Drop Doughnuts

Total Time

Prep/Total Time: 25 min.

Makes

3-1/2 dozen

Updated: Aug. 17, 2023
Remember this recipe after your next holiday dinner. I use any leftover mashed potatoes to make these light and fluffy doughnuts. The dish was originally created by my neighbor's mother-in-law as a breakfast treat or a snack. —Marilyn Kleinfall, Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mashed potatoes (made with milk and butter)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • Oil for deep-fat frying
  • Optional: Additional sugar or confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, sugar, egg, sour cream and vanilla. Combine next 3 ingredients; stir into potato mixture.
  2. Heat oil in an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer to 375°. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls, a few at a time, into hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. If desired, roll in sugar while warm.
Drop Doughnuts Tips

Do you need mashed potatoes for drop doughnuts?

Mashed potatoes are an essential ingredient in these drop doughnuts. It’s a fantastic way to use leftover mashed potatoes, or you can whip up a fresh batch just for this recipe. If you don’t have any mashed potatoes on hand, try one of our other recipes drop doughnuts, like applesauce drop doughnuts or pumpkin drop doughnuts.

How can you make drop doughnuts your own?

You can customize these drop doughnuts by rolling them in cinnamon sugar instead of plain sugar, or add a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter. Extracts also work well to enhance a doughnut's flavor—instead of vanilla, try using something like lemon or almond extract.

How do you store drop doughnuts?

Because these doughnuts use buttery mashed potatoes and sour cream, we suggest storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator instead of on the counter. They should last up to 4 days. To refresh the doughnuts, place them on a plate and cover with a damp towel. Microwave in 10-second increments until lightly warmed. Alternatively, you can freeze doughnuts and thaw them in the microwave at 50% power for 10 seconds.

—Lindsay Mattison, Taste of Home Contributing Writer

Nutrition Facts

1 doughnut: 42 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated fat), 5mg cholesterol, 29mg sodium, 5g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.