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.
1/2small white or yellow onion - finely mincedoptional, see notes*
vegetable oilfor frying, see notes**
Dry Ingredients:
1/4cupall-purpose flour
1 1/2tsponion powder
1tspground flaxseed
1/2tspgarlic powder
1/2tspsalt
1/4tspblack 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
*If you use the optional onions, add them to the dry mix with the grated potatoes.**I like to keep a half-filled small ramekin standing close by with a teaspoon for replenishing the oil between cooking each batch.