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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!
If you love peanut butter treats, here are a few more delicious recipes to try out: peanut butter fudge, chocolate peanut butter pie, and peanut butter no-bake cookies.
Peanut Butter Pinwheel Candy Recipe
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 a 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! This is a great recipe to add to the lineup because they’re so easy to prepare.
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! 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. They’re soft, chewy, and nutty, and you’re going to love them!
Ingredient List
These peanut butter pinwheels are 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! 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 the 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, and 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.
- Add Filling: 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.
- 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.
Tips for Potato 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.
- Go Easy on the Filling: Don’t be too heavy-handed with the peanut butter. If you use too much it will ooze out and make it hard to slice uniform slices of the candy.
- 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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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.
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In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the mashed potatoes, butter, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup of the powdered sugar.
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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.
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Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
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Once chilled, divide the dough into two pieces. Wrap one in plastic wrap and place it back in the fridge, and 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.
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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.
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Starting with the longer side of your rectangle, carefully roll it up into a tight log.
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Use a sharp knife to slice into pieces about 1/2″ thick. Repeat steps 5-8 with the remaining dough. Serve and enjoy.
Updated on November 21, 2023
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.
