As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This recipe was created by Stephanie Dreyer from Batch Cooking Club! These sweet potato latkes are easy to make and delicious to have for dinner or to snack on.
This Sweet Potato Latke Recipe Is:
- Not your traditional latke recipe.
- Egg-free
- Plant-based and vegan.
- Delicious heated up as leftovers.
- A good alternative to the standard vegan latke.
If you’re not familiar with the potato-y goodness that is Latkes, then this is for you. It’ll give you a taste of a traditional Jewish celebration, Hanukkah, and the festival of lights. But these delicious sweet potato latkes can be eaten at any time and enjoyed by the whole family,
How To Eat Latkes
The traditional version of latkes uses eggs to bind the grated potatoes, but this plant-based option uses a flax egg to replace them. It’s basically flax meal and water mixed together to create a gelatinous mixture. If you want more vegan egg replacer ideas, here’s a helpful article you might like. Now, it’s often a big debate on how to top these tasty potato pancakes. They can be topped with some vegan sour cream or applesauce.
I know applesauce with potato cakes might sound a bit strange, but the combination goes so well. It is a great recipe to try with the kids, and add some healthy starches into their diet like sweet potatoes and good fats like flaxseeds.
How To Master The Sweet Potato Latkes
If you’ve never tried these before and feel a bit intimidated by the process, or you make these every year around Hanukkah but can’t seem to get them right, then we have some fantastic tips to share with you! Take note on how to become a latke guru:
- Make sure you grate the potatoes (in this case, sweet potatoes) and onions well. Using a food processor and choosing the grater blade is a great idea. You can still use a box grater, but if you have a food processor, we recommend it.
- Once shredded, transfer the potatoes and onions into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze the liquid out. Do your best to squeeze out all that liquid (as much you can).
- Even though it might seem like you have to deep fry these cakes, you don’t have to use too much oil, or the cakes might fall apart. Also, remember to wait until the oil is hot before placing your cakes in the pan.
Dip The Latke
These Sweet Potato Latke Cakes are pretty delicious on their own, but a good dip takes them to a whole new level of goodness. Apart from the traditional applesauce, you could make a classic onion dip to go with them. Yum!
The Ingredients and Substitutes
- Flaxseed Meal: 2 tablespoons
- Water: 3 tablespoons
- Large Russet Potatoes: 1 ½ pound (about 2 medium), slice into small wedges
- Sweet Potatoes: ½ pound (about 1 medium), sliced into small wedges
- Red Onion: 1 medium, sliced into small wedges (you can also use yellow onion if that’s your preference)
- All-purpose Flour: ½ cup
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
- Pepper: to taste
- Canola Oil: for frying
How to Make Sweet Potato Latkes
Combine the flaxseed meal and water in a bowl. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
Next, use a food processor with a grater blade, process the russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, and red onion. Using a kitchen towel, squeeze out excess liquid from the potatoes and onions. Make sure it’s nice and dry.
Then you will place the onion and potato mixture in a bowl and add the flaxseed meal mixture, flour, salt, and pepper. Mix until it’s thoroughly combined.
Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Take about two tablespoons of batter and flatten it with your hands, patting it into a pancake, before gently placing it in the hot oil (make sure the oil is completely heated before adding the latke). Continue doing this for as many latkes that can fit in the pan without crowding. Fry until golden brown on both sides, turning once, about 8 minutes total.
Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil as necessary. Place the cooked potato pancakes on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Vegan Sweet Potato Latke Tips
- Make sure you get out as much moisture as possible from the potatoes.
- Try sprinkling some sea salt on top of the latkes once they are done frying.
FAQs
Do latkes freeze well?
Yes, they do! So feel free to whip up a big batch and freeze them to eat when you are in the mood for latkes!
What oil works best for frying latkes?
We recommend canola oil, but you can give other neutral oils a try.
Can I bake sweet potato latkes instead of frying them?
This recipe was written for frying, but you could also bake them. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn in the oven.
Can I make vegan latkes ahead of time?
Yes. You can assemble them ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to enjoy them.
More Potato Recipes You’ll Love
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Sweet Potato Latkes
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 1 ½ pounds large russet potatoes (2 medium)
- 1/2 pound sweet potatoes (1 medium sweet potato), OR use 100% sweet potato
- 1 medium red onion sliced into small wedges
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or a GF flour, chickpea flour, or matzo meal (to ensure they're kosher)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- Canola oil for frying – or vegetable oil, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.
Instructions
- First, mix the flax meal and water thoroughly and set it aside for 5 minutes.
- Then, wash the potatoes, chop them into pieces small enough to fit your food processor chute, and use a shredding disk to shred them and the red onion. Alternatively, use a box grater manually.
- Transfer the potato-onion mixture to a nut milk bag, thin dish towel, or cheesecloth and twist the top, squeezing out all excess liquid.
- Combine the mixture with the flax egg, flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, work with 2 tablespoon portions of the potato batter, flatten it with your hands, and add as many as you can without overcrowding the pan.
- Fry the sweet potato latkes for 3-4 minutes per side until golden-brown and crispy outside and tender inside.If they’re cooking too slowly or browning too quickly, adjust the heat.
- Repeat with the remaining potato batter, adding more oil as needed. Transfer them to paper towels to drain excess oil, optionally sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and enjoy!Keep cooked latkes warm under a kitchen towel or in a 200F/93C oven (for no longer than 1 hour) while making the remaining batches.
Notes
- For the quickest prep: Shred the ingredients in seconds using a food processor shredding disk.
- Remove ALL excess liquid: This is the KEY to super crispy sweet potato hash browns/latkes.
- Adjust the size: make them smaller or larger as an appetizer, snack, or main. Adjust the cooking time if needed.
- Preheat the pan: The latke mixture should sizzle the second it hits the pan. If the temperature is too low, they end up greasy. If it’s too high, the outside will burn before the middle cooks. Adjust as needed.
- For the crispiest edges: Use a cast-iron skillet.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
It came out delicious, but I questioned and corrected the water to flax meal. I’ve always worked on the ratio of 3 tblsp water per 1 tblsp of flax. The recipe’s ratio had the mixture become too thick; it wouldn’t have been able to coat the potato onion mixture.