Delicious baked latkes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Baking latkes is much easier than frying them!
Why make baked latkes? what’s wrong with normal pan fried latkes?
Well. Hanukkah is by far my favorite holiday, simply because of the food. Potato latkes and jelly doughnuts – could it possibly get any better? 😀
Of course, a holiday celebrated by eating fried foods to commemorate an ancient oil-related miracle, is not exactly a health-friendly (or a waistline-friendly) holiday.
Can you bake latkes in the oven?
So I was curious to see if I could take my potato latkes recipe, the foolproof one that I’ve developed over the years, and turn it into a baked latkes recipe.
The short answer: yes, it can definitely be done, and the resulting baked latkes are delicious. They are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and very flavorful. They are almost as good as fried latkes. If fried latkes get a 10, then these baked latkes get a 9.5.
Why should you bake latkes instead of frying them?
I’m not so sure about any health benefits or even lower calories. To ensure the baked latkes are amazing, I spray them with quite a bit of oil.
The big advantage of baked latkes, I think, is that baking is so much easier than frying. So now that my family has announced that these are “just as good” as fried latkes (I still think they are almost as good), I make them almost exclusively.
How do you make potato pancakes in the oven?
It’s super easy! Mix shredded, well drained potatoes and onions with an egg, spices, and just a little flour – I use coconut flour to keep these baked latkes gluten free, but you can use all purpose flour if you don’t mind gluten. Press mounds of the mixture into a parchment lined baking sheet. Spray liberally with oil, and bake until crispy, about 15 minutes per side.
Note that the recipe calls for parchment paper. In the past I used foil, and while the latkes brown more uniformly when baked on foil, they also tend to stick to the foil. If you use unbleached parchment paper, it should do fine in high heat baking, but to be on the safe side, look for one that specifically says you can use it in high heat baking, such as this one. Another option is to use nonstick foil.
By the way, after you grate the potatoes, they will quickly change their color and darken. Don’t worry about it – this does not affect the taste or texture of the baked latkes.
Can I make these baked potato latkes ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely. I usually make them an hour ahead of time, then keep them in a warm (150 degrees F) oven until it’s time to serve them. You can even make an extra batch and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat the baked latkes very gently, in a 200 degrees F oven. They won’t be as good as fresh, but very close.
So… are baked latkes healthy?
Like so many other foods, it depends on your definition of “healthy.” Their biggest disadvantage is that they are high in carbs, and the kind of carbs that is quickly absorbed. On the other hand, their list of ingredients is very clean and contains only real foods; If you use coconut flour, they are gluten free; and I spray them with healthy avocado oil.
I would say that if you don’t have to be on a strict low carb diet, one or two of these baked potato latkes should be just fine. If you do prefer a low carb alternative though, these spinach pancakes are very good.
Baked Latkes
INGREDIENTS
- Avocado oil spray
- 1 lb. peeled Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 small onion (2.5 oz)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour, or 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper marked as safe for high heat baking. Spray the parchment paper with oil.
- Grate the potatoes using your food processor’s grating attachment. Wipe the food processor clean with a paper towel, and use the food processor's standard blade to chop the onion.
- Place the shredded potatoes and the chopped onion in a colander over a bowl and press firmly with your hands, repeatedly, to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Empty the bowl from the liquid, wipe with a paper towel, and transfer the potato/onion mixture to the bowl.
- In another small bowl, beat the egg with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Add the egg mixture to the potato mixture and stir, then add the flour and stir to combine.
- Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the prepared baking sheet, forming 12 very thin pancakes- press with your hands to flatten the patties as much as you can, while keeping their shape.
- Generously spray the latkes with oil - I used avocado oil.
- Bake the latkes for 15 minutes, until crisp and deep golden brown on the bottom. Remove pan from oven, flip the latkes to the other side, spray again with oil, and bake 10-15 more minutes, until crisp and deep golden brown on the second side.
- Serve immediately, with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.
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