Irish Potatoes Recipe

My finished Irish Potato candies. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Yep. It’s that time of year again…St. Paddy’s Day. And my family would disown me if I didn’t make my yearly homemade Irish Potatoes! (Well, I certainly hope not!)

So what are Irish Potatoes, you may ask?

According to Eater, this candy was never actually made in Ireland but originated (probably) somewhere in the Philadelphia area, in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania in the late 1800s. The Irish immigrants of the time seem to have invented this VERY sweet candy that looks like miniature potatoes, hence the name. 

The recipe I typically use as a reference can be found on AllRecipes.com. I modified this recipe a wee bit and doubled the recipe to satisfy a family of five. 

Ready to get your hands messy? Here goes…

Ingredients:

16 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup softened butter
7 cups confectioners sugar (aka powdered sugar)
4 cups flaked coconut
2-3 TBS cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract

I softened the cream cheese by putting each slab in the microwave for no more than 30 seconds. The butter was then softened (not melted) in the microwave for no more than 20 seconds. Beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth. (I used a potato masher to mash the cream cheese and butter together, then used a heavy-duty wooden spatula to blend the mixture.)

Cream cheese (2 packs). Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

One stick of butter. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Cream cheese and butter mixed with potato masher. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Cream cheese and butter mixed with wooden spatula. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Add sugar and vanilla, and beat again until smooth. (I usually use the real vanilla extract, but I only had imitation.)

Powdered sugar. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Imitation vanilla. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Vanilla mixed in with cream cheese and butter. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Mix in the coconut flakes.

Bowl of shredded coconut. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Coconut flakes mixed in with cream cheese mixture. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to get the mixture to harden a little so that it is easier (and less messy) to roll into balls.

Prep 2-3 baking sheets lined with wax paper. Pour the cinnamon into a bowl.

Cinnamon in a bowl. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Getting ready for rolling the candies with the cream cheese mixture, wax paper sheet, and cinnamon. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Take the cream cheese mixture out of the fridge.

Shape the confection mixture into potato-shaped balls slightly larger than a quarter. Roll each sugar ball in the cinnamon until evenly coated. Place on tray.

(If your hands get sticky—and they will—rinse them off and keep going!)

Place trays in the refrigerator until cream cheese is set again.

Finished Irish Potato candies on the waxed tray. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

You can serve as is on the cookie trays, watching the family trample each other to get their “dirty potatoes” (as they are also called), or you can make up a pretty St. Paddy’s Day display or even treat bags. Just remember the cream cheese needs to be refrigerated, so don’t leave the candy potatoes out for long periods. 

These are so sweet they make your teeth ache just by looking at them, but, man, are they good!


Happy St. Paddy’s Day!



Original recipe
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16520/irish-potato-candy/
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Chicken vegetable pot pie

This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog.