This latkes recipe is as healthy as they can get. Flourless and gluten-free, these crispy, delicious latkes are cooked in avocado oil. Happy Hanukkah!
This is my favorite latkes recipe. I’ve been using it for many years now. The potato pancakes are flourless, gluten-free, and fried in avocado oil, a flavorless oil that’s very suitable for high-heat frying.
The ingredients needed for this recipe
You’ll only need a few ingredients to make these tasty fritters. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Onion
- Yukon Gold potatoes
- Eggs
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- Avocado oil
How do you make potato latkes?
If you own a food processor, this latkes recipe is actually very easy:
- You shred onion and potatoes in your food processor.
- Drain them well.
- Mix with eggs and spices.
- Then drop spoonfuls of the mixture into hot oil and fry until very crispy.
But are they healthy?
It depends. If you don’t need to be on a very low carb diet, I think that a small serving can be part of a healthy meal. This is especially true if you don’t add any flour, and if you cook the latkes in avocado oil.
I do enjoy a few of them every year during the holiday of Hanukkah. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and very flavorful, they are just too good to give up!
How do you make the BEST potato pancakes?
I have three tips for you:
- Extract as much liquid from the potato/onion mixture as you can, by placing the mixture in a colander and repeatedly pressing on it with your hands. The drier the mixture, the crispier the pancakes will be.
- Don’t add flour to the mixture! When you don’t add flour, the latkes taste much better. They are a bit more fragile, but nothing that one can’t handle. My beloved grandma Chava never added flour to her recipe. She considered it as something that only lazy housewives would do, and she was not lazy! 😀
- Fry them in hot oil until VERY crispy. You want the lacy edges to be brown. Proper brown, not golden brown. The middle can be golden brown.
Should I use yellow or green onions in this potato latkes recipe?
The onions are a wonderful addition that adds tons of flavor. Some people prefer to use green onions (white and green parts), and that’s certainly an option. While milder in taste, latkes with green onions are prettier.
Can I use a pre-shredded frozen hash browns mix?
Sadly, no. You shouldn’t use frozen hash browns potatoes in this recipe. I tried, and it’s just not the same. They turn out much less flavorful and quite soggy. It’s best to use fresh potatoes, and Yukon Gold potatoes are the best.
Can you make potato latkes ahead of time?
You can, although they do taste best when fresh out of the skillet. Having said that, I often finish making them an hour before dinnertime, then keep them in a warm (150 degrees F) oven until it’s time to serve them.
You can also keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheat them in a 200 F degree Oven. They won’t be as good as fresh, but they will still be good.
Can you suggest healthier alternatives to this latkes recipe?
Sometimes, instead of making this traditional recipe, I make baked latkes, which are also excellent and are easier to make than fried.
However, one has to admit that pan-fried latkes are the gold standard in terms of flavor and texture. And for a low carb alternative, try these delicious spinach pancakes. They are excellent!
Latkes Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large onion (8 oz)
- 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 16 oz avocado oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Set oven to warm (150 degrees F). Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet.
- Peel the onion, quarter it, then process it in the food processor until it’s finely chopped. Place in a colander, and place the colander on top of a bowl.
- Using the shredding disc of your food processor, shred the potatoes. Place them in the colander.
- Use your clean hands to mix the onion and potatoes. Press the mixture with your hands, repeatedly, to extract as much liquid as you can into the bowl. The drier the mixture is, the crispier the latkes will turn out and the less chance of them falling apart on you when you fry them. Resist the temptation to add flour to help absorb the liquid: it is unnecessary and will result in suboptimal latkes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add the drained onion/potato mixture and use a fork to mix well.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, about 4 minutes. Oil should cover the bottom of the skillet and be about 1/2-inch deep.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons mixture per pancake onto the skillet, pressing on them a little with a spatula to flatten. If using a 12-inch skillet, you’ll be able to fry 4 latkes at a time. I fry in 2 skillets simultaneously – it cuts the frying time in half and is quite doable.
- Cook the latkes until undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the latkes over and cook until the other side is browned, about 5 more minutes.
- Transfer the cooked latkes to paper towels to drain, then place them on the prepared baking sheet and keep them in the warm oven, while you finish frying more batches. Between batches, mix the egg/potato/onion mixture – it tends to separate.
NOTES
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
