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Old-Fashioned 1930s Potato Doughnuts Recipe

These golden, fluffy potato doughnuts are a delightful vintage recipe from the 1930s, showcasing the perfect blend of mashed potatoes, buttermilk, and warm spices.
Light yet rich, they fry to a crisp exterior while staying soft inside, finished with a classic cinnamon-sugar coating.
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 5 dozen

Ingredients
  

  • 2 medium russet potatoes
  • ¼ cup butter melted
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1¼ cups sugar
  • 1 packet (2¼ tsp) active dry yeast dissolved in ¼ cup lukewarm water
  • 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Canola, coconut, or peanut oil for frying
  • 1 cup granulated sugar mixed with 4 tbsp ground cinnamon for coating

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the Potatoes: Peel, dice, and boil the potatoes in a saucepan until they are fork-tender. Drain, mash thoroughly, and measure out 1 cup.
  • Mix with Butter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes and melted butter, stirring until well blended.
  • Incorporate Eggs and Sugar: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar, then add this mixture to the potato mixture, beating until smooth.
  • Activate the Yeast: Stir in the dissolved yeast mixture.
  • Prepare Dry and Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate container, mix the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
  • Combine Everything: Gradually add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture to the potato mixture, alternating between the two, stirring until a soft dough forms.
  • Let It Rest: Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for about an hour.
  • Roll and Cut: Flour a work surface and roll out the dough to about ½-inch thick. Use a floured doughnut cutter to cut out shapes.
  • Fry to Perfection: In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat oil to 375°F. Fry the doughnuts in small batches, cooking for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and drain on a wire rack lined with paper towels.
  • Coat with Cinnamon Sugar: While still warm, roll each doughnut in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat.

Notes

Tips from the 1930s
  • Don’t waste the doughnut holes! Fry them as well—just flip them until golden all around, about 2 minutes total.
  • Using russet potatoes gives the doughnuts a light and airy texture while keeping them soft inside.
Keyword 1930s recipe, best old recipes, buttermilk doughnuts, cinnamon sugar doughnuts, classic homemade doughnuts, Depression-era recipes, old recipes, old-fashioned doughnuts, traditional fried doughnuts, vintage potato doughnuts, yeast-raised doughnuts
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