If you’ve never tried a potato donut recipe, you’re in for a treat. These old-fashioned donuts are incredibly soft, light, and fluffy thanks to one unexpected ingredient—mashed potatoes!

The potatoes help create a moist, tender texture. They can be finished off with a simple glaze, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, or your favorite frosting!

stack of homemade potato donuts on a square plate

My mom used to make these donuts for us when I was a kid. We called them spudnuts. She got the recipe from my grandma, who loved baking as much as I do. Her secret ingredient was nutmeg, and it really does give these donuts amazing flavor!

Whether you’re looking for a nostalgic bakery-style treat or want to try something different from traditional yeast donuts, these potato donuts are a great dessert or indulgent breakfast treat!

Why You’ll Love This Potato Donut Recipe

Extra soft and moist texture
Uses simple pantry ingredients
Perfect way to use leftover mashed potatoes
Delicious glazed, powdered, or coated in cinnamon sugar
Great for holidays, brunches, or weekend baking

What Are Potato Donuts?

Potato donuts are yeast-raised donuts made with mashed potatoes mixed into the dough. While it may sound unusual, potatoes have been used in baking for generations because they add moisture and tenderness without changing the flavor.

The result is a light, soft donut that’s nearly impossible to resist, especially when they are warm!

How to Make Potato Donuts

Mash the Potatoes – Whether you are using leftovers or preparing mashed potatoes, either press them through a potato ricer, or mash them with a fork until completely smooth.
Activate the Yeast – Combine warm water, yeast, and a tablespoon of the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
Make the Dough – Add the rest of the sugar, the oil, mashed potatoes, milk, eggs, salt, nutmeg, and about two cups of the flour to the bowl. Beat until smooth, then stir in enough flour to make a soft dough.
Knead – On a floured surface, knead the dough until very smooth. Form into a ball.
First Rise – Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
\Cut Doughnuts – Spray your counter with cooking spray. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut donuts with a donut cutter.
Second Rise – Place donuts on silicone lined cookie sheets. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes or until doubled.
Fry – Heat your oil to 360°. (I use the T-Fal deep fryer.) Fry each donut in hot oil for 45-60 seconds or until golden brown. Flip with a chopstick and fry the second side for another 45-60 seconds.
Drain – Use the chopstick to remove the donuts. Place them on paper towels. Let cool slightly.
Glaze – Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Dip the donuts while warm.

When the donuts are warm, they just melt in your mouth!

Tips for the Best Potato Doughnuts:

A potato ricer is the best way to remove all the lumps in your mashed potatoes!
Use plain mashed potatoes without garlic or seasonings.
Don’t add too much flour to the dough or the donuts can become dense.
Make sure you have at least two inches of oil in your pan so the donuts can float and flip easily.
Use a candy thermometer to ensure that you maintain oil temperature around 360°F for even frying. Below 350° they absorb excess oil; above 375° they brown before the middle is cooked.
Let the donuts rise fully for the fluffiest texture.
Glaze while still slightly warm for the best result.

Potato Donut Recipe Variations:

Cinnamon Sugar – Toss warm donuts in cinnamon sugar instead of glazing.
Powdered Sugar – Dust cooled donuts generously with powdered sugar.
Chocolate Glaze – Dip cooled donuts into melted chocolate glaze.
Maple Glaze – Add maple syrup to the glaze for a delicious fall-inspired treat.
Filled Potato Donuts – Skip the donut hole and fill with: Raspberry jam, Lemon curd, Bavarian cream, or Chocolate pastry cream

Frequently Asked Questions

Why add potatoes to donut dough?

Mashed potatoes add moisture and tenderness, creating a softer donut that stays fresh longer.

Can I use leftover mashed potatoes?

Yes, as long as they’re plain and not seasoned with garlic, cheese, or herbs.

What’s the best oil for frying?

Neutral oils such as vegetable, canola, or shortening work well because they have a high smoke point and won’t affect the flavor of the donuts.

More donut recipes:

More recipes using mashed potatoes:

Potato Donut Recipe with Vanilla Glaze

Kara

Mashed potatoes make these delicious donuts extra soft and tender, and nutmeg adds an amazing flavor. Finished off with a simple glaze, they are irresistible, especially warm!

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 2

Rise Time 1 40

Total Time 2 8

Course Dessert: Misc.

Cuisine American

Servings donuts

Calories 273 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Donuts:

1 Tbsp active dry yeast
½ cup warm water
½ cup sugar, divided
½ cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 ¼ cups milk
3 large eggs
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
6 ½ cups all purpose flour (more or less as needed)

Vanilla Glaze:

¼ cup salted butter, melted
1 pinch salt
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
6 Tbsp milk, more or less
2 tsp vanilla extract
vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

If you don't have leftover plain mashed potatoes, you will need to make them. I like to use fresh russet potatoes, but you can use instant potato flakes. I recommend pressing them through a potato ricer to remove all lumps.
In a large bowl, combine the yeast, warm water, and about a tablespoon of the sugar. Let sit for about 10 minutes until bubbly.
Add the remaining sugar, oil, mashed potatoes, milk, eggs, salt, nutmeg, and about two cups of the flour. Beat until smooth with an electric hand mixer.
Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough that is slightly sticky but doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl.
Dump the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple minutes or until the dough is smooth.
Spray the bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bottom. Let sit in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about an hour.
Spray the counter with cooking spray and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to about 1/2" thick. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. Place on cookie sheets lined with silicone liners or parchment paper. Continue
Let the donuts rise until doubled, 30-45 minutes. Heat oil to 360° in a pot or skillet. It needs to be at least 2 inches deep. (I use the T-Fal fryer and love it!)
Cook donuts for about 45-60 seconds on each side, or until the outside is golden brown and the inside is cooked. Use a chopstick to flip and remove the donuts from the hot oil. Don't overcrowd the pan, just cook a few donuts at a time to maintain oil temperature. (If your donuts are thicker, you may need to increase the fry time.)
Place the cooked donuts on paper towels and allow to cool slightly before glazing.
For glaze: Combine all ingredients in a shallow bowl. Whisk together until smooth, adding enough milk to make a thin glaze.
Place a wire rack inside a baking sheet. Let the donuts cool sightly before dipping them in the glaze. I dip both sides of the donuts, but you can just dip the top if you prefer. After dipping, place them on the cooling rack to allow excess glaze to drip off.

Notes

If you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes, peel and slice 1 large russet potato. Boil for 10-15 minutes in salted water until tender; mash, then press through a potato ricer. Measure one cup.
For maple glaze, replace the vanilla with maple flavoring. I usually do half the donuts vanilla and the other half maple.
I re-roll the donut holes to make more full-sized donuts. If you cook the donut holes, you will end up with about 2 dozen donuts and donut holes.
If you don’t have a donut cutter, you can use a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or mason jar lid. For the holes, a soda bottle lid works great.
Donuts are definitely best eaten fresh, but they will last for a day or two at room temperature in an airtight container.
Calories are just an estimate based on the donuts absorbing about 10% of the oil. Yours may absorb more or less depending on your oil temperature and fry time.
Chopsticks work perfectly for flipping and removing donuts from the oil, but you can use tongs instead if you don’t have a chopstick.

Nutrition

Serving: 1donutCalories: 273kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 144mgPotassium: 79mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 93IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg

Keyword potato donuts

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Mashed potatoes create an incredibly soft, fluffy donut that’s rich in flavor and wonderfully tender inside. These homemade potato donuts are sure to become a family favorite.

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