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These potato puffs are the perfect party appetizer and snack. They’re easy, affordable, and so snack-worthy. Reminiscent of tater tots, knishes, and bourekas, serve them up with a subtly spiced ketchup or your condiment of choice.
These potato puffs are like little potato pillows made with mashed potatoes and some amazing seasonings. I love how they’re crispy on the outside but delicate on the inside, such a winning combination.
Add them to your next party food lineup along with jackfruit lettuce cups, vegan french onion dip, and bbq cauliflower wings! Your guests will love it and be clamoring for more!
Are you looking for more delicious ways to serve up potatoes? I highly recommend this simple lentil potato soup or rosemary roasted potatoes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Baked in the oven, rather than fried, for a golden brown outside and fluffy, chewy inside.
- So many ways to eat them. Serve them up for parties, snacks, and even a side dish for meals.
- Naturally vegan, these potato puffs work for all types of eaters!
- Prepared using budget-friendly ingredients that are easy to find.
What Goes Into This Recipe
These easy potato pillows are made using simple ingredients you can find at most grocery stores. Here’s an overview of what you need – check the recipe card for the full list and quantities.
- Potatoes: Use regular potatoes or even leftover mashed potatoes if you’ve got enough. Another tasty option is to make sweet potato puffs instead.
- Aromatics: You will need a yellow onion and fresh garlic.
- Thickener and texture: The recipe uses potato starch and all-purpose flour to give these potato puffs their texture.
- Baking powder: Helps give them their puff.
- Nutritional yeast: Gives them a nice ‘cheesy’ flavor.
- Seasoning: Use a blend of dried spices and herbs including oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper and fresh parsley.
- Sesame seeds: Mashed potato bites get a nice crunch by rolling them in sesame seeds before baking. It also gives them an excellent nutritional boost providing healthy fats, calcium, and protein.
How To Make Potato Puffs
- 1) Gather up all the ingredients and preheat the oven so it’s hot when you’re ready to cook.
- 2) Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water. Boil them until tender and ready for mashing, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and then mash with a fork or potato masher. Add two tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, and enough water to make it creamy. Set aside to cool.
- 3) Saute the onion and garlic in one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then add the cooked veggies to the potato mixture. Add the remaining ingredients, except sesame seeds.
- 4) Stir until the mixture has a dough-like consistency. You may need to add more flour. The mixture will be moist, but you should be able to form it into little balls. It’s even easier if the potato mixture is cool.
- 5) Place the sesame seeds in a separate shallow bowl. Roll the potato mixture into golf ball-sized balls and roll in the sesame seeds to coat.
- 6) Place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or parchment paper) and bake for 15 minutes, then flip over and bake for another 15. They should be golden brown and crispy.
- 7) Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving with your condiments of choice.
Expert Tips
- Allow the potatoes to fully cool after cooking before mixing and rolling. The potatoes will firm up as they cool and will hold their shape easier.
- Using leftover mashed potatoes? You will need about two cups to equal the four medium russet potatoes.
- Need these gluten-free? Swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free alternative.
- Serve while hot with a yummy dipping sauce!
FAQs
Yes, they are pretty much the same thing! Whether you call them mashed potato bites, potato puffs, or tater tots, they’re all made with seasoned potatoes. This recipe uses mashed potatoes and more seasoning so they are a little bit different in texture and flavor but the idea is the same!
Yes, they can. Let them cool completely and then place them flat on a tray in the freezer to flash freeze. Once they are frozen you can transfer them to a container or bag to store in the freezer for up to three months.
Variations
- ‘Cheesy’: Want to add more vegan cheese flavor? Add some vegan grated cheese.
- Veggies: Want to sneak in some veggies? Finely chop up some cooked broccoli and cauliflower and add them to the mixture.
- Change the shape and size. They work great rolled into balls, flattened into patties, or even shaped like mini tater tots.
- Sweet potatoes: Swap the regular potatoes for sweet potatoes.
How to Serve
- Potato puffs work alongside meals, as snacks, for parties or any gathering with food!
- Serve these up as a side for your favorite sandwiches and burgers such as white bean burgers, spicy black bean burgers, or chickpea quinoa burgers!
- As an appetizer or snack, they go great with vegan chipotle mayo, spicy ketchup, creamy avocado sauce, creamy garlic sauce, or homemade salsa.
More Vegan Appetizer Recipes
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Sesame Potato Puffs
Equipment
- measuring cup
Ingredients
- 4 medium Russet potatoes, unpeeled and chopped
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup of yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup of potato starch
- ½ cup of all-purpose flour, more as needed
- ¼ cup of nutritional yeast
- ¾ teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups of sesame seeds or as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place potatoes in a large pot and just cover with water. Boil until mashable, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, mash, and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, and enough water to make it creamy. Set aside to cool.
- Saute onion and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium heat for 5 minutes and add to potato mixture. Mix in remaining ingredients, except sesame seeds.
- Stir until a dough-like consistency is reached, adding more flour as needed. It will be moist, but you should be able to form it into little balls. It's even easier if the potato mixture is cool.
- Place sesame seeds in a separate shallow bowl. Roll potato mixture into golf ball-sized balls and roll in the sesame seeds to coat. Place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or parchment paper) and bake for 15 minutes, then flip over and bake for another 15. They should be golden brown and crispy. Let cool slightly before serving with condiments of choice.
Notes
- Allow the potatoes to fully cool after cooking before mixing and rolling. The potatoes will firm up as they cool and will hold their shape easier.
- Using leftover mashed potatoes? You will need about two cups to equal the four medium russet potatoes.
- Need these gluten-free? Swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free alternative.
- Serve while hot with a yummy dipping sauce!
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.
These look so unique and good I definitely have to try it out!
Ooooh, these are so addictive!
I adore sesame seeds and sweet potatoes. I love the texture and flavor of these cute little puffs!
They’re one of a kind! So fluffy and delicious!
These potato puffs are so creative! New favorite party appetizer for sure!
Yessss! It’s a new favorite of mine too. So good!
I’ve never seen anything like these sesame potato puffs, brilliant idea!
So unique and so delicious!
These puffs are the perfect tasty appetizer!