When I was in high school, I worked in a cute little ice cream shop that made these Irish Potato Candies around St. Patrick’s Day. We would roll these little treats for hours and sell out every day. People would start to ask us around the middle of February when we would start making Irish Potatoes. Thankfully, they are very simple to make. Irish Potatoes are a mixture of butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, coconut, and vanilla. You roll the mixture up and roll it in cinnamon. It is a perfect job for little hands. Especially little hands that like to get dirty. I actually forgot all about this St. Patrick’s treat until recently and wanted to make it with the kids. Ava and Will had a half day at school and I thought that it would be a perfect rainy day activity. Except they didn’t want to play with me. Thankfully, this dude wanted to cook with me.
He takes his job very seriously.
Here is what you need to make them.
1/2 stick of butter softened
1/2 brick of cream cheese softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups confectioners sugar
2 1/2 cups sweetened coconut
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
Beat together butter and cream cheese. Slowly add the confectioners sugar.
Some might make it in the bowl.
Some might not. Powdered sugar can get everywhere. Add the vanilla.
Add the coconut and mix until combined.
You may want to chill the coconut mixture a little before you roll them. I like to use a small ice cream scoop. These are really rich, so you want them to be small.
Roll the coconut mixture into a ball.
Roll the coconut mixture into the cinnamon and put on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Keep the Irish Potatoes in the fridge.
These are a fun thing to make with your little ones for a St. Patrick’s Day treat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick of butter softened
- 1/2 brick of cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 1/2 cups sweetened coconut
- 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Beat together butter and cream cheese. Slowly add the confectioners sugar.
- Add the vanilla.
- Add the coconut and mix until combined.
- You may want to chill the coconut mixture a little before you roll them. I like to use a small ice cream scoop. These are really rich, so you want them to be small.
- Roll the coconut mixture into a ball.
- Roll the coconut mixture into the cinnamon and put on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Keep the Irish Potatoes in the fridge.
I am Bree. I love to cook. Even more than I love to take pictures.
omygoodness this is such a good idea. (and the potatoes are so cute!) i might try this. thanks!
I hope that you do Joyce!
These look yummy! I’ll have to try them for sure. Maybe I’ll make them for April Fool’s Day – a mock potato!
Cute, cute recipe!
thank you Michelle!
I can’t wait to make these, but at the same time, I know once I do, I
will not stop eating them!! Your kids are so cute- Have a super weekend.
Tanya at Ignite Your recently posted..Weekend Recipe- The Best Lasagna
Thank you Tanya! Yes, these little treats are delicious. Sweet and spicy at the same time.
How cute! I’ve never heard of these before! What a great little tradition.
Thanks Jessica!
I’ve never heard of these before, but these looks so delicious and cute! yum
thanks Dee!
Just when I thought I’d heard it all for St. Patrick’s Day! Love these and can’t wait to make them part of our St. Patty’s traditions.
Heidi’s Recipes recently posted..Shamrock Sugar Cookies Recipe
These must be an East coast thing because no one out here has heard of them.
These look interesting! Never heard of them before but I love the idea for Saint Patrick’s day!
Katie recently posted..Sunday Afternoon in Stanley Park
They are delicious!
What a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day treat to make with your family! The “potatoes” are adorable and sound delicious!
Jenn Erickson/Rook No. 17 recently posted..Crafts for Dogs & Dolls – A Little Birdie Told Me 11
thanks Jenn. These are really fun to make. And eat.
[...] Irish Potato Recipe will be a new St. Patrick’s Day [...]
[...] thanks to BakedBree for helping me make something I couldn’t find anywhere in DC. Â You’re a [...]
Made these for my daughter’s class for St. Patrick’s Day. They were a hit! Now I am passing the recipe along to my son’s teacher…they study Ireland and have a baking day, making Irish foods…simple enough for the classroom to make. Thanks!
Glad that they liked them. Turns out they are a Philadelphia tradition.
From PA myself and they are always a hit, but I make them without the coconut (I simply don’t like coconut) and add some crush almonds instead.
that sounds good, might have to try the almonds.
Thanks for the recipe!!!!!! Even though st Patrick’s day is gone I am making them Asa treat for my entire class! They worked really hard and got an 85% average on their science test!
You know what’s funny, I remember my 3rd grade teacher giving us these treats. I never knew what they were called and just this month I stumbled upon them in a bakery and made a mental note of the name. I was ecstatic that I found them again! I am glad you posted the recipe!
I like having them without the coconut.
that is great! I am glad that you found your missing recipe.
I grew making something our family called; “Tater Candy”.
It is a small boiled potato
4-8 cups of powdered sugar(depends on how big potato was)
and peanut butter to spread.
Friends and Family still ask every year if we are to make this again.
Now that I have 3 out of 6 children with peanut allergies, I don’t make it anymore…
Definitely going to try that next St. Pat’s. Thanks for sharing!
This looks so interesting, im going to attempt this reciepe this weekend with my boy. Id id love to say your boy has the most georgeous eyes
thank you so much, his eyes get him out of a lot of trouble.
I remember i used to make these every single year in grade school, i went to private catholic school and they were big on st. patricks day…
this brings back memories
I forgot all about them to be honest with you. It brought back memories for me too.
I LOVE these. I am going to guess you are from Philly. It seems like no one outside the Delaware Valley has ever heard of them. I remember making them as a class assignment in 3rd grade. Oh, I want some right now.
Pretty close! South Jersey. Good guess!
[...] bakedbree.com Share this:MoreLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]
My kids and I made these and we had a lot of fun! They tasted just like I remembered them as a kid–DELICIOUS! Great recipe–really easy and fun!
I love when people tell me how they were in the kitchen with their children. It makes me so happy.
Thanks for this “oldie but goodie”! I remember my parents bringing them home from the bakery around St Patty’s Day, and also making them at Girl Scouts! It still stumps me when I find not everyone experienced the same things growing up, of course I realize now that is what makes us each so unique.
Are you form the Northeast? It seems to be a local thing.
I’ve never seen/tasted these – and because I’m quite the (though amateur) avid truffle maker during the Easter season, I will definitely be making these! One small problem: in South Africa, we really don’t know what the mass or volumn of a stick of this or a 1/2 brick of that is
– would you mind terribly adding the weight in brackets? I would so appreciate it!!
Really love this site! the recipes together with accompanying photos & story/chit-chat, – it is (rightfully so) sitting at the top of my Favorites. Thank you!
1/2 brick of cream cheese is 4 ounces. A 1/2 stick of butter is 2 ounces.
Thanks! Made them yesterday – I had no trouble wondering how long they would keep – they’re all GONE!
well, I guess that answers that!
Everyone loved these irish potatoes! Just wondering how long they keep in the fridge?
3-4 days?
[...] and Ink: menu card | Style Me Pretty: escort cards and drink station | Baked Bree: irish [...]
I am making these today! I am really asking, should I really put 4 cups of sugar? Thnx!
Yes, it is 4 cups of powdered sugar.
I made these yesterday, and I must say, I had no idea it would taste like this! AMAZING ! I personally don’t like coconuts…but not in this recipe! I sent some of my friends a link to this recipe and they want me to bring it to them tommorw! Thank you very much for posting this!
Thank you! These are a childhood favorite.
I am making these again today!!!
Wow, you really do like these!
[...] adapted from Baked Bree and Couldn’t be [...]
We make something similar to these at the candy store I work at, but we roll them in cocoa powder. Might be worth a try for anyone who isn’t a huge cinnamon fan :]
Hadn’t thought about these for a long time. But my church Women’t group is having a huge candy/bake sale on Feb. 9/10/2013, and I was reminded of them the other day. Decided to make some for the event, but could not find my old recipe… Looking around the web I found yours.
I had my own store back then, a supply shop for cake decorating and candy supplies. I made the potato candy for an Irish restaurant across the street from my shop, on St. Pat’s day. It was to be a special free treat for their customers, and I made some as well for my own customers on St. Pat’s Day, also for my family. .. My children didn’t like coconut, so I made theirs plain…
My favorite coating though, is a combo of equal amounts of cinnamon and Hershey’s cocoa powder.. And I didn’t roll them in it. I coated each one individually with my finger. Don’t laugh, it makes them look more like a real potato, rather than one thats kind of dirty looking…But to each his/her own… I suppose you could do the same Try it, you’ll like it!! Enjoy…
Joanne/chefjosi
Well, part of that last sentence disappeared on me somehow…
It was supposed to say. – I suppose you could do the same thing using a paint brush and brush the coating on them….but I’ll still use the hands on method…
Chefjosie—-
Two more things about this—–
First, when i have used coconut, I have used the dessicated/unsweetened, finely chopped type…
It helps cut the overall sweetness of this candy…
Second, after shaping the pieces, I use a toothpick to poke dimples in random places into the oval shapes… Then when applying the cinn/cocoa coating mixture (esp. by hand) the dimples remain unncoated and resemble the eyes of the potato….. If coating the candy by rolling it in the mixture, you can use a sliver of almond or a piece of a pignole nut to become the eyes…
Think that’s all — enjoy!!!
thank you!
I think they are much better with unsweetened coconut, plus you eliminate the propolene glycol preservative that’s in most sweetened coconut.
These sound awesome and I love how your kids were able to help out!
Katie recently posted..Veggie Bagel Sandwich with Herb and Garlic Cream Cheese
Thank you Kate!
These are a terrific old time Philly treat. Thank you so much for the recipe! I was just wondering if you can freeze the candies. I have a lot of family that wants to try some & I won’t see them for a week or so.
HAPPY ST. PATTY’S DAY!!!
You are very welcome! Brings me back to my childhood. I have never frozen them, I think that they would, but I cannot say for certain.
On Friday the kids at school asked if they could make these so I went out this morning and bought your ingredients and we’ll try them Monday
Wish us luck! 
I hope that you all had fun and liked them!
I have made these 2 times now. The first batch was good, but too sweet for me. Second time I tried with unsweetened coconut. Much better and they had a better balance of flavor. With the second batch, after I rolled most of the ‘tatties’ in the cinnamon, I mixed a little unsweetened cocoa powder into the remaining cinnamon. This also has a nice flavor mix. Thanks for the recipe; a few people have asked where I got the recipe and I shared your blog.