It's not the holiday season until someone makes a batch of crispy gluten-free latkes for everyone to enjoy.
When it comes to celebrating the holidays on my family's side, it was never truly the start of the holidays until my grandmother made the first batch of potato latkes. She was the latke queen. You would go into her house for Hanukkah, and the smell of latkes had everyone running to the kitchen to try and grab one fresh out of the oil. When she made her potato latkes gluten-free for me, it meant the world, knowing that I never had to stop enjoying them. Now you can enjoy these delicious gluten-free latkes with your family too.
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Are latkes gluten-free?
A lot of traditional latkes are not actually gluten-free. They usually use matzo or wheat flour as it is used to help bind the ingredients together. Thankfully it's easy to tweak the ingredients and make latkes gluten-free and delicious.
Ingredients.
Latkes have three main elements that make them a latke, potato, onion, and a binder. In this case, we are using eggs and arrowroot starch to make these gluten-free latkes.
- Potatoes
- Onion
- Eggs
- Salt
- Pepper
- Arrowroot Starch
- Oil for Frying
Steps.
These potato latkes are really easy to make. Just be warned; you might find yourself eating them right out of the pan.
- Peel the potatoes.
- Shred the potatoes.
- Soak the potatoes.
- Remove excess moisture from the potatoes.
- Combine the shredded potatoes and onions with the rest of the ingredients.
- Shape the latkes.
- Fry the latkes.
- Rest and serve.
Tips and tricks.
- Peel the potatoes. - Because I tend to use russet potatoes for making these gluten-free latkes, I find peeling them makes them better, and the final latkes have a more even texture.
- Hand shred your potatoes and onions. - I know the urge to use a food processor to shred your potatoes to make them go faster, but trust me when I say hand shred is best for latkes. If you must use your food processor, use it on low and only have it on long enough to shred. Do NOT over-process your potatoes and onions. They will become mush and will not make a good latke.
- Soak the potatoes. - Once you shred the potatoes, let them sit in a bowl of cold water for about ten minutes. This helps to remove excess starch and lets your latkes get really crispy once they hit the oil.
- Remove excess moisture. - After you soak your potatoes, place them into a kitchen towel and squeeze as much water out as you can before adding the remaining ingredients to the potatoes. The dryer the final mixture is, the crispier the latke.
- Shape the latke. - When you are shaping your latkes, you want to make sure that your mixture stays together. If they are not staying when lightly squeezed, you likely have too much liquid. Add another tablespoon of arrowroot starch to help absorb it and test again.
- Your oil matters. - As much as I love cooking with olive and avocado oil, it just does not work well with latkes. You want to use traditional vegetable oil or even peanut oil to fry the latkes for the best results.
- Heat the oil first. - Make sure the heat is completely warm before you add your latke mix. If you add it to cold oil, you'll end up with a soggy, oily latke.
- Give them room. - Do NOT crown the skillet when you are cooking latkes. The closer they are, the more likely the potatoes will steam instead of getting crisp.
- Make a tester latke. - This is something my grandmother always did. Sometimes she would let me be the first taste tester, and that always made my day. To do this, make one latke and cook it. Taste test and adjust any seasonings as needed to the rest of the mix before cooking them off.
- Excess moisture. - Did you notice your latke mixture is starting to seep more moisture as it sits in the bowl? It's okay. As you scoop the latke mixture to place it in the oil, gently squeeze out excess moisture as needed.
Latkes FAQ
You can use whatever variety of potatoes that you like. I prefer to use russet potatoes for making latkes because they have a lower moisture content along with a higher starch content than other varieties of potatoes. This helps them get crispier than other types of potatoes.
No latkes and potato pancakes are not the same. Latkes are made from shredded potatoes, onions, and binding agents that are fried till golden and served with sour cream or apple sauce during Hanukkah. Potato pancakes are often made, starting with cooked mashed potatoes that have been formed into patties and then fried.
No, you can not use frozen hash browns for making latkes. The freezing process adds too much liquid, and you will end up with soggy latkes.
Making latkes ahead of time.
As my grandmother would say, yes, you can make these gluten-free latkes ahead of time. In fact, you might want to if you plan on making a really large batch. This way, you aren't spending the whole time at the stove when people are over. They are completely perfect and delicious right out of the oil, but they are still great when they are made ahead and then reheated.
- The best way to reheat latkes is to place them on a baking sheet in a 400-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes until they are warm.
- You can also add them in a single layer into an air fryer for about 5-7 minutes as well. Just know depending on the size of your air fryer, you will need to do this in batches.
- If you prefer that fresh, crisp flavor, you can also reheat latkes in a skillet with a little bit of oil for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until crisp.
If you want to freeze latkes, you can flash freeze them on a baking tray and then transfer them to a freezer-safe container for up to two months. Do NOT thaw latkes before warming them up from frozen. Instead, warm them up from cold, so you don't end up with soggy latkes.
Storing leftovers.
If you have any of these gluten-free latkes left over at the end of the day, store them in a container for up to 4 days. Warm them up like you would if you were making them ahead of time.
How to serve.
Latkes are great eaten just by themselves, but they are traditionally topped for extra fun. Here are some of our favorite ways to top a latke.
- Sour Cream
- Apple Sauce - I like to use my grandmother's homemade apple sauce recipe when I make latkes to remind me of her.
- Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon
- Liver Spread
These gluten-free latkes taste great when served with roasted chicken or brisket and some roasted vegetables.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Latkes
Ingredients
- 6 Russet Potatoes You want about 6 -7 cups once they are shredded.
- 1 Cup Grated Yellow Onion. This will take about 1-2 medium onions.
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced.
- 3 Large Eggs
- ¼ Cup Arrowroot Starch You can also use tapioca starch.
- 2 ½ Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- Oil for frying. You want a high heat oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan about ⅙ of inch deep.
Instructions
- Peel and shred the potatoes and place them into a bowl of cold water.6 Russet Potatoes
- In a separate large bowl, grate the onions.1 Cup Grated Yellow Onion.
- Once the potatoes have soaked for about 10-15 minutes, drain them.
- Place the drained potatoes onto a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and twist out as much liquid as possible.
- Add the drained potatoes to the bowl with the onions.
- Mix the eggs, arrowroot starch, minced garlic, salt, and pepper to the potatoes and onions.2 Cloves Garlic, 3 Large Eggs, 2 ½ Teaspoons Salt, 1 Teaspoon Pepper, ¼ Cup Arrowroot Starch
- Let the potato mixture rest while you warm up the oil in your skillet.Oil for frying.
- Once the oil is hot, scoop about 2-3 tablespoons of the potato mixture and shape it into a loose patty.
- Fry the latkes in the hot oil for about 3-4 minutes per side until they are golden and crispy but not burned.
- Remove the cooked latkes from the skillet and let them rest on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve as desired and enjoy!
Notes
- Peel the potatoes. - Because I tend to use russet potatoes for making these gluten-free latkes, I find peeling them makes them better, and the final latkes have a more even texture.
- Hand shred your potatoes and onions. - I know the urge to use a food processor to shred your potatoes to make them go faster, but trust me when I say hand shred is best for latkes. If you must use your food processor, use it on low and only have it on long enough to shred. Do NOT over-process your potatoes and onions. They will become mush and will not make a good latke.
- Soak the potatoes. - Once you shred the potatoes, let them sit in a bowl of cold water for about ten minutes. This helps to remove excess starch and lets your latkes get really crispy once they hit the oil.
- Remove excess moisture. - After you soak your potatoes, place them into a kitchen towel and squeeze as much water out as you can before adding the remaining ingredients to the potatoes. The dryer the final mixture is, the crispier the latke.
- Shape the latke. - When you are shaping your latkes, you want to make sure that your mixture stays together. If they are not staying when lightly squeezed, you likely have too much liquid. Add another tablespoon of arrowroot starch to help absorb it and test again.
- Your oil matters. - As much as I love cooking with olive and avocado oil, it just does not work well with latkes. You want to use traditional vegetable oil or even peanut oil to fry the latkes for the best results.
- Heat the oil first. - Make sure the heat is completely warm before you add your latke mix. If you add it to cold oil, you'll end up with a soggy, oily latke.
- Give them room. - Do NOT crown the skillet when you are cooking latkes. The closer they are, the more likely the potatoes will steam instead of getting crisp.
- Make a tester latke. - This is something my grandmother always did. Sometimes she would let me be the first taste tester, and that always made my day. To do this, make one latke and cook it. Taste test and adjust any seasonings as needed to the rest of the mix before cooking them off.
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