Sweet Potato Donut Holes (Ricotta Drop Donuts)
These Sweet Potato Donut Holes (Ricotta Drop Donuts) fry up with a crisp, cinnamon-kissed shell around a center so soft it’s practically a pillow. Roasted sweet potato and creamy ricotta do the heavy lifting, so there’s no yeast, no rolling, no cutting, just one bowl and a scoop.
If you love sweet potatoes, check out my recipes for MoistĀ SweetĀ Potato Muffins, SouthernĀ SweetĀ Potato Pie, MiniĀ SweetĀ Potato Pies, SweetĀ Potato Pancakes, and No-BakeĀ SweetĀ Potato Cheesecake Bars.
My first memories of doughnuts began at local doughnut shops, for which Louisiana is known. I remember plain fritters or apple fritters, jam-filled doughnuts, and my favorite: the doughnut hole. You name it, I have enjoyed it.
I’ve made a lot of donuts in a lot of ways, and this is the one I come back to every fall. The trick is in the batter: ricotta adds moisture and a gentle tang that keeps the sweetness in check, roasted sweet potato adds deep caramel notes and texture, and self-rising flour gives lift without any fuss. A quick roll through powdered sugar while they’re still warm, and you’ve got a dessert that smells like a cozy autumn kitchen and disappears just as fast.
With this Sweet Potato Donut Holes recipe, the sweet potato reigns supreme! Every bite highlights the natural sweetness of sweet potato, blended with vibrant flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Ingredients you’ll need to make Sweet Potato Donut Holes:
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
- Sweet potato: Roasted until tender and mashed smooth, it’s the backbone of the batter. It adds natural sweetness, deep caramelized flavor, moisture, and color.
- Fresh ricotta: The secret to a tender donut hole. It keeps the interior soft, and its slight tang balances the sugar and sweet potato.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the batter and helps the outside brown and caramelize in the hot oil.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor and adds a warm aroma.
- Seasonings (cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt): Cinnamon and nutmeg are the classic warm-spice duo for sweet potato. Salt is non-negotiable: it sharpens every other flavor and keeps the donuts from tasting flat.
- Eggs: Bind the batter, add richness, and give the donut holes structure and lift as they fry.
- Self-rising flour: All-purpose flour with baking powder and salt already mixed in. It gives the batter enough body to hold its shape and enough leavening to puff up lightly in the oil.
- Neutral frying oil: Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil all have a high smoke point and a clean flavor that lets the spices shine.
- Powdered sugar: The finishing snowfall. It clings to the warm donuts and adds a soft, melt-in-your-mouth sweetness.
How to make Sweet Potato Donut Holes:
Roast the sweet potato. Preheat the oven to 400Ā°F. Prick the sweet potato a few times with a fork, then place it on a small, foil-lined baking sheet (paid link). Roast for 55 to 60 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance and the skin is wrinkled. Let it cool until you can handle it comfortably, about 15 minutes.
Mash the sweet potato. Scoop the flesh into a large bowl and discard the skin. Beat with a hand mixer (paid link) on medium speed for about 30 seconds; the stringy fibers will wrap around the beaters, so wipe them off. Measure out 1 cup of mashed sweet potato and return it to the bowl (save any extra for another use).
Build the batter. Add the ricotta, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat on medium until smooth and fully combined, about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until the batter is smooth and glossy.
Add the flour. Switch to a rubber spatula (paid link). Fold in the self-rising flour in three additions, mixing just until no dry streaks remain. The batter should be thick, soft, and scoopable, like a loose cookie dough. Do not overmix.
Heat the oil. Pour oil into a heavy, deep saucepan or Dutch oven (paid link) to a depth of 3 inches, leaving at least 2 inches of space at the top. Clip on a deep-fry or candy thermometer and heat over medium to medium-high heat to 375Ā°F. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and set it next to the stove.
Fry the donut holes. Use a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop, ice cream scoop (paid link), or two spoons to drop balls of batter gently into the oil, frying 5 or 6 at a time so the pot isn’t crowded. Leave room for the doughnuts to float as they fry. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes total, turning with a slotted spoon or spider as each side browns, until deep golden brown all over. Check one: the center should be set and fluffy, not wet.
Drain and repeat. Transfer the donut holes to the paper towels to drain. Let the oil return to 375Ā°F before frying the next batch, adjusting the heat as needed.
Dust and serve. Once the donut holes are cool enough to touch but still warm (about 5 minutes), toss or dust them generously with powdered sugar. Serve warm.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Drain wet ricotta. If your ricotta looks loose or watery, set it in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl for 15 minutes. Excess liquid makes the batter runny and the donuts greasy.
- Measure the mash, don’t eyeball it. Sweet potatoes vary wildly in size. Too much mash weighs the batter down and leaves the centers gummy, so stick to exactly 1 cup.
- Shortcut the roasting. Canned sweet potato purƩe (not pie filling) also works well.
- Trust the thermometer. Oil temperature is important. Below 365Ā°F, the donuts soak up oil and turn heavy; above 385Ā°F, the outsides burn before the centers cook. Fry in small batches and let the oil recover between rounds.
- Oil your scoop. Dip the scoop in a cup of oil between drops and the batter slides right off into neat, round balls.
- Do a test donut. Fry one first and cut it open. If the center is still wet, lower the heat slightly and fry a little longer; if it browns too fast, do the same.
- No self-rising flour? Whisk (paid link) together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Swap the spices. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Change the finish. Toss the warm donut holes in cinnamon sugar (1/2 cup sugar plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon), or dip them in a simple maple glaze (1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 to 2 tablespoons milk).
- Pumpkin swap. Pumpkin purƩe can stand in for the sweet potato one-for-one.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating Tips
- Make ahead: Roast and mash the sweet potato up to 3 days ahead, then refrigerate in an airtight container. You can mix the full batter up to 4 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before frying.
- Storage: These are best the day they’re made. Store leftovers, undusted if possible, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled, undusted donut holes in a single layer on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Warm in a 350Ā°F oven or air fryer for 4 to 6 minutes (8 to 10 minutes from frozen) until the outsides crisp up again. Dust with fresh powdered sugar just before serving. Skip the microwave, which makes them soft and chewy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bake or air-fry sweet potato donut holes instead of deep-frying them? This batter is soft and wet, so it spreads in an air fryer basket and won’t get the same crisp shell. For a baked version, pipe or spoon the batter into a greased mini muffin pan and bake at 375Ā°F for 12 to 15 minutes. You’ll get tender, cake-like bites rather than true donut holes, but they’re still delicious rolled in cinnamon sugar.
Why are my donut holes raw in the middle? The oil was likely too hot, so the outside browned before the center could cook, or the scoops were too large. Keep the oil at a steady 375Ā°F, use a 1 1/2-tablespoon scoop, and fry a test donut first so you can adjust.
What’s the best oil for frying donut holes? Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. They stay stable at 375Ā°F and won’t add any flavor that competes with the sweet potato and spices.
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Sweet Potato Donut Holes
Sweet Potato Donut Holes with ricotta and warm fall spices: crisp outside, custardy inside, and mixed in one bowl. An easy, foolproof drop donut recipe.
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 36 1x
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato (about 12 ounces), yielding 1 cup roasted and mashed
- 1 cup fresh whole-milk ricotta
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- Neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or peanut), for frying (about 6 to 8 cups, enough for 3 inches deep)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for dusting
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400Ā°F. Prick the sweet potato a few times with a fork and place it on a small, lined baking sheet (paid link). Roast for 55 to 60 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance and the skin is wrinkled. Let it cool until you can handle it comfortably, about 15 minutes.
- Scoop the flesh into a large bowl and discard the skin. Beat with a hand mixer (paid link) on medium speed for about 30 seconds; the stringy fibers will wrap around the beaters, so wipe them off. Measure out 1 cup of mashed sweet potato and return it to the bowl (save any extra for another use).
- Add the ricotta, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat on medium speed until smooth and fully combined, about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until the batter is smooth and glossy.
- Switch to a rubber spatula (paid link). Fold in the self-rising flour in three additions, mixing just until no dry streaks remain. The batter should be thick, soft, and scoopable, like a loose cookie dough. Do not overmix.
- Pour oil into a heavy, deep saucepan or Dutch oven (paid link) to a depth of 3 inches, leaving at least 2 inches of space at the top. Clip on a deep-fry or candy thermometer and heat over medium to medium-high heat to 375Ā°F. Line a sheet pan with paper towels and set it next to the stove.
- Use a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop, ice cream scoop (paid link), or two spoons to gently drop batter balls into the oil, frying 5 or 6 at a time so the pot isn’t crowded. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes total, turning with a slotted spoon as each side browns, until deep golden brown all over. Check one: the center should be set and fluffy, not wet.
- Transfer the donut holes to the paper towels to drain. Let the oil return to 375Ā°F before frying the next batch, adjusting the heat as needed.
- Once the donut holes have cooled enough to touch but are still warm (about 5 minutes), toss or dust them generously with powdered sugar. Serve warm.
Notes
Drain wet ricotta. If your ricotta looks loose or watery, set it in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl for 15 minutes. Excess liquid makes the batter runny and the donuts greasy.
Measure the mash; don’t eyeball it. Sweet potatoes vary wildly in size. Too much mash weighs the batter down and leaves the centers gummy, so stick to exactly 1 cup.
Shortcut the roasting. Canned sweet potato purƩe (not pie filling) also works well.
Trust the thermometer. Oil temperature is important. Below 365Ā°F, the donuts soak up oil and turn heavy; above 385Ā°F, the outsides burn before the centers cook. Fry in small batches and let the oil recover between rounds.
Oil your scoop. Dip the scoop in a cup of oil between drops, and the batter slides right off into neat, round balls.
Do a test donut. Fry one first and cut it open. If the center is still wet, lower the heat slightly and fry a little longer; if it browns too fast, do the same.
No self-rising flour? Whisk (paid link) together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Swap the spices. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Change the finish. Toss the warm donut holes in cinnamon sugar (1/2 cup sugar plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon), or dip them in a simple maple glaze (1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 to 2 tablespoons milk).
Pumpkin swap. Pumpkin purƩe can replace the sweet potato one-for-one.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Deep Fry
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 donut holes
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 265 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg