Irish Potato Candy

Irish potato candy are cinnamon sugar coated nuggets of sweetened cream cheese and coconut. This sweet treat looks convincingly like mini potatoes and are perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Paddy’s Day is fast approaching and that means it’s soon time to make Irish potato candy.

This is a favorite around the holiday and something the kids can easily help make.

And while the kids are helping make the potato candy, you can open up an educational discussion asking them what they know about Ireland.

Their answers may surprise you.

And it can easily lead to a discussion and a quick history lesson on why Ireland is so well known for potato recipes (the potato famine) and a science lesson of sorts about how potatoes can keep you healthy with all their nutrients.

Or you could just keep them on task and have them help you roll out the candy.

Either way!

Are Irish potatoes a Philly thing?

Yes.

Irish potato candy isn’t actually an Irish thing at all.

These sweet treats came from Philly and are called Irish potatoes because they are most popular around St. Patrick’s Day, thanks to them looking like Ireland’s national food.

Ingredients

To make these you’ll need:

• Butter– Unsalted, softened but not melted butter. 
• Cream cheese– Softened
• Sugar– Powdered
• Coconut– Shredded coconut
• Vanilla extract– Real vanilla is best.
• Cinnamon– Ground

How to Make

Irish potato candies are easy no bake, no cook treats!

To make them, cream together the butter and cream cheese until evenly combined and fluffy in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Then beat in the vanilla until it’s evenly incorporated.

Slowly mix in the sugar, one cup at a time.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go, mixing until the sugar is evenly incorporated.

Use a spatula to stir the coconut into the cream cheese mixture until evenly combined.

Then cover the mixing bowl and chill the batter for 30 minutes in the fridge.

After half an hour, take the chilled dough out of the refrigerator.

Use your hands to roll the dough out into large marble-sized potato-ish lumps.

Roll the potatoes in the cinnamon to evenly coat.

Transfer them to a serving platter.

Enjoy!

Storing Leftovers

Irish potato candy needs to be stored in the fridge since it is full of cream cheese and butter.

Store them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Tips and Tricks

• Don’t worry about making the candy into perfect ball shapes. The imperfections will make the candy look more like potatoes.
• Let the butter and cream cheese soften on your counter prior to using.
• If you want to make eyes on the potato, press in a pine nut or two after they are coated in cinnamon.

Other St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

Irish potato candy is a delicious treat to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day!

Make them and enjoy!

Looking for other St. Patrick’s Day recipes?

Try these:

• Frosted Fruity Pebbles Treats
• Andes Mint Oreo Cupcakes
• Luck Of The Irish Jello Shots
• St Paddy’s Day Mini Cheesecakes

If you’ve tried this IRISH POTATO CANDY, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!