Creamy Baked Potato Pancakes

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Baked potato pancakes (also called latkes) are a traditional Yiddish dish served on Chanukah. While it has a deep religious significance among the Jews, and is also considered a meal staple in Central and Eastern European countries.

However, these savory, crispy pancakes are now enjoyed by people from all cultures and countries—because it is delicious, easy to prepare, and made of very simple and affordable ingredients.

Baked potato pancakes use the typical ingredients found in any savory vegetable pancake: onion, eggs, and flour. However, modern potato pancakes can have numerous variations, including optional ingredients and different sauces to serve it with.

In this article, we’ll share the basic recipe and then give suggestions on how to switch things up based on your personal tastes, dietary needs, or even the available ingredients in your refrigerator.

Baked Potato Pancakes Recipe

How to make baked potato pancakes

This dish is one of the best things to prepare on a budget, because the ingredients are cheap and easy to find.

  • Potatoes. Any potato variety will do in a pinch, but since it’s the main ingredient of the dish the final result will depend on what you use. Ideally, use starchy or mealy potato varieties like the Russet, since it releases less moisture during cooking and will lead to a crispier pancake. The second-best choice is an all-purpose potato like Yukon Gold.
  • Onions. Using fresh onions add flavor and crunch, and more “heft” to the mixture that helps keep the pancake from falling apart.  
  • Egg. This acts as a binder, so the pancakes hold their shape. If you’re on a dairy-free diet, just add more flour.
  • Flour or starch. Traditionally, you will need flour, but you can substitute with potato starch if you’re on a gluten-free diet, or just like a stronger potato flavor.
  • Salt and pepper. You can adjust the amount according to taste, but most people like adding a generous amount of pepper.
  • Oil. Since you need to keep the pan hot, use an oil that has a high smoke point like canola, or any vegetable oil. Do not use extra virgin olive oil, which is really more suitable for salads than

Baked Potato Pancakes

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Laura Ritterman Course: AppetizersDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Calories

164

kcal

Get the best recipe for baked potato pancakes, cooking tips and tricks, and serving ideas

Ingredients

  • 5 large 5 Russet potatoes

  • 1 large 1 white onion

  • 3 medium 3 sized eggs, beaten

  • 1/3 cup 1/3 flour

  • 1 teaspoon 1 salt

  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

  • ¾ cup canola or vegetable oil for frying

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Peel the potatoes, and wash.
  • Use a box grater or a food processor to grate the potatoes. For better texture, half of the mixture should be coarsely grated, and the other half should be finely grated. You can use the big and small holes of your box grater, or adjust the speed of your food processor.
  • “Sweat” out the grated potato by mixing one teaspoon of salt and letting it stand for at least 15 minutes.
  • While waiting for the potatoes to sweat, place a cookie sheet in the oven to pre-heat it.
  • Drain the potatoes, and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. You can do this in one of three ways: using your hands, pressing the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and a spoon, or wrapping it in a clean cloth and squeezing tightly.
  • While draining the potatoes, beat the eggs. Add salt and pepper at this stage, so the seasoning is evenly distributed among all the pancakes.
  • Mix the drained, grated potatoes with egg mixture and onions.
  • Take out the cookie sheet and line with baking paper or coat it with a non-stick spray. Place heaped tablespoons of your pancake batter, and then flatten each one with a fork. The pancakes should be about 2 inches to 2.5 inches in diameter.
  • 10.tReturn the cookie sheet into the oven, and bake the potato pancakes for 7 to 8 minutes on each side.
  • 11.tDrain the cooked pancakes of excess fat by transferring them to either a wire rack or a plate that you have lined with paper towels. However, a wire rack will generally keep the pancakes crispier.

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Tips and tricks

How do you make pancakes crispy, and what variations can you make? Here are some tricks that will help you get delicious results each time.

  • In order to prevent pancakes from falling apart when you turn them, be sure to drain and squeeze out as much of the water as you can. You can also make smaller pancakes, which are easier to turn.  
  • If you are using a potato variety that is starchy and has a lot of water content, such as French fingerlings, red potatoes, or new potatoes, use more flour or potato starch in your batter.  
  • Get the texture you love by changing the way you grate the potatoes. Coarsely grated potatoes will be crispier, though you will have to cook them longer. Finely grated potatoes will be creamier and softer. That’s why this recipe uses a combination of both—but if you have a personal preference, you can always adjust the ratio.
  • Feel free to add other ingredients to your basic potato recipe, such as finely chopped vegetables like carrots, finely chopped mushrooms like button or cremini, Parmesan cheese, chives, or finely chopped bacon or other meats. Just adjust the amount of eggs and flour to bind the ingredients better.
  • If you don’t have an oven, you can pan-fry the potatoes. Just make sure you wait until the oil is hot before you place the batter.
  • You can pre-prepare the batter, and store in the refrigerator to bake the next day. However, the batter will be more watery, so you will have to squeeze out excess moisture again before cooking. Never freeze the batter, because the pancakes will end up very mushy.
  • Serve the baked potato pancakes with different kinds of sauces or dips. You can use sour cream, garlic aioli, spicy Korean dipping sauce, or even chimichurri sauce or a sweet-savory sauce like a citrus cranberry.

Conclusion

This easy, versatile dish can be served in so many ways and occasions. You can make a big batch for a filling breakfast, or make just enough to be a side dish for lunch or dinner. You can even make smaller pancakes topped with dollops of sour cream for fancy appetizers, or a crunchy snack while you have a cold beer. Enjoy!

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