Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

For 35 small donuts

• 500g sweet potatoes (about 1 lb)
• 350g all-purpose flour, sifted (2¾ cups)
• 8g active dry yeast (2¼ tsp)
• 2 eggs
• 140g brown sugar (⅔ cup, can reduce to 100g/½ cup if you prefer less sweet)
• 50g neutral oil (¼ cup)
• 1 packet vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• zest of 1 organic orange (optional)

For frying

• neutral oil

For serving

• powdered sugar

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

This easy kosher sweet potato Hanukkah donut recipe will surprise you with its simplicity and delicate sweetness.

Making the Sweet Potato Donuts

1. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes and steam them until very tender (about 20 minutes). Mash them into a puree (for a very smooth puree, use a mixer or blender).
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, vanilla sugar, and zest if using. Add the sweet potato puree, oil, yeast, and flour. Mix well—the dough should become fairly easy to handle, barely sticky, and pull away from the sides (adjust flour as needed). Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 1½ hours.

The dough should rise well:

3. Punch down the dough and roll it out on a floured work surface (this prevents the donuts from sticking). Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter (or glass—mine is 6cm/2.4 inches in diameter for reference) and let rise for 30 minutes.

4. Fry the donuts in neutral oil for about 3 minutes per side (medium-high heat, 6-7 on induction for me), flipping until golden brown. Taste the first one by cutting it open to adjust cooking time for your stovetop (the center should be cooked through, not doughy). Place on paper towels and serve immediately dusted with powdered sugar and optionally cinnamon.

Tip

• Steaming prevents the sweet potato from becoming waterlogged.