Irish potatoes may sound like a savory side dish but actually, there are no potatoes at all in this traditional Irish dessert! Potato candies are little bites of sweetened cream cheese and coconut, dusted with cinnamon. They are delicious and incredibly easy to make.
When I was in high school, I worked in a cute little ice cream shop that made Irish Potato Candy around St. Patrick’s Day. We would roll these treats for hours and sell out every day. People would start to ask us around the middle of February when we would start making Irish Potatoes. No sooner would we finish making chocolate hearts for Valentine’s Day than we would change gears, exchange pink for green, and get rolling in anticipation for St. Paddy’s Day.
With every Irish Potato I made, I couldn’t help but chuckle, seeing as how they are neither Irish nor a potato. They hail from Philadelphia (a REALLY long way to Tipperary!) and are in fact cream cheese and coconut rolled in cinnamon to imitate potatoes. Hence, the name. Despite the “dishonest” name, these little guys are genuinely delicious and undeniably addictive. If you’ve never made them before, why not start a new St. Paddy’s Day tradition with “potatoes” you’ll want to eat by the handful!
Is confectioner’s sugar the same as castor sugar?
Nope. The difference lies in their texture. Castor sugar, while finer than granulated sugar, isn’t as fine as confectioner’s sugar. If you’re wondering whether you can use castor sugar instead of confectioner’s in this recipe, I advise against it. The creaminess of your potatoes will be compromised. You’d be better off looking at other sweet substitutes, like powdered erythritol or stevia, though the taste may differ a bit. You can also blend granulated erythritol or regular white sugar with cornstarch or arrowroot powder until it becomes a fine powder.
Variations
If this is your first time making Irish Potatoes, I recommend sticking with the traditional recipe. If, however, you’ve made these before, you may want to change it up a bit. Here are some suggestions to do just that:
- Chocolate Irish Potato Candy: Add cocoa powder to the mixture. Not enough chocolate? Roll the candy in cocoa powder for chocolate inside and out.
- Peanut Butter Irish Potato Candy: Add peanut butter to the mixture. If you go with the crunchy variety, that will translate to crunchy Irish potatoes and make for an interesting texture. You could also combine this with the chocolate version for a “Reese’s” Irish potato.
- Irish Potato Candy with Nuts: Add chopped nuts, such as pecans, almonds, or walnuts, to the mixture for added crunch and flavor.
- Cinnamon Irish Potato Candy: Cinnamon is included in the recipe but if you wanted to make these for Valentine’s Day, add cinnamon to the mixture for a warm, spicy flavor. Then do as the recipe says and roll the balls in cinnamon sugar for an extra pop of flavor.
- Mint Irish Potato Candy: This one is more in line with St. Patrick’s Day. Add peppermint extract to the mixture to create a refreshing mint-flavored candy. You can also roll the candy in crushed mints for texture flair.
- Irish Potato Candy Truffles: A “classy” and decadent take on the treat. Instead of rolling the candy into potato shapes, roll it into small truffles and coat them in chocolate or cocoa powder. Similar to the choco one but, well… more sophisticated.
How Do I Store Irish Potatoes?
Remember, there are dairy products (cream cheese and butter) in the candy. Because of this, Irish potatoes should be kept in a refrigerator. It is best to store them in an airtight container and don’t let the potatoes touch each other. If you need to stack them, lay a sheet of paper over the bottom layer. They should keep well for at least 7 to 10 days, and possibly up to two weeks. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Just take them out and let them come to room temperature before serving.
Other St. Patrick’s Day Treats
Irish potato candy is a fun and delicious treat for St. Patrick’s Day. This no-bake recipe is easy enough to make that even young kids can help you make them.
Irish Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick of butter softened
- 1/2 brick of cream cheese softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 1/2 cups sweetened coconut
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer or electric stand mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese.
- Next, slowly add the powdered sugar.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Add the coconut and mix well.
- Before rolling the Irish potatoes mixture into balls, you may want to chill it for at least 30 minutes. Doing so will make it easier to form the dough into little balls.
- You can use your hands to do this. However, I like to use a small ice cream scoop, like the one shown in the above photo. Keep in mind that Irish potato candies are really rich, so you want them to be small in size.
- Roll the mixture into small balls and then roll them through a bowl or plate of ground cinnamon.
- Place the Irish potatoes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Ummm i put jimmys in my cinnamon. I think “Jimmys” might be Philadelphia too but idk cause us from here dont get out much. Lol. We go down the shore. I love these though and make them all the time.. i had them being from Ireland and made when they didn’t have potatoes, and all. i was shocked to learn its just something made in Philly. A little disappointed too because i had this whole old time vision of “faking potatoes” … Lol. Im still a 5 year old, apparently.. and a lil piggy because i toss mine in vanilla ice cream. .. which is soooooo amazing that I emailed ben and jerrys w a new flavor i invented . I called it “Phillys Irish coconut cream!”. Thought “potato ” in name would ruin it. They never wrote back. Lmao. I thought it was brilliant!