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Super Soft Homemade Potato Doughnuts (Egg-Free)

These homemade doughnuts are fun to make, eggless, delicious, fluffy and super soft with mashed potatoes in the dough.

One bite and you will be craving for more.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Vanitha Bhat

Ingredients

  • 1 packet or 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 cup lukewarm milk
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup oil
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
  • ½ cup mashed potatoes at room temperature (boil, peel and mash 1 big potato)
  • 3 to 4 cups all purpose flour or maida
  • Water if needed
  • Oil for deep frying

For chocolate glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups icing or confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water

For the plain glaze:

  • 1 cup icing or confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water or milk
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder or vanilla essence whichever flavor you prefer

For powdered coating:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar not confectioner’s sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 cup milk to lukewarm temperature (hot to touch but not too hot; if it is too hot, it will kill the yeast)
  2. In a mixing bowl, add the 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar (take from the 1/3 cup sugar needed totally) to the milk, mix gently with a spoon and keep aside covered for it to prove. If the yeast is active, it will start to foam and bubble.

  3. After about 5-10 minutes, once you see the yeast is active, add 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, rest of the sugar, 1/4 cup oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a little bit (about 1 cup) of the flour and beat well to incorporate the mashed potatoes well.

    Make sure the potatoes are well combined and there are no lumps or pieces of the potato.

  4. Add the rest of the flour and mix (either in a stand mixer or by hand) to form a smooth and soft dough, adding water if necessary. You may need 3 to 4 cups of flour. Add in batches; not all at once.

  5. Knead the dough well for about 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.

    Keep aside in a greased bowl, covered with a wet cloth or plastic, to rise in a warm place until double.

    This may take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or more, depending upon the temperature of your room.

  6. After it has doubled in size, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, divide into four large pieces.

    Take one piece of dough and gently roll to about ½ inch thickness.

  7. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter ; I used the lid of a jar and for the center, I used the cap of the vanilla extract bottle.

    Cut out enough number of doughnuts you will consume that day.

    You can refrigerate the rest of the dough in an airtight container, for use another day.

  8. Dust a large pan with all purpose flour or maida (to prevent the dough from sticking to the pan) or better yet, line with parchment paper.

    Gently place the cut doughnuts onto this pan to rise for another 30 to 45 minutes.

    Keep enough space between the doughnuts to allow the dough to rise and spread in size; if kept too close, they may touch after rising and will stick to each other.

  9. Once they double in size again, they are ready for deep frying.

  10. TO FRY THE DONUTS/DOUGHNUTS:

  11. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan.

    Once it turns hot, reduce the heat to medium and deep fry the doughnuts in batches (about two to three) on medium flame till golden brown, turning them over often.

  12. Remove and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
  13. Now they are ready to be glazed, coated in powdered sugar or coated with chocolate glaze.

TO PREPARE THE GLAZE

  1. In a bowl, mix the ingredients (1 cup icing or confectioner's sugar, 2-3 tbsp water or milk, dash of vanilla) until smooth with a whisk, fork or spoon.

    The consistency of the glaze must be thick enough to coat the doughnut, but not too thick or runny.

TO PREPARE THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

  1. In a small bowl, sift 3 tbsp cocoa powder and 2 cups icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar together to remove all lumps.

  2. In a small pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.

    Once it starts melting, add the cocoa powder-icing sugar mixture and gently stir.

    Add the vanilla essence and on low heat, mix till all the sugar has melted and it forms a smooth, shiny glaze.

    If needed, add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk or water to get a pouring consistency yet thick glaze. Keep aside.

TO PREPARE THE POWDERED SUGAR COATING

  1. In a Ziploc bag or any plastic bag, mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder.

TO GLAZE OR COAT THE DOUGHNUTS

  1. Once the doughnuts are fairly cool, dip them in the chocolate glaze on one side (make sure the glaze is melted), lift with fork and place on cooling racks or on parchment lined baking sheets, with the glazed side up.

  2. Similarly, coat the doughnuts in the sugar glaze by dipping them whole and fully coating with the glaze or only on one side. Place on rack or plate to set.
  3. For the powdered sugar coating, place each fried doughnut in the bag and shake well to coat the doughnut well with an even coating of the powdered mixture.
  4. Serve warm. They are best served the same day.

  5. Enjoy and Happy Eating!

Recipe Notes

  • Adjust the amount of flour to make a soft yet smooth dough. Do not make the dough hard.
  • Prepare the coatings or glaze before frying the donuts. 
  • If the chocolate glaze turns thick, add a dash of water and gently heat on low to melt it again before coating.
  • To coat with  powdered sugar, the best way is to use a Ziploc bag. Keeps the sugar powder from flying all over!
  • Keep stirring the white, plain glaze to keep it smooth and runny yet thick enough to coat the donut.
  • Freshly made donuts/doughnuts are best eaten the same day. So try and make only as much as you consume for that day. Refrigerate the rest of dough and use up later whenever you want but best to use it in a day or two.
  • While storing the donuts, place them in cardboard or paper boxed. Storing them in airtight containers and the sugar coating will melt.
  • Enjoy and Happy Eating!