If You've Never Had Donuts Made With Potatoes, You're Missing Out

Whether you're enjoying a sweet start to your morning, or a treat alongside your afternoon pick-me-up coffee, donuts are definitely a popular treat. National Today reports that 96% of Americans enjoy donuts, with the classic glazed being the most commonly enjoyed flavor. The website also states that 51% of the survey respondents would think highly of a coworker who brought donuts to the office. So if you're looking to win over your office, some sweet treats may not be a bad place to start.

Of course, it is easy to grab a donut from Dunkin' or Krispy Kreme in the morning on your way to work, but making your own homemade donuts will make your house smell just as good as a bakery. With flour, sugar, milk, and baking soda, potatoes are definitely the odd ingredient out in a donut recipe. And although they may not be something we typically think of when we're baking up the sweet breakfast treat, they may just be the perfect addition.

Adding potatoes to your donut recipe could be a surprisingly great trick for adding another dimension of flavor. The starch from the potatoes helps them maintain a tender, moist taste after being fried, states Serious Eats. The site recommends rinsing your potatoes before and after cooking them. This will get rid of any extra starch that could contribute to an overly sticky feel, leaving your donuts perfectly fluffy. The addition of potatoes may have derived from the use of potato starch, Serious Eats states.

Smithsonian Magazine shares that Krispy Kreme's iconic, fluffy donuts were even once made using mashed potatoes when the bakery started back in 1937. Celebrity chef Giada DiLaurentis is on board with the potato trick, too — she uses mashed potatoes in her recipe for zeppoles, a fluffy, fried Italian donut. So although potatoes may not be the first ingredient you think of when making homemade donuts, their addition may be a surprisingly great dimension to your donuts.