Mashed Sweet Potato Donuts with Cinnamon and Sugar
Mashed Sweet Potato Donuts are crispy on the outside, and soft and pillowy on the inside. Not to mention they're completely coated with an irresistible cinnamon and sugar mixture which is sure to have you doing the happy donut dance!
Servings: 24 donuts
Calories: 204kcal
Ingredients
For the dough;
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ cup shortening, I used butter flavor
- 1 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups prepared mashed sweet potatoes
- ½ cup milk
- 4-6 cups peanut oil, canola or vegetable may be substituted
For the cinnamon & sugar topping;
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
To make the donuts;
- In a large, high sided pot, heat the oil to 375-degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl cream together the shortening and brown sugar. Add in the eggs, vanilla, mashed potatoes, and milk. Blend until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture, ⅓'d at a time and on low speed into the creamed shortening mixture until all the flour is fully incorporated and the dough is soft and pliable.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.*Note - if the dough seems too sticky, knead in a little extra flour. You're looking for a soft dough but not an extremely sticky dough.
- Roll the dough out to an approximately, uniformly ½" thickness.
- Use a 3" round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter that has been dipped in flour and cut out as many circles as you can. Set them aside on a lightly floured surface.*Note - You can re-roll the scraps and continue cutting circles from the remaining dough.
- Use your thumb to poke holes into the center of the circles (more flour on your hands may be needed) and gently stretch the donuts into shape.
- Use a large slotted spoon or spider strainer and carefully place about 4-5 donuts in the hot oil to fry about 3-4 minutes on each side or until deeply golden brown.*Note - if the oil is too hot, the donuts will brown quickly and still be raw in the middle. Try and keep your oil temperature as constant as possible to avoid this. Or, if it's not hot enough, the oil will saturate the dough making your donuts greasy.
- Carefully removed the cooked donuts from the oil (using the strainer) and place them into a bowl with the cinnamon sugar. Toss to coat.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
These donuts freeze well for up to 3 weeks if wrapped well with parchment paper or wax paper in between each donut.
*Tip - to check if your oil is up to temperature without a thermometer, dip the handle of a wooden spoon in the hot oil, and if small bubbles form (think champagne bubbles), you're good to go.
Tools and equipment:
measuring spoons, measuring cups, stand mixer or hand mixer, whisk, large slotted spoon, rolling pin, baking sheets (optional), large high sided pot (for frying), 2 large bowls, 1 medium bowl, nutmeg grater (optional), 3" round cookie (or biscuit) cutter, thermometer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1600IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1.1mg