What comes to your mind when you think about donuts? Is it Dunkin Donuts, Krispy Kreme, or maybe even your local bakery?
Whether you love them or hate them, donuts are undoubtably one of the tastiest treats out there. They make great snacks and desserts – and you could never go wrong with a cup of coffee on the side.
Do you love donuts but are looking to find a more nutritional alternative? You’re in luck! Sweet potato donuts are a great way to go.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know about the sweet potato donut, including their history, how to make your own donuts from scratch, and where you can buy some of the best donuts.
History of Sweet Potato Donuts
The history of sweet potato doughnuts dates back to the 18th century when immigrants from Germany, who were living in Pennsylvania, fried sweet potato-based donuts in preparation for Ash Wednesday. Their reasoning for doing so was to get rid of sugar and fat before the Lenten season.
At first, donuts were referred to as “oily cakes,” or olykoeks in Dutch. The “oily cakes” name directly refers to the fact that the desserts were deep fried in oil. Although, the delectable treats were not called donuts until later when a story arose about a woman putting nuts into the dough right before frying them – hence, the word donut.
Sweet potato donuts are just one variation of the traditional donuts. In fact, nowadays, you can get all different types of donuts, from sweet to salty.
Are you ready to dive right in and begin cooking your very own sweet potato donuts? Continue reading for key ingredients, our recipe, and more.
Ingredients
As you’re prepping your cooking station, there are two sets of ingredients that you’ll need to keep separate from each other. One half of the ingredients will be used for the donuts themselves, and the other half will be used for the optional topping, which adds a sweeter touch to the donuts.
To make one dozen donuts, you will need to get started by prepping the below ingredients.
- One medium sweet potato, mashed (like a sweet potato puree)
- 1 tablespoon of instant dry yeast
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/3 cup of brown sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 cup of warm milk
- 6 tablespoons of melted butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 5 ½ cups of flour
As an optional step, you can use the below ingredients to make a sweet glaze to top off your donuts. These ingredients will need to be melted together to create the glaze.
- 3/4 cup of cream
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 ½ cup of sugar
Step-by-step Instructions
Once you have gathered and prepared your ingredients for both the donuts and sweet glaze topping, you can get started on your baking journey. Follow our step-by-step guide and instructions to ensure that you make the most delicious sweet potato donuts.
Step One
To make the sweet potato donuts, you will begin by adding all of the wet ingredients and dry ingredients, except for the flour, into a large bowl to combine. You will need to whisk these ingredients together until it is a smooth mixture.
Step Two
Next, once all of the ingredients are combined and the mixture is smooth, you will need to add flour into the batter and knead it for a total of 10 minutes.
Step Three
Have a bowl ready and grease the bowl with just enough butter. Then, after you have kneaded the dough, you will place it into the greased bowl and cover it. From there, you must set it aside and let it rise for about one hour.
Step Four
Once your dough has risen, you will begin rolling it out using a rolling pin. Be sure to keep the dough just thick enough at 1/2 inch.
Next, cut out the dough into the shape of donuts with or without a hole in the middle. You can also use donut pans to help simplify this step.
Step Five
For the next step, you will take the donuts and place them on a greased plate. You will need to cover this plate and place it in a warm environment, allowing the donuts to rise for about half an hour, or until the donuts have doubled in size.
Step Six
As the donuts are rising, you can prepare for the next step, which is to get your frying station ready. So, grab a pan, add oil, and heat the oil until it is about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the oil is hot and ready to go, begin deep frying each donut for one to two minutes on each side, or until they are fully cooked. Once they are ready, you can place the donuts in another place and use paper towels to drain and absorb the grease.
Step Seven
This step is optional if you would like to make a glaze for your donuts. Grab the separate ingredients for the donut glaze, including the cream, butter, and sugar.
To make the glaze, you will simply need to melt these 3 ingredients and stir them together using a spoon in a medium bowl. Once your donuts have already been fried, you will dip them in the glaze.
Step Eight
For the final step – whether you’ve glazed your donuts or if you’re choosing to leave them plain – you’ll need to place all donuts onto a cooling rack. Be sure to wait until they’re completely cooled until you can begin enjoying them.
Ready to Make Delicious Sweet Potato Donuts?
If you’re looking to try something different, then you should definitely give sweet potato donuts a shot. It’s worth a try, and the best part is that they are healthier than most donuts.
So, if you’re ready to get in the kitchen and make your own sweet potato donuts, remember that you should keep the below tips in mind to make sure you start and end with success.
- Make sure you have access to a kitchen with everything you need to cook the donuts.
- Gather and prepare all of your ingredients in the proper measurements. Having everything separated before you begin the baking process will be helpful when you get into the heat of cooking.
- Follow all baking steps carefully to ensure the donuts come out in the right way.
- If all goes wrong, you can always purchase delicious potato donuts from your local supermarket or bakery.
If you follow our step-by-step guide and tips, you will be on the right path to make the best sweet potato donuts you have ever tasted. Good luck and happy baking!
FAQs
Do you still have questions about sweet potato donuts? Continue reading to get the full answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Are potato donuts healthier?
Some say potato donuts are the best types of donuts out there. Plus, the best part is that they are healthier than regular donuts! Most potato donuts are naturally gluten-free, depending on the other ingredients that you add in.
On average, one serving of potato donuts can be 290 calories each.
In addition, baked donuts are a lot healthier than fried donuts. So, if you would like to be healthy, you should choose to bake your donuts instead of frying them. In this case, you would bake the donuts in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes, or until they are a golden-brown color.
What is the difference between a spudnut and a donut?
They may sound like they are the same thing, but spudnuts and donuts are completely different. Although, they are both definitely equally delicious.
Spudnuts are made out of mashed potatoes, making these treats softer and more similar to potato bread. Potato donuts, on the other hand, can be made using potatoes that are pureed. Some donuts do contain mashed potatoes, but the overall process of making a donut differs greatly from making a spudnut.
Unlike donuts, spudnuts are fill of air pockets, allowing them not to soak up grease like traditional donuts.
Where to buy potato donuts?
If you’re looking to try some delicious sweet potato donuts but aren’t quite ready to make them from scratch just yet, you can head over to your local bakery or supermarket for a wide selection of donuts to choose from, including potato donuts.
Supermarkets like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and more should have a variety of donuts available for shoppers to try. If you are having trouble finding potato donuts in your local supermarket, you can always check at any bakeries in your area.
If all else fails, you may want to give our recipe a try and see how it goes – you might even surprise yourself with the results!
Do you have more questions on how to make sweet potato donuts or where you can buy donuts? Send us any of your questions in the comments section.
