If you’re looking for a sweet coconut treat, you’ll love this easy recipe. They’re great to make ahead of time and these little bites are so hard to resist.
Irish Potato Candy combines cream cheese, butter, and coconut to create a yummy no-bake treat. They’re rolled in cinnamon (or cocoa powder) to resemble a potato.
While these are called potato candy, they do not contain potatoes and they are not Irish. Their name comes from the way they look like potatoes.
What is Irish Potato Candy?
Irish potato candy is popular around St. Patrick’s day although it isn’t from Ireland (it was actually developed in Philadelphia). They are named after the appearance of Irish potatoes.
They’re a coconut sweet (almost like a coconut macaroon in flavor) coated in ground cinnamon. While you can purchase these treats they’re super easy to make at home.
Ingredients
BASE The base of this treat is a mixture of cream cheese and butter sweetened with confectioners’ sugar.
FLAVOR Coconut not only adds texture but it adds flavor along with vanilla.
COATING These are rolled in a coating of ground cinnamon which adds flavor and warm spice. If you’d prefer you could roll them in cocoa powder (or combine the two) which will give them a little bit of a chocolate flavor.
How to Make Irish Potato Candy
- Cream butter, cream cheese, and vanilla per the recipe below. Stir in coconut.
- Roll in cinnamon and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Tips for Success
- These are sweet, they’re candy so they are intended to be sweet. If you’d like to cut down on the sweetness, use unsweetened coconut.
- If the dough is really soft, refrigerate it for a little bit before rolling.
- If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more coconut.
- We shape them into little balls but you can shape them a little bit more oval to resemble a potato if you’d like.
- Keep these in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More St. Patrick’s Day Favorites
- Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Reuben Dip
- Colcannon Recipe (Cabbage and Potatoes)
- Copycat Shamrock Shake
- My Favorite Reuben Sandwich
Did you love this Irish Potato Candy? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Irish Potato Candy Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 ¼ cups coconut flakes
- 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Using a mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract.
- Add powdered sugar slowly to the bowl and continue to beat until combined into a thick dough.
- Using a wooden spoon, mix in the coconut.
- Scoop a small amount of dough and roll it into a ball around the size of a marble.
- Place the cinnamon into a small bowl and roll the ball to coat.
- Chill the candies at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- These are sweet, they're candy so they are intended to be sweet. If you'd like to cut down on the sweetness, use unsweetened coconut.
- If the dough is really soft, refrigerate it for a little bit before rolling.
- If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more coconut.
- We shape them into little balls but you can shape them a little bit more oval to resemble a potato if you'd like.
- Keep these in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Like our recipes?
Follow us on Pinterest!
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_potato_candy
there is such a thing as Potato Candy that real potatoes are used in the recipe. it is made by boiling potatoes with the skins on. peel the skins off ans mash the potatoes using butter in the recipe and powdered sugar you will make a dough out of the the potatoes, butter and powdered sugar . roll it out and spread peanut butter on it roll cut and cut into pinwheels dust with powdered sugar and store in airtight container.
they made these during the depression. also I am Irish!
I’m Scot, Irish and German mainly Irish on my Daddy’s side of the family my great grandmother spoke the Gaelic and my grandmama was full blooded Irish, as well I also have Jewish in me, too!
Irish Potato Candy does have potato in in it. this is the way it is made you bake or boil a potato with the skin on it and then you scoop the potato out of the skin, you will be using some butter and powder sugar to make a pliable paste that you will roll out on a powder sugared surface when that is finished you spread it with peanut butter and the roll it into a log . then you will slice it so it will look like pinwheels. you may lightly powder sugar it. it is finished store in an airtight container.
I’ve definitely enjoyed the pinwheel potato candy before as well!
not to sure what i did wrong, but mine are incredibley runny. i put them in refrigerator to see if they will thicken. any idea what to do besides that?? some people said flour??
They will be very soft with the softened butter and room temperature cream cheese. Definitely pop them into the refrigerator for a little bit and they will stiffen up. Because they are not cooked, adding the flour would most likely make them taste off.
Once they are in the refrigerator for a little while, they will reach the correct consistency. They should also be stored in the refrigerator when they are ready!
Freezer also helps