Classic Moskowitz Latkes (Vegan Potato Pancakes)

Makes 18 latkes

This vegan latkes recipe is the one I’ve been making forever. They’re real easy because you don’t have to drain the grated potatoes before you form the latkes (what a hassle!). They taste pretty much like the latkes you can get in a good Lower East Side diner, which in my view makes them the best.

Potato, onion, salt, pepper, perfection. Serve with my Easy Creamy Vegan Sour Cream, the caramelized onions from my pierogi recipe, and the Pretty in Pink Applesauce below. I highly recommend this applesauce, it always gets ooohs and ahhhs thanks to it’s whimsical color.

Serve these vegan latkes for your holidays spreads but also, the truth is, if you just want to make a night out of latkes and serve nothing else, no one will complain. Everyone loves vegan potato pancakes.

What makes this vegan latkes recipe special?

The “no draining” trick. Most latke recipes have you grate the potatoes, then squeeze them in a towel forever to remove the liquid. With this recipe you skip all of that. The matzoh meal does the work: it absorbs the moisture from the potatoes and acts as a binder, holding everything together as it fries. The result: crispy golden edges, soft potato-y interior, and you saved yourself fifteen minutes of squeezing.

The other trick is starchy potatoes. Russets or Idahos give you that fluffy, savory inside. Waxy potatoes will work but you won’t get the same texture.

Salt, pepper, and finely diced onion handle the flavor. Simple potato deliciousness without eggs or egg replacers and the best vegan potato pancakes you’ll ever eat.

Note: Make sure to fry soon after the mixture is ready so that the potato doesn’t oxidize.

Tips for the crispiest, best vegan latkes

Wet hands. Keep a small bowl of water next to the stove and dip your hands before shaping each latke. The mixture is sticky and wet hands keep it from gumming up your fingers.

Get the oil hot enough. Drop a bit of batter in to test. Bubbles should form quickly around it. If it just sits there, the oil isn’t ready. If it immediately smokes, lower the heat.

Don’t crowd the pan. 5 to 7 at a time, max, depending on your pan. Crowding drops the oil temperature and you’ll end up with greasy, soft latkes instead of crispy ones.

Drain on paper bags or paper towels. Both sides. Lay them flat in a single layer so they don’t steam each other.

Keep them warm in a 200°F oven while you finish the rest of the batches. Lay them in a single layer on a foil-covered baking pan so they don’t get soggy.

Salt right after frying. A little extra salt sprinkled on while they’re still hot makes them taste like the Brooklyn diner version.

Bonus: Pretty in Pink Applesauce

A little bonus recipe to round out your latke spread. Granny Smith apples make the tartest, brightest applesauce. The pink color comes from a chunk of beet tossed in at the end. It leaves behind the gorgeous color but no beety flavor. It makes about 4 cups and takes about an hour (most of it is downtime).

You’ll need

• 3 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 7), peeled and diced 1/2 inch
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (2-inch) chunk peeled beet

Let’s make it

1. In a large pot over medium-low heat, combine the apples, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted and the apples are starting to soften, about 15 minutes.
2. Uncover and cook until bubbly and the apples are tender and saucy but still hold a little shape, another 25 minutes or so.
3. Add the beet chunk and cook for 10 minutes. Fish out the beet and stir. If the applesauce is pink enough, discard the beet. If it needs more color, turn off the heat and let the beet sit in the applesauce until pink, then remove.
4. Taste for sweetness and adjust if needed. Cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Classic Moskowitz Latkes (Vegan Potato Pancakes)

Crispy, golden vegan latkes made the easy way: no draining the potatoes required. Potato, onion, salt, pepper, perfection.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Servings 18 pancakes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 1/2 lbs Russet potatoes peeled
• 1 medium yellow onion peeled
• 1/4 cup potato starch or corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups matzoh meal
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

 

• If using a food processor, use the grating blade to shred the potatoes and onion. If shredding by hand, grate the potatoes and dice the onion as finely as possible.
• Have ready brown paper bags or paper towels for draining the latkes. If you want to keep them warm while you work, preheat the oven to 200°F and have a baking pan covered with foil ready.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the potatoes and onions with the potato starch using a wooden spoon or your hands (hands are faster) until the potatoes have released some moisture and the starch is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
• Add the salt and pepper. Add the matzoh meal and mix well. Set aside for about 10 minutes. The mixture should get liquidy but sticky.
• Preheat a large skillet (cast iron is great, but non-stick works too) over medium heat, on the higher side. Add about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil to the pan. The oil is hot enough when you drop in a bit of batter and bubbles rapidly form around it. If it immediately smokes, the heat is too high — lower it. If the bubbles are lazy, give it another minute or turn up the heat.
• With wet hands (so the mixture doesn't stick), roll into small golf-ball-sized balls. Flatten into thin round patties. Cook 5 to 7 at a time. Fry on one side for about 4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and fry for another 3 minutes.
• Transfer to paper towels or paper bags to drain. Once drained on both sides, place in the warm oven (or covered baking pan) until ready to serve.

Keyword vegan latkes, classic vegan latkes, vegan potato pancakes, hanukkah latkes, easy vegan latkes

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