This no bake peanut butter candy recipe (also known as potato candy recipe and peanut butter pinwheels candy) has always been a family favorite with my siblings and I and to my own children.
It’s so easy to make and I will warn you it is FULL of sugar. It is SUPER simple with a very few ingredients (don’t let the potatoes scare you), but it is a definite crowd pleaser. So, today we will be teaching you how to make our favorite peanut butter candy.
Peanut Butter Candy Family Favorite Recipe
I thought this week I would make a family favorite! My Mom’s easy recipe – Peanut Butter Candy!
It’s easy and a fun treat to work on with the kids!
If your favorite candy bar has peanut butter in it or are the very favorite peanut butter cups or you can’t get enough peanut butter fudge, this is kinda fudgy-like. I can’t say I have seen too manypeanut butter candy recipes, but of course the one I grew up on is my favorite.
Some people refer to this as a potato candy recipe, we always called it peanut butter candy. Legend has it that this and many other great “passed down” recipes originated from the great depression.
As one of many southern recipes, this nostalgic dessert was popular for its simple recipe, not only that these individual candies were perfect for anyone who had a sweet tooth. To this day, this candy is a great treat for those busy weeknights.
Not only that, this old-school candy is like no candy you can get at your local candy store, and no one will be able to stop at just one piece of candy. They will be gone by the following day.
Just keep in mind they are quite rich and FULL of sugar so keep that in mind when you allow the kids to have more than 1 in a sitting.
Before I lost the weight I loved potatoes – fired, mashed, run over with a car – I would eat them (maybe you can see why I had to lose weight…)!
Some people say this is an Irish treat since it starts with potatoes and I have heard this old fashioned potato candy is popular on St. Patrick’s day. It might even be fun to use green food coloring to make it more festive – I mean, who doesn’t love homemade candy for any occasion?
The best part is you don’t have to make this recipe just for a holiday season or a special occasion – I do make them for the holidays (the family looks forward all year). You could also make these foreasy school lunches, desserts or add them to your brunch recipes.
They can compete right alongside any of the best zucchini bread recipes. Let the whole family help – it’s always fun to make memories with family good times.
Most people don’t know that Irish potato candy and sweet potato candy are different from potato candy. Some Irish potato candy contains cream cheese, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and confectioners’ sugar.
Surprisingly some Irish potato candy has no potato in it at all. The sweet potato recipe on the other hand mainly contains sweet potatoes, a little butter, and brown sugar.
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Supplies You May Need
- Airtight container
- Large bowl
- Baking sheet / Cookie sheet
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush
- Plastic wrap
- Sealed container
- Aluminum foil
- Sharp knife
- Square pan
- Small bowl
- Food processor
- Electric mixer
- 9-inch pan
Peanut Butter Candy Recipe
Yield: 18
Peanut Butter Candy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
My Mom made this candy on special occasions. It's super simple and only has 3 ingredients! Click through now to see the recipe!
Ingredients
- Peanut Butter – Smooth or Crunchy – Crunchy tends to make it less sweet (in this case that’s a good thing!)
- 1 lb Box or Bag White Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Leftover Mashed Potatoes or make new (I know it sounds odd – just hang in there)
Instructions
- Make a mashed potato (or use leftover - no gravy) You only need about a tablespoon.
- Place in mixing bowl add powdered sugar a bit at a time and mix by hand until it becomes dough-like (The potato makes the powdered sugar get really thin and wet so you have to keep mixing and adding powdered sugar until you get a dough)
- Lay out wax paper and cover with powdered sugar
- Place dough on wax paper
- Roll out thin adding more powdered sugar if need to keep it a dough-like consistency
- Smooth thin layer of peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) over your dough
- Roll dough into a log
- Place in freezer or fridge until set
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
As you can see by the instructions, this is very sweet. The peanut butter helps cut the sweet. It is definitely a family favorite recipe handed down for years.
Nutrition Information
Yield
9Serving Size
1
Amount Per ServingCalories 74Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 22mgCarbohydrates 14gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 13gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 1g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Ingredient List
Peanut Butter – Creamy peanut butter or Chunky peanut butter – Crunchy tends to make it less sweet (in this case, that’s a good thing!) You could also use almond butter – even though the texture is different you just add more sugar to thicken it to the right consistency.
Powdered Sugar – white confectioner’s sugar
Russet potato to make Mashed Potato (I know it sounds odd – just watch)
You can make this with leftover mashed potatoes or with a potato you boil and mash up with a fork. You only need a small amount so it’s perfect for even a spoonful leftover from dinner (that’s when Mom made it).
We usually make it during the Holidays – so, you can use your leftover Thanksgiving mashed or sweet potatoes, too!
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Instructions
I am not a foodie or a recipe blog so, don’t expect this to be an ultimate guide like they make – this is just my Mom’s homemade recipe and how I make it.
I used a potato I boiled and smashed with a fork until pretty smooth.
Put this in a mixing bowl and then combine sugarmixture a bit at a time and mix by hand until it becomes dough-like.
If you use a stand mixer, have it set to low speed in 15-second intervals and use the paddle attachment to ensure you get the bottom of bowl.
The potato makes the powdered sugar get really thin and wet so you have to keep mixing and adding powdered sugar until you get a dough-like thickness.
Lay out some wax paper and cover it with powdered sugar.
Take your dough and lay it on the wax paper and roll it out thin. You may need to add some more powdered sugar if it’s too wet to get the right consistency while you are rolling it out.
Then smooth a thin layer of peanut butter over the sugar mixture, and roll the dough up like a log.
Of course, Mom’s looks better!
Place it in the freezer or fridge until set well and then slice it and keep it cold until served.
I should have gotten a better shot of it from the side where you can see the pinwheel pattern in it with the peanut butter – but, it was gone too fast!
And if you want to get crazy, you could top each with dark chocolate, white chocolate chips, grains of sea salt, or even cocoa powder.
That’s it! Fast and easy!
So next time you see potatoes in your produce drawer think of this recipe.
