Potato Pancakes made Oil-Free!
Recipe by Katie Mae
Happy Hanukkah Everyone! Here’s my plant-based, vegan version of potato pancakes, a Hanukkah favorite (also known as Latkes in Yiddish and Levivot in Hebrew). If you’re anything like me, you’ll enjoy these so much that you end up making them for a weekend brunch all throughout the year.
Potato pancakes are most often shallow-fried pancakes of grated potato, flour and egg. However, potato pancakes are a festive tradition of many European and Middle Eastern cuisines and thus there are many recipe variations. For example, the Swiss do not use flour or egg in their version. Rather the Swiss Rösti are grated potato pancakes fried in butter. My recipe here is free of the ingredients that damage our arteries and is much lower in calories.
The story of Hanukkah is that the little oil that remained was only enough to provide light for one night, and yet miraculously this oil burned for 8 nights! The tradition of eating fried foods goes back to the use of cooking oil, which symbolizes this miracle of light. Dairy foods are also a tradition of Hanukkah, and thus sour cream is a common topping for the latkes. As a plant-lover, I prefer dairy-free toppings such as the traditional apple sauce or the non-traditional choices: salsa, guacamole and hummus.
Makes 20 pancakes
Ready in 25 minutes
Stores 5 days in fridge
INGREDIENTS
- 2 russet potatoes
- 1 large zucchini
- ½ yellow onion
- ½ cup rolled oats, ground (oat flour)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
ACTION STEPS
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. To keep the papers from rolling on you, crinkle them into a ball. Then open the papers up and lay them across the sheet pans.
2. Grate the potatoes, zucchini and onion. The quickest way to do this is with a food processor fitted with the medium grater attachment. Depending on the food processor size you may have to empty it in between grating to make room for more veggies. If you don’t have a food processor, a box grater works just fine.
3. After the potatoes, zucchini and onion are grated, place half of them in a clean kitchen towel. Roll the towel around the vegetables, and wring the towel to draw out the excess moisture. Transfer dried potatoes, zucchini and onion to a large mixing bowl. Repeat with remaining vegetables.
4. Add the ground oats and black pepper to the vegetable bowl and mix well. Rolled oats can be ground up using a coffee/spice grinder, food processor or blender. Feel free to use your hands to make sure the flour is evenly distributed.
5. Pick up about a ¼ cup of potato mixture and shape it into a semi-tight ball in your hands. Use the palms of your hands to flatten the ball into a potato pancake and place it on prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining mix, spacing the pancakes about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes depending how crispy you want them. Flip the latkes and bake an additional 12 to 15 minutes. Serve at once with applesauce or other plant-based toppings, like salsa, guacamole and hummus.
Did you like this recipe? If so, please share it. Your voice matters in spreading the plant-based message and transforming our food system. Salud!
28 Comments
Esther, Lipschitz
November 30, 2013Your receipes are great. we download them and file and keep close to me on the kitchen when i do my cooking and food preparations.
This one about Potato Latkes blew my mind. “yoy saved our chanuka this year”.
thanks, esther
Katie Mae
December 1, 2013Wonderful to hear Esther! Isn’t it great that we can enjoy traditional favorites with lots of flavor and still have them be healthy for us? I love it.
Angela
December 1, 2013We made these tonight and they were awesome! What a great way to enjoy latkes with no oil. Thank you Katie!
Katie Mae
December 1, 2013Aw, I’m so glad you enjoyed them Angela! What did your boys think?
Chef AJ
December 2, 2013Can you please make them at True North this week? Pretty please?
Katie Mae
December 2, 2013That’s the plan. It’ll be Potato Thursday
Lani Muelrath
December 2, 2013Katie,
These look fabio! My husband is a big potato fan and I know he’ll be thrilled to see my trying this one out – and you’ve made it so simple! You go!
Thanks,
Lani
Katie Mae
December 5, 2013How could you not love potatoes?!? I hope he enjoys these potato pancakes!
Tami@Nutmeg Notebook
December 10, 2013I can’t wait to try these! I have two zucchini just waiting to be made into something scrumptious!
Katie Mae
December 10, 2013Yay! I think you’ll like them! I love them the traditional way with minimal seasoning, but feel free to use your culinary expertise to kick up the flavor by adding some herbs or spices.
Janice Zielonka
January 24, 2014this just found. will try soon . will be great with the just posted pea and califlower soup. I love that combo but the fat with the latkes always was too heavy . this should be just excellant. so glad I found you Katie Mae. I have been McDougalling since 2007. and love this diet and life style . Blessings Janice
Janice Zielonka
January 24, 2014just made them so good much easier than frying too. thanks
Katie Mae
January 24, 2014So glad to hear Janice! I usually pair potatoes with the split pea soup, but I never thought about using the latkes. I just made the latkes in my class yesterday – they would go perfectly with soup!! Thanks for the idea. Blessings to you too!
Matthew Ciuccio
February 24, 2014Most excellent. I can’t wait to make them again, so easy and SO yummy!
Jennifer
May 26, 2014Yum! These look delicious. I wonder whether they might work with sweet potatoes and /or parsnips? I can’t tolerate white potatoes.
So glad I found your site, Chef AJ posted a link here from facebook. Subscribing!!
Katie Mae
May 26, 2014Aw great to have you on board Jennifer! I’m glad you came across AJ’s post. This recipe definitely do work with sweet potatoes – my mom makes it that way all the time
I’ve never tried parsnips, but I see no reason they wouldn’t work. Let me know how they turn out!
Jennifer
June 28, 2014Will try this – served cold as picnic food? With a tomato/apple/apricot chutney? Bet these are very moreish!
Katie Mae
June 28, 2014I just made them again yesterday and had some cold. They’re really delicious both ways.
That chutney sounds fabulous!
Teri
October 12, 2014I made these this weekend and they turned out great! I’m so glad I don’t have to give up latkes! Thank you for the recipe!
Katie Mae
October 27, 2014Mmmm, you’re welcome Teri! So glad you liked them!
Esther PC
October 25, 2014Is this 1/2 C rolled oats before or after they are ground?
Katie Mae
October 27, 2014Good question Esther. It actually doesn’t matter when you measure it. The ground oats are almost exactly the same amount when whole. I usually measure them as rolled oats, so I grind only the exact amount needed in a recipe.
Sheila
November 27, 2015Would this recipe be Bright Line friendly? The reason I ask is that when you grind the oats they are now oat flour which is not allowed on BLE. Thanks for your reply.
Katie Mae
November 28, 2015Great question, Sheila! This would not be BLE with the oat flour. However, you can make it BLE by not grinding the oats and adding them whole, OR substituting 1/4 cup of ground flax seed for the 1/2 cup of oat flour. The flax seed could be counted as protein or fat. Hope this helps!
Sandi
December 12, 2015Thank you, Katie. I LOVE your recipes.
Katie Mae
December 14, 2015You’re welcome, Sandi!! I’m SO glad you enjoy them!
Rabiah
January 10, 2016Hi, you mentioned that flax seeds can replace the ground oats in these potato latkes but can chia seeds also be used in place of the oats??? And if so do I need to grind them up?? By the way I love your website!
Thankyou!
Katie Mae
January 12, 2016Yes, Rabiah, you could use chia seeds instead of flax seeds. The reason I prefer flax is because the chia seeds have a more noticeable slightly-gritty texture. If you want to use them though, I do recommend grinding them. Glad you’re enjoying the site!!