Baked vegan latkes

Baked vegan latkes

baked vegan latkes close up

So with Thanksgiving in a rear view mirror, many people in the traditionally Christian part of the world are starting to plan Christmas…I have quite a few exciting festive recipes planned for you, but before I delve into Christmas cooking, I figured I should make something for upcoming Hanukkah, which starts on the 18th of Decemeber this year. Yes, that’s right I made a plate of deliciously crispy on the outside and soft on the inside latkes and the best part is that they are baked, not fried. Are you sold yet?

Even though I am not Jewish, I grew up on latkes – my mum used to make them at least once every two weeks when I was a kid. They are very popular in my native Poland and I think I read somewhere that the word ‘latke’ stems from Polish word ‘łatka‘ meaning a patch. I mean look at them, it makes perfect sense. While it goes without saying that they are delighful fried, I am not massively keen on the process of frying at home and on consuming this much oil so I really wanted to come up with the best baked version so that I (and you) can enjoy their healthier versions now and again. After many many attempts and tweaks and plenty of late night latkes in my stomach (I need to get better at self-control), I am really happy with how theyt turned out and I cannot wait for you to try them.

They are prefectly crispy on the outside – they have what we call in Polish ‘koronka’ (meaning lace) all around them – and soft and substantial in the middle, which was not easy to achieve. I consumed (and composted) many that had crispy edges but were though, chewy and dry in the middle. Another piece of good news is that I use pretty staple ingredients and the process is really quite straightfoward, but please do follow the recipe as there is a reason why I did things the way I did them – I ate pretty many meh latkes so that you can enjoy these pretty perfect baked vegan latkes straight off the bat (I am married to a cricket-obsessed Aussie, you see 😉 ).

MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

STARCHY POTATOES: starchy potatoes (as opposed to waxy or all purpose) are key for crispy latkes. Varieties differ across the world so be sure to find out what is the best variety where you live. In the UK, the most common type of starchy potatoes is Maris Piper (which is what I used) and in the US it’s Russet.

SHALLOT/ONION: finely sliced shallot or onion is added for flavour. You could use onion powder too, but I would add a tablespoon or so liquid back into the mixture to make sure they are not too dry in the middle.

GROUND FLAX: ground flax seeds are used to partially replace eggs, which are typically used to bind latkes together. I add ground up flax straight into the mixture, rather than activate it in liquid first, as this way flax will absorb any excess moisture while activating.

BAKING POWDER: another function of eggs is that they have a leavening effect, I added a touch of baking powder to my mixture to stop the middle from getting too dense.

POTATO STARCH: potato starch is what makes starchy potatoes crispy, it is the white sludge that gathers at the bottom of the bowl after you’ve squeezed the liquid out of your potatoes. I add some extra starch to the mixture for that reason. If you don’t have it you, could add the settlement that gathers at the bottom of the bowl with potato water after the water has been drained away, plus a bit more cornflour/cornstarch.

RICE FLOUR: I used rice flour to give these latkes more of a soft body in the middle and to keep them gluten-free. If you are not gluten-free, plain flour should work just as well.

baked vegan latkes grating baking potatoes

Grate your potatoes coarsely in a food processor or by hand, then place inside a double cheesecloth or nutbag and extract all of the excess liquid out of them.

baked vegan latkes dry ingredients

Create latkes mixture by adding in finely chopped shallot or onion and all of the dry ingredients. Using your hands massage dry ingredients into the potatoes.

baked vegan latkes shaping

After a few seconds your mixture should be clumpy, use your hands to shape it into patches. Brush with a little oil and pop into the oven. Follow the rest of instructions in the method (below).

baked vegan latkes baked

baked vegan latkes plate

baked vegan latkes dipping

makes
10
PREP
20 min
COOKING
30 min
makes
10
PREPARATION
20 min
COOKING
30 min
INGREDIENTS
  • 600 g / 21 oz starchy potatoes*
  • 1 large banana shallot or ½ medium onion, very finely diced
  • 8 g / 1½ tbsp ground flax seeds (I used golden flax)
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 20 g / 2 tbsp rice flour
  • 20 g / 2 tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • ¾ tsp fine salt
  • approx. 30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil, to brush

SOUR CREAM ALTERNATIVE (optional)

  • 100 g / ¾ cup cashews or hulled sunflower seeds
  • 80 ml / 1/3 cup water
  • a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste
  • salt, to taste
METHOD
  1. Scrub your potatoes well – unless they have a thick, inedible skin, there is no need to peel them. Use a pairing knife to cut off/out any blemishes.
  2. Put prepped potatoes through a food processor fitted with a coarse grater attachment or grate them by hand.
  3. Place grated potatoes inside a double cheesecloth or a nut bag and allow them to rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200° C / 390° F (180° C / 355° F if using fan function) and grab two metal baking trays lined with baking parchment (or a silicone mat).
  5. Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the potatoes (I extracted just over ½ cup / 120 ml of liquid).
  6. Place dry potatoes in a mixing bowl, add diced shallot, ground flax, baking powder, rice flour, potato starch, pepper and salt. Using your hands massage dry ingredients into the potatoes. They should clump together in your hands after you are done.
  7. Brush a little bit of oil on the spots where you are going to be laying your latkes. Grab 3 tbsp worth of the mixture per latke, and using your hands shape the mixture into roundish patches without compressing the middle too much, you want it a bit thicker and bumpier. Tidy the edges so that they are not too scraggly as they will burn. Brush a little more oil on top of each latke.
  8. Bake for 10 minutes, after 10 minutes, use a spatula to transfer latkes to a plate and remove the paper/mat off the trays.
  9. Brush latke-sized spots of oil on the baking trays, place the latkes on them (flip them in relation to how they were before) and brush them with a little oil. Carry on baking for another 10 minutes.
  10. Finally, crank up the heat to 250º C / 480º F (20° C / 70° F less if using fan function), brush the latkes with a little more oil on both sides and bake for about 10-12 miuntes, until golden brown in the middle. Consume straight away.

SOUR CREAM ALTERNATIVE

  1. Soak cashews in boiling water for 20-30 minutes, drain.
  2. Place in a small blender or a smoothie maker (I use a Ninja), add water (or soya milk for whiter colour), a good pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
  3. Add a touch more water if the blender struggles – not too much as you want it as thick as possible. Taste and add more seasoning (salt & lemon juice) if needed. Refrigerate until needed.

NOTES
*STARCHY POTATOES: starchy potatoes (as opposed to waxy or all purpose) are best for baking as its their starch content that helps them crisp up nicely. Varieties differ across the world so be sure to find out what is the best variety where you live. In the UK, the most common type of starchy potatoes is Maris Piper (which is what I used) and in the US it’s Russet.

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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
79
4%
sugars
1 g
1%
fats
3 g
5%
saturates
0 g
2%
proteins
1 g
3%
carbs
11 g
4%
*per 1 out of 10 latkes (without cream)
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5.0
3 reviews, 19 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Audrey Reeves:
Can you freeze these for later if you have extra?
Am making tomorrow and can't wait!!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Audrey,
    You could try freezing them raw (on a piece of baking paper first) but I have tried reheating baked ones and they are at their best when freshly baked. Hope this helps! Ania
Iinda:
The recipe didn’t call for turning them over during the last round of 10 minute in hot hot oven. I turned them part way because the bottoms were nice and crisp and brown and the tops were not…….worked great. The best vegan baked latkes yet…………..
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Linda.
    Glad you enjoyed these! I think you might have missed my instruction. Point 9 of the Method says: Brush latke-sized spots of oil on the baking trays, place the latkes on them (flip them in relation to how they were before) and brush them with a little oil. Carry on baking for another 10 minutes.. Glad you worked it out anyway. Ania
Jeannine:
I love latkes. Now that I've made these baked latkes, I will never stand over a pan of oil cooking latkes again. Thank you! Crispy, flavorful, and delicious.
    Ania
    Ania:
    I am delighted to hear that, Jeannine! I love love love latkes, but I will be honest frying them is a pain and I don't appreciate consuming that much grease...which is why I was very motivated to nail these - I am so happy that you enjoyed these so much. Thank you! x Ania
Sue:
delicious recipe! Next time I'll make them a bit thinner. Thanks Ania.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Sue, I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed them - this recipe was a challenge to get right. x Ania
      Sue:
      Thanks for working so hard to perfect them!
        Ania
        Ania:
        My pleasure, Sue! x Ania
Ellen:
Really fun, easy latke recipe - just don't forget the parchment because potato will stick on metal! I've made this twice and it was delicious both times. Highly recommend! In addition to the cashew sour cream we served them with applesauce and cornichons (but I think any pickly veg would be great.)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Ellen! I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe! Yes, baking paper is a must for the first 10 minutes - I found out the hard way when I've had to chisel these off the surface of my stainless steel tray during one of my test cooks :) Thanks so much for coming back to review, I so appreciate it. x Ania
Eden Forstbauer:
Can I substitute corn starch for arrowroot powder? Would it. work or turn out differently?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Eden,
    Possibly, but I haven't tested with arrowroot so it's possible that some tweaks may be needed. They *should* come out roughly the same though. Ania
Dari:
another alternative to sour cream is APPLESAUCE :)
I grew up eating potato pancakes with applesauce AND sugar, corn on the side, YUM
Think these would hold up as a bigger size in the oven?
I opened a jar of applesauce a week ago and need to use it up and wanted to make
potato pancakes but didn't want to fry in oil and saw your recipe
I think I'll try it and see
    Ania
    Ania:
    Of couse you can have them with whatever you enjoy. I am personally the team sour cream, but I know that other teams exist :) You could make them a bit bigger (you may need to extend the baking time possibly), but this is the only size I tested. Enjoy! x Ania
ROBERTA:
ANIA, I GIVE THIS A 5 W/O EVEN MAKING THEM! I COULD SCARF THEM DOWN RIGHT OFF THE SCREEN! I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THESE. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WORK TO GIVE US SUCH AN AWESOME RECIPE. ONE QUESTION: AFTER THE FIRST BAKING PERIOD, DO I REPLACE THE PARCHMENT PAPER W/ NEW OR PLACE THE LATKES DIRECTLY ON THE METAL PAN? YOUR PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE I MADE IN ONE DISH W/O CRUST - VERY DELICIOUS. I ALSO MADE THE TIRAMISU "WHIPPED CREAM" INTO A FROSTING FOR A PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE BY USING COCONUT SUGAR - ALSO VERY DELISH. THANKS, AGAIN, FOR ALL YOUR INSPIRATION & INSPIRED RECIPES. I HOPE YOU 3 HAVE A MAGNIFICENT HOLIDAY SEASON. MANY BLESSINGS, ROBERTA
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw thank you for your kind words, Roberta! I remove baking paper completely because after 10 minutes they no longer stick to the tray (which is why I use baking paper to begin with) and they get crispier when put directly on the metal tray due to metal on its own conducting heat better. Hope this makes sense. Thank you and lovely holiday period to you and your kitties also. x Ania
Sue:
These look delicious! I’ll have to give them a try. Thanks Ania
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Sue, I hope you'll enjoy them! x Ania
Deb:
Can you make these ahead and reheat?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Deb,
    I have had some reheated just now and they get dry, I would not recommend making these in advance. Ania
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