The Best Vegan and Gluten Free Latkes

|Updated Apr 11, 2022

Behind every holiday dish are a lifetime of family memories. This potato latke is both traditional and updated to be vegan, so you won't use eggs or dairy. but you will keep all the taste. This latke is both vegan and gluten-free and create new holiday traditions this Hanukkah.

For starters, all latkes look a tad different based on cooking methods: Some families prefer a flat, crunchy latke and others prefer a puffier latke – "heavier on the potatoes, please."

In this recipe, our recipe developer, Britt Berlin, aka @the_bananadiaries, perfected the crispier approach to a latke with fewer potatoes and longer frying time, however, if you want a cakier latke, add more potatoes, turn down the burners, and babysit the stove to take your latke off heat when the outside starts to crisp up.

The vegan version of this classic recipe calls for coconut oil for frying, unsweetened apple sauce instead of eggs, and vegan sour cream for the perfect dairy-free dip.

Want more vegan dishes to enjoy this holiday? Check out our vegan babka recipe, vegan kugel recipe, and vegan sufganiyot recipe.

Vegan Latkes

Makes 16 large Latkes

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

3 lbs russet potatoes, grated (leave the skin on)
½ medium onion, diced
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup Matzo meal
2 tbsp arrowroot starch
1 tsp sea salt
¼-½ cup coconut oil, for frying
Vegan sour cream and chopped chives for topping

Instructions

Pat the russet potatoes dry then set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the onions and grated potatoes. Add in the applesauce, matzo meal, arrowroot starch, and sea salt. Mix until well combined and an almost “batter” has formed.
Heat a large skillet pan with coconut oil on medium-high heat.
Add 3-4 tbsp of potato batter per Latke to the pan. Use the back of a spoon to push the edges in to create a rounded Latke. Repeat for as many Latkes as you can fit on the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes on one side, until golden brown, then flip and repeat.
Plate the cooked Latkes, and repeat for the remaining batter.
Top and serve with fresh chives and vegan sour cream.

Nutritionals per Latke