Note: Every 15 years, I get to rewrite and overhaul an old post, just because I’m tired of looking at it. It’s true! It’s right there in the bylaws, trust me. Don’t fret: The way I make latkes hasn’t changed. But this post was aggressively overdue for some fresh photos and a bit of crisping up, and just in time for Hanukkah.
Everyone makes latkes, fried potato pancakes that are the star of the traditional Ashkenazi Hanukkah celebration, a little differently. Some are more mashed and thick; some are in smaller bits and very flat. I love them all. But perhaps unsurprisingly, I still think mine are the very best: tangled in a knot, barely tethered with batter, and very crisp.
Watch me make these latkes on YouTube!
Here are my unwavering latke principles:
Russet or Idaho potatoes only: The best latkes are made with starchy baking potatoes, which give us textured edges and as much lightness as you can get from a knot of potatoes enrobed in batter and fried in oil. If you’re in the UK, my understanding is that Maris Pipers are the closest equivalent.
Coarsely grated: For warp speed and an appreciation of intact knuckles, I like to grate my potatoes in a food processor. My Cuisinart model has an oval-shaped chute where I can lay potatoes on their side for the longest strands. A spiralizer also makes very charming mop-looking latkes.
Well-seasoned: Salt and pepper, please.
Potato starch and egg for binder: In addition to an egg, I prefer potato starch instead of flour as the binder in my latkes. I find the effect lighter, more crisp, and it leaves them naturally gluten-free. I can find it easily online and my bag lasts a long time.
Latkes are best small: In my humble opinion, a latke should be one or two bites at most. I think of latkes as handheld food; larger ones are too messy. If you come from a line of fork-and-knife classy latke eaters, well, that’s lovely and keep it up. I’ll be over here, apathetically sloppy.
Do not skimp on the oil: My favorite oil for latkes is peanut oil, but if nut allergies are a concern, any high heat-friendly vegetable or sunflower oil will work. Check the label and if it’s not made clear that it’s good for frying, choose another type. I put a generous 1/4″ layer of oil in my pan. When a pan is heated properly, as I’ll walk you through below, the vast majority of the oil stays behind. I never need to add more between panfuls.
Scale up as needed: I routinely 5x this recipe to use a whole 5-pound bag of potatoes for a party. For our annual Latke Vodka party, shamed by having run out in 40 minutes last year, I’m going for a full 10x to 15x.
Go ahead; make them in advance: Latkes reheat fantastically. I keep mine in the freezer if making them in advance, and reheat them on baking sheet at 375°F until they’re crisp all over again. My best advice: If you’re making them with the intention of freezing them for later, cook them for a minute less so the color is a touch lighter. This way when they re-toast in the oven, they won’t get too dark.
All-season latkes: If you think that latkes are just for Hanukkah, with all due respect, you’re totally missing out. I have yet to see a better “bed” to rest your poached or fried egg upon, like a hash browns for the holiday season. And the fact that latkes are so easy to make in advance and reheat/recrisp in the oven means that they can be an especially schedule-forgiving brunch dish. We also love them as a party food; ideally topped with crème fraîche and caviar to please the Russians in your life; more suggestions below for everyone else.
Things to serve on latkes:
– Sour cream or crème fraîche
– Applesauce
– Caviar, if you’re fancy; lox works too
– Something pickled, like these Easiest Fridge Dill Pickles or this milder Viennese Cucumber Salad, or pickled red onion or shallots
– Something fun, like Smoked Whitefish Dip, Chicken Liver Pâté, Wild Mushroom Pâté, or tzatziki.
Things to serve with latkes:
– I feel that handheld latkes need handheld salads, too and highly recommend one or both of my favorite endive salads, the Endives with Oranges and Almonds or Endive Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Walnuts (here I keep the breadcrumb mixture on the side in a bowl with a spoon and leave the endives as “boats” you can spoon it onto).
– A simple soup, like Balthazar’s Cream of Mushroom Soup or Silky Cauliflower Soup
– And please don’t forget the New York Sour, aka Manichewitz Sour
One year ago: A Slice-and-Bake Cookie Palette
Two years ago: Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti
Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
- 1 pound (about 1 large) Russet or Idaho (baking) potato, peeled
- 1 small (about 4 ounces) yellow onion, peeled
- 1/4 cup potato starch or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- A few grinds black pepper
- 1 large egg
- Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
Transfer wrung-out potato and onion shreds to a large bowl, and add potato starch, salt, and pepper and toss to coat strands. Add egg and mix until evenly coated.
Fry your latkes: Place your empty skillet over medium heat and heat for 2 minutes. (Yes, really!) Increase the heat to medium-high and pour 1/4-inch of oil into the pan. Let it heat a full minute before adding your first latke.
[This process of heating the pan still dry, then heating the oil ensures a virtually nonstick experience, even in a stainless steel or cast-iron skillet.]
You can form your latkes in one of two ways: In packed tablespoons or, as I prefer, to use a fork to twirl some strands around it, as if it were spaghetti. Transfer to the heated oil and carefully lower in the pan. Repeat with more pancakes, spacing them out. Flatten them slightly if you prefer a thinner latke. Cook the latkes until the undersides are browned, about 1 1/2 minutes; then carefully flip and cook until equally colored on the second side, about 1 minute.
Transfer latkes to paper towels to blot excess oil. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture.
To keep latkes warm: Heat oven to 175°F and keep a large baking sheet inside. Cover it with foil for easier cleanup. As you fry the latkes, drain them briefly on towels and transfer to this tray in the oven.
Do ahead: Latkes are a do-ahead-er’s dream. Cooked, they keep well in the fridge for a day or two, or in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to two weeks. Reheat them on a baking sheet — no need to defrost first — at 375°F until they’re crisp all over again. If you’re making them with the intention of freezing them for later, cook them for a minute less so the color is a touch lighter. This way when they re-toast in the oven, they won’t get too dark.
that looks delicious. I am inspired, and will make some..But explain how caviar is “peasant food”?
She was being sarcastic. Both creme fraiche and caviar, are not peasant foods
Another great flour substitute is Pamela’s baking mix. We used it for a gf friend and preferred it to flour.
ripley: that’s the joke. :o)
I loooove latkes. As a catholic girl with a jewish boyfriend, I ask at every jewish holiday if that one is “latke time”. Glad to see that time for latkes has come again. :o)
The best latkes ever made, Haz Chanukah.
Bukki
So, have you seen the new Lemony Snicket Christmas (yes, Christmas) story? It’s called “The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming.” The illustrations are hysterical — you might get a kick out of it.
Happy Hanukah Deb to you and yours!
Happy Hanukkah! With caviar?? You fancy pants!
We always had APPLE SAUCE or SOUR CREAM!
My grandmother would be pleased!
Stacey Snacks
I came up with these when I was attempting to make hashed browned potatoes when I first started cooking. I could not get them to hold together like they do in a restaurant. I didn’t know it was just a pile of shredds and onions stuck together by frying until their own starch held them together. DUH! So..I just mixed a little pancake batter..without sugar and used it and called them Hash Browns. Until I kept running across latke recipes that were doing the very same thing I had “invented” for hashed browns..LOL! Mine are really good..just like a latke! Ok..so I’m calling them latkes now..alright?.
Oh…and I use my little julliene tool now to make the shredds. I like them bigger than a shredder cuts them too. It’s my new favorite gadget for the past year.
What little julienne tool? I’m hoping to find and buy one that works! I’d really appreciate your recommendation! Thank you!
Not sure which one Susan uses, but I like this one for small julienne jobs. (Just be careful storing it; when it’s not in its plastic cover, it’s a little spiky.)
We too love latkes at our house. We had them for the first time a few years ago at Christmas dinner with baked cornish game hens. I like the “do ahead” factor. Potaotes are my favorite vegetabble and latkes are at the top of the potato list. YUM. Blessed Holiday to you.
There isn’t a huge Jewish community here in Adelaide, Australia, so unfortunately I’ve never had a latke in my life. Thanks for the recipe though — that’s about to change!
I think, in Australia, we don’t have latkes, but fritters, due to our English influences. They are very similar.
I have loved the latke recipes I have been finding on many Jewish/US blogs.
As an Aussie kid, I grew up eating my mum’s fritters. Usually using leftover roast meat, or corn for breakfast, they are very similar. But now with lots more possibilities.
A new family favorite is a zucchini (using the spiraliser), corn & feta. Even the grandkids ask for more.
Yummm!!
Yes, in Australia, we do have latkes! (I’m from Perth). But usually they’re home made or bought at Jewish community events.
I’ve recently discovered the amazing ability of potato starch to make things crispy. Using it in latkes is genius.
HAPPY HANUKAH DEB!
HAVE YOU EVER MADE SWEET POTATO LATKES? I BOUGHT SOME TODAY.OH I LOVE THE STACEY SNACKS IDEA. I WILL TRY THE SOUR CREAM AND APPLE SAUCE IDEA.THESE DEB, LOOK GREAT INSTEAD OF THE ONES MY MOTHER MADE WITH LEFT-OVER MASH POTATOES.
Yum! I love these. I’ve also made a potato pancake out of leftover mashed potatoes, but not very often since we rarely have leftover mashed potatoes! These are on the menu for tomorrow. Can’t wait. Thanks for the recipe and the great photos.
Happy Channukah!
I make latkes every year, even teach the children at our sunday school how to make them.
This entire time I’ve been frying them in 1-1 1/2 cups of oil, drenching them and never getting a really crispy Latke. I didn’t know you could do it with only a few tablespoons of oil.
Funny thing those Latkes. Anytime you make them for someone I find they always sing your praises with “wow these are great, You have to give me the recipe” (thats when I giggle thinking “what recipe?”)
this looks great! i usually don’t try any of your recipes because they are overwhelmingly complicated-looking and involve a lot of ingredients, many of which i don’t have, but they all look quite delicious!
these look much simpler so i think i’ll give them a try!
i also love the photography! i always take pictures of my cast iron pan, it seems to photograph quite well! i, too, have made peace with mine. :o)
YUM. that looks wonderful. i want to eat one RIGHT NOW. ugh.. too bad i can’t eat the pictures on my computer.
Oh, I love the recipes you post; they make my day. Now if only I could figure out how to really use my food processor, I’d be making some potato magic myself!
Here’s to a great eight days for you and yours! May you get much more than socks!
Are you familiar with the Benriner spiral vegetable slicer? You can create potato strands at least 2 feet long. It’s great! Look on Amazon.
BTW, those look yummy.
You were ahead of your time!
I’m Polish and potato pancakes are a staple in my family’s household. We always eat them with applesauce. The very thought of them is making my mouth water! I know what I’m making for dinner tomorrow. :)
It’s November 2022, and I’m making latkes tonight. The applesauce is on the stove. This is one of my very favourite foods. And the Smitten Kitchen recipe works beautifully. Yum!!!
looks so good. I love potato pancakses/latkes! We’re frying some stuff here too. Latkes, sufganiyot…
Ooh I’m totally with you on desiring long strands in my latkes. I will try this. As soon as I get a food processor. Do you recommend a certain size for all the cooking/baking you do? 9 cups enough? Or do I need to spring for 11 or 14?
I recently discovered the joy of lox on latkes. So tasty. I might just have to make a post-hanukkah batch.
I think it depends on your crowd. When we were a family of 4, my 9 cup worked great. Now as we’re approaching a family of 8, I have the 14 c food processor on my list.
As if the crispy first shot wasn’t enough the ones with the salmon roe really have my Pavlovian responses going!
Love the look of these – hadn’t thought to use the food processor like that (also love the references to the glorious spaghetti monster). Thanks for posting :)
I have a blog dedicated to cooking & cast iron. If you have questions ask away.
I made my batch, then put them in the 175 degree oven to walk the dog. By the time I got back inside and did a taste test, they were soggy. What did I do wrong?
Happy Chanukah!
I might be a Southern girl, but I look forward to the first night of Chanukah, when I make latkes for whatever family happens to be around. I like using a grater box instead of my food processor – grating creates thinner strands which fry up crispier than shreds, in my opinion. I also prefer to use matzo meal instead of flour – it soaks up things better – but it proved to be hard to find this year.
We enjoyed them tonight, and I think I might just have to find an excuse to make them tomorrow night, too. A 20lb bag of russets counts as an excuse, right?
Using the cheesecloth is a great idea. My latkes never turn out quite as crispy as I want them to. I will definitely be using that idea! Happy Hanukah!
When I make latkes in a frying pan they always taste raw on the inside. I find I have much better luck baking them in a hot oven. What do you do so that they don’t taste like raw potato and flour?
I picked up a tip somewhere (maybe egullet?) of putting the ends of your grated onions in the fry oil while it’s heating, resulting in onion-scented oil (and a bit of spattering). i don’t know how appreciable the difference is, but it seems like a nice touch.
Happy Hanukkah, Deb!!
I always use matzo meal in my latkes. Have you found a difference between using flour vs matzo meal? I like the texture of the meal but just curious if you’d tried both.
If that’s the peasant version, I’m in. And I’m so glad that you and your cast iron pan are friends again. It’s a relationship worth cultivating.
Those look delicious!
Happy Channukah! I use the same recipe as you except I don’t peel the potatoes and this year I used two egg whites instead of a whole egg.(Hubby on Weight Watchers) LOL
Would corn starch be better than flour? I generally have both but don’t even know where to find potato starch locally…
mmm….latkes! Yours look perfect – nice and crisp.
Hi Deb, I know you don’t generally do posts about cookware, but I would LOVE to see a post at least partially devoted to the cast iron pan and your method for cooking in it with no sticking.
It’s been several years and I am not Deb but the trick is seasoning the pan and then not scrubbing that surface away when you are cleaning.
This is pretty much they way I’ve made them for years but your photos look great! Unfortunately we just had some mediocre latkes at a friend’s house (the potatoes were CHOPPED in a food processor; no strands! Can you imagine?) but I ate them anyway to be polite. Mark my words, I will be firing up the cast iron before the menorah is full of candles.
And the large salmon roe made me drool on my keyboard!
Curious how important your feel the peanut oil is? I try to use more heart healthy oils like olive or canola. I know it shouldn’t matter since it’s not exactly like latkes are healthy food….
love my cast iron skillet. only thing I use for latkes . . . and frankly, most everything else :-) We serve our latkes with applesauce for the first night since we have brisket for dinner, and the second night we serve them with creme fraiche (sp?) and homemade gravlax. I’m not a big fan of latke variations, but there is a curry version that is delicious – you add peas and curry to the latke batter and serve with cucumber raita and whatever chutney you like.
Wow! These look so wonderful. I think I’ll make up a batch for my dad. …maybe I’ll pick up a cast iron skillet first…
That’s the beauty of food – it spans (joins, even) folks of every religion and makes us appreciate enduring traditions. I bought a cast iron skillet this weekend (my first), in response to overwhelming kudos on this and other posts. I think the pan’s inaugural dish will be these latkes on New Year’s….
Oooh, I never considered fancying-up my latkes with creme fraiche and caviar. That looks delicious!
Pam — That sounds like so much fun.
Maggie — I just have the standard one and it’s good enough for most things — 7 cups, I think.
Charlotte — Pressing them flat helps them cook evenly; I only have trouble getting the insides to cook on thicker ones, personally. Also, if they’re browning too quickly, you might want to turn down the heat on the stove.
Ellen — This recipe originally had 1 tablespoon matzo meal in it, but I never have it around and never missed it when I skip it… so, yes, not much of one.
Sarah — The only trick is to have a well-seasoned frying pan. The best way to keep or get your cast iron seasoned is to avoid cooking acidic things it in and avoiding harsh scrubbing or using soap when washing it. When I finish using mine and it is dry, I rub it very lightly with a neutral oil and turn the heat up on high for a couple minutes then wipe out any excess once it is cooled. This creates a lightly reseasoned surface, and has been a dream come true in terms of keeping a nice dark sheen on the pan. Good luck!
Hi Deb. Happy Chanukah! We use Great Grandma’s Magical Grater. It’s a flat rectangle with square holes, resulting in more finely grated potatoes. (My husband and kids do the grating, or it would be food processor all the way, baby.) What kind of cheesecloth do you use, and where do you get it? My mom taught me to let the potato water sit for a few minutes, pour off the liquid and then add the starch back in. I’d love to try yours, but it’s hard with that Fiddler on the Roof song camped out in my brain.
Happy Hanukah Deb! Latkes are my favorite!
I was thinking if you wanted to get the longest potato strands possible, try putting one in one of those rotary apple peelers. You’d get yards long strands.
Mmmmmmm latkes. Would you believe I have not only not had any latkes, but didn’t even buy a menorah this year? Law school sucks the religion right out of your soul, I tell you (along with everything else). Six more months, six more months…
I prefer applesauce to sour cream with my latkes, but nice touch with the caviar! I swooned when I saw these latkes – you make them just the way I like them! Happy Hanukkah!
I’ve never seen potatoe pancakes that look like this! My family is from the East Coast of Canada. We do potato pancakes, but they’d likely frighten you! (They’re grey – yay chemistry!)
Coincidentally, a variation on your spaghetti monster lakes is also killer in a breakfast taco.
These look great! I love the idea of using a cast-iron pan to make the latkes — will have to try it this season. My family always makes latkes with just potatoes, egg, onion, salt and pepper — no flour or matzoh meal. They come out super crispy that way. Also, if you ever feel like going even less peasant, latkes fried in goose fat (or duck fat) are amazing!
Latkes, Latkes everywhere!
I love them but do the old fashioned method of grating them. Thankfully my brothers are a tremendous help-lots of people = lots of latkes!
Wishing you bright lights and crispy latkes!
Deb
I made my latkes with Yukon Golds this year, because that’s what was in my pantry and we were snowed in. I will never go back to russets. They were the best latkes ever. I use a flour sack dish towel for squeezing out the liquid and it works great.
i’ve read your website for about a year now and i constantly fall in love with the recipes and then read the ingredients and get sad… do you have ANY suggestions for a substitute for eggs in something like this – i’ve been able to sub other things for eggs in my baking but what’s a good sub for the stick-it-together, hold-to-it-ive-ness required for popato pancakes (or fish cakes!).
:)
Flax eggs. For each “egg” 1tbsp ground flax: 3tbsps tepid water. Works for me for binding (latkes, meatloaf, veggie burgers), all baking, and short crust pastry.
#43 Mark – ooo, I love that idea, I’ve got one of those (still don’t have a food processor. Nor cable. Yeah, I’m one of those people. The so-far-behind-the-cultural-times-I-might-as-well-be-living-in-the-30’s. And yet I have an iPod Touch and I work in the the tech biz. Go figure.)
I love me some latkes we had them every year, even though I grew up in an Irish Catholic family. Go Figure! But I am an applesauce not a sour cream latke lover!
They look so delicious. You know, if you leave out the onion they are even better – crisper and browner. I never use onion. Learned from my Russian mother-in-law.
Onions give latkes an amazing flavor, and they do not affect the crispiness!
I used your original recipe last night for my first ever foray into latkes, and they were delicious! I completely agree with your tweaks, I also thought they could have used a wee bit less salt. Thanks for re-posting, I can’t wait to make them again!
I love latkes, but can only justify having a couple. I made some last night – red-skinned potatoes! My family loves other veggie latkes – carrots, parsnip, yams, zucchini. My favorite are yams with green onions. There is a Martha Stewart recipe for them, but I just used the combination as inspiration.
For us, though, Hanukkah is a time for Israeli homemade doughnuts!
Those look amazing. And that version topped with a poached egg is right up my alley. I will definately be making these for breakfast sooner than later.
I could quite possibly eat my computer screen, they look so good!!! And good bless the flying spaghetti monster! There could be no better way than to pay homage through food! What an excellent choice for a visual inspiration! :) Happy Hanukkah!
I come from an Italian Catholic family and my mom always made potato pancakes with applesauce. Whoever thought of pairing applesauce and latkes is a genius.
My dad’s mother passed away at a young age, when my dad was a teenager. I just made these at home – I’ve never made Latkes before – and my dad cried because they tasted EXACTLY like his childhood, and he never got to know the recipe.
Thanks, Deb, for the wonderful moment with my dad :D
Also, I used a medium non-stick Calphalon pan. The first batch weren’t so great, but after that, the pan stayed nice and hot and worked wonderfully.
Hi Deb from a long time lurker. You are truly one of my favorites – your recipes and witty commentary are a delight. I was taken a back with your link to the flying spaghetti monster site. I am surprised you would link to any site that mocks any religion. A link seems as if you are condoning and have accepted FSM “philosophy “.
Cast iron mantra: Hot pan, cold oil, hot pan, cold oil, hot pan, cold oil. Follow this rule and you will have a great cast iron experience. (DO NOT EVER do this with your non-stick. Non-stick must have something in the pan before heating.) If something is stuck on, just pour in a little water – 1 inch, and boil away and maybe scape with a metal spatula. Wait ’til the water and pan have cooled, then dump water in the sink. Again, BE SURE and heat the pan — until HOT, then pour in some cold oil and wipe until clean with paper towels. (Your paper towels may be black to start with. Just keep rubbing and adding oil and rubbing until the paper towel is a faint, light oily color.) Deb, your pan looks perfect.
If you don’t have cheesecloth, don’t worry. I’ve always used a clean flour sack towel — rinse out, shape the potato into a log and twist away like a big tootsie roll.
Oy vey, looking at your salmon roe brings back scary memories. Those things frightened me when I was a kid. I still haven’t tryed (tried?) them. Now black caviar, mmmmm.
Deb, you’ve given us so many gifts this past year. All your wonderful recipes, wit, photos. Many, many thanks. Happy Channukah to you and yours!
My mother use to make these – thanks for the “mum” memory !
I’m shredding as I type and drooling at the thought of the crunchy
outsides …..
mmmmm potato pancakes! My grandmother used to make these and serve them with applesauce, the perfect combination!
I’ve made these with potato only, didnt think of adding anything else. Sound awesome with the onion and then creme fraiche ontop.
Deb, any suggestions for controlling the lingering smell of latkes that seems to last for days? Every time we make them, the entire house smells for about a day. And I mean the whole house. I love latkes, but it gets a little excessive.
These look fantastic!!!
Those are so pretty! I was wondering before I read Maggie’s comment about lox on latkes if anyone ever does that instead of caviar. Now I know. I’ll put these on the list of things to try over the holiday.
made these last night and they turned out great. I never would have thought to use my iron skillet, but it worked beautifully. Thanks!
Oh wow, those look fantastic!! I love potato pancakes, but you’ve really taken it to the next level!
I’m new to the smitten kitchen but I have to tell you, everything I’ve seen so far makes me want to make it, these gorgeous latkes included. I’m an Irish Catholic girl with two Chinese kids and a part-Native American chef-husband. Needless to say we have some crazy mixed up food traditions in my house. I introduced the girls to latkes last year and they’re clamoring for them again so I’m going to try yours tonight (minus the caviar, sadly – my kids are adventurous eaters but I’m not wasting the really good stuff on the under 10 crowd). Happy Hannukah!
ooooh these look good. perfect with martha stewart’s all american meatloaf, which you should really make.
I am making latkes for a crowd in a few days. I have a poor ventilation system over my stove, so frying usually results in lots of smoke. My husband thinks I should try to precook the latkes in the oven and then fry them to crisp them up. Do you have any suggestions how to still get crisp latkes without a lot of smoke?
I have a suggestion to make: not only should you post these mouth watering pics, but you should send us all samples…:) Happy Hanukah and thanks for all of the great recipes.
I love potato pancakes for breakfast. They are the perfect alternative to hashbrowns.
Very solid recipe! I just made them too, though for my family we need 3/4 pound of potatoes per person. Your moderation is admirable (?) :).
Made a bunch this eve – wonderful! Didn’t have cheesecloth, so used a flour sack towel instead (straight into washing machine). I found the formula approach very freeing, as I could make more as needed (rather than having a bunch amount of batter turning colors as I fried the rest). Made a wonderful homemade applesauce to go with it. Thanks!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made them for my non-practicing Jewish husband on Christmas Eve. He’s the pickiest eater ever but he said they were excellent and ate ’em all up. I was so proud, and I’m so grateful to you for this wonderful blog. Thank you.
I forgot to mention that once the potatoes are grated I use cheesecloth also to drain some of the liquid out of the potatoes, but not all of it.
Oh my God, I LOVE latkes! This is the first latkes recipe I find on a fooblog, I’ll try it as soon as maybe!
Thank you!
(lovely site, by the way)
Martha
Yum! Thanks for the tips; we’ve been trying recipes, with excellent results, since we found the site only a month or two ago.
We just made a variation using butternut squash instead of potato: Peel the squash, score lengthwise, and keep peeling (lengthwise again) to get long flat ribbons. Toss in some shredded (goat milk) cheddar and chopped sage for some added flavor. We served ours with a side of cranberries reduced in orange juice and honey.
Cheers!
Bless you, this post saved dinner last night!
My mother used to make these (similar to your recipe but using one of those really old-fashioned four-sided graters) and served with home made apple sauce and sour cream. I am so glad that they were mentioned as a dinner choice — they are a comfort food and so easy to prepare.
wow potato pancake i think imma go try and make it it look so yummy.!!!!
I’m allergic to nuts. Can I use olive oil instead of peanut oil?
Avocado oil would be good to use, as it has a very high smoke point, about 520 F.
Olive oil would taste great. My only concern about it is its lower smoking temperature, so you’ll want to watch out for that as the latkes are fried at a pretty high temperature.
I make these all the time, but I fry them in lard! (Guess that’s not very Jewish of me, but I think it’s a healthier fat anyway.)
Hey, I found no difference in potato pancakes with potato and onion shreds soaked in cold water and then drained first, and the way you do it. Why go to all that trouble. Thanks for that! But why bother buying cheesecloth when you can just use an OLD CLEAN TOWEL? Also I use canola oil. I bet peanut oil is good but canola is just fine. Hats off as usual, Deb. The caviar looks killer.
Not having a washer/dryer in our apartment, or buliding, our preference is to create less laundry. Plus, cheesecloth was made for tasks like this, it works beautifully and absorbs nothing.that said, in the absence of our laundry melodrama or cheesecloth an old towel works as well.
A few years ago I started using a salad spinner to drain the liquid from the grated potatoes – I’d highly recommend this as easy, less laundry and less “bruising” of the potatoes than squeezing them in a teatowel.
These are sooo good! I made them with applesauce for a light dinner last night…and my previously-skeptical boyfriend made off with a few of them and a squirt of ketchup while I was eating…and then came back for more later on! I love that the recipe is so easy I already memorized it, too!
Hey, I was looking for a potato pancake recipe and came across yours, which was nice b/c I like your site and have stopped by before…
Anyhoo, just wanted to let you know that if you own a salad spinner, it also does an awesome job of drying the shredded potato without too much effort.
Thanks for all your great posts!
Looks delicious. I must try this out.
I used red potatoes because I was reaaaaaaally hungry for some potato pancakes, and I used green onions and a wee bit of basil (on accident). Super tasty jum-jums!
I just tried these, and OMG are they yummy! I used my v-slicer to make the super-thin julienne (as fast as the food processor, and way easier to clean). And when they were done, I topped mine with sour cream and some prosciutto I had leftover.
My Oma used to make potato pancakes for us. I loved them! She once sent me on a train trip with a batch, warning me that the smell would have people coming out of the woodwork and dang it, she was right! If I had known potato pancakes could help me make friends!
We eat my Bubbe’s Latkes with homemade cranberry applesauce and sour cream, but they are really good with just cinnamon and sugar! My father and I are the latke team and every year we get together for every channukah and christmaskah dinner and make the latkes.
I did a taste test with russet potato pancakes and yukon gold potato pancakes.
yukon gold won hands down. They were crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. Also no more grey batter…
I understands the cheesecloth method…but don’t you want the potato starch left at the bottom of the bowl after pressing the potato and onion water out?
these are in the oven right now. they are FANTASTIC! how do i know? we had to sneak a few before everyone arrived for dinner. thank you!
These are one of the first things I learned to cook MANY years ago. My Ma always made them on Fridays along with salmon patties and that’s how I have to have them. My Ma also served them with a side of cottage cheese. Again, that’s the way I have to have ’em! Thanks to the food processor, I make them all the time. I’ll try the cheesecloth method next time.
My family was having burgers for lunch, and I suggested making latkes as a substitue for french fries (I can’t eat fried foods due to acid reflux). My sister objected because she “doesn’t like latkes” but my dad vetoed her veto so I made these. I noticed my sister eating more latkes than anyone else and when I asked her about it, she said, “These are much better than the other ones I had.” Before this I had never even eaten, much less made, latkes and I’m glad they turned out so well on the first try!
I’m from france and just want to say that i love your website.
In the ever-long debate of to peel or not to peel, this lazy cook is wondering how different the latkes taste without peeling?
Oh my *goodness* these were good and came together so quickly and easily even without a food processor (didn’t want to wake anyone before they were done).
I paired mine with a loosely adapted chili garlic hot sauce sauce from the Lee Bros new cookbook (p49-50) and a dab of sour cream. Yummmm.
I plan to make these tonight – have you ever tried russet/sweet potato blend?? I bought three types of potatoes today and thought I would try a mix.
I use red potatoes for my potato pancakes – I like the texture better.
I used my big KitchenAid ProLine food processor for a lot of things but a few months ago I purchased a few Kuhn Rikon hand shredders and slicers at Home Sense (your TJ MAXX in USA) for $10 each.
Here is the link
http://www.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-Quick-Julienne-Mandoline/dp/B000WFFGS4
They do the most amazing job of julienning and slicing. I pull them out to use much more often than the food processor. They rinse easily and quickly and make very quick work of potatoes for potato pancakes, carrots for salads or garnishes, etc. I even bought a set for one of my daughters who doesn’t have room for a food processor on her counter.
I made these tonight for my Hanukkah dinner, and they were delicious! I loved using the cheesecloth! Plus, I found that the potatoes didn’t really get brown from oxidation…Really easy and very crispy. I think I’ll be making some more tomorrow night to have with my leftover brisket! :)
I made these tonight for a hanukkah gathering. They were good. But not perfect, in my opinion. I think the flour in the batter made them a bit too dense and may have prevented them from getting as crispy as I had hoped. I think they would be delicious as you served them, Deb, with salmon caviar. But as a side dish (served with pan fried flounder and braised fennel) I wanted them to be a bit more crisp and less dense, more rosti-like. I would try this recipe again next time with less flour — maybe 1 tbs per potato.
These were great! Thank you!
Doing the Happy Food Dance… just tasted one while cooking up a batch for tomorrow, soooo good! Happy Holidays everyone!!
I made these for our Christmas dinner, and they were perfect, thank you!
These were great! I tripled the recipe and the onion flavor was a little too strong. I think I’ll halve the amount of onion in a large batch next time. I’ve always been too intimidated to make these, but they were surprisingly simple to make. I made them for my mom, who loves potato pancakes, and she liked them a lot. I served them with creme fraiche and my homemade apple sauce.
I’m a longtime fan of this blog but this is the first recipe I’ve tried — so good! Thank you for sharing, I still can’t believe you manage to keep the blog updated with so much else going on. I have a 16 month old and can’t get much done, usually. :)
Thank you for the tip that you added about re-heating these in the oven. My latkes came out a little undercooked, and once I popped them in for ten minutes or so, they were much crispier, like I hoped they would be!
Deb, Once again you’ve delivered a foolproof recipe that will enter heavy rotation in my kitchen. I made this recipe today and the latkes turned out so good! I really appreciate the simplicity of the instructions and now want to make all sorts of veggie pancakes!
I didn’t have any cheesecloth, but found a double layer of paper towels just as effective at wringing out all of the moisture.
Thanks for seeking out and sharing the very best recipes for all of the foods we crave!
Oh my gosh. I made these this morning half-asleep (I’m only awake now, after coffee) They turned out amazing. I’m Jewish, and I have been craving latkes since my grandmother passed. I’m happy to say these measured up perfectly.
Thank you so much!
I tried your recipe this week and it was so easy and delish! Pair it with matzah ball soup and you are good to go. Thanks for the great recipe and instructions!
My god, that looks amazing. I thought I was not hungry until I saw all those beautiful photos.
These look absolutely wonderful, and will be made in the very near future.
As for the great cheesecloth debate, my parents’ have long since trained me in a wonderful trick. Works for drying salad greens too. You just need a little space, which in an apartment I understand is at a premium.
Toss whatever needs drying into a clean old pillowcase. Give the open end a twist, and start swinging it around your head. It’ll be dry in no time. For those with kids, toss them into the backyard with it, just remind them they’re not meant for pillow fights!
Thanks so much for the recipe! I made these on Saturday AND Sunday morning for my family and we LOVED them. Like you said, the latkes made a perfect “bed” for resting fried eggs on. Yum! I also chopped some chives and sprinkled them on top to add some colour. Thanks :)
wow, just looking at those photos has made me really hungry
so good! made these as a quick side with some grilled chicken. since it’s just me and my roommate we have plenty of leftovers, but I think they will be perfect in the morning with eggs, as suggested :)
Had family ln for Thanksgiving and decided to do an early Chanukah celebration while they were all here. My daughter amd I made your simple but delicious recipe and everyone loved the results! Thanks for helping our family time be even more special!
I’ve noticed a lot of recipes call for baking powder which I’ve never put in my latkes and notice you don’t have either. Do you know what the baking powder does?
Sadly, I don’t have a cast iron skillet, at least not yet. Do you have any recommendations for those of us without one?
Susan — I actually might test this out today. I added it to the apple latkes I posted yesterday to lighten them up a little, but I’m not positive it made a difference. I might do a half-batch with and without, just to see. I’d use the heaviest skillet you have.
Last year I fried the latkes in my very large electric skillet. It was great! love the even temperature throughout.
Deb, you put peNt oil in the ingredients and put veggie oil in the directions, which one?
Sab — You can use either.
Peanut oil sorry for the spelling error
Once again a great and helpful recipe! I would’ve never thought of adding onion to these but it adds such a wonderful flavor. I will never go back to only using potato. As for the topping I used homemade applesauce. Fantastic! I referenced your recipe with a link in my post: http://thespiffycookie.com/2010/12/03/latkas/
I made these tonight and they are hands down the best latkes I have ever made and I’ve been making them as an adult for over 20 years. I used 4x the recipe and added 2 tsp of baking powder. I used canola oil, not peanut oil– in a heavy skillet, but not a cast iron skillet. I think the cheesecloth is the trick.
One other thing I did — when they came out of the pan, I put them on a cooling rack — what I use for cookies. The oil just dripped off. Underneath the cooling rack I had paper towels on a cookie sheet to soak up the mess.
Deb
My cast iron fry pan doesn’t seem to fry the latkas evenly. Any thoughts?
Many thanks
sally — Is it because of the uneveness of the heat source underneath? Mine get darker in the center, lighter at the edges of the pan. I just juggle them around a lot, giving them rotations into the hotter parts when needed.
I made these yesterday- I thought if we made enough we could take them to his family’s house for Hanukkah, but instead we ate them all. It did make about a dozen with the size we made them (small~). We used canola instead of peanut. The only skillet at my boyfriend’s is teeny-tiny, so we used a saucepan and let me tell you, flipping the latkes was horrendous. Not sure if they were perfect, but I don’t think there’s a way to go wrong with potato+oil+heat.
Somewhat related- I made sufganiyot for the first time a few days ago. Have you ever made it? It’s delicious. Much better than buying donuts, and super easy, too.
I have never eaten or even seen latkes in the flesh before, but am looking for an alternative to frozen hash browns for Christmas brunch.
The thing is, I have a pathological aversion to pancakes (a long and gross story involving vomiting them back up!). So I am wondering if latkes are more like pancakes or more like a rosti? I am hoping the latter, and that is certainly what they look like!
Hi — Used this for my first ever attempt at making latkes. Worked out *really* well. Just one thing: the recipe says to portion the mix in packed teaspoons. I found that packed tablespoons worked much better for the size I was going for. Thought this might come in handy for the other newbies. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these for the first time tonight to celebrate the fifth night of Hanukkah. They turned out wonderfully. Anyone have suggestions on toppings? I know people do applesauce and sour cream, I can attest to how good they are with sriracha.
This and your family’s kugel recipe made for a nice meal, thank you.
These were soooo delicious, I tried them last night for the first time. Thanks for a wonderful recipe. I also tried these at the weekend – best recipe I’ve ever sampled for this particular type of potato: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/401739_perfect-roast-potatoes-every-time
Aaah, so good! My first year making latkes (47 but who’s counting) and they went over very well – definitely going to be a mainstay for brunches from now on! Thanks Deb!
looks great and yummy
I made latkes for the first time yesterday – I’d never even eaten one before. They are super tasty and I can’t wait to try them one saturday morning for breakfast. I didn’t even peel the potatoes, just washed them well. Thanks for another great recipe.
Generally I love your recipes, but in latkes we disagree. These are indeed tasty, but I think this (and the apple latke) recipe is much too “cake-y” for my taste. For me, there should only be enough egg and flour to somewhat bind the potato and onion together while you spoon it onto the pan. So, for those folks who haven’t ever had latkes before it should be noted that these are much more like a cake and much less like a fritter than is traditional in my experience.
I just cooked some for me and my parents. We had them with generous chunks of steamed salmon, a malagueta & jabuticaba sauce and a salad for a very light evening snack. I had no trouble converting the ingredients, but I was afraid the batter was too dry and added another egg. It became runny and — quelle tristesse! — I had to double the recipe. I cooked them in a titanium skillet and skipped the oil so mine weren’t as golden and pretty as yours. I should probably have added some oil to the batter. As I am a terrible cook, I loved the simplicity and how it all turned out so well in the end.
Thank you very much Deb! I love your blog. Good luck with the book!
Oh Lordy, these are delish. I made them this evening when my parents came for dinner and served it with some baked sea bass and green salad from my garden. My father, notorious for his finicky eating, always leaves his favourite part of the meal until last, and sure enough there they were, the last thing remaining on his plate and then…gone! Thanks for the great recipe, as usual.
Those look amazing. The version topped having a poached egg is appropriate & up my alley. I’ll definitely make these in the morning earlier than later.
my husbands family is German and they ate their pancakes with catsup. My family was Irish and we ate ours with strawberry jam. That’s how we eat them now. If you are in a hurry you can use refrigerated shredded non-seasoned hashbrowns. They still come out pretty good. Love the pictures
YUM! These were absolutely scrumptious — and, best of all, used ingredients we already had (though we subbed leeks for the onion). Thanks!
A great tip that I’ve used for getting the most water out of the grated potato and onion mix is to put the whole mix into a salad spinner. It gets out SO much more water than a cheese cloth, making browning and crisping even easier!
Can you let me know why all the water has to come out of the grated potato? I have no idea and I am curious.
I made these today and they were fab. Served them with sour cream and homemade apple sauce. I used a pound and a half of potatoes and was debating whether to throw in an extra egg, but they came out great using just the one. Yum!
Is there any way to make them without flour or eggs? I’m making them for my son’s school and one of his friends has really bad allergies. Thanks!
Hi all,
Quick question! I don’t want to shred all these potatoes by hand, so I’m planning to buy hashbrowns. Does anyone know how many cups shredded 3 lbs of potatoes yields?
Thank you!
Deb, I’d like to make these for a party but I need to scale the number of latkes up and I’m having trouble believing you get a dozen latkes — even 3-inch ones — out of 1 potato and 1 onion??
Update: Made these (x20 the recipe — yes, x20. We were feeding 30 people). I lost count of how many we got but everyone ate several and we had leftovers. These came out fantastic and stayed yummy in a warm oven too. I did notice that even with squeezing out the potatoes (with a cheese cloth as you suggested — brilliant idea), the batter continue to let off liquid so we continued to drain as we went. Not a big deal. I’ll definitely make these again!
I made these tonight and they are wonderful. I was really surprised how much flavor they had. I was also surprised just how much liquid comes out of grated potato and onion. WOW. Anyway, these will be going on the permanent family dinner lists for sure. Yummy. Better yet, from start to finish, it took less then an hour to make.
Wow,we’re these good! The only thing missing? Directions for how to stop eating them. Ohhhh, how I regret my choices the day after.
I made these the other night, and they were positively delicious, but I have to ask for some advice. While I was grating the onion, what must have been the great flood started gushing out of my eyes. I’d heard of chewing gum while chopping onions but this was seriously no match. My hands also still have a faint smell of onions 2 days later! (and yes, I’ve washed them several times!!)
Any advice, especially on the grating and crying part? I don’t have a food processor, and I probably won’t be able to get one any time soon, so if you or any other readers can reveal any tips or secrets, I’d be forever grateful! (get it, “grate”ful?? I crack myself up)
Victoria — I’ve tried every trick in the book and nothing works (for me). So I bought these. And I look like a total dork but hey, at least I’m not bawling.
HA! Those are fantastic. Maybe I’ll just wear my swimming goggles. They are just as fashionable too ;) Thanks so much for the quick response!
Is it possible to keep the raw potato mixture in the fridge for a while, or do they need to be fried right away? Will the potato go brown? I’d be grateful for any advice! thank you.
Bayla — The potatoes will brown quickly.
My trick is to dissolve a crushed Vitamin C tablet in a tablespoon of water and add it to the newly-grated potatoes. A quick toss to mix, then wring out the juices as usual. A single 500 mg tablet is plenty for even a big batch using 3 or 4 potatoes.
(an update of the traditional lemon juice anti-oxidation suggestion, without its added flavor.)
Thank you for responding! I actually quadrupled the recipe and ended up with 45 latkes…..they were SO GOOD that this was not enough for 8 people!! Everyone loved them and said they were the best ever. I used white pepper as that’s what I had, and it added a lovely flavor. Thank you Deb for another winner!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Just made these for Hanukkah right now, and they are delicious.
Do you have any pictures of your latke flying spaghetti monster?
I made this and it was super easy and they tasted great. Can’t wait to try the other ones.
This was key in making my kickass sausage and latke Saturday brunch today, so thank you. I made the latkes out of turnips because I had a ton of them, they turned out great! In a cast iron skillet I first fried some sausage patties and then put the latkes in, adding a little extra fat to brown the second round (turnips are thirsty). While those were cooking I washed the turnip greens and then threw them into the pan when the latkes came out. Tasty enough to consider doing again tomorrow.
Wow, delighted by just seeing the photo, i decided i will cook this dish right away.. and i did… It turned out well. Thanks for the simple, delicious snack.
I will definitely be making these tomorrow. I grew up with potatoe pancakes made from left over mashed potatoes, egg and milk. They are truly the peasants version of this recipe. I will have to give yours a try. They look amazing.
I just made these. This is an excellent recipe. A good cheap food. Thanks!!
Deb, as a kid, when I watched my Bubbe make latkes, she used matzo meal rather than flour. Is there a reason you prefer flour?
Thank you.
Susan — There’s no reason not to use matzo meal. Personally, I can’t stand the taste of matzo so prefer to use flour. Plus, it’s an accessible ingredient; everyone has it.
So, how much baking powder? I heard your story yesterday and apparently that’s the secret ingredient… too secret?
Saw a question about what kind of oil….I think that sesame would be delicious!
Jenn — The NPR story refers not to this latkes recipe, but to one in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, which was released this week. The recipe isn’t terribly different (save the addition of baking powder, 1 teaspoon) but it makes a few large pancakes that are the perfect base for a fried egg.
I’ve made this recipe many times and it is one of our favorites. What does the baking powder add?
P.S. I got my cookbook yesterday! It is beautiful. I can’t wait to start cooking from it :)
I’ve not made potato pancakes since my children were small! Brings back nice memories.
P.S. I hard the your interview on NHPR the other day and I’ll look for your beautiful cookbook.
This was extra yummy!
Thank you.
I topped it with a yogurt cucumber sauce
I know this isn’t the exact recipe, but I made these after your NPR interview the other day. I LOVE potato pancakes after having eaten a ton of them at German festivals growing up. I especially liked the tip about reheating in the oven. Yesterday morning, I heated one up and put it on my husband’s breakfast taco.
Making these tomorrow night in preparation for Hanukkah. Love the cheese cloth squeezing method.
When putting them in the oven to keep warm, it is best to put them on a rack on top of a cookie sheet, im my opinion, for maximum crispness.
Happy Chanukah everyone.
Hi Deb! I followed the cheesecloth and “grate em long” tips and my latkes were great. Everyone loved them. I did do one thing differently. Mark Bittmann says Matzo meal or breadcrumbs. I had breadcrumbs to use up, so those went in. Happy Chanukah and I’m looking forward to getting your book when I’m in the States!
Deb:
I’ve been makng latkes for friends and family for 25 years (my husband fell in love with me after tasting them at a hannukah party!) and I use the same basic recipe you do with one extra secret step to create yellow super crispy never-greyish latkes: After wrappng in the cheescloth, squeeze the liquid into a big measuring cup and let it sit for a minute; pour off the liquid (which i sometimes replace with milk) and STIR THE POTATO STARCH BACK INTO THE POTATO MIXTURE. I think i read this orignally in a GOurmet magazine feature ut it works like a charm every time. Happy Channukah!
these were a big hit at chanukah dinner tonight. thanks for the recipe. i made one batch with russet potatoes and one with sweet potatoes and actually fried them in coconut oil. the sweets were a home run but they were both delicious.
My only adjustment would be to use matzoh meal instead of flour. They taste better that way, and it’s more in keeping with Jewish tradition (at least at Channukah). I also love the suggestion of using sweet potatoes – must try!
just used your recipe and had they were fantastic. I had made a hatch green chili sauce yesterday and used some of the sauce to enhance the flavor which worked beautifully! Thanks for having a great recipe!
I made your latkes last night instead of the ones I’ve been perfecting for nearly 40 years. First, I went out and bought myself some cheesecloth and a new Cuisinart. Shredding…? twisting out the water…? Who knew! They came out perfect–beautiful and crispy. Best of all, they were a real gourmet upgrade for my Chanukah tradition. Thank you!!
I have a friend with celiac and I’ve been frying latkes for her and her family for over a decade {it’s my annual Hanukah present to them: I stand at the stove and fry until everyone groans and begs me to stop.} She can’t eat flour or matzo meal, so I just leave it out. I have discovered that not only do you not need any kind of binder except eggs, the latkes are even crisper and more potatoey without it. I soak the shred in cold water while we light the menorahs and then just use whatever potato starch accumulates on the bottom of the bowl.
Oh, and PS: if you twist the edges of the towel around the handle of a wooden spoon, you get much better leverage and more liquid out of the potatoes.
I mince my onions and add them after the potatoes are dried.
Cook’s Illustrated just came out with a new potato latke recipe where you do not peel the potatoes (just scrub them) before grating and uses no flour or matzoh meal to bind them, just egg and the starch from the potato water that you drain off. We made them last night and I am here to tell you that they are the crispest latkes we have ever eaten. You would be amazed at how good they are! Mazel tov!
Made these for a Hanukkah dinner last night and everyone loved them! I had only made latkes from a mix before and these were amazing.
I cannot believe why I haven’t been making these ALL THE TIME! They’re so delicious and sooo easy!
Great Recipe My daughter can’t have gluten so I swapped out the flour for a Gluten free flour mix and it was a BIG HIT. Easy, Quick and delicious what more could you want.
I made these for New Years today. It’s a foamy tradition to make these. Problem, my mothers are never crispy enough so I am always looking for a recipe that I love. I just found it. It was a huge hit with my picky son and husband! They both ate tons. Thank you :)
Michelle. Same here! I like these suckers cripy (dead lol)
If anyone hasn’t tried these, you’re missing out!
Thanks.
James
Just wanted to post that these were my life saver today .. warded off all morning sickness and satisfied my 18 month old all in one. We love them and we are so glad to have stumbled across this recipe in your amazing cookbook … The Olive Oil & Fig Challah (forgive me if I’m mis-naming it) is on the rise as we speak. <3 Thank you!
These look perfect for my brunch potluck dish. Have you tried using sweet potatoes? I’m trying to avoid nightshades as a potential allergy food. Love your book and your blog – so inspiring! -Sara
Never made potato pancakes before, except from leftover mash. This recipe was super simple and the pancakes turned out perfectly. One person commented that they were a little too dense, but I loved them! Are they supposed to be dense?
Julie — Re, dense, it depends on what one expects from their pancakes. I aim for crisp and tangly. But, if someoene is used to ones that are mashed in the center, they may seem harder.
Yesterday we made hash browns. Today we made latkes. Latkes won.
I loved this recipe! I’ve been searching for a good one since I had potato pancakes in Sweden. I added tiny bits of chopped up ham and served with strawberry (or lingonberry) jam just like how the Swedes I know eat them.
The mixture turned into a watery, crazy mess in the bowl, despite vigorous squeezing. Don’t get me wrong, they taste amazing, but such a pain to make!
Just made these for dinner! They were awesome! My husband thought so too! I did one batch with Russets and one with Sweets!! Thank you for a great, easy weeknight dinner.
Fantastic Recipe! I really like the reference to FSM. :) I struggled with potato pancakes for a while until I learned about the removal of the moisture using the cheesecloth. Thanks for all the great info!
Awesome! I made these today. I searched them with some Greek yogurt. I had jam available too, we didn’t end up using any. It makes a great Sunday brunch.
Is this still your go-to recipe?
Yes, well, 99%. These days, I actually add a little baking powder too. I know it’s sacrilegious, but oh, the lift they get! For this recipe, I’d add a 1/2 teaspoon. Totally up to you if you’d like to; they work either way.
Stop me if this is a bonehead question. But, if you are making these ahead, what is the process? If I am serving them right away, I just drain and serve. But for the make ahead, do I drain, cool, and freeze them in a single layer between waxed paper, etc.? Or just cool and freeze them without draining?
Jennifer — Yes, drain briefly on towels, no need to fully cool, then spread in one layer on a tray in the freezer, once firm and will no longer stick together, stack them in a freezer bag.
I came searching for a new latke recipe. I take it this recipe is so good that you haven’t found any worthwhile updates?
L — Basically, yes.
I made these the other day for Heritage Day at my son’s school. My husband was my tester, as I am gluten free. I actually had to tell him to STOP eating them. They were a huge success, not a single one left over. I will be making another batch in a few days for Hanukkah. I was beaming when my Jewish friends asked for the recipe as I am a convert. Thank you!!
I am making latkes for the first time and trying to save some time by shredding the potatoes the night before. Would you suggest levying the potatoes in water? Also, Im having about 16 people how would you convert this recipe?
I forgot to also ask about the oil, why peanut oil?
Peanut oil has a very high smoking point and is excellent for deep-frying. (A lot of restaurants use it for french fries.) You can use another oil if you prefer. I don’t recommend pre-shredding; I think the potatoes get soggy. I do, however, make the whole batch of latkes in advance (I made 5x this recipe this afternoon!) and freeze them until needed. They reheat well; can be re-crisped in the oven.
I like following your method–excellent latkes every time! These were the perfect Thanksgukkah appetizer!
This is the third year in a row I’ve used your recipe for latkes. It tastes like memories and happiness and my husband can’t control himself because they’re so delicious.
Thank you for this and dozens of other recipes I’ve used and loved.
Made today and appreciated your tips! I also did them with GF flour blend and tossed in some xantham gum for good measure (1/4tsp)…this gf thing is new so I never know when I need a gum added. Thanks again!
I just made it this morning and my kids actually love it. They went to school with their stomachs full and faces dirty ;)
Does anyone have experience cooking latkes in an airfryer?
looks great, but I use matzo meal instead of flour in my latkes
Deb, fabulous. I love the red caviar and creme fraiche!
This was the first thing I made with my Paderno spiralizer 2 months ago, but baked in muffin tins. You’re welcome.
Dear Deb,
Thank you so much for the latke recipe! I have tried so many recipes that didn’t work well. The last few Channukahs I just gave up and made rosti. Your recipe makes the best latkes my family has ever tasted.
Happy Hannukah!
Nadya
i made these tonight and they were hands down the best latkes i’ve ever made. when i first grated the onions i thought “whoa, that’s a LOT of onion.” but then i ate a finished latke, and realized that it was the exact right amount of onion. and squeezing the potatoes in the cheesecloth is so satisfying! i only made one small adjustment: after grating the potatoes in the fp, i put about 1/3 of them back into the fp with the regular blade and pulsed about 15 times until the pieces were about 1/2″ long, then mixed them back in with the longer strands. i like the way the shorter pieces act as a mortar and give the latke a little more body.
For those asking about egg and/or flour substitutes – you can skip egg and just use some of the starchy water you drain out from the potatoes. i like to add a little chickpea flour (in addition to regular flour) when i skip the egg, because it helps everything bind nicely. if you want to skip the flour altogether you could just swap out for some chickpea flour (probably not 1:1). Thanks, deb, for the tips on prepping in advance – -will be trying that this weekend. happy hanukkah!
It was amazing to see how much water came out after the cheese cloth squeeze, and the starch that was left was visible. Also, i liked that unlike other latkes I tried before, your recipe made a point of making a little “roux” of eggs and flours first. No flour pockets, no uneven mix. Thank you!
I made these again this year and they are still delicious :) I do save the potato starch when draining and mix it in with the eggs/flour, but I mostly like to play with starch. Thixotropy!! Science!!
I tripled the recipe and still had to shoe my husband away to make sure I had some to save!
Perfect latkes! Made them without onion.
I made this recipe for the last night of Chanukah and increased all of the ingredients to accommodate a 5 lb bag of potatoes. The cheese cloth squeeze was a great tip (I’d been using — and ruining — kitchen towels in the past). The proportions were spot on and the end result was a perfectly flavored and textured latke.
Yum yum yum thats looks great! I so love potatoes. I’m coming up with a literal potato pancake. So far pancake #3 has been the best fluffy, and almost creamy tasty with a little syrup. But still sticks like an s.o.b to my cheap pan. It has to be the pan. I’ll come back here later once I get the oil, flour, and egg ratio figured out. And cook it on my thick old school pan (sadly not cast iron. a close second xD)
Ok this recepie is in need of much tweaking. I had 4-5 potatoes that were getting a little soft. I hate wasting food so…:
Peal the poatatoes, boil them for 45 mins. Drain, mast with fork or hand mixer. add in 3 tbsp of butter 1 tsp of salt, 1 1/2 cup flour, 3 eggs, 1 cup of milk, 2 tsp of water, 4 tbsp of oil (give or take what kind of pan you have.) 3 tbsp of baking powder 1 tbsp of sugar, 2 tsp of parsley. Mix well. Pour onto a well greased frying pan, flip over, when edges look ‘dryer’ and the bubbles stay open. Good luck use a plastic spatulia and work around the edges of the pancake, let it rest then fee teh midle. :P
I’m missing something, thats why they stick, however they taste yummy so have fun with this and see if you can get them to stop sticking if you can you’ll have a beautiful fluffy pancake :)
Never mind it was awful recipe four of them came out right then the rest just stuck and made an mess. I definitely will be getting some cheese cloth and trying your yummy crunchy potato pancakes :D
I’ve only just discovered your web site. Where have you been all my life? Love the recipe! (It is almost identical to mine!) It is nice to know I can use flour instead of matzo meal, as I never have it around, and I agree wholeheartedly about the shreds, a latke without shreds is like Hanukkah without, well, latkes! I can’t wait to try the cheese cloth trick as well. As far as serving suggestions, my Russian great-grandparents always served sour cream and caviar on tiny crispy latkes, at any time of the year, at Hanukkah, latkes were served with applesauce as well. Somewhere along the line we added sour cream alone to the rotation. My husband’s kosher family served them at meat meals with applesauce or sugar. More recently, we have hosted some latke parties at Hanukkah, and added smoked salmon, and believe it or not, duck sauce and mango chutney (with or without yogurt), for a more exotic twist, are both delicious on latkes.
Hi there! Sorry for the excessively late question, but like you said latkes are a year-round food. I don’t own an oven. Do you have any advice regarding making them ahead of time and then reheating them on the stove top in a pan? Thank you!
DLG — Do you have a microwave? Might be easiest to defrost or warm them up there, and then just use the skillet to re-crisp the edges. Also, when you’re making them to store them, you can go a little lighter on the cooking color, so when you re-crisp/reheat them and they get a shade darker, it won’t seem overcooked.
I just made two batches of these, and they are in the freezer. They came out beautifully. I will be reheating them in a 400 degree oven, as you previously suggested — should I defrost them first?
If you want long strands – try the spiralizer! Also, Marcy Goldman has a whole new take on latkes – called Marcy Goldman’s New Way Famous Potato Latkes found on her betterbaking.com site. Fabulous taste and because she cooks the potatoes in water for 10 minutes first, they do not turn black. So, you can make the latke batter at the beginning of Hannukah and then make a few each night. Worth trying! I love them.
I love your post and am re-inspired to do the ‘Hanukkah Thing”! Adding caviar to my shopping list though. So lovely to see a reminder that Hanukkah starts next Sunday!
Made these tonight and they were RIDICULOUSLY DELICIOUS. I’ve never been able to make latkes/ any vegetable fritter with any real success and I’m not sure what was right this time, but I was oh so happy. My mom made & home canned a pear sauce this summer and they were such a great pair. I had latkes, pear sauce, asparagus and some of ikea’s hot smoked salmon.. perfect dinner? I think so.
hi there from aussie land! I stumbled upon your very funny comments about your pancakes back in 2008, will def make these tonight, they were always yummo.
Hey,
I loved your website the moment I stumbled upon it. I’m Indian, and have never had any reason to make Latkes, but they look gorgeous, and am tempted to try. Have you tried rice-flour instead of regular for any kind of fritters? It soaks up water very well, and will help make them more crisp. (I wouldn’t skip using the cheesecloth though).
Easiest batch I ever made with one huge faux paus. I should not have mulitiplied the amt of salt. I put a tablespoon and 1/2 t for 4 pounds of potatoes and it’s too much. I hope no one notices how salty they are. I’m not much of a salt user. OK, I guess they can use extra applesauce or sour cream.
Deb, I hope you check back on older posts because I have one question the rest of the web can’t seem to answer. First – I’m not Jewish but my best friend of 36 years IS. Her mom taught me and mine are better than my friend’s now. (I don’t dare say that about her mom’s.) I grate long, squeeze mercilessly and use matzoh. My only “tweak” is sometimes adding fresh dill to half a recipe – nice with sour cream. Now the issue – I’ve seen a recipe that parboiled the shredded potatoes for 3 minutes before mixing the batter. Another person (not the recipe author) SWEARS this batter can sit in the fridge for a few days without turning grey/black (or the strange pink I got when not properly squeezing out water and starch) and SWEARS they they taste equally delicious. All week long, at a moment’s notice, she can make however many latkes she needs! I believe the “no turning colors” because they are, at least partially, cooked. I question the “equally delicious” claim. That discussion began and ended in 2005 and yours has recent comments so here I am. I don’t want to do this twice and if this works it would save my sanity on party day. Have you ever tried this and/or do you have an opinion? Thanks!
latkes were a HUGE hit. – not too salty at all for anyone. Had to share the link with all who wwer lucky enough to partake. I used more oil than called for and ended up removing quite a bit. Used with an electric skillet to avoid cleaning to avoid cleaning the stove again. Reheated and everyone marveled at crisp they were. Thanks to whoever suggested reheating on a rack.
Ann — I haven’t made it with the parboiled potatoes but my guess is that it works fine but it yields a very different texture, a softer-centered one, perhaps closer to mashed potatoes. This, too, is a traditional kind of latke; I just prefer the ropier, more textured one. The thing with browning is that I’m of course no food scientist but it’s always very distressing to see and yet I find completely disappears once that batter is mixed and cooked. It’s like it never happened. You’d never know. So, although I don’t exactly delight in a gray batter, if the color begins changing when I’m making it, I don’t fuss because I know it will be gone in a couple minutes. Hope that helps
what brand of cast iron pan do you recommend? some are lighter in weight than others. which do you prefer and why?
Yum!! How have I missed this recipe in the past?
Looking forward to trying them!! Thanks, Deb!
packed TEAspoon? for TABLEspoon for 3″ latkes?
Bear — Nope, that should be tablespoon. Can’t believe it took 248 comments for someone to point it out! (And as always, adjust size to taste. I like them tiny, but they are more traditionally more of a 2-tablespoon thing.)
So delicious.
Looking forward to trying them!! Thanks, Deb!
I’ve always been wary of trying latkes because every recipe I’ve ever tried that asks me to bring potatoes from fully raw to fully cooked using only a frying pan has always turned out badly for me (I always pre-boil my potatoes for home fries now!). But these worked…maybe latkes are the recipe for beginner potato-fryers! Thank goodness I bought 3 one-pound potatoes though – your latkes must be REALLY really mini to be able to get 12 out of one potato! Mine were still quite small – probably 4 inches across, some of them maybe 5 inches max, and I got 22 out of 3 potatoes. Also, I am wondering if you’ve ever tried making them by just leaving out the flour entirely? I used a gluten-free AP since some of my guests were celiac and that worked fine, but there’s so little flour in the recipe and there is already egg in there, so I wonder if the flour is really necessary at all?
Kris — Yes, I definitely make them small, just a 2-3″ across. These days — and yes, need an update here — I use potato starch instead of flour. It’s a better fit, a little lighter and more crisp, plus also gluten-free.
Yum! I have bookmarked this site for future reference. Everyone loved the potato pancakes. :D
Jen C. (commenter #51) and I are wondering, how would you make latkes if someone forced you to make them sans eggs? Can it be done somewhat properly? I love this recipe as is, but two of us can’t eat eggs anymore/right now. Can you help?!
I make latkes for my vegan husband using chickpea flour in place of the flour. I don’t substitute anything for the eggs, but maybe let the potatoes be a little wetter. You definitely get a bit of flavor from the chickpea flour but it tastes pretty good, kind of like a latke pakora! It works really well for a vegan latke and it holds together without the egg, which is otherwise pretty hard to do. It’s the only good solution I have found and I have tried several. I’ve been doing this for 4 years now and it’s ended my vegan latke recipe quest.
Seems it will be a enjoyable recipe, will prepare at my home & send my feedback.
I love your humor! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed while reading a recipe. : )
It was fun and I got some new ideas besides…like the cheesecloth. Never could get all the water out in a colander.
Can you please tell me if you defrost the latkes prior to reheating, or is it best to go straight from the freezer to the preheated oven? Love, love, love your blog….it’s my “go-to” anytime I’m searching for a new recipe!
Straight from freezer; they’re already pancakes so it only takes a couple minutes longer to defrost them in the oven. And thank you!
Perfect recipe. Far better than when I eyeballed it! Question: when scaling up do you also fully scale up the potato starch?
I use my potato ricer to squeeze out the liquid. Quick, simple, neat
I have to ask, have you tried latkes with Matzo Meal instead of flour? If yes, why do you prefer flour?
I know a lot of people make them with matzo meal but I don’t; I just deeply dislike the taste of matzo. These days I use potato starch instead of flour; I find the latkes come out even more crisp with a more clear potato flavor.
Your recipe has been my go-to, never fail potato latke recipe since I first discovered it 2 years ago. It’s glorious, and I can’t wait to make it on Sunday for a whole mess of family members coming over for a chanukah party. Do you substitute the exact amount of potato starch for the flour (i.e. 1/4 cup of potato starch)?
I do an exact swap. I’m glad the recipe is a hit, and thank you.
Thank you for re-posting your recipe just in time for Chanukah. You mention cooking at ‘moderately high heat’. Is there a specific temperature? I often get the pan too hot. I wasn’t sure if there was a guideline for temperatures when a recipe calls for ‘medium heat’ etc. Thank you!
I don’t find stoves reliable enough to say “medium” or “medium-high,” also on mine what most people call medium is low… If they’re burning before they’re cooking through, it’s too hot.
What temp do you use to keep them hot in the oven?
300 to 325, usually.
Hi Deb! Since your Facebook post about this recipe, I’ve been dying to know- if you use potato starch instead of flour, is it a 1:1 ratio? Do you use dry potato starch or the wet starch collected after squeezing? Thank you!
Sorry, for some reason I couldn’t see that you already answered this before posting (I swear I tried to look through all the comments). Sorry and thank you!
Love these! We get about 13 2.5-inch latkes from a double batch. I think ours are thicker than yours, maybe .75 inch thick.
By far, the best latkes I’ve ever made. Seriously! So little oil, too. I didn’t have cheesecloth so I used a cotton dishtowel. This is a keeper! Thanks Deb – you did it again.
I’m now a convert to the cast iron skillet, and to squeezing the liquid out with a towel. What a difference these 2 things make!
I made these for Hanukkah and they were great. The flavor was perfect. I also followed the advice of my self-described, latke-expert brother who told me he purees about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes in the food processor. I made my son cook them in the back yard in an electric frying pan so we didn’t get the cast iron pan benefit but they still came out beautifully.
If you can’t use flour during Passover, what do you use instead? Thanks
I’m planning to make these on Friday, then reheat at 400 in oven on Sunday morning. They won’t be frozen, just fridge-temp. How long do you think that takes? Are we talking 10-15 minutes or do I need to count on more time, like an hour? Trying to plan my oven use for the weekend!
THANKS!
Ale
I was wondering the same thing – I imagine 10 min but since it’s brunch I want to be prepared
Allot yourself 20 to be safe. If they’re already defrosted and you’re really just trying to recrisp them, a higher heat to come closer to “toasting” them might do the trick, maybe 400? They’ll probably be done at 15 minutes though. They should stay warm at a lower temperature without a problem.
One more trick I learned from *somewhere * was to soak the potato in cold water after cutting it.
Then drain off the water carefully, and mix the resulting potato starch itto the shredded potato strands
I followed this recipe except I used a package of plain hash browns instead of grating the potatoes–I don’t have a food processor. I thawed the hash browns and squeezed out the liquid. My latkes turned out great!
My great-grandmother’s recipe uses a safety grater (one of those flat, rectangular, paddle-type things) that grates the potatoes to a watery mush. You then add one egg per potato, a scattering of flour on top of the mush and a “glop” (small splash; probably a tablespoon) of milk, plus salt and pepper. (We don’t add onion because my mother was an onion hater. )The pancakes are then shallow-fried in an iron skillet. The center of the pancake ends up soft and pancake-like with crispy, crunchy and almost lacy edges. They’re quite wonderful but very different from every other potato pancake I have ever had.. Wondering if you’ve ever tried or heard of this variation? I have only read about it once – the NY Times did an article called Weighing in on Latkes back in 2008.
What should you wrap them with when freezing them?
Have you tried spiraluzing the potato instead of using the food processor?
*spiralizing
I’ve used this recipe a bunch of times and it is great! I normally use peanut oil as you suggest, but I was having a latke party and I was concerned about allergies. I ended up using grape seed oil instead and I think this is the best they’ve ever turned out!
Always make this recipe, this time spiralized potatos. Beautiful and delicious latkes!
Awesome idea to use the spiralizer!
I grew up eating these, never cooked with onion, eaten with homemade apple sauce. As an adult I made my own and many ways. Your suggestions to add baking powder is a helpful idea and I like the result.
YUM! I’m Australian and had never had latkes before so fumbled my way through without potato flour/starch. My grater was quite wide so I added some extra eggs and flour. Delicious afternoon tea with sour cream and chives! YUM!
I made these vegan by subbing a flax egg (1 Tbs flax meal dissolved in 3 Tbs warm water). They were delicious!
Made these last night and they were *perfect*. Thanks for empowering me to use the shredder disc on my food processor, which has literally sat in a cabinet since I got married 10 years ago :)
The proportions for this recipe are perfect BUT I tried mixing together the potato starch (actually it was potato flour–which I assumed was the same thing, but maybe it isn’t?) with the egg and baking powder as instructed and THAT turned into a gluey mess! I threw that away and instead coated the potato strands with the flour and then incorporated the egg, which worked great. I made 5 lbs of potatoes for a party and was bummed to lose nearly half a dozen eggs, so be warned!
I also got a gloopy/ gluey mess when I mixed the flour and egg mixture together, prior to adding the potatoes (usually I do add the flour to the potatoes, then mix in the egg too). However I just mixed the potatoes into the gloop using my hands and the resulting latkes were perfect. So both ways do still work, in case anyone is reading this & thinking they have to throw anything away!
I had a leek sitting in the fridge and threw it in along with some corn meal. They were so tasty!
Happy Hanukah
Do you weigh the potatoes before or after peeling? My 5# bag yielded 3# 12 oz peeled. Do I use ingredients for the net weight, then?
This is my second Hanukkah making latkes and they are super delicious. I mean, I really have to make a concerted effort to stop eating them. Wondering if you end up with a lot of liquid at the bottom of the bowl or if I should have squeezed harder to get the liquid out?
This has been my go-to recipe since it was first written, I’ve made it multiple times every year. However, for some reason I was always resistant to using my food processor to shred the potatoes (I don’t know why? I think I’m a bit scared of them)! This year, with two small children, I decided to finally give it a go. LIFE CHANGING. So, SO much easier and the strands are so much more pretty and uniform. Sigh. Anyway, I guess my comment shows that these latkes are so amazing even an idiot can make them. ;)
So effin delicious! I made these for a ‘brunch-for-dinner’ tonight – I have never made or eaten latkes (a New Zealander, although I happen to have had a great-grandmother whom was Ashkenazi Jew on my maternal side and perhaps for this reason they turned out so well!), these are the crispy outside soft yummy middles of best potato-ness of my dreams. I used a hand grater, and a dish cloth to squeeze… didn’t have potato starch so used a combo of mostly tapioca flour with a little cornflour/plain flour, and 1/2 tspn of baking powder. I also cooked these in a combo of ghee and regular olive oil. My oh my, they made me happy. Thanks very much! I will be making more.
I needed a latke recipe because I made applesauce (that’s how I think) and found yours – just wonderful. I usually make lazy latkes with leftover mashed potatoes and have always been afraid of this style which are more traditional and which i prefer. Thanks!
This is actually the most typical and traditional Belarusian dish! Here, it is called draniki. We also have lots of other cool dishes made of potatoes. Here are some https://www.visit-belarus.com/en/dishes_belarusian_cuisine/
Looks great, I love the tip about sending the potatoes sideways through the processor. Instead of flour, I use matzo ball mix and cut down the salt. If I use matzo meal, I keep the salt in.
Good standard recipe and technique.
However one thing that works wonderfully is a single large latke, if you own a scan pan. Here’s how to do it: Put all the batter into a scan pan with oil at the bottom. You will need hardly any oil, as compared to frying small rounds. Even the batter in the pan and cook at medium heat for five minutes. Slide the pancake onto a cutting board, put a plate on top and flip the pancake. Return it to the pan and cook for another five, until cooked through and brown. Very easy!
Has anyone tried these with other vegetables? I’ve got a fridge full of carrots and beets from the year-end CSA. I know they wouldn’t be latkes, strictly speaking … but would they be good?
Deb, these are insanely good! My inlaws were like, “those don’t look right.” Then they ate them and went crazy! Had to show them the spiralizer and explain how I made them. First time making latkes and I may be tied to the stove forever now!
These were delicious. I don’t own a food processor so had to use the grater. Still worth it.
Hi, Deb. I’ve never had a latke before, and I finally made them today after years of wanting to try one. They came out great! I used a spiralizer to get that “tiny pile of rope mops” look. I also used a nut milk bag to squeeze my potatoes. Overall, I like how unfussy your recipe was compared to other recipes I browsed.
I did have a question though. Would you recommend adding a little salt to the potatoes before squeezing them to get more moisture out? I squeezed twice as directed and patted them with paper towels, but they released a lot more moisture after I added the egg, potato starch, and seasoning mixture. I dumped the excess moisture out of my bowl a few times and they were still wonderfully crisp, but I was wondering if this was normal.
I’ve never done it but I bet there’s no harm. I tend to make my latkes pretty salty, though, so be careful not to oversalt them if it doesn’t all squeeze out.
I’ll probably try it next time I make them. Thanks for the delicious recipe, I’ll definitely be eating lots of latkes to make up for lost time!
Deb, I’ve been making latkes for 40 years. I’ve recently made your cannoli pound cake…we all loved it…your pear, cranberry ginger crumble…I loved that for Thanksgiving as the cranberries from Costco were enormous this year…and of, course, I had t o try your latkes. Family all agreed…the best ever! I’m in NJ visiting my daughters as we live in Fl now so no food processor was here. I hand grated a 5 lb bag of potatoes & 2 large onions. I think the baking powder is a brilliant addition. Using the potato starch in the bowl is fabulously simple & so much better than flour or matzo meal. I also appreciated your tip about heating them in a hot oven. It does crisp them. For years, I put therm in a low oven, not realizing they became greasier. I’m sold! I also love the way you write about food.Happy, healthy 2019!
Draining the water out? Eeeek!
My father taught me to make latkes. He was a deli man. Potato, egg, onion, salt and pepper. That IS it! By frying them “pure”, the result is lacy crispy edges to the pancake. Oh yes, it does spatter……a lot!!
This Southern girl just made her first batch of latkes, and they turned out great! My shredded potatoes turned pretty brown before cooking, but you can’t tell in the finished product. I’ll reheat them in the oven tomorrow night for apps on Christmas Eve. I cooked them in my grandmother’s cast iron skillet and felt very much at peace knowing she fried many things in that very skillet during her life.
Side note (and this may have been mentioned previously, sorry) – potato flour is NOT the same thing as potato starch. Learned that the hard way when I added my eggs to potato flour and instantly made wallpaper glue. I just dumped it and started over with AP flour, and it all worked out. But don’t be like me!
I’ve made these before and they are fantastic! My ideal latke, and I have tried a LOT of recipes!
Quick question though–this year, my friend group is having a latke cookoff–do you think I could mix the batter and it would hold up for 60-90 mins before frying? It will be refrigerated, so not worried about food safety, more if texture/taste will be okay. Thanks!
Probably, but it tends to discolor and get more watery. I’m more a fan of frying them to a medium golden brown and finishing them when you get there in a hot oven, toasting them to the full brown color you want.
Could I make the mix for these the day before I cook them?
My family uses this recipe but instead of adding starch from flour we use the starch that settles at the bottom of the bowl where we strain the extra liquid from the potatoes , ie potato starch derived from the potatoes you are squeezing. This makes for simple and delicious latkes and is a neat trick.
My dad was a deli man. He made the best ever latkes. You’ve got the secret, no additives. Just the potatoes, onion, egg, salt, pepper.
If you just use a spoonful dropped into the oil. The liquid of the potato makes a crispy lace pattern that is sooo yum. Happy Chanukah
My go to latke recipe year after year. Delicious! I like to use the box grater for the potatoes but the food processor for the onion – we like longer potato strips but super processed onion.
So my sister has always been the latke queen. My husband just told me that these are the best he’s ever had and I couldn’t be happier. I adjusted the recipe for 5lbs of potatoes and made just over 3 dozen latkes. They are delicious and I’m certain we’ll have none left at the end of the night.
This turned out perfectly as written with one modification. As someone else suggested, I added the potato starch that settled out from the shredded potatoes. Perfect texture and no raw potato flavor you can sometimes wind up with. Happy Hanukkah!
Deb, I used your recipe last night after watching your video. I wanted to try my air fryer. I used less than a capful of oil on each of the 4 latkes I could fit in the air fryer. I have a small one. I flipped them after 5 min and it came out really well! Btw I even made blintzes using the air fryer and they were the best ever!
I made this and my husband said they were the best latkes he ever ate. I am still in shock. 40 years of marriage and I finally got them right – Thank you very much.
Could I substitute corn starch or arrowroot for the potato starch? The shop was out of potato starch and I have the other two things on hand. The internet is inconclusive as usual. Thanks!
I would probably just use flour.
About how long does it take to reheat these the next day, straight out of the fridge? I’m making them with your spinach and cheese strata for a brunch tomorrow and am wondering about the timing. Thanks!
10 to 15 minutes at 350.
I am so grateful for you Deb, and for your recipes. The latkes turned out perfectly, my first successful latkes. Had tried another recipe before but it was a complete fail. I like the addition of the baking powder. Perfectly seasoned. You’re the best.
THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING. Thank you so much for sharing. I’ve always been to scared to try and make these. :-)
These are delicious as is but I’ve taken to replacing half the potato with broccoli stems to sneak some vegetables in there and I think I like it that way even more!
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I broadly followed this (slightly less flour I think) and it is the first time I have ever made latkes that weren’t weird and stodgy and muddy and starchy in the middle. Rave reviews. I think the key is to trust that they don’t need to be sticky with flour to hold together in the pan – as long as the oil is hot they will be fine. And also not to make them too big or thick. Thanks again, Deb. (We had your honey cake too. My toddler was helping and it all got a bit chaotic and I completely forgot to add eggs and the cake was fine except that it didn’t want to turn out! A Rosh Hashanah miracle!)
Have you ever tried cutting the potatoes in a spiralizer so you can get extra extra long strands? I might try that.
No, but I love the look when others do it.
I was never a big fan of latkes until I tried this version, maybe a cross between a scallion pancake and a latke. I cut the recipe in half and fry in my small cast iron pan. Happy Hanukkah!
https://www.tastingtable.com/cook/recipes/scallion-pancake-latke-recipe-hanukkah-recipe-latke-recipe
My do ahead trick is to reheat them in a hot frying pan, no additional oil needed till hot and crispy. It happens very quickly and they get really, really crisp.
My favorite potato latke trick is to lay out several sheets of newspaper and cover it with paper towels. It absorbs the oil without going through a whole roll of paper towels!
Oh, dear! The latkes from my childhood NEVER showed ‘strands’! We scraped the potatoes against the next-to-the-smallest side of an old-fashioned four-sided grater. As far as I’m concerned, if strands are seen, it’s not a latke!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for weights and not just one large this and one small that. Also thank you for paring down the recipe that can easily be double or tripled if you want but I don’t have to figure out weird adjustments or how to get 1/2 an egg. One comment – I will probably add Raclette because I love cheese in my latkes. One question – does 1/4 cup of potato starch = 1/4 cup of flour or is there a weight involved there?
I can’t believe I’ve never commented!
*
We love these. I always mean to make them thinner. I triple the recipe but only double the onion.
I made them thinner (really just 1T of batter) and they’re delicious! I used flour, and the peanut oil was great.
hi deb, i made your latke recipe. i loved it. it was great, and the 5 people here oohed and aahed despite the unusual shape.. wedge-shaped. you see, not wanting to face the stove for that long, i used the latke recipe to make a kugel. a perfect remedy.
not finding how to ask a question, even though i opted for “i have a question,” i’m asking here… what’s an alternative to peanut oil? there are peanut allergies in the family.
thank you again for this wonderful recipe… happy chanukah, chanita
You can use any vegetable oil that’s fine for high heats (the bottle will say but most cheap/generic ones are), sunflower or safflower oil.
Thank you so much for this, these were absolutely amazing!!
Would you use the same additions if starting with sweet potatoes? My nana may not approve but I love the sweet/salty thing!
Thank you for a solid latke recipe. I’ve never had success with these until now. I was so inspired and encouraged that I made rainbow latkes for tonight – some with carrot/sweet potato added for”orange,” some with beets for “red” – as well as your zucchini fritters for “green.” The original recipe was golden enough for “yellow.” It’s a gorgeous spread. So excited for dinner, so glad these can be made ahead.
I made it exactly the way it says to and it was divine. Thank you.
Easy and delicious!!!!!!
I made these last night. Potato starch and cheesecloth were a game changer. And perfect amount of salt. Best latkes I’ve ever made. And because they were dryer, I used less oil.
Something went wrong when I mixed the egg and flour mixture: it was too dry and clumpy to mix with the potatoes and onions. The egg was definitely extra large, and I’m sure that I used 1/4 cup of potato starch. What can I do if this happens again (after squeezing out all of that water, I didn’t want to add any to the batter)?
Give it 5 minutes. The remaining water starts coming out of the potatoes and the mixture gets very wet.
What do you think of other starchey flours? I have a few lying around 0 specifically arrowroot and manioc… ;-)
Thank you !!!
Arrow root would probably work; less confident about manioc.
amazing, astounding, perfect. I loved these so much, using cheesecloth was VITAL. insanely delicious
Thank you! These were a big hit at the apéro-dînatoire we were invited to last night. We licked the platter clean, so to speak. I made apple sauce to serve with it, along with crème fraîche. Latkes are beignets de pomme de terre over here in France, so they are known, but these were a very pleasant twist. The baking powder is a game changer. We grated the potato with a carrot grinder, for nice long strands. The onion did not fare well in the grinder, and it became a very wet purée with some tougher chunks that slipped through the blade, so I ended up crying over it as I sliced the chunks by hand! Bonus, though: The onion juice bleached out the ancient carrot stains on the white plastic grinder!!
Do you ever use the potato starch leftover as a result of squeezing/straining the potatoes or do you use the kind from the box?
I use it from a box.
I love to read the comments by people who actually made the food but I found the way the web site is set up is very annoying. There are way too many many smitten kitchen ad that interrupt them and it is difficult to find my place again in the thread because they flip everything around somehow.
There are 4 ad spaces on the whole site, a fraction of most of the internet. If an ad is popping out or intrusive, let me know and we will have it removed from the rotation; we don’t want it there, either. To only read comments from people who have made the recipe, select the “I MADE THIS!” tab a the top of the comment section and it will sort them for you.
I have a spiralizer but only a mini processor (more of a chopper) . I’m thinking the 🌀 will work….I’m in a bit of a shopping wasteland in the Sonoran desert 🌵 so is potato starch fairly available? Whole Foods,perhaps?
Have you tried adding the potato starch from the bowl after draining the shredded potatoes instead of adding baking powder?
Anyone try using sweet potatoes?
made these after watching the YouTube video. so ingenious! the potato starch, the long-ways shred, the fork twirl!
i used yellow potatoes instead of russets because i wanted to try the cold start method. made beautifully brown first-batch latkes that i ate while frying the rest. i kept the others blonde so i could freeze and reheat throughout the week.
After watching your video on making these Latkes, I decided to make them for my 98 year old Dad. He was delighted! He said they were the best ever! Thank you for your hints. I used the Potato Starch. Best Hanukah!
Thanks, Deb, for another delicious recipe! I made about a hundred of these the other night to freeze in preparation for a Chanukkah party this coming weekend. I had only intended to eat a few straight from the pan, but couldn’t help myself and went nuts! They’re so good!
I used a little more oil than the recipe calls for. I think it makes them fry up a little bit more consistently. Flawless recipe!
Delicious! The potato starch and baking powder make these latkes light, fluffy, and the best I’ve ever made.
Happy Chanukah of course
Bukki
Deb, you’ve done it again! This is my new go-to latke recipe. Potato starch is the best. I also strain the potatoes before wringing them out in a towel and use that potato starch as well. But making much smaller latkes, as you suggested, was a game changer. Tripled the recipe for a small outdoor gathering – my best latkes ever and none leftover. Happy Hanukkah!
I made these on a whim yesterday for lunch. I had the wrong potatoes; I only had onions that I had chopped and froze; I didn’t have potato starch so I just used AP flour. They were ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I cannot wait to make them again with the proper ingredients. And . . . they were super easy to make. Oh, and I squeezed the water out using a ricer. I did then wrap them in a towel to soak up any extra moisture (because I didn’t even have cheesecloth).
What a great idea to use a ricer to squeeze out the liquid!
Hi Deb– I just want to say how awesome your blog and videos are. It makes cooking not so intimidating and I love your sense of humor. So, have a question– I think I have made a major mistake making latkes in the past– not wringing out the liquid enough and making basically a double recipe at once.
Is it best to make one batch at a time? Shred/grate each 1 lb potato with the onion w the other ingredients–and that is one batch? I feel like that is a “dumb” question but wanted to verify.
In our house these are the most coveted things and I like to make alot Thanks
You can make it one batch at a time or scale it up. I made 4x batch this year. It’s easier to wring the potato shreds in smaller amounts — I probably only did about 1 pound at a time, but everything else is easily done in one big bowl.
Hi Deb. Can you double or triple that recipe?
Absolutely!
I have never been able to get latkes quite right. These were perfection. I had to add a second egg (we had actual farm eggs so no standard large egg) but I followed the rest to the letter. WOW! Not only delicious, but fast and simple. This is going into the regular dinner rotation at our house.
Perfect. Definitely use potato starch and the baking powder.
I love your ideas about the baking powder and cheese cloth twist to drain the potato shreds and will try both this year when preparing for our annual latke party!
I want to pass on a genius hack I learned from another latke-making friend: Don’t bother draining cooked latkes on paper towels. Instead, set a cookie rack inside a rimmed cookie pan that’s lined with paper towels. Transfer each latke directly from frying pan to the cookie rack. This way, you avoid stacking them on a plate & they stay crisp. To freeze, place the latkes on the rack and pan directly into your freezer. Once latkes are rock-hard, remove them from the rack & pan and put them in a freezer zip-lock bag & return to freezer. To reheat, place frozen latkes on rack and pan (no paper towels, please!) and reheat at 350 in oven till hot. The result is crispy lakes that taste fresh made!
I’ve been using cloth napkins for many years. And when they get torn or stained beyond saving, I move them do a different drawer to use for squeezing things like potatoes and frozen spinach. So many recipes are better when I squeeze out the water.
If you save the starch produced when you soak the potatoes you get that extra goodness! I started doing that years ago.
Waste not, want not…
What are your thoughts on salting the potatoes *before* wringing them out? It draws out so much more water that way. The only downside is you have to taste them and possibly add more salt.
Making these tonight, per my daughter’s request, after she had “latkes” (McDonald’s hash browns) at a holidays around the world party at school. I used my salad spinner to drain the potatoes and onions- worked great!
Best latkes I have ever made. Very crispy and perfect balance of salt and pepper to contrast with the applesauce and plain yogurt i used.
Great suggestions.
I like re-heating them in the broiler, a minute on a side until they sizzle.
I have found they last months in the freezer.
Huzzah!
Deb! Please save my latkes! How far in advance can I make the batter for the latkes without it getting grey and gross?
Thanks so much for this recipe. I made a batch from a recipe from The NY Times and they fell apart on me. I had hash browns instead of latkes!
Anyway these turned out delicious.
FABULOUS RECIPE! I have made latkes for years using a Joan Nathan recipe and tips from my mom (combining onion and potatoes together in the food processor as the onion has an enzyme in it that keeps potatoes from browning), and squeezing out liquid in strainer into pot below; letting it sit for 5 minutes and then pouring off liquid on top and adding potato starch back in. This year, my niece made a parsnip/potato latke (delicious!) on my spiralizer and I ended up on the You Tube of Deb making the latke recipe here! Decided to make a change and I have to say they were absolutely delicious. I don’t have a wide chute on my food processor, so used the Oxo tabletop spiralizer for the potatoes. Threw in sprinkles of cream of tartar (it’s an acid and that’s why it prevents browning) on the potatoes, used 1/2 matzoh meal with 1/2 potato starch, and quartered onion pulsed with blade in food processor, along with rest of Deb’s recipe. They held together beautifully when frying because of the lacy strings. I let them come to room temp and put them flat into gallon ziplock bags for freezing. Because they are lacy, they also were easy to separate when frozen for reheating; if you have a convection steam oven, it also works to use Reheat Crispy function. I made 7x the recipe which made about 80 latkes–the size we use to be able to put toppings on like poached eggs, hollandaise, and lox plus lots of other toppings on the buffet: wilted spinach, roasted tomatoes, cut up avocados, son’s homemade pastrami (5 day Prague-salt brine, followed by fridge air drying, spicing outside, and all-day smoke in Big Green Egg), sour cream mixed with horseradish and fresh dill, plus applesauce. It was a feast. Thanks Deb for always having amazing recipes. (We also served the Apple and Cheddar Crisp salad– 3rd night in a row that we made this salad–although we used very little to no kale and used different lettuce). types.)
I’ve made these for years, and always make larger batches (3lbs of potatoes). This year, I tried making 3 separate batches of potatoes/onions at a time, squeezing them out as I went and it made a huge difference. You can squeeze more liquid out, and the potatoes spend less time in the bowl waiting to be fried, leading to them being so much crispier and absorbing less oil. Mostly was able to grate/mix the next batch of potatoes while frying the previous batch. Best latkes for a crowd I’ve ever managed!
Forgive me if you already know all about this technique: qMy great-grandmother always reserved the liquid she squeezed out from the cheesecloth-wringing, let it sit for a few minutes, and carefully poured it off, saving the potato starch that remains in the bottom of the bowl to mix into the potatoes instead of flour. That is real tradition!
Just going to say I appreciate the depth of your affection for potatoes and mushrooms and cabbage – I didn’t realize they could be a culinary happy place, as I read not long ago from something you wrote, but you nailed it. Fancy stuff will never be refused per say, but when the cabbage is done well, my family fights over that and I feel sorry for the poor steak; any type of potato preparation is the most important part of answering what’s for dinner. I recently was told that in the Netherlands, people speak about their dinner by starting with the vegetables – “We’re having cauliflower” and the protein is a side note. Thanks for broadening our palates and cooking abilities enough to absorb some of that mentality.
OMG DEB. I just saw this and knowing your family’s love of both latkes and pickles, HAD TO SEND.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0KnHebyCsZ/?utm_campaign=wp_veatvoraciously&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_veatvoraciously
I need someone to try these for me! I’m so tempted but cannot wrap my head around a warm pickle.
These look so amazing! I’ve never made latkes and I shall now do so!
Oh yummy. I’m from a traditional potato pancake region in Germany and we call them “Reibekuchen”. It’s what I ask my Mum to make when we visit the family. Of course, they are a little bit different from latkes, too (and every family has its own recipe again), but what really convinces me is to add oats to the potato batter, it makes them even crispier. Don’t skimp on the fat is another heartfelt lesson here!
Hi Deb. For those of us who are still learning…would you be willing to put together a calendar/list/cheat sheet of Jewish holidays along with links to the corresponding recipes on your site?
I’m definitely not a good enough Jew to be able to do this — plus, holidays are at different dates every year because they’re on a lunisolar calendar. I cover the a few big ones here, like Hanukkah and Passover. More Jewish-ish recipes can be found here.
There is no mention of baking powder in the recipe ingredients section. Please will you share the amount you use?
Thank you, the video was very helpful.
Search the comments (CTRL+F on a PC) for the word “powder.” You’ll find multiple references from Deb and from commenters.
This recipe has gone through many changes over the years and there was a period in the middle where I was very into adding 1 teaspoon baking powder along with the flour to give them more lift. I’m now no longer convinced that it makes a difference, so I removed it, but there’s no harm in adding if you’d like.
I have been making year-round latkes per my bubbe’s recipe for 65 years. She didn’t peel the potatoes nor did she add any binder other than the eggs because that’s the way they did it in the old country. Her innovation was to make one gigantic latke in a cast-iron skillet—fried on the bottom side and placed under a pre-heated broiler to cook and crisp the top side. The only changes I have made is to carmelize the onions before adding them to the batter and I now use a food processor rather than a box grater. (Bubbe made small, totally fried latkes for Hanukkah as do I.)
I will definitely try your recipe.
My mother’s photo pancakes are the best I’ve ever had (and I taste every version I can!). Roughly, she uses 3 russet potatoes, 1 small onion, 3 eggs separated, 2 Tb flour, about 6 Tb melted butter, and a small amount of salt. What sets her version apart is that she whips the egg whites into soft folds and then, after mixing the other ingredients together, folds in the egg whites. Makes for wonderfully light pancakes. Usually fried in Crisco.
Half the family savored them plain with a touch of salted butter on top. The other half loved them with dabs of current jelly. Also great with sour cream or applesauce, but do try the current jelly.
Our family was divided: half ate the
Hi Deb — what is the skillet in these photos? I went over your Shop page, but maybe it’s not in there?
Photos are more beautiful than ever btw. You can practically taste the crispness in that golden brown. Kudos!
You’re right — I need to update the page. The pan shown here is a 10-inch All-Clad frying pan, part of this set. I had almost the same one from All-Clad for the last 20 (!) years that I honestly thought was in perfect condition and didn’t need replacing but they sent me a new one, I gave the old ones away to friends, and this is it.
I have been making this recipe for years so when I went to this page this evening, I could have sworn that the recipe included baking powder. It’s no longer in the recipe but it IS in the video. Might want to put that back in – it really makes a difference!
I’m sorry Deb, we’re going to need to hear more about this annual Latke Vodka party. You can’t just drop that in and walk away!
Ha! We have it every year, or the last few, except for the years where I’m book touring. I’ll catch you all up next week!
I love your version of latkes!! Last night I made these for the second night of Hanukkah. I’ve always loved your recipe for latkes but defaulted to flour as I never had potato starch on hand. Looking to make them gluten free for a friend I decided to use the starch instead of gluten free flour. My husband declared this batch the best I’ve ever made. Thank you for all your recipes. I’ve been following for years and love everything you create!
Our annual Chanukah party, missing the clever name of your event, features latkes, mushroom barley soup, rye bread, rugelach, cut-out cookies in dreidel shapes, your parmesan-black pepper biscotti, and assorted other goodies. Yum!
Your recipe does not have the baking powder but your video does
I don’t see the amount of baking powder listed.
These are perfection. Everything a latke promises to be
These were delicious and easy to make! It was my first time making latkes and my kids loved helping make them. My preference is to eat them with applesauce, always. Wishing everyone who celebrates a joyous and safe Hanukkah.
These latkes were a hit. I loved the small size making it easy to serve to a group and the potato starch plus cast iron skillet worked well for me. I will use this recipe again.
I opened the site tonight to find your recipe, and in a seasonal miracle, it was right on the home page! This is recipe I come back to every time I want to make latkes, it is perfect!
Ding, ding, ding we have a winner! I made these (x5) for a Chanukah get-together last night and this is now my new favorite latke recipe.
The only modification I made was to pulse the mixture a couple of times with the regular blade to make the strands just a bit shorter, which I prefer. Also I could not for the life of me find my container of potato starch, but since it was left over from Passover that’s probably for the best. I used ordinary flour, which was fine.
The real genius of this recipe is the size recommendation. Deb is absolutely correct that latkes should be small. I will never make large ones again.
We made these this weekend for our annual holiday gift exchange party and they were a huge hit. It’s an added bonus that these are gluten-free (yes to potato flour!). We tripled the batch and didn’t have a single one left. Served with all the fixings (sour cream, applesauce, caviar, pate, etc.) plus the mushroom soup you suggested. Knowing that we can make these ahead of time and rewarm in the oven means we will be having a lot more latkes in the future!
Best. Latkes. Ever. This is beyond. This is THE LATKE. How can I ever thank you? Amazing in every way! Thanks Deb!! 😍
These came out perfectly. I tripled the recipe, added carrots, and made the latkes twice as big. Most consistent latkes I’ve ever baked. Thanks also for the great potato kugel recipe–thanks to Deb I feel like I have finally mastered the potatoes of my heritage <3
Hi Deb – I’m planning to make these today to reheat for a holiday party in Friday. About how long does it take to reheat the frozen latkes in a 375 oven? Thank you!!
It can be anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes.
And the hits just keep coming! Thank you Deb for a truly fantastic latke recipe! My daughter in law and I made them today (late Chanukkah party) and they were perfect and delicious. Used the potato starch as I happen to find it at the market and I agree that they make them lighter. Used 4 or 5 potatoes (I cannot remember because we gobbled them all up!) and 3 eggs. Followed the recipe and even keeping them warm at 175 in the oven while the others cooked. Perfection! This recipe is going right next to your brisket recipe for the holiday Hall of Fame!
I have been making these latkes and your brisket from the first cookbook for Christmas dinner for years. Both are the best! I also get a kick out of telling people we are having Jewish food for Christmas dinner. But seriously, how easy to make both ahead of time and reheat.
I made these for the second time this year for our winter holiday gathering. Everybody loves them!
I finally made these today and I ate them with a local apple butter (some chose sour cream and pico de gallo) and a pinch of salt and they were life chantingly delicious. I say an excellent apple butter on these will elevate your entire day. These are my favorite latkes now. Thank you.