Simple Vegan Potato Pancakes
These easy vegan potato pancakes make a great side for breakfast, dinner, or just snacking! It’s a simple recipe with BIG flavor, requiring only 9 ingredients and basic methods. Whether you call ‘em Boxty, Latke, or Placki, we think you’re going to LOVE these potato cakes.
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T here, and today “T” stands for Tater Cakes!!
I’ll NEVER forget my first potato pancake.
It was the late 1970s. I was at the Barnesville Irish festival in rural Schuylkill, Pennsylvania with my family and groups and troops of friends and their families.
We were in the beer hall (birch beer for the kids) listening to a comedic musician named Seamus Kennedy. The place was packed.
He would sing songs that were just dirty enough to have the adults laughing uproariously and “clean enough” to leave all us children with confused expressions. It was also the first time I heard the song “The Scotsman.”
“Mom, the song’s funny. It’s not THAT funny.”
“Oh, it’s funny. Eat your boxty”
I dug into the warm, salty, oily, fried potato discs and my life was changed.
I’ll also never forget my second potato pancake. It wasn’t too long after the first actually.
I was down the street playing at a friend’s house. We went to the kitchen for a drink, and his mother was frying potato cakes in the frying pan.
My eyes lit up. “Oooh. Boxty!”
“Boxty?”, she said. “What the hell’s a boxty? It’s called a latke. Get me the applesauce while you’re in there letting all the cold out.”
It was different. But only slightly and just as delicious!
Why We Love Potatoes
Boxty, latke, placki (Polish), rarakor (Swedish), kartoffelpuffer (German), draniki (Russian), … the list goes on. The potato pancake is a traditional dish in almost every culture.
This could mostly be because the potato is one of the simplest yet most substantial staples in almost every society. With little labor and the simplest of spices, potato pancakes have been gracing plates across the globe for millenia.
Ah, the humble potato, truly the peasant populace’s best friend.
How to Make Vegan Potato Pancakes
First, you’ll whisk your dry ingredients. I like to whisk all my dry ingredients – like flour, some simple spices, and ground flax which will replace the egg that’s sometimes used for binding – in a smaller bowl first and set it off to the side so it’s ready.
Next, you’ll grate your potatoes. Once that’s made, I grab a larger bowl for the grated potatoes and put some cold water in the bottom.
Grate them over the bowl so the shreds settle in the water.This will keep the potatoes from oxidizing and remove some of the starch, so they’re not too sticky.
Strain them and throw ‘em back in the bowl.
Then, you’ll mix everything together. This part is pretty self-explanatory. Dry mix, meet grated potatoes.
Finally, cook and serve your potato pancakes! Get about one tablespoon of oil nice and hot in your frying pan.
I like to flick just a little water to see if it’s ready. When the oil sizzles as the water hits it, it’s ready. But again, use only a LITTLE water and practice caution here.
Ball the potato mix in your hands and place it gently in the hot oil, flattening it slightly with a spatula to assist with even cooking. You’ll cook them until they’re beautifully golden brown, flipping at least once.
And there you have it. Simple, substantial, spectacular potato pancakes.
How to Serve Vegan Potato Pancakes
BREAKFAST: Serve these potato pancakes for breakfast next to a giant tofu scramble or breakfast sandwich with ketchup. Applesauce is a nice option too. 🙂
APPETIZERS: They also make a great appetizer or side for dinner, served doused in vegan sour cream and chives.
We’ve also been known to eat them straight out of the fridge. Always a valid option.
Other Vegan Potato Recipes:
- Easy Roasted Potatoes – perfectly crispy EVERY time!
- Dreamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes – dreamy and creamy and fabulous
- Cast Iron Potato Wedges – a healthier alternative to fries
When you make these vegan potato pancakes, let us know how it goes! You can rate the recipe and leave a comment below or tag us in your photos on Instagram. If you’re not already following along, we’re @theplantpowercouple with the “the”.
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Enjoy!
Simple Vegan Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes about 1 pound
- 1/2 small white or yellow onion - finely minced optional, see notes*
- vegetable oil for frying, see notes**
Dry Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground flaxseed
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients and set this aside.
- Peel your potatoes and fill a large bowl approximately 1/3 full with cold water. Grate the potatoes into the bowl with the water in it. When finished, strain the potatoes and rinse off the extra starch. Use your hand to apply slight pressure to the potatoes to press out the remaining water. This part is important!
- After rinsing your grating bowl and patting it dry, place the grated potatoes back in the bowl to be seasoned. Add your dry mix and incorporate well with your hands or a wooden spoon. Because the potatoes will oxidize quickly (read: turn brown), keep this bowl covered with a large plate or pot lid when you’re not using it.
- Add 1 Tbsp oil to your fry pan (we like to use our big cast iron for this) and turn to a medium high heat while spreading the oil around with your spatula. Grab about a ¼ cup of mix and form a light ball in your hand. Add about three of these (to fit) your hot frying pan and press down on them lightly with your spatula to flatten them slightly (adjust the sides by pushing any stray taters back into the pancake). After about 4 - 5 minutes, GENTLY pull your pancake from the pan by starting at the outer edges and loosening it with your spatula. Flip and cook for another 3½ - 5 minutes.
- Carefully flip each potato pancake again to check for desired brownness. It should be a crisp, golden brown. Use your spatula to remove the potato pancakes from the frying pan and place each on a paper-towel covered plate to drain. I like to sprinkle just a little more onion powder and salt on when I transfer them. Repeat this process to use up all of the potato mixture.
- Serve these potato pancakes for breakfast with a tofu scramble or apple sauce, for appetizers with vegan sour cream, or snack on them any time. Enjoy!
Notes
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