Irish Potato Candy Recipe: Ok, It's not Really Irish. But it's Really Yummy.

This Irish potato candy recipe is a personal favorite of ours and we're always surprised that this fun treat isn't better known! These sweet goodies may or may not even have Irish origins but they're still a favorite snack on St. Patrick's Day and other Irish occasions.

Irish potato candy. Image by couldntbeparve. Flickr.com

Believe it or not the most common form of 'Irish' potato candy originates in ... Philadelphia, USA. But don't let that stop you from using this tasty treat to express your Irish side!

If this happens to make you hungry for other Irish dessert recipes, feel free to visit our main page on Irish desserts here...

Meanwhile, please enjoy our favorite Irish potato candy recipes!

Irish Potato Candy Recipes

Cream Cheese Version: Ingredients

½ a stick of soft butter
Softened cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pound of confectioners’ sugar
cinnamon
7 oz. of flaked coconut.
Flour

Cream Cheese Version: Preparation

Mix butter, cream cheese, coconut, vanilla and sugar until thoroughly combined
Flour your hands, then shape the mixture into small balls, each one a bit bigger than a walnut.
Roll each ball in cinnamon to achieve desired color
Refrigerate until firm

Makes about 35 Irish potato candies.

This Version Actually Contains Potatoes!

In this version of the potato candy recipe, granular sugar is infused with mashed potatoes. Once sugared to taste, the mash is rolled into circular bite sized balls and allowed to dry ... partially.

Then they are rolled in cinnamon or brown sugar to give them additional sweetness and a 'potato-like' color.

Chill and Voila! Irish potato candy.

Peanut Butter Irish Potato Candy: Ingredients

For this variation you’ll need:

2 pounds of powdered (confectioners) sugar
around ½ c. of hot mashed potatoes that are completely drained and ready to go
a small jar of crunchy peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Irish Potato Candy: Preparation

Start off by mixing the sugar into the potatoes slowly with your hands. Potatoes tend to get extra mushy when you put in sugar so don’t panic - as the sugar mixes and cools the mixture will become firmer.
Next put some sugar on tin foil or wax paper on the side and start taking spoonfuls of the potato mixture out and forming it into balls no bigger than a baseball.
Roll these onto the sugar, spread the peanut butter and roll into potato-sized rolls (with the peanut butter inside).
Then wrap them up and chill.
Once the candy has chilled you can eat them as is or cut them up to your preferred size.

How Should It be Served?

Consider making a few versions and place them up on a serving tray, have one circle the other in an attractive and tasty selection, giving your guests a choice of treats.

Try them out at your next get together and see why this special candy has been around for over a hundred years now.

Hungry for More Irish Recipes?

Sharing Irish food is one of our favorite ways to enjoy an Irish experience, wherever in the world we happen to be! The flavors of an Irish meal, and the stories that come along with many Irish recipes, gives us a sense of connection with the Emerald Isle.

To help feed your Irish side, we have over the years created many downloadable, share-able Irish games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, and much, much more.

Want them right now? Keep reading to learn about "Your Irish Expressions Playbook."

Yummy! Where Can I Find More?

At Irish Expressions, our our goal is simple: to provide you with a unique Irish experience, on demand, wherever you are in the world.

If you have enjoyed our section on Irish Food Recipes, you have probably been exposed to many of the most delicious flavors that Ireland has to offer!

Will that entice you to visit Ireland - or to return if you have already been?

We hope so!

But even if that is not possible, you can still enjoy the magic of Ireland in these pages. Check out the links at the top of the page for simple instructions on how to explore Irish landmarks, enjoy Irish food, practice Irish customs, and much more!

More Fun With Irish Expressions

Congratulations on learning more about the Emerald Isle and discovering what we like to call your "Irish Side." You may be thinking "I'd love to actually VISIT Ireland but that's really not in the cards right now. What am I supposed to do with the stuff I just learned?"

Well never fear! Since 2009 we have collected all of the best printable, shareable resources we could find, to help you put your new knowledge of Ireland to good use. We've put them all together in a single download we call "Your Irish Expressions Playbook," which contains over 50 pages of games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, travel guides and much, much more.

Purchase them ALL for one small price, print as many copies as you like and share them with your friends - with no limitations! But order soon - we are already adding to the Playbook for future editions and this price will not last long.

Oh, want one more reason to order right away? If you buy YOUR copy of the Playbook now, you will be allowed to upgrade to any new future edition for FREE.