This recipe for Peanut Butter Pinwheels has been passed down in my family for generations! Don’t let the secret ingredient fool you, these are a classic favorite candy that I’m sure you’re going to love!

Hi everyone! Sam here again from Sugar Spun Run and today I am so excited to share one of my family’s favorite recipes. These peanut butter pinwheels have been in my family for generations, we make them every year around Easter and Christmas time.

I love that this is an no-bake recipe, and that’s part of what makes them a holiday favorite that I grew up making. While my mom would be using the oven to prep holiday dinner essentials, I would stay out of her way making classic no-bake treats like my favorite no-bake cookies and these peanut butter pinwheels.

There is a somewhat unexpected ingredient in these peanut butter pinwheels: potatoes.

Please, don’t be alarmed by the fact that this recipe uses potatoes!

I won’t lie, I was definitely alarmed the first time my mom ever shared this recipe with me, I actually thought she’d lost her mind. I love potatoes in savory recipes like mashed potatoes and potato soup, but potatoes in candy!?  

Trust me, it works.  The potatoes serve as the binding base for your sweet pinwheel dough, and by tasting them you’d never be able to tell that they’re the secret ingredient in this recipe.  There are a few things to take note of when making this candy, though…

How do you make Peanut Butter Pinwheel Candy

As I mentioned, you’re going to start with potatoes. Specifically, mashed potatoes.

I definitely do not recommend using leftover mashed potatoes that have been seasoned with salt, pepper, or anything else. Instead, use one or two russet potatoes, peel them, dice them, boil until tender, drain, and then mash really well. Allow these potatoes to cool completely at room temperature before moving forward.

Make sure the potatoes are completely cooled, otherwise they will melt the powdered sugar that you add and you’ll end up with a runny mess. Don’t try to speed up the cooling process by putting your hot potatoes in the fridge, as I’ve found this often causes condensation that will also make your dough too runny.

Then, add your mashed potatoes into a bowl with butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar and continue to add sugar until the dough is firm. Chill in the refrigerator for up to an hour, and then roll it out into a rectangle, spread peanut butter evenly over the center, roll it up and slice!

The dough is extremely versatile and can also be rolled into egg shapes and dipped in unsweetened or dark chocolate (another Easter favorite in my house), or rolled into cigar shapes and rolled through cinnamon (use straight cinnamon, not a cinnamon/sugar mixture, as the dough is sweet enough that a mix is not needed).

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Pinwheel Candy

 

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Peanut Butter Pinwheel Candies are made with an unexpected but essential ingredient. This is a family favorite recipe that's been passed down for generations!

Author: Samantha

Serves: 40 pinwheels

Ingredients

• ½ cup mashed potatoes*
• ½ cup salted butter softened
• 6-7 cups powdered sugar, plus additional for dusting
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Creamy peanut butter, for filling

Instructions

1. With electric mixer, combine mashed potatoes, butter, and 1 cup sugar.
2. Add in remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time. Start by adding 6 cups of powdered sugar, if the dough is not moldable in your hands and can't be rolled into a ball, continue to add sugar until it is firm.
3. Stir in vanilla.
4. Refrigerate filling for 1 hour.
5. Once chilled, divide dough into two pieces and place one piece on a clean surface that you've generously dusted with powdered sugar. Dust the surface of the dough with additional sugar, and use a rolling pin to roll dough out into a rectangle about ¼" thick. Make sure that your dough can be rolled at this point, if it's too sticky or falling apart, you may need to add more sugar, re-shape it into a ball, and start over.
6. Once dough has been rolled into a ¼" rectangle, spread evenly with peanut butter, leaving a small amount of space peanut butter-free around the perimeter of the dough.
7. Starting with the longer side of your rectangle, gently but tightly roll into a lot.
8. Use a knife to slice into pieces about ½" thick.
9. Repeat steps 5-8 with remaining half of dough.
10. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Use russet potatoes, peel, dice, and boil until tender. Drain potatoes and then mash well. Allow potatoes to sit at room temperature until completely cooled before making your filling.