Purple Sweet Potato Doughnuts
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for details.
Purple Sweet Potato Doughnuts are not your average doughnuts. These delicious purple doughnuts are made from the addition of mashed purple sweet potatoes. A creative and fun recipe to spice up your doughnuts.
About Purple Sweet Potato Doughnuts
I am super excited to share this Purple Sweet Potato Doughnuts recipe. This recipe is actually adapted from my previous Potato Doughnuts recipe. I substituted the potatoes inside with purple sweet potatoes. That is how I got that beautiful purple color in the dough.
I really do not add artificial food coloring at all, the color comes from the natural color of mashed steamed purple sweet potatoes. I also opt to use full eggs instead of egg yolk only because I do not want the dough to be too yellowish.
How do these doughnuts taste? They taste just like any other doughnuts with a hint of purple sweet potato flavor. There is not much flavor from the purple sweet potatoes. I also love that the doughnuts are perfectly moist and soft because of the purple sweet potatoes.
Unfortunately, the exterior of these doughnuts is mainly brown colored from the deep-frying. Maybe I should try baking them instead next time to get the purple exterior. When I split them, there you will see the shades of light pinkish-purple inside. In some parts, you can also see bits of purple sweet potato.
Tips for Making These Purple Doughnuts
1. Use warm milk and mashed purple sweet potatoes
Since yeast is an active ingredient, it is important that all the rest of the ingredients are warm for an optimum result. The milk and mashed potatoes should be warm. Not too hold or cold, so they reactivate the yeast well. In addition, warm mashed purple sweet potatoes are also easier to mix and makes the dough softer and moist.
2. Shaping the doughnuts
It is important to keep shaping in mind because this is where things can go a bit awry. Use a 3-inch/7.5 cm doughnut cutter for cutting the doughnuts. Then, use a 1-inch/2.5cm doughnut cutter for making holes at the center of the doughnuts. A glass also works well if you do not have a cookie-cutter. You can also use an extra-large piping tip for making the holes.
3. Let the doughnuts rise on an individual parchment paper
I line the bottom of each doughnut with an individual pre-cut parchment paper after the shaping. Doing it this way makes it easier when you fry them up. Use the parchment to carefully flip the doughnuts into the hot oil, gently pulling the parchment off the top. This will help to retain the shape of doughnuts instead of trying to pick up the doughnuts with your hands.
4. The best doughnut frying temperature
The optimum temperature for frying your doughnuts should be between 360-375°F / 180-190°C. If your oil temperature is too low, you will end up with very oily doughnuts, since the oil gets trapped and absorbed by the dough. Conversely, if the oil is too hot, this results in your doughnuts browning too fast and leaving a raw center.
5. Flip the doughnuts only once during the deep-frying
Flipping the doughnuts back and forth causes the temperatures to drop unnecessarily, and not allowing them enough time to cook evenly. This also causes the doughnuts to be oily at the end result. Fry one side for about 2 minutes, flip them only once and fry the other side for another 2 minutes.
6. Glaze, sugar-coat, or put the toppings on the doughnuts
You often see doughnuts coated in sugar or glazed to perfection. In my place, we love to add chocolate sprinkles or shredded cheese for topping. You do not really need this since the doughnut itself is already tasty and sweet. But if you still want to do it anyway, please feel free to do it but there are a few things you need to remember first.
- Glaze – First and foremost, glaze the doughnuts when they are still warm for the best result. Warmer doughnuts are easier to glaze than cold doughnuts and it results in a thinner, more even glaze.
- Cinnamon Sugar – There are often doughnuts covered in cinnamon sugar. For the best result, apply the cinnamon sugar coating twice. The cinnamon sugar is best applied when the doughnuts are still warm so the sugar melts and glues onto the second coating applied a few minutes later.
- Powdered Sugar – For the powdered sugar option, wait until the doughnuts are room temperature before sifting it over them. The sugar tends to melt easily when it touches warm surfaces.
- Toppings – In Indonesia, the old fashion doughnuts are either dusted with powdered sugar or sprinkled with toppings. The toppings are usually chocolate sprinkles and shredded cheddar cheese. When the doughnuts are cooled completely, spread a thin layer of margarine or butter on top and sprinkle the topping.
Of course, I did put the toppings in Indonesia’s style. Spread the margarine on top and sprinkle with colorful chocolate granules and grated cheddar cheese.
More Bread Recipes
While you are here, don’t forget to check out these delicious recipes!
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500 gr) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp (11 gr) instant yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (100 gr) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 7 oz (200 gr) warm mashed purple sweet potatoes
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) warm milk
- 1/3 cup (75 gr) margarine/butter
- Oil, for frying
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Then, knead the dough with your hands until smooth. It takes about 10-12 minutes by hand or 8-10 minutes in a stand mixer. Form dough into a ball.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise and double for 90 minutes at a warm temperature.
- After the dough has doubled, punch down the dough. Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough to release the gas.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a floured donut cutter. Or cut with a 3-inch/7.5 cm cookie cutter then make holes inside with a 1-inch/2.5 cm cookie cutter. Place each doughnut on a piece of parchment paper.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest and double for 20-30 minutes at warm temperature.
- When the oil is heated to 350F/180°C, carefully drop in the doughnuts using the paper into the oil. Cook until golden brown for about 1-2 minutes on each side, flipping them once only.
- Transfer the doughnuts to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain and cool. Eat them immediately or glaze, sugar-coat, or put toppings on them.
Notes
- Peel and cut the purple sweet potatoes into chunks.
- Steam them for 15-20 minutes until tender. Check by poking them with a fork.
- Mash them immediately while still hot.
