This Irish Potato Candy is perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with! Made with butter, coconut, cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon and they look like baby potatoes!
Irish Potato Candy
Irish Potato Candy. It didn’t originate in Ireland. It isn’t made out of potatoes. It’s more of a treat than a candy. So the name seems a little misleading, huh?
These sweet treats actually originated in Philadelphia and they’re made from coconut, cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon. They got their name because they look like potatoes, and they really do, don’t they?
And if there’s one thing Ireland is known for other than beer and beautiful scenery, it’s potatoes. They really do look like a sack of potatoes and they’re just so cute!
Although we Americans know March 17th to be a day full of leprechauns, pots of gold, and green-colored mischief, the day was originally created to remember Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
In the US, people consider it a day to honor their Irish heritage, but in Ireland, well, it’s pretty well known that they’re almost all Irish!
Still, the holiday always makes me reminisce about the trips I’ve taken to Ireland! Magnificent cliffs, blue-green waters, centuries-old pubs, ancient buildings, lush green landscapes… okay, I’m ready to go back now!
Anyway, these little treats are not only festive, they bring back wonderful memories. Plus, I love potatoes in all forms, whether they’re fried, mashed, as a candy, you name it!
I love how easy these potatoes were to make and that there wasn’t any cooking or baking required. They were a great little treat, the cream cheese and coconut pair perfectly with the confectioner’s sugar so they’re sweet but not too rich.
These little grab-n-go bites are perfect to bring to parties or to work to share with your colleagues. Trust me, all it takes is a little food to become the office favorite. 😉
You can use Irish Potato Candy to play a funny little trick on friends and family: they look like potatoes, but one bite proves that they’re actually light, fluffy, and sweet candies!
I think it’s a sneaky trick that an impish leprechaun might pull, don’t you think?
The cinnamon can be quite strong, but you can also substitute the cinnamon for and blend of cinnamon-sugar or cocoa powder and sugar if you’d prefer it. The recipe makes quite a few two-bite treats, so there’s plenty to share!
How To Make Irish Potato Candy:
This dessert treat is super easy to make because it doesn’t require any cooking or baking!
- Begin by creaming together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Next, add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Then, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until combined and smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl in between additions.
- Add coconut and mix until combined and then chill mixture for 20-30 minutes.
- Finally, roll into balls “potatoes” about the size of a large marble and finish them off by rolling in cinnamon.
More St. Patty’s Day Recipes:
Pin this Irish Potato Candy Recipe for Later!
Watch How To Make Irish Potato Candy In the Video Below!
This post was originally published in March 2014 and was updated in February 2018.
This Irish Potato Candy is perfect for celebrating St. Patrick's Day with! Made from coconut, cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon and look like potatoes!
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
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Cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
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Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
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Add confectioners' sugar one cup at a time until combined and smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl in between additions.
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Add coconut and mix until combined.
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Chill mixture for 20-30 minutes.
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Roll into balls "potatoes" about the size of a large marble and finish them off by rolling in cinnamon.
Recipe Adapted from AllRecipes.
Kim @ 2justByou says
LOL that’s so funny about the name! =0)
Thanks for the recipe. Have a great weekend.
Amberlynn says
Hello, so I found your site while I was looking for Irish Potato Candy for my wedding reception. It’s funny because there truly is an Irish Potato Candy made from mashed potatoes and powdered sugar. After reading you recipe though, we’ve decided to serve both. Your little potatoes are just too cute to pass up and I bet the kiddos will love them. 🙂 Thank you for the great recipe.
Rebecca says
Oh I’m so glad, Amberlynn! We make a potato candy here in Maine called Needhams. It’s made with mashed potato, confectioners’ sugar, coconut, and chocolate. They’ve been on my list to make for the blog for quite some time. I wonder if they are similar to the Irish candy you’re familiar with.
Lori says
Can you make these without the coconut, due to allergy?
Connie says
Can Irish potato candy be frozen?
Rebecca says
I don’t see why not, but I’ve never tried it myself.
Dana DeVolk says
How clever, I clicked on this recipe because I was confused about the potato, but now I get it! These sound delicious!
Rebecca Hubbell says
Thank you so much!
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Wow, these are gold!!! I love it when my travels around the food blogosphere introduce me to something new.
And you’re right, they do look amazingly like real potatoes.
Fabulous post – well done!
Rebecca Hubbell says
Glad you discovered something new! They are a fun little treat for sure!
Liz koschak says
Love your recipe! I am from Philadelphia and this candy is EVERYWHERE there. So happy others are starting to eat it and make it themselves.
Shannon R says
I usually never comment on blogs recipes. I saw no one else actually commented on the recipe after trying it only saying they were going to try it. I made these for Easter dinner/April
Fool’s day today and no one liked them. They would have been good if it weren’t for the ground cinnamon they were rolled in. That made them awful. The baby who loves everything wiped the taste of her tounge she hated it so much. I only used 1T. of cinnamon on them not the full 3T. either.
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Shannon, I’m sorry to hear you and your family didn’t enjoy the potato candies. This is a very old and traditional recipe and I agree that the cinnamon can be quite strong, that’s one of the reasons I recommend using a blend of cinnamon sugar instead or cocoa and sugar 🙂