Crispy Vegan Latkes

Years ago I made several attempts at developing a recipe for vegan potato latkes before finally giving up and declaring failure. Eggless latkes can be tricky! I couldn’t quite get the mixture to bind, and many of my attempts came out soggy. Well that was then and this is now, and nowadays I know a lot more about egg-free cooking. I’m happy to say that I think I’ve come up with a recipe for the BEST vegan latkes ever. And bonus: these crispy vegan potato pancakes are also super easy to whip up!

What You’ll Need

Potatoes. We’re using basic russet potatoes here, a.k.a., baking potatoes. These work best because they’re starchy! You could probably get away with using another variety like red or golden potatoes, but the texture will be a bit different and your latkes might not hold together as well.Onion. You can omit this if you’re not a fan of onion in your latkes.Matzo meal. This is our first magic binding ingredient. Some latke recipes use flour instead, but my research indicates that the best ones are made with matzo meal, so that’s what we’re using!Potato starch. This is our second magic binding ingredient. It holds the latkes together like a champ.Salt & pepper.Canola oil. You can substitute any high-heat oil you’d like, such as peanut, avocado, or corn oil.Fresh chives. Totally optional, but I really like them sprinkled over my latkes.Applesauce and/or vegan sour cream. I’m a big fan of these latkes with homemade cashew cream.

How to Make Vegan Latkes

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

Start by shredding your potato and onion coarsely. You can use a box grater or a food processor for this, but make sure you use the coarse setting (the larger holes).Wrap your shredded potato and onion up in a dish towel and squeeze out as much water as you can. Removing excess water will ensure that your latkes are crispy and not soggy.Place your potato and onion into a bowl and add matzo meal, potato starch, salt and pepper. Mix everything up!

Heat up some oil in a nonstick skillet. You want a generous coating of oil — at least ⅛ inch deep.Shape your potato mixture into a few patties, using about ¼ cup of the mixture per patty. Get the patties nice and flat so they cook all the way through. Place them into the skillet, making sure they don’t touch.Cook the patties for a few minutes, until they’re browned and crispy on the bottoms. Carefully flip them with a spatula, then cook them until they’re browned on the opposite sides.

Transfer your cooked latkes to a paper towel to drain, and continue cooking them in batches, adding oil to your skillet as needed.

Serve your vegan potato latkes with applesauce or vegan sour cream.

Leftovers & Storage

Store any leftover latkes in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place your latkes under a broiler and broil them for a few minutes on each side, until they begin to get crispy again.