Fastnacht Recipe (Deep-Fried Doughnut) (2024)

Fastnachts are yeast-raised potato donuts that are made for 'fasting night', Fat Tuesday or the start of Lent. This traditional Pennsylvania Dutch fastnacht recipe uses mashed potatoes or potato flakes in the dough. These pillowy soft fried dough balls are a delicious way to kick off the Easter season.

🥔 Fastnacht Ingredients needed:

• milk - whole is my favorite for this recipe
• mashed potatoes- leftover is fine but I often will use instant!
• sugar - white sugar
• butter, melted - cooled
• yeast - dry or granular yeast
• water
• flour - all-purpose is what I use
• egg
• Crisco® or similar vegetable shortening or lard for frying

🔄 Substitutions

These substitutions were passed along to me by a reader, Melanie. These are her substations for eggless and dairy-free (also no refined sugar). I have not tested them as of today. I wanted to share these substitutions for Fastnachts if you want to give these ingredient swaps a try.

• Sub the milk for water
• Sub the butter for vegan butter (I did half avocado butter, half lard)
• Sub sugar for Sucanat/rapadura
• Einkhorn flour 1:1 for traditional flour
• Added sunflower lecithin in place of the egg

Definitely did it a little different but what a great starting point.

🥣 How To Make Fastnacht Dough:

1. Scald the milk and combine the scalded milk with the mashed potatoes, add ½ cup sugar plus the butter.
2. Cool to about room temperature before proceeding with the next step.
3. Dissolve the yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar in warm water.
4. Add to the potato mixture and mix well. Add 2 cups flour and mix again.
5. Let rise for 25 minutes and add the beaten egg to the mixture.
6. Add flour, stirring with a large spoon. Knead for about 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Place the dough in the greased bowl. Cover with a thin towel, and let rise place 2 hours or double in size.
8. Roll out and fry the dough. Instructions below.

📷 Making fastnacht, photo instructions

1. Scald the milk.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the scalded milk with the mashed potatoes.
3. Add ½ cup sugar plus the butter.
4. Mix with an electric mixer. If the mixture is still warm, cool to about room temperature before proceeding with the next step.
5. Dissolve the yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar in barely warm water.
6. Add to the potato mixture and mix well. Add 2 cups flour and mix again.
7. Cover with a towel and let rise for 25 minutes.
8. Add the beaten egg to the mixture.
9. Add 4 ½ cups flour, stirring it into the mixture with a large spoon. Turn onto a well-floured board and knead for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add a small amount of extra flour if necessary so the dough can be handled without sticking to your fingers. Grease a large bowl.
10. Place the dough in the greased bowl. Cover with a thin towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 2 hours or until it is at least double in size.
11. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough ¾“ thick. You can use a doughnut cutter to cut the dough or cut as typical Fastnachts.
12. Cut the dough into 3” to 4“ wide strips, then cut the strips into 3” to 4“ pieces.
13. To allow the center of Fastnacht to fry completely, cut a small slit in the center of each piece, using a sharp paring knife.
14. Arrange the pieces of dough, about 1-½” to 2" apart, on large wax paper-lined trays.
15. Cover each tray with a thin towel.
16. Place the trays in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the dough pieces have raised to about double in size.
17. Continue to the fry instructions.

How to fry Fastnachts

1. Heat the shortening to 365°. (a high temp thermometer works wonders here)
2. Deep fry until both sides are golden brown, turning one time.**** THIS IS AN ADULT ONLY JOB!!****
3. Drain on paper towels.
4. Cool completely before serving.

Fastnacht Glaze:*husbands' favorite*

Beat together:

• 2-½ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Add enough milk to make a thin glaze.

Drizzle the glaze over the slightly warm doughnuts or dip the doughnuts in the glaze.

For powdered doughnuts:

Shake slightly warm doughnuts in a bag with confectioners’ sugar, or a combination of confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon.

Cinnamon Sugar: *my favorite!*

Combine 1 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. Stir till combined and dredge the warm fastnachts in the cinnamon sugar.

Fastnacht history:

The Pennsylvania Dutch celebrate Shrove Tuesday by eating yeast raised potato doughnuts, which are lovingly known as “Fastnachts.” The name “Fastnacht” is German for “Fast Night.” Fastnacht Day is a day to forget about dieting and a slim waistline and feast on doughnuts! It’s a custom that had its beginnings with the Plain People. Making Fastnachts helped to use up the fat and sugar they had on hand before the Lenten fast began.

📝 Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:

🍱 More Recipes To Explore

📖 Recipe

originally posted March 8, 2011

👩🏻‍🍳 Sarah Mock

CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger

Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.

More Easter Recipes