These don’t taste like mashed potatoes or anything, so don’t freak out. People would never guess you used mashed potatoes in the dough. They just add this extra hint of sweetness and the texture is a bit different than a plain yeast donut. Try ’em. They’re worth moving across town for, but if you can make them yourself, there will be no need!
Spudnuts - Mashed Potato Donuts
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 2 medium-size Idaho potatoes peeled
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large eggs
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons potato cooking water divided use
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Lard or oil for deep-frying
For the glaze:
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- To make the donuts, boil the potatoes until fork tender. Set aside the cooking liquid.
- Push the potatoes through a food mill or mash by hand, leaving no lumps. Measure out 3/4 cup of mashed potatoes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the mashed potatoes with 1/2 cup of flour and the egg.
- In a small pot, heat the 3/4 cup of potato water, sugar, butter, and salt over low heat until the butter has melted.
- Stir this mixture into the potato mixture and blend until smooth.
- Dissolve the yeast in the remaining 2 tablespoons of warm potato water.
- Add to the potato mixture. Mix in the mace and nutmeg and mix thoroughly.
- Add remaining flour a little at a time, with your mixer on low and fitted with the dough hook, until a stiff dough forms. Continue kneading until smooth and elastic.
- Remove dough to a greased bowl and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in bulk, about one hour.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll to 1/2 inch thickness.
- Cut the dough with a floured biscuit or donut cutter. (I find this dough to be pretty soft, so I use a biscuit cutter since it's easier to move the full circle around than it is to move around the donut shape.)
- Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
- Heat a deep skillet or pot with 2 inches of oil to 375 degrees.
- Fry the donuts in batches (don't overcrowd the pan), flipping as needed until golden brown on both sides.
- Drain a paper towel lined plate.
- To make the glaze, heat the milk in a small saucepan until warm. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk together to form a glaze.
- Dunk the warm donuts in the glaze. Let sit for 5 minutes to set.
- Serve immediately.
Jessica L. says
I went to Bradley…but I’ve never heard of a doughnut shop selling potato doughnuts!! What’s the name of it?
Karly says
I’m about 20 minutes outside of Peoria, but the donut shop is Spudnuts. 🙂
rich hayes says
pekin spudnuts on derby st they have the best cinn. roll also
Karly says
Those are the ones I was talking about!!
Jessie says
They moved to the north side of town. The parking lot is not any bigger
Jennifer @ Not Your Momma's Cookie says
I’m never heard of these! But, I enjoy both potatoes and doughnuts, so I’m down for trying them together 🙂 Pinning now!
sam b says
Wait. I also live in a P-town where people freak out over spudnuts. What state do you live in?!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
These are so interesting, I would have thought the potato would make them dense and heavy but these look so light and fluffy! Yum!
shelly (cookies and cups) says
That goodness you don’t live in a town that smells like a urinal. That definitely would not be fun.
And honestly I am all for potatoes in donuts…give me carbs or give me death.
sorry, that was a little extreme.
Karly says
Extreme? I don’t think so.
sam b says
Also, the mall thing is true here, too. I’ve read your blog forever! It’d be so crazy if we lived in the same town!
Amber (Sprinkled With Flour) says
I love spudnuts, they’re so good! I actually make my cinnamon rolls with potato in it – and my grandpa who owned his own bakery used potato in his donuts too. Makes them so light and moist! These are making me drool. 🙂
Karly says
I’ve been wanting to try your cinnamon rolls but keep forgetting!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
HAHAHAHA P-town. You kill me. These look awesome!…and probably don’t smell like pee.
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
OMG I’ve never had a spudnut but they sure look tasty!
Amber | Bluebonnets & Brownies says
I’ve been intrigued with these ever since that first photo on Facebook. Now I’ll just have to make them.
Tierney says
You had me at potato. I heart you. I want to move to your town and we can be BFFs – you can cook and I will eat. 😉
Aimee @ ShugarySweets says
I am totally on board. Anything that has the name donut and even resembles a donut is a good thing. These look fantastic!
Jessica says
I grew up on spudnuts, too…from my mom, who did grow up in an Idaho P-town. I know they are pretty common in Idaho and Utah.
I remember shaking the bags of the hot, glorious, greasy sweet donuts.
I gotta make these for my boys.
Britton Gammill says
Have you ever tried to use this dough to make hamburger buns? Our local donut shop makes buns with their donut dough.
Karly says
Never tried it! Might be good, minus the glaze. 🙂
Mike says
I live in a “P” town in the Texas Panhandle; we used to have a Spudnut shop but it’s been closed for years. Spudnuts are the best donuts I’ve ever eaten, so light and tender that you’ll almost throw your mouth into an overbite, thinking they’ll be some resistance as you bite into one. The franchise owner here in town was an ex-petroleum engineer w/ oil field art and memorabilia in his shop and I always thought the “spud” in spudnut was in reference to “spud in”, as in starting the process of drilling an oil or gas well. He even had some caricature art by the door with an oil field hand asking him “How much hole did you make today?”, a joking reference to the question asked for how many feet you drilled on your shift, but in this case, how many donut holes he had punched out. It wasn’t until a few years ago when I found another recipe on the ‘net about Spudnuts that I realized the “spud” meant potatoes.
Tanya Schroeder says
Seriously? How many can I shove in my mouth? I’ve never had a potato based donut. It’s sort of depressing when you realize you’ve missing out on something so delicious your whole life.
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Don’t know if you read Saveur but the last issue was all about donuts and there was a recipe for spud based donuts from a Chicago-based donut shop. Can’t recall the name of the shop without getting up to check the story but it was a downtown/metro Chicago joint. And now that you’re making these donuts, I NEED to make potato based yeast bread sometime soon here!
Karly says
Oh, I didn’t see that! Fun!
Megan {Country Cleaver} says
Can I move to your town? Or just into your house? Cause I want these everyday for the rest of timmmeeee.
Joanne says
Well I’m glad you’re coming around to your hometown! Lol you crack me up. I would probably have been resistant to trying potatoes in donuts too though. Now I know I should absolutely NOT avoid them at all costs!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
Oh Karly. How I love thee. Potato donuts?????? I’ve never heard of them but I MUST HAVE ONE.
Erin @ Table for 7 says
What a faboulous idea! They look delicious.
Deborah says
We had a Spudnut shop in the town I grew up in, and they were the best. doughnuts. ever. I haven’t tried making them myself, but I want them now!
Pat says
I love spudnuts! I love our hometown! I was just wondering a few days ago if I could get a recipe for spudnuts (you must be reading my mine). The park is my favorite!!
Karly says
The town is slowly growing on me! 🙂
Enjoy the donuts!
carrian says
Love spudnuts!! And ps I think you meant donuts are made from flour and sugar, but you said potatoes. 🙂
Karly says
Ha! Fixed it. Thanks!
Sister Spice says
I mean, how can these not be amazing? Potatoes and donuts are my two favorite food groups. I cannot wait to try these!
Sara C. says
I also have grown up on Spudnuts! They are fantastic and if you have sensitive teeth when it come’s to sugar, then these are perfect! We used to have two stores in my area but now only have one and they are super busy ALL THE TIME! I’m in WA state!
carol gronli says
Hey you know what? My mother found a recipe in our local newspaper in Madison, WI once for bread made from left-over mashed potatoes. It was called Gaspe Bread and it came from Canada. My mom made it – it was AWESOME. Now I can’t find the recipe anywhere….*sad sigh*.
Katie says
Do you need to use the mace? I have never heard of it and don’t have any on hand. Could I still do this without it? Would there be a substitute I could use?
Thanks!
Karly says
I’d just leave it out! Shouldn’t be a problem. 🙂
Sharon Damron-Elders says
Mace is the outside shell of nutmeg. It is an excellent spice and if you don’t have any nutmeg is a great substitute.
Sharon Damron-Elders says
I grewup in an Arizona town and went to school with a girl who’s daddy had the SPUDNUT shop. Oh my, how wonderful was the soft glazed goodies…………I have made them for years and just couldn’t find my cookbook with the receipt in it. Very glad I ran across this………………
isabelle says
can these be made with sweet potatoes or pumpkin? sorry i didn’t read through the other comments to see if this question has already been asked/answered.
Karly says
@isabelle,
I haven’t tried this, so I’m not sure. You may be better off looking for a sweet potato or pumpkin donut recipe as the amount of starch in potatoes and sweet potatoes/pumpkins is going to be pretty different and may affect the recipe.
Rene says
I live in that P-town where that Spudnut shop islocated, funny.
Karly says
Small world! 🙂
Riaisy says
wow, tasty looking
Rae says
Just amazing. I’m in the UK so used plain flour. I fried them in my wok with rapeseed oil. I put half a teaspoon of mixed spice and half a teaspoon of cinnamon in the dough mix. When they were done I tossed them in 100g caster sugar mixed with just under half a teaspoon teaspoon of cinnamon. Just delicious. The kids and hubster devoured them. Thank you for the recipe.
Karly says
Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Wendy says
I live in a P town in Idaho which I hate, and make angry eyes all the time. I know the people that had the first donut shop here. There is a place that makes potato donuts that are heavy, dense and awful. I’ll try yours this Christmas.
Karly says
Hope you love them!