What is the difference between latkes and German potato pancakes?

Potato pancakes have a creamy, almost mashed-potato-like center, with a thin, golden, crisp exterior. Latkes, on the other hand, should have a deeply browned crust, with wispy, lacy edges . Latkes also aren't hash browns.

What are German potato pancakes made of?

Beat eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl; stir in potatoes and onion. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of potato mixture into hot oil in batches. Press to flatten.

How do you keep potato pancakes from falling apart?

The egg and flour in this recipe help bind the potato pancakes and keep them from falling apart . Also, make sure they are fully cooked on one side before trying to flip them over. What ingredient keeps pancakes from falling apart? The eggs keep the mixture moist while the flour helps bind everything together.

Why are my German pancakes not fluffy?

The center of a German Pancakes is supposed to be flat. If the edges are flat, then it likely is a result of either the oven or the pan not being hot enough . It the dish isn't hot, then steam won't be created when the batter is poured into the pan, and instead, the batter will set and bake evenly.

What country invented potato pancakes?

Although many Americans associate potato pancakes with Hanukkah, they have more broad origins. They originated in the eastern European countries of Germany Austria, Russia and Poland as a peasant food. Potatoes were cheap, plentiful and easy to store, making them a staple and necessitating inventive potato recipes.

What's the best potato to use for potato pancakes?

Russet potatoes work best in this recipe because they have a high starch content, which helps to bind the pancakes together. I do not recommend substituting with red or yellow potatoes.

What's the difference between German and American pancakes?

The stateside style recipe results in a relatively flat confection with an even surface and crisp exterior. The German pancake, on the other hand, is pillowy, like a custardy cloud with caramelized edges and is usually considerably larger than the more familiar flapjack.

What potatoes do Germans use?

Vorwiegend Festkochend potatoes (red strip) have a medium level of starch, and the peel easily bursts during cooking. They are moderately damp, fine-grained and a little bit drier after cooking than the waxy sorts. This is the most often used potato in Germany because it can be used in most recipes.

What is the best oil for potato pancakes?

Oil choice is crucial for a perfectly fried latke. Because you are deep frying, you want to use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or grapeseed .

Why are my potato pancakes gummy?

If you don't drain the moisture, they won't crisp as easily and that may be why your potato pancakes are gummy. Feel the Heat. Sufficiently heating oil in the pan prior to placing the patty in the pan is the key to a properly crispy pancake.

How do you keep potato pancake batter from turning brown?

What can I do to keep the potato batter from turning brown? A: When shredding the potatoes be sure to add some acidity (such as a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or concentrated lemon juice to the water . This is one dish where doing the prep work the night before can ruin the meal.

Why are they called German pancakes?

German pancakes and Dutch babies are essentially the same thing, but the dish is said to have originated in Germany, not the Netherlands . The term “Dutch baby” was coined by an American restaurateur whose use of “Dutch” was a corruption of the word “Deutsch” (“German” in German).

Are latkes and rösti the same?

Latkes are very similar to the rösti , but also incorporate egg and flour into the pancakes, and are pan-fried in canola oil instead of clarified butter.

Authentic and EASY German Potato Pancakes Recipe (2024)

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According to my daughters, potato pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer) are the BOMB. How can you go wrong with fried potatoes? And, since I use my mother’s recipe which adds BACON, these are lick your plate just amazing. File this Authentic German Potato Pancakes recipe into your comfort food file, and make them whenever you need to serve something that makes the whole family smile. With or without the bacon… this easy recipe comes together in a snap, and hits the table in less time than a fast food run.

Edit- Many people felt that my “grate potatoes with a food processor” was not authentic enough. Fine. But I’m still not using a hand grater. I’ve now included instructions for making Authentic German Potato Pancakes with the food processor AND a small extra step to give it more Pancake texture and less Hash browns texture (I still used the food processor, because I didn’t want to add the authentic ends of my fingers that always get scraped off when I use a regular grater).

German Potato Pancakes Recipes

After digging through my stack of German Cookbooks (Heimathäppchen, Landfrauen Kochen, Dr Oetker) trying find a recipe that looked like the recipe I grew up with, I finally called my mom. Those of you who are wondering why I didn’t START with that phone call clearly have never tried to pry a recipe out of a German Cook’s brain … “just peel some potatoes, don’t forget the onion, you need oil….” I needed exact measurements to share. (Currently I use the same method as mom… “peel a lot of potatoes”) I could find measurements everywhere, but two key steps were confusing me. My mother always made her Kartoffelpuffer in the BLENDER. And she always made them with Bacon bits.

I sort of figured out that she wasn’t alone with the Bacon. In the Rhineland and Westphalia it’s not unusual to find ham with the Potato pancakes. And since according to my dad when I was growing up, a meal without meat wasn’t a meal, in goes the bacon. (He’s since learned the joys of salad).

But the Blender? So I asked…. I was really expecting to get special wisdom, “it increases crispiness” “it makes them taste like magic”… Her answer “I didn’t like grating the potatoes because I always cut my fingers on the grater, and I didn’t have a food processor.” (Sometimes, the obvious answer stands right in front of you. I’ve used my food processor to do this for years)

But it seems the blender does more than grate the potato… it turns the potato/onion mixture into more of a pancake batter. So I’ve devised a hybrid that gives you that texture, but still has some crispy bits on the edges.

German Potato Pancakes Recipes

In a way this is 2 recipes. (Or maybe it’s one Main recipe with variations?) Think about the flavors you remember from home. My mother didn’t add salt to her Potato Pancakes, because my father really liked Zuckerrübensyrup (sugar beet syrup) on them (I know… he also liked meat… it was an entertaining childhood). But we had salt on the table. You can make them with Bacon pieces or without. And you absolutely SHOULD serve them with Apfelmuß (Apple Sauce) or Rübensyrup, if you like that too…

Serve warm (although no one has ever turned them down cold)

Authentic German Potato Pancakes Recipe

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Course Celebrating German Culture in America

Servings 7 Pancakes

Ingredients

Just over 1 pound or 500 Grams Potatoes I used Russet
1/4 to 1/2 Onion
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons Flour
optional-
Salt Pepper
2-3 strips bacon chopped
Oil for frying. Be generous. Holding back on oil means that your potato pancakes won't crisp up nicely
Applesauce for serving

Instructions

Set up a work station:

Lay some paper towels on a plate next to the stove top
If you are using bacon, pre-fry the chopped bits until they render much of their fat.
Set the bits aside in a bowl next to the stove
Peel Potatoes
Grate Potatoes on the fine side of the grater. I use a food processor with a fine grater, and it works super fast.
Grate the onion into the potato
Mix them together
Squeeze / Pour off some of the water
Sprinkle Flour over the top
Add the egg yolks
(at this point, you can add salt and pepper to taste)

Smooth Pancake Version:

If you want to take an extra step to make them more like Oma's
Take the grated Potato/Onion, the flour and egg yolks... and put them in blender or food processor bowl. Pulse or chop a few times to get more of a batter consistency.
(And because I LIKE the stringy fried edges, I always add some extra grated potato that I held back)

Fry the Pancakes:

Add Oil to your Frying Pan (I like it to be 1/3 inch deep at least)
When it's HOT (shimmering)
You can add some of the bacon bits into the pan.
Then scoop some of the potato mixture into the oil (on top of the bacon bits if you are using them)
Flatten it out a bit with your spatula (watch out HOT OIL). You want it to be maybe 4+ inches across. (Don't get out a ruler, just eyeball it).
Let it cook 2 minutes
Flip over CAREFULLY
Cook 2 more minutes.
You are looking for golden Brown on both sides! (Go longer if needed)
Be careful with the heat... too hot and it will cook too fast and burn before you get it cooked through. Not hot enough, and your pancakes will be greasy.
It's a feel thing (Sorry). You will get the sense of it after one or two. Remember, hot oil, golden pancake.
When they are ready, put the pancakes on paper towels to soak up the extra oil.
Serve immediately or put on a platter in the oven to keep warm.
Repeat with the rest of the Potato Mixture... add bacon if you want. Add oil as needed (let it get hot before you add more potato)
Serve with Applesauce

Notes

The recipe makes 7 4-5 inch Potato Pancakes (aka a Single Serving for the average teenager). It can be doubled, tripled, or multiplied to feed an army.

Easy German Cookbook

Like this recipe? Want more like it? My Easy German Cookbook is loaded with 80 classic recipes designed for the American Kitchen that you can make delicious German meals at home.