Irish Potato Candy
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I love this Irish Potato Candy! It’s so fun to make, the candy is delicious and it’s absolutely adorable. It’s a sweet and yummy treat to place on your counter on St. Patrick’s Day. They really look like little potatoes!
These petite cinnamon-coated confections are not actually Irish in origin – they are a creation from the Philadelphia area. And while they look like little potatoes, don’t be deceived. There are no potatoes used in the making of these candies. They are sweet through and through.
No-bake Irish Potato Candies have a dense and creamy texture like a truffle – really decadent. But instead of being flavored with peanut butter or cocoa powder, Irish Potato Candies are made from shredded coconut, cream cheese, and confectioners’ sugar. They couldn’t be easier to pull together.
These are a fun candy to make with little kids of all ages. They’re cute and festive, and they don’t require a candy thermometer or any baking. Because they’re supposed to look like potatoes, it is ok if they end up irregularly shaped – so no pressure.
If you are looking for other festive treats to make, try my Green Velvet Cupcakes, my subtle yet delicious Irish Tea Cake, or the true St. Patrick’s Day tradition, Irish Soda Bread.
Recipe Details
- Taste – These are sweet and creamy with a hint of coconut.
- Texture – Firm from being refrigerated but melt in your mouth.
- Ease – These no bake treats only require mixing and refrigeration.
- Time – From start to finish, these will take a little over an hour and a half, including cooling time.
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
These Irish Potato Candies can be made with a handful of ingredients.
- Unsalted Butter: This should be softened to room temperature but not oily.
- Cream Cheese: Keep the cream cheese cold so it keeps its texture. You can use light if you must, but full fat cream cheese is always better.
- Vanilla Extract: I use this homemade vanilla extract, but you can also use high quality pure vanilla extract.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: This adds sweetness and creamy texture.
- Unsweetened Flaked Coconut: Unsweetened will add a hint of coconut flavor. You can find it in the baking aisle at grocery stores.
- Ground Cinnamon: For giving the potatoes their color.
Recommended tools
This recipe only requires basic equipment. I love this hand mixer, or if you want a real power horse, you can get this stand mixer. If you need new mixing bowls – these are my favorite ones. You may want to use a sieve to lightly dust off the cinnamon on the candies
How to Make Irish Potato Candy
These fun treats are easy to make, and a great way to get your kids baking. They require no heating or cooking. Just mixing, cooling, and rolling!
- In a large bowl, mix the butter and cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla extract and confectioners’ sugar and mix again until incorporated. Add the coconut and mix again.
- Cover the coconut mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll about 1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture into oblong potato-shaped balls. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
- Add cinnamon to a small bowl. Roll the candies in cinnamon to coat. You can roll again for a darker color, or for a lighter coating, use a sieve to dust off the excess cinnamon.
Tips For Success
- Make sure you allow the butter to soften before using. 30 minutes should be enough to soften it but not melt it.
- The cream cheese must be cold or the candies will be too soft.
- If you want find the cinnamon to be too overpowering, mellow it out by mixing 1 teaspoon of confectioners’ sugar with it before rolling the candies. Or you can shake the candies in a sieve to dust off the excess cinnamon.
Storage & Freezing
The Irish Potato Candies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Irish Potato Candy
Ingredients
- ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups (480 g) confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 2 ½ cups (162 g) unsweetened flaked coconut
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed in a large bowl until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and confectioners’ sugar and beat on low for 2 minutes until everything is combined.
- Add the coconut and beat on low for 2 minutes until well mixed in. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll mixture into 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon-sized potato shapes. Place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes until set.
- Add cinnamon to a small bowl. Roll the candies in cinnamon to coat and return to the cookie sheet. refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- If desired, roll the candies in cinnamon a second time for a darker color and more cinnamon flavor.
Notes
- Butter: Allow the butter to sit out for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature before using.
- Cream cheese: The cream cheese must be cold or the candies will become too soft.
- Coconut: Make sure to use unsweetened coconut. The filling is already sweetened with sugar.
- Cinnamon: If desired, mix 1 teaspoon of confectioner’s sugar with the cinnamon to mellow it out.
- Keep the potatoes stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.
Thank you for this recipe. These are lovely – easy and delicious!
I’ve used another recipe for the coating. It is a mixture of 1T cinnamon, 1 tsp cocoa, and 2 T confectioner’s sugar. It is from Saveur magazine from a long time ago . . .