Crispy Vegan Gluten-Free Latkes

Potatoes and onions in pancake form? It’s a favorite for a reason, friends. These vegan and gluten-free latkes are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, SO delicious, and perfect for the holidays and beyond! 

These latkes might look unassuming, but they took many tests to perfect. Not only is the final result fluffy, savory, and incredibly comforting, but they require just 1 bowl, 30 minutes, and 7 ingredients to make! Let us show you how it’s done!

Origin of Latkes

The word latke is Yiddish and derives from a word meaning “small fried pancake.” While latkes are made from a variety of vegetables, potatoes are most common. Latkes date back as far as the Middle Ages and are commonly enjoyed during the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah.

How to Make Vegan Gluten-Free Latkes

These latkes rely on potato starch as the gluten-free flour and a chickpea “egg” (chickpea flour + water) as the egg substitute. This mighty duo keeps the latkes fluffy and ensures they hold together. We also tested with a flax egg, but the result was gummy and not as fluffy!

With potato starch, chickpea flour, and a few other simple ingredients handy, we’re ready to make latkes! They begin with grating russet potatoes and onion.

Then it’s time to squeeze out the excess liquid from the potatoes and onions. Are you wondering if you really need to squeeze it out? BIG YES. We tested both ways and it makes a noticeable difference in both texture and flavor! It’s worth the extra effort.

Next, we combine the squeezed-out potatoes and onions with baking powder for more fluffiness and salt for flavor. Form the mixture into small patties with jagged edges to ensure a crispy outer rim when fried (yum!).

For frying, we went with a shallow layer of avocado oil, but any neutral oil with a high heat smoke point will work. Once crispy and golden brown, these beauties are ready for your favorite latke toppings!

We hope you LOVE these vegan and gluten-free latkes. They’re:

Fluffy
Classic
Comforting
Crispy on the outside
Tender on the inside
& SO delicious!

We love them with classic toppings like (vegan) sour cream and applesauce, but you really can’t go wrong with toppings when the base is crispy, fluffy, starchy, and potato-packed. Let your inner chef guide the way!

More Potato Favorites

• Lentil Mushroom Stew Over Mashed Potatoes
• Aloo Tikki (Indian Potato Cakes with Green Chutney)
• Simple Patatas Bravas
• Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Crispy Vegan Gluten-Free Latkes

Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it’s the ultimate vegan and gluten-free latke! Just 1 bowl, 30 minutes, and 7 ingredients required!

Author Minimalist Baker

Print SAVE SAVED

5 from 8 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 (2-latke servings)

Course Side

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly 1 month

Does it keep? 2-3 Days

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and grated (~2 large potatoes or ~2 ½ cups grated)
• 1/2 cup grated onion (1/2 small onion yields ~1/2 cup or 113 g)
• 2 Tbsp chickpea flour (to make chickpea “egg”)*
• 2 Tbsp water (to make chickpea “egg”)
• 1/4 cup potato starch*
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more for topping)
• 1/4 cup avocado oil (DIVIDED // or other neutral, high heat oil)

FOR SERVING optional

• Vegan Sour Cream (for store-bought, we like Forager)
• 3-Ingredient Applesauce
• Thinly sliced green onion

Instructions

• Grate the peeled potatoes and onion using the large side of a box grater or the grating attachment on a food processor. Place the grated potato and onion into cheesecloth, a nut milk bag, or a clean dish towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible (we got ~1/2 cup liquid or 120 ml // adjust if altering the default number of servings).
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine chickpea flour and water and whisk until smooth to create a chickpea “egg.” Then add the squeezed-out potato onion mixture, potato starch, baking powder, and salt and stir to combine.
• Heat 2 Tbsp (30 ml) oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Form latkes using ~1/4 cup of the mixture and pressing it between your palms into a flat patty with jagged edges (this creates a delicious crispy outer rim — yum!). Once the oil is hot (test it by adding a small piece of the potato mixture — it should sizzle), add as many latkes as will fit comfortably in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until deeply golden brown and crispy. Reduce the heat slightly if browning too quickly.
• Transfer the cooked latkes to a plate lined with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp (30 ml) oil to the skillet and repeat the cooking process with the remaining latkes. If making a large batch or not serving right away, you can keep them warm in a 200 degree F (93 C) oven.
• Serve warm topped with vegan sour cream and applesauce (optional but classic!).
• Best when fresh, but leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350 F (176 C) oven for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.

Video

Notes

*We tested with a flax egg, but it was less fluffy and more gummy than a chickpea egg.
*We tested with our DIY GF Flour Blend in place of potato starch, and it worked but wasn’t quite as crispy.
*Adapted from the lovely Smitten Kitchen and Basics with Babish.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 (two-latke serving) Calories: 181 Carbohydrates: 34.8 g Protein: 3.3 g Fat: 3.7 g Saturated Fat: 0.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.6 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 423 mg Potassium: 540 mg Fiber: 2.1 g Sugar: 2 g Vitamin A: 2 IU Vitamin C: 8.2 mg Calcium: 91 mg Iron: 1.2 mg