Glazed Potato Donuts, or Spudnuts, are the softest, most tender homemade donuts recipe ever! Hot, fresh donuts with a sweet vanilla glaze.
When you think of potatoes for Breakfast, you might think of savory dishes like Hash Browns or Potato Pancakes, but they make amazing sweet, warm doughnuts too! For more basic donut recipes, check out my spot-on Copycat Krispy Kreme Glazed Doughnuts or my Classic Yeast Donuts.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Glazed Potato Donuts Recipe
Potatoes and donuts may not sound like they go together but my Potato Donuts, also known as Spudnuts, will blow your mind! Plain mashed potatoes make a super tender and extra moist dough. Don’t worry, you don’t taste the potatoes, you just get their delicious fluffy texture for the softest, melt in your mouth donut ever.
If you haven’t made homemade donuts before, you are going to be shocked at how easy they are to make! The dough needs to rise for about 2 hours but preparing and shaping the dough doesn’t take much work at all. Once your dough is ready for the fryer, you’ll have hot and fresh donuts in no time at all!
Ingredients
- Potatoes: Forget dehydrated potatoes, these potato yeast donuts are made with freshly cooked potatoes so they are super tender and soft! You need 3 medium potatoes, or about a pound of russet potatoes.
- Yeast Mixture: The most important part of any raised donut recipe is activating the yeast correctly. You’ll need a fresh packet of active dry yeast, warm water (no more than 110-115 degrees) and a teaspoon of granulated sugar. After about 5 minutes, the mixture should be foamy with a yeast smell.
- Sugar: There is quite a bit more sugar than my classic glazed yeast donuts recipe to make up for the earthy potato mixture. Even with more sugar in the dough, these donuts are not overly sweet and go great with the vanilla glaze.
- Shortening: Shortening has a higher melting point than butter and works better since potato dough will have more moisture than basic dough.
- Eggs: The 2 eggs in this donut recipe add structure and bind the ingredients. Egg also adds the rich flavor and moisture that normally comes from warm milk without making an overly wet or sticky dough.
- Flour: You’ll need some all-purpose flour to turn your mashed potatoes into dough. You’ll add ½ cups of flour one at a time to form dough slowly and build up the gluten.
- Donut Glaze: These Potato Doughnuts are covered in a simple vanilla glaze made of powdered sugar, whole milk, and vanilla extract.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Potato Ricer: A potato ricer makes the perfect fluffy mashed potatoes that are smooth without getting gummy. You could also use a hand masher or a blender but be careful not to over-beat them.
- Donut Cutter: A donut dough cutter is specially made to cut-out circles and the hole at the same time. If you don’t have a donut cutter, use a large 3-inch cookie cutter then a small round glass, like a narrow shot glass, to cut out the doughnut holes.
- Baking Sheet and Wire Rack: Have a wire rack ready on a paper towel lined baking sheet for cooling the donuts and letting the excess glaze drip off. You don’t want the donuts resting directly on a layer of paper towels because that’s how they get greasy. The layer of paper towels makes clean up super easy.
How to Make
Time needed: 2 hours and 45 minutes.
- Mash the Potatoes
Heat the potatoes and water in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once it’s simmering, cook for 12 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes then mash until smooth. Set aside 1 cup of mashed potatoes for the donuts and let cool for 10 minutes. Store the remaining potatoes in the fridge after they’ve cooled.
- Activate the Yeast
Stir the yeast, warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar in a stand mixer then let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
- Make the Donut Dough
Once the yeast mixture is ready, add the shortening, 1 cup cold potatoes, eggs, salt, and remaining sugar. Mix on the lowest speed until combined.
- Add the Flour
Still on low speed, begin adding the flour into the potato mixture in increments, ½ cup of flour at a time, until a moist shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the Dough
Swap out the paddle attachment for a dough hook. Knead the mixture for 6-8 minutes until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Let the Dough Rise
Use vegetable oil to grease a separate bowl. Put the dough in the greased bowl and turn it to coat both sides with oil. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel. Let the dough rise in the covered bowl for at least 2 hours until it doubles in size.
- Roll the Dough
Press down on the dough to release any trapped air, then transfer it to a floured surface. Dust your rolling pin with flour and roll the dough out to a thickness of about ½ inch.
- Cut the Donut Shapes
Use a 3-inch donut cutter to cut the dough and separate the cut-out circles into donuts and donut holes. Tip: Dip the cutter in flour occasionally as you shape your donuts to keep it from sticking to the dough.
- Fry the Donuts
Heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot. Fry the donuts and donut holes in batches for 2-3 minutes until golden, flipping halfway. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the hot donuts to a baking sheet with a wire rack. Let them cool for 10 minutes before glazing.
- Prepare the Glaze
While the batches of donuts are frying, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Glaze the Donuts
Dip the top of the fried donut into the glaze. Flip the donut with a fork, coating both sides, and return it to the cooling rack to let the excess glaze drip off. Wait for the glaze to cool and set for 20 minutes.
Can Spudnuts be made ahead of time?
You could prep the dough the night before if you want to make delicious Homemade Potato Donuts but also want to sleep in. Cover the bowl for rising and let it rise overnight, then roll and shape as usual in the morning. If you are going to boil potatoes for dinner, why not throw in a couple extra to make warm donuts for breakfast the next day? Once they are boiled, separate what you need for potato doughnuts, then make your side of Mashed Potatoes (or other potato dish) as usual.
Nutritional Facts
Homemade Potato Donuts Recipe Tips
- Drain and Rinse the Potatoes Well
- You don’t want too much starchy potato water to get into your dough so make sure to rinse the potatoes and drain them very well after they are cooked. Excess starch can make the dough gummy and dense, so rinse the potatoes until the water runs clear.
- Don’t Mash the Potatoes
- You also don’t want to mash your potatoes so much that they turn into a paste or again, your donut dough could get gummy. A potato ricer is the best tool to get you the perfect consistency of airy, flaky potato bits that mix into the dough smoothly.
Ideas to Serve Spudnuts
Toppings: Instead of covering these donuts with the regular vanilla glaze, dip in cinnamon sugar or regular sugar. You can also dip one side in warm Chocolate Ganache and top with sprinkles or shredded coconut.
Drinks: Serve warm donuts at breakfast with an ice-cold glass of milk or Chocolate Milk. Or in the winter, you can dunk them in Hot Chocolate for a sweet indulgent dessert.
How to Store
Store: You’ll want to enjoy these donuts fresh for the best taste and texture but they can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Keep them in an airtight container after they’ve cooled completely.
Freeze: You don’t want to freeze for donuts for later, they will dry out and the taste won’t be as good as when they are freshly made.
Frequent Questions
The biggest difference between potato donuts and regular yeast donuts is that you use mashed potatoes instead of milk and butter to add moisture and some structure. They aren’t all potato though, there is still a good amount of flour added to make the dough.
The best oil for frying donuts and other breads is going to be neutral in flavor and with a high smoke point. You also don’t need to use an expensive oil since it won’t make much difference in flavor, just use vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Potato Donuts:
- 3 russet potatoes , peeled and diced
- 1 packet active dry yeast , 0.25 ounces
- 1 1/2 cups warm water 100-110 degrees
- 2/3 cup sugar , divided
- 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups flour
- vegetable oil , for frying
Donut Glaze:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Potato Donuts:
- Add potatoes to a saucepan with room temperature water and bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 12 minutes until forks will easily pierce the potatoes.
- Drain the potatoes and mash well, keeping 1 cup of the mashed potatoes (you can reserve the rest for another recipe or discard) and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl add yeast, warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar, stirring well.
- Let sit for five minutes, until foamy.
- Add sugar, vegetable shortening, mashed potatoes, eggs and salt and mix on the lowest speed setting until well combined.
- Add in flour, on the lowest speed setting ½ cups cup increments until all the flour has been mixed in.
- Change to a dough hook, then knead for 6-8 minutes until it pulls away from the bowl.
- Remove the dough and add to a large greased bowl, then turn to coat so both sides of dough are greased.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 2 hours.
- Punch down dough and remove onto a floured surface.
- Roll dough roughly just under 1/2″ thick.
- Cut out donuts with a 3″ donut cutter.
- Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 375 degrees.
- Without crowding the pot, fry donuts and donut holes in batches.
- Fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown on both sides.
- Remove with slotted spatula onto a baking sheet.
- Note: Fry the remaining edges and enjoy as a treat for the cook!
- Let donuts cool for 10 minutes before glazing them.
Donut Glaze:
- Mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth.
To Finish:
- Dip the top of the donuts in upside down, turn them over with a fork to coat both sides then lift with the fork in the center of the donut and let excess amounts drip off.
- Let harden on a cooling rack on your baking sheet for 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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