A Recipe and How-To-Guide For Making Perfect Amish Mashed Potato Doughnuts

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Homemade doughnuts are almost as synonymous with Amish food as shoofly pie and cinnamon rolls. Whether they are warmly glazed, maple-dipped, or rolled in cinnamon and sugar, ther are few things better than these homemade sweet treats.

Homemade doughnuts are common in Amish kitchens, an easy,sweet staple to start the day or to celebrate an occasion.  I remember once visiting an Amish home in rural Michigan (It was Valentine's Day) and the Amish woman had made heart-shaped glazed-doughnuts which were on a wooden rack (much like the photo pictured here) dripping hot glaze.  She offered me one and wow, oh wow, they were amazing.  I wish I had had my camera with me at the time,because the heart-shaped treats would have made a great photo.

🥔 Why Should You Use Mashed Potatoes in Doughnuts?

Many Amish bakers consider "mashed potatoes" a "secret weapon" in their donut arsenal. So if an Amish person has leftover mashed potatoes from supper, they don't toss them, instead they use them in breads and baked goods. Here are some of the reasons:

1. Texture: The potatoes can contribute to a softer texture, making the baked goods more tender and less dense. And that is why many Amish doughnuts are so darn fluffy and light!
2. Flavor: Mashed potatoes can add a subtle, earthy flavor to baked goods, enhancing the overall taste, it's almost difficult to describe, but I definitely can notice a slight - but pleasant - potato taste.
3. Extended Shelf Life: The moisture from mashed potatoes can help extend the shelf life of baked goods, keeping them fresher for longer, which usually isn't an issue since homemade Amish donuts rarely sit around long.

Overall, adding mashed potatoes to baked goods can result in a delicious, moist, and flavorful donut. SIGH, and I know that all too well because I have sampled many over the years!

🏪 Favorite Amish Doughnut Businesses

Move over Krispy Creme. Stand-down, Dunkin. Really, some of the best doughnuts I've ever had have come from Amish and Mennonite bakeries. The doughnuts are often perfectly crafted and have the best texture and taste. If you have an Amish donut bakery that is a favorite, please email me and I'll add it to the list!

Peachy's Baking Company in Sarasota has amazing Amish donuts, you never know where their doughnut truck will show up. You can check out their Facebook page here. During the summer they have a hugely popular truck at the Minnesota State Fair which describes their doughnuts this way: Peachey’s Baking Company serves Amish doughnuts made on-site using old Amish recipes, topped with vanilla glaze and served warm; Peanut Butter Cream Doughnut, an over-sized Amish doughnut topped with house-made vanilla custard, peanut butter crumbles and whipped cream.

The Home Place: A Mennonite-owned market in Georgetown, Ohio. You can see their Facebook page here. Basically, anything they make there is amazing.

The Community Market, 368 Thorndike Rd, Unity, ME 04988. Wednesday morning, the bakery in this market churns out hundreds of fresh, warmly glazed doughnuts. I've had these before and they literally melt in your mouth.

🍩 More Tasty Amish Doughnut Recipes

Amish Baked Doughnuts

Amish Homemade Yeast Doughnuts

Mrs. Chupp's Fresh Doughnuts

Gallery of Amish Donuts & The Big Daddy Doughnut

✅ Tips For Making Super Mashed Potato Doughnuts

Most Amish bakers have been taught doughnut-making as an age-old art, passed down through the nimble hands of generations. But here are a few tips I have gleaned:

• Use real mashed potatoes, not instant
• Glaze the doughnuts while they are still hot
• You can use a doughnut cutter for perfect-shaped glazed doughnuts, but they'll be just as good in any shape.
• Use as fresh of eggs as you can find.

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