Potato Donuts Recipe

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These chocolate potato donuts are a delicious breakfast or snack that you can feel good about eating. They’re healthy compared to most donuts. Gluten-free, dairy-free recipe.

These chocolate potato donuts are a delicious breakfast or snack that you can feel good about eating. They’re healthy compared to most donuts. Gluten-free, dairy-free recipe.

Several months ago, my family experienced the phenomenon that is the Holy Donut in Portland, Maine.

We’d heard about these special donuts from several people in the Boston area who always make sure to stop at the Holy Donut when they’re in Maine. The secret ingredient in these delicious donuts is mashed potatoes.

I love the fact that they use high quality ingredients in these donuts, and the guilt factor is minimized because they have potatoes in them. Vegetables and donuts don’t usually mix, so I was intrigued.

Maine potato donuts are all the rage in Portland, Maine. Find out how to make your own version in this recipe post.

We weren’t disappointed by the rich, dense donuts we sampled at the Holy Donut. We each had a favorite, and mine was the dark chocolate sea salt donut. I’m excited to share my own version of these little delicacies with this recipe.

Fortunately, I was able to find one of the Holy Donut’s actual recipes in this Press Herald article. I adapted it to make a gluten-free, dairy-free version of chocolate potato donuts.

Maine Potato Donuts Baking Tips

The store’s donuts are fried in canola oil, but I baked mine using a donut pan. They came out better than I had even hoped, and my family devoured them in record time. I’m excited that I now have access to these delicious donuts without having to travel to Maine for them.

Mashed potato donuts have the perfect rich texture!

I like to use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes very smoothly. You won’t notice they’re in there when you’re eating these donuts.

Chocolate potato donuts are a specialty that you don't want to miss! You'll never go back to regular donuts again after you try this healthy recipe.

This recipe is my gluten-free version, but I’ve also made these donuts with half wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. They come out tasting great either way, so you can substitute one cup of wheat flour plus one cup of white flour for the gluten-free flour if you prefer.

This recipe makes 18 donuts, so you may want to cut it in half if you want a smaller batch. You can always freeze the extras. No matter how you make them, I don’t think you’ll be able to look at regular donuts the same way again after you try these.

Chocolate Potato Donuts

These chocolate potato donuts are a delicious breakfast or snack that you can feel good about eating.
Print Recipe
4.56 from 9 votes
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:35 minutes
Total Time:50 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients for Donuts

  • 1 lb russet potatoes peeled and cut in half (2 medium potatoes)
  • 2 cups gluten-free flour
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 3 tbs coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for Glaze

  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Fine sea salt to taste

Instructions

  • In a large pot of boiling water, cook the potatoes until soft (about 20 minutes). Press them through a potato ricer to mash smoothly. It should yield about 1 1/3 cups of mashed potatoes. Set aside to cool.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a donut pan with coconut oil.
  • Stir together the dry ingredients in a small bowl (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt). Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the egg, maple syrup, coconut milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Then stir in the mashed potatoes and mix well. The batter will be thick but somewhat pourable.
  • Pour the batter into the donut pan. Fill each donut circle almost to the top, but don’t overfill or the hole will close up during baking. Smoothe out the batter for each donut with a small spatula. (This recipe makes 18 donuts, so you’ll need to bake them in batches.)
  • Bake the donuts for 13 to 15 minutes, or until they’re set and a toothpick inserted in one of the donuts comes out clean.
  • While the donuts are baking, make the glaze. Melt the coconut oil in a small pot over low heat, then add the maple syrup, coconut milk, and vanilla extract to the pot. Warm the ingredients briefly over low heat, then remove the pot from the stove.
  • Let the donuts cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove them to a cooling rack. Pour the glaze over them while they’re still warm. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of fine sea salt if desired. (This gives a great flavor contrast.)

Notes

Approximate Nutrition Info

Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 176mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 18
Calories: 194kcal
Cost: $.44 per serving

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Price Breakdown

This recipe costs a total of $7.90 to make, or $.44 per donut. The gluten-free potato donuts at the Holy Donut cost $3 each, so the homemade version is much more affordable. You can eat almost seven of these homemade donuts for the price of one donut at the shop (but for the record, I don’t recommend eating seven donuts in one sitting). Try these delicious chocolate potato donuts for a fun, healthier snack on the go.

Try my gluten-free pumpkin donuts for another delicious homemade snack.

30 Comments

  1. I’m so glad you posted this! I live in Maine and the Gluten free Holy Donuts are my favorite ever. I travel an hour for those donuts and my wife tells me I’m crazy. I finally got sick of hearing I’m crazy and decided to find a gluten free potato donut recipe online. I didn’t think I would find the absolute perfect recipe that I was looking for! I use coconut oil and pure maple syrup in my recipes as well LOL. You’ve already adapted the recipe on what I would’ve tried to do! Anyways thank you so much again!

  2. Made these and they turned out pretty good! Cassava flour works well as a paleo/GF flour to use.. They did end up very chocolatey..

    Any suggestions how to make the other flavors or ones that are not chocolate? If I take out the cocoa powder, what could I add in to make it more of a standard beige doughnut? Thanks.

    1. I haven’t tried the other flavors, but you could substitute more flour in place of the cocoa powder. I would add a little extra sweetener.

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