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This Peanut Butter Pinwheel Candy recipe has been passed down in my family for generations! These are soft, fluffy, and full of amazing peanut butter flavor. You won’t believe what the secret ingredient is that makes these so incredible!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tradition: These peanut butter pinwheels have been in my family for generations. My kids and I make them every year around Easter and Christmas time. They are the perfect holiday treat!
- Flavor: These are soft, chewy, and nutty, and I just know you’re going to love them!
- No-Bake: These are simple to make and don’t require the oven. Make sure you plan to let the dough chill in the fridge for an hour.
Peanut Butter Pinwheel Ingredient List
This peanut butter pinwheel candy is the perfect no-bake treat! They’re made with a simple dough of mashed potatoes, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and salt and then filled with creamy peanut butter. They’re easy to make and taste so amazing! The exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Mashed Potatoes: These are the base of the dough and give it structure, so don’t skip them!
- Unsalted Butter: This adds richness and flavor to the dough and makes it super easy to roll out.
- Vanilla Extract: This makes the dough and the peanut butter filling taste even better.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt helps to balance out all that sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar: So the dough is sweet and crumbly.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: This is the star of the show! It’s the filling for the pinwheels and what makes them so delicious.
Use the Right 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.
How to Make Peanut Butter Pinwheel Candy
I know it looks like a lot, but trust me! These peanut butter pinwheels are super simple to prepare. All without having to use an oven!
Making the Dough
- Prepare Potatoes: Peel, dice, and boil the potato until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and then mash well, using a potato ricer for best results. Allow the potatoes to sit at room temperature until completely cooled before making the dough.
- Mash: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the mashed potatoes, butter, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup of powdered sugar.
- Add Sugar: Add in remaining powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until you have a total of 6 cups of sugar. If the dough is not moldable in your hands and can’t be rolled into a ball, continue to add more powdered sugar until it is firm enough to roll into a ball.
- Refrigerate: Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
Shaping and Adding the Peanut Butter Filling
- Roll Out, Coat With Sugar: Once chilled, divide the dough into two pieces. Wrap one in plastic wrap and place it back in the fridge. Place the other on a clean surface that has been lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Dust the top of the dough with additional powdered sugar and use a rolling pin to roll it out. Make it into a rectangle that is 1/4 inch thick. Periodically lift the dough to make sure it’s not sticking. Dust with more powdered sugar as needed to prevent it from sticking.
- Add Filling: Once the dough has been rolled out, spread the peanut butter mixture evenly across the top of it, leaving a small amount of space peanut butter-free around the perimeter.
- Roll it Up: Starting with the longer side of your rectangle, carefully roll it up into a tight log.
- Cut Into Slices: Use a sharp knife to slice into pieces about 1/2″ thick. Repeat steps 5-8 with the remaining dough. Serve and enjoy this potato candy.
Tips for Potato Peanut Butter Candy
- Let Your Potatoes Cool: It’s very important to let your potatoes cool completely before making the dough. If they are still warm at all, it can cause the sugar to melt, and the dough will be more runny than it will be dough-like.
- Adjust the Consistency: Add more powdered sugar as needed. If the dough is sticky or not moldable, more powdered sugar will help it come together. Also, dust the surface as needed to prevent it from sticking.
- Filling: Don’t use too much peanut butter. It will ooze out and make it hard to slice uniform candy slices.
- Try a different kind of spread for the filling! It won’t be traditional, but almond butter, Nutella, cookie butter…these would all be delicious in this recipe!
More Peanut Butter Treats to Try:
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Peanut Butter Pinwheel Candy
This recipe for Peanut Butter Pinwheel Candy 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!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup mashed potatoes about 1 large russet potato
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 6-7 cups powdered sugar plus additional for dusting
- Creamy peanut butter for filling
Instructions
- Peel, dice, and boil the potato until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and then mash well, using a potato ricer for best results. Allow the potatoes to sit at room temperature until completely cooled before making the dough.
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the mashed potatoes, butter, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup of powdered sugar.
- Add in remaining powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until you have a total of 6 cups of sugar. If the dough is not moldable in your hands and can't be rolled into a ball, continue to add more powdered sugar until it is firm enough to roll into a ball.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
- Once chilled, divide the dough into two pieces. Wrap one in plastic wrap and place it back in the fridge. Place the other on a clean surface that has been lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Dust the top of the dough with additional powdered sugar and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a rectangle that is 1/4 inch thick. Periodically lift the dough to make sure it's not sticking. Dust with more powdered sugar as needed to prevent it from sticking.
- Once the dough has been rolled out, spread the peanut butter evenly across the top of it, leaving a small amount of space peanut butter-free around the perimeter.
- Starting with the longer side of your rectangle, carefully roll it up into a tight log.
- Use a sharp knife to slice into pieces about 1/2" thick. Repeat steps 5-8 with the remaining dough. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Originally posted November 30, 2018
Updated on October 24, 2024
Nutrition
Calories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 0.1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 2mgPotassium: 7mgFiber: 0.03gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 71IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.02mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Can you freeze this candy? If so, how would you recommend doing it.
Thanks in advance
Yes, you can freeze this. You can leave it in the roll before cutting into slices and wrap it in plastic wrap then place in a ziplock bag with the air removed and leave in the freezer for up to 1 month.
My grandmother used to make this when I was growing up. It kind of taste like peanut butter fudge. Such good memories. I have made it a few times and people are always surprised by the mashed potatoes. One of my favorites and a great way to use the leftovers.
There is a way to make them without patatos also i make them without my recipe is like rt above ive never heard of the patato one till now i might just try it though
Thank you! Our neighbor made this for us when I was 7 yrs old (over 50 years ago) and I’ve never found a recipe that is similar. So many make it without potatoes, and it’s not the same thing at all.
I am 68 yrs. Old , my grandmother use to make this every Christmas, now I make it every Christmas. I alw says loved it BUT I have tweeked it and my family and friends love it . So I will share my secret with you. You just try this you will never believe how much better it is. And I loved it like grandmother made but seems like it crumbled some . So I use the same recipe you do but without potatos.
In the same recipe leave the potatoes out and add 2 8oz.
cream cheese, that’s right cream cheese let it be room temperature. Oh and you can also make chocolate. Yes you can I like chocolate to taste like chocolate, so in this respect I would put 6 Tb.spones of cocoa powder mix in powdered sugar and sift it in. If you like chocolate you will love this. Let me know how you like it if you do.if you like it feel free to pass it on. Thank you for this sweet reminder of times go by. God bless.
I make it like that as well, my kids love the chocolate, and the vanilla, we had it when I was a kid, my mom called it poor man’s candy.
This sounds delicious I can’t wait to try it your way!
This is the most impossible receipe for me to make but when done my husband loves it.
Can you freeze these?
Yes, this will work great frozen.
Delicious but the recipe seems a bit off. Calls for 6 to 7 cups of powdered sugar, give or take depending on moisture. Well, I had three 2 lb. bags in the pantry, then I bowered 2 more pounds from my neighbor and then, I ran to the grocery store and had to add another pound. I followed the recipe to a T and was really shocked at how different my experience with this was than the author’s presentation. This was not exactly difficult, but this is NOT a simple and quick recipes by any means. As I said it is delicious but proceed with caution.
Melissa I have found if you pat your potatoes dry (I literally smash them down between two towels) and try to soak up some of the moisture in them or use baked potatoes (no added moisture)it takes less sugar… I hope you have better luck next time!
For generations, my family has been making these, only we called it “Potato Candy.” Sometimes we didn’t add the potato. They are delicious and addicting either way. Since the white portion is very sweet, I always spread the peanut butter on generously for a good balance. I personally found the dough part much easier to work with when I didn’t refrigerate it until after I’d rolled it out, spread the peanut butter on, and rolled it up into logs. Refrigerating it hardens the peanut butter logs making it easier to cut into pin wheels. It is basically a super thick frosting recipe with mashed potatoes included, with a filling of peanut butter. However, the taste is so much more than the sum of it’s ingredients. I considered substituting Nutella for the peanut butter, or making the dough chocolate and substituting the peanut butter with marzipan. These are also excellent without the potato; you’ll just have a slightly sweeter product. If you decide on Nutella, definitely use the potato. While I haven’t made this specific recipe, I’m very familar with it. My family never measured; we just added the ingredients. When using the peanut butter, if you find yourself without this recipe on hand, look up the recipe for vanilla butter cream frosting, make it as directed, then, keep adding confectioner sugar until you have a dough like consistency. Adding potato will only mean that you will need more confectioner sugar because of the moisture. You may want to cut the frosting recipe in half unless you intend to make an obscene amount of these, but then, would that really be the end of the world?
Can you make this with out pototoes?
The potatoes are the main ingredient and what hold them together.
Use cool whip I maje it for many cool whip all I use
My mom used to make this candy when I was very small, I’m 70 years old now. I always think of my mother when I see this recipe.
Do you store in refrigerator?
Yes, you can store this in the refrigerator.
Good recipe
My Grandmothers recipe uses cream cheese in place of the butter and potatoes. These are so addicting.
I started making these 60 yrs. Ago,but my variation is i use powdered sugar and put cinnamon on it before rolling it up.
I’ve been making this for over 60 years and never heard of using potatoes. We use 10-X powdered sugar and evaporated milk plus vanilla flavoring a pinch of salt and red food color because it’s Christmas. Mix it till stiff then put in the icebox for about 15-20 minutes then roll out spread your peanut butter and roll and cut. And my grandkids just ask yesterday when I was making it this year because they want to help.
would love to have RT Fuller’s recipe, have been looking for this recipe for years.
How much evaporated milk…just till moist maybe? Thank you.
I would love to try your recipe..our family has been using potatoes in our recipe for years as well…what a great idea with the food coloring.. i could make both recipes and design into a candy cane!
I don’t remember the recipe that’s why I’m looking if up and i don’t remember using any potatoes eithet so im going to keep looking…. Lol.
We used to have these as a kid, but did not remember how they were made. Thanks for the recipe.
I FIND YOUR RECIPES VERY INTERESTING! IM LOOKING FORWARD TO READING MORE!
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