Gluten-Free Latke Recipe - Good For You Gluten Free (2024)

Gluten-Free Latke Recipe - Good For You Gluten Free (1)

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I love eating fried, crispy latkes in celebration of Hanukkah, and this gluten-free latke recipe is a reason to celebrate in of itself! This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

Oh Hanukkah, how I love thee.

While Hanukkah is not considered one of the holiest of holidays in the Jewish faith, it is still an important holiday no less. Plus, it’s fun.

Kids love watching the lights on the menorah dance around, singing songs, spinning the dreidel (which is only about two minutes of fun), and eating lots of crispy latkes and fried jelly donuts.

We even have a song called, “Lots of Latkes” that I can’t help from singing when latkes are in the house.

It goes:

“Lots of latkes, lots of latkes, lots of latkes… let’s all eat ’em up!”

That’s about all I know of the song. It’s catchy, right?

This year, I decided to make latkes for my family and post my recipe. I’m always going to others forHanukkah, so this year, I was determined to make my adjusted gluten-free latke recipe and get it up here for all of you to enjoy too.

The truth is, making gluten-free latkes isn’t unlike making regular latkes. The only difference is what flour you use as your binder. More on that in a bit…

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What is a Latke?

A latke is a traditional potato pancake cooked in oil – lots of oil – and eaten during Hanukkah by Jewish people. A latke is similar to hashbrowns; however, hashbrowns are typically made solely from shredded potatoes, while latkes are made from potatoes, onions, and a binder, which typically consists of eggs and flour.

The latke is then fried in oil, as are mostHanukkah foods, including these fried jelly donuts, to symbolize the miracle of the oil.

Hanukkah is the celebration of the Jew’s victory over tyrant Syrian-Greek rule, a period of rule that forbid many Jewish practices. At the time, Jews were forbidden to observe Shabbat, circumcision, and Torah study, the foundations of Judaism. At the time, many Jews assimilated into Greek culture and even began to intermarry. Many experts believe this began the decay of the foundations of Jewish life and the Jewish people.

However, Jewish rebels (known as the Maccabees) fought for three years for their rights to practice Judaism. They were eventually victorious (a miracle in itself!), and that is when they reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Once they restored and cleaned up the desecrated Temple, they could only find a small bit of oil to light the menorah during the rededication. The oil should have only lasted for one day, but the miracle of Hanukkah is that the oil lasted for eight days,allowing enough time for the Jews to find more oil and keep the eternal flame lit.

Hanukkah is the celebration of the Jewish people – the right for the Jews to survive despite great forces (like the Greeks) trying to destroy them. You don’t have to look too far to see how other great forces today – antisemitism and assimilation – are destroying the foundations of Judaism.

So, as most Jews do, we eat to celebrate our, once again,against-all-odds survival. And on Hanukkah, we eat foods cooked in oil to remind us of the miracle of the oil long ago. (We also eat sufganiyotor jelly doughnuts fried in oil. Get my gluten-free sufganiyot recipe.)

How to Make Gluten-Free Latkes

Now that you know the roots of a latke (and why Jews celebrate Hanukkah), you’re ready to make your own latkes at home.

Making a gluten-free latke is similar to making a regular latke. The main difference is you need to swap gluten-free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend) for regular wheat flour. Easy, right?

There are many latke recipes abound, but the one I make is a no-fail recipe. You could say it’s tried and true. I know if you follow this recipe, you’ll have a wonderful, crispy, and tastyHanukkah latke of your own.

The first thing you want to do is prepare all your ingredients. Wash your potatoes and onion, and get all the ingredients ready to go. You want to move fast to avoid browning of your potatoes (they begin to brown once exposed to air). Have two big bowls ready for use, too.

Using your food processor, shred your potatoes and onion. Working in batches and using your hands, a cheesecloth, or a very thin produce bag (what I use), squeeze the liquid from the mixture and reserve it in a separate bowl.

Use your muscles to squeeze as hard as possible to get as much excess liquid out of the mixture. Place the potato-onion mixture in a separate, clean bowl.

Now take a look at the bowl with the reserved liquid. If you pour out and discard the top of the mixture, you’ll see some white starchy liquid left behind. This is the potato starch that separated from the liquid. It works as a great binder to your latkes and will make them crispier, too. Use a spatula to gather up the potato starch and add it back into your potato-onion mixture. This step is completely optional.

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Next, add all your ingredients to your potato-onion mixture (the flour, eggs, baking powder, and salt) and mix well.

Now for the fun part!

Heat a generous layer of oil in a heavy bottom frying pan or in a stand-alone electric skillet on your countertop. I like to use my electric skillet to avoid making a huge mess on my cooktop. A lot of my friends will lay down newspapers under the skillet for easy cleanup.

The oil you choose is important. A lot of Hanukkah historians say that olive oil was used to light the original menorah; however, olive oil does not have a high smoke point, and you need that oil hot hot hot! When you heat olive oil above a certain temperature, it turns into a carcinogen.

I recommend using an oil with a high smoke point. I personally use avocado oil as a healthier option, but you could also use canola oil. Learn more about cooking oils and smoke point in my article titled,.

Once the oil is hot (you can test it by putting one shred of potato into the oil and seeing if it sizzles), add your latkes to the pan. Latkes are traditionally round, so place a heap and flatten with your spatula to get that round shape.

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Some people like their latkes thicker, while others like them thinner. Adjust the size to your taste.

Work the latkes in batches (do not overcrowd in your pan) and flip after 2-3 minutes or until they’re nice and browned but not burned. Remove from oil and place on top of a wire rack. The excess oil will drip off the latkes, and they won’t get soggy.

Latkes are traditionally topped with sour cream (not something I like) or homemade applesauce (something I love).

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Serve immediately (as they are crispy right out of the fryer). They do not hold their crisp well when stored and reheated. If you must store them and reheat them, I recommend reheating them at 400º F for 7-9 minutes on a single layer on a baking sheet or in your air fryer.

More Gluten-Free Hanukkah Recipe

Happy Hanukkah to all! Enjoy my delicious fried gluten-free jelly donut recipe to complete your Hanukkah meal!

You might also like my homemade chocolate gelt, gluten-free rugelach, or savory beef brisket recipe.

Get all 18 Gluten-Free Recipes for Celebrating Hanukkah. Happy Hanukkah!

Gluten-Free Latke Recipe - Good For You Gluten Free (8)

Gluten-Free Latkes

It’s a Hanukkah miracle because you can have gluten-free latkes that taste amazing and allow you to enjoy this wonderful, oily and delicious Hanukkah treat!

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Jewish

Keyword: Chanukah, Hanukkah, Jewish holiday recipes, latkes

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 latkes

Calories: 105kcal

Author: Jenny Levine Finke

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Scrub potatoes and onion, then shred them using food processor or manually using a grater.

  • Wring out as much liquid as possible, reserving liquid in a separate bowl. Work batter in batches. Use a cheesecloth or thin produce bag to help you wring out excess liquid. Add potato-onion mixture to a seperate bowl and set aside.

  • Dispose of liquid in your sink, however, reserve the bottom white starch left behind. Add the starch back into your potato-onion mixture.

    Gluten-Free Latke Recipe - Good For You Gluten Free (9)

  • Add eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper to potato-onion mixture and mix well.

  • Heat a generous layer of oil in a heavy-bottom pan or electric skillet. The oil is hot when you put a single potato strand into the oil and it sizzles. Add latkes by the spoonful (to desired size and thickness) to skillet or pan, careful not to overcrowd.

    Gluten-Free Latke Recipe - Good For You Gluten Free (10)

  • Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes until browned, then flip to brown on the other side. Remove latkes to a wire rack to drain the excess oil. Repeat the process until all batter is cooked, adding more oil as needed.

  • Serve latkes immediate with applesauce and/or sour cream.

Notes

This recipe makes about 16 large latkes or 25 small latkes.

Latkes are traditionally served with applesauce and sour cream.

To reheat latkes, place them on a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 400º F until warm and crispy, about 7-9 minutes. An air-fryer is also a great way to reheat latkes.

Store leftover latkes in a sealed container in your fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 249mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @GoodForYouGlutenFree or tag #goodforyouglutenfree!

Gluten-Free Latke Recipe - Good For You Gluten Free (2024)

FAQs

What is a substitute for flour in latkes? ›

Eggs: helps bind the ingredients together so the latkes can hold their shape. Arrowroot Flour: this is our alternative to regular flour to make these latkes gluten-free. Tapioca flour would be the substitute here. Seasonings: I like to keep it simple with salt and pepper but feel free to use other seasonings to taste.

What kind of potatoes are best for latkes? ›

Russet potatoes: Russet potatoes, or baking potatoes, are high in starch and have a dry, mealy texture. This type of potato is best for latkes because the dryness of the potato is partially responsible for that desirable, crispy texture. Yellow onion: Yellow onion adds a savory flavor to the latkes.

Are potatoes gluten-free gluten-free? ›

The simple answer is yes — potatoes are gluten-free. Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains. Potatoes aren't grains, they're a type of starchy vegetable. That's good news for people who can't tolerate gluten because they have celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

What is a gluten-free substitute for potato flour? ›

Best all-around gluten-free substitute for potato flour: Potato flakes. Potato flour is simply dried, ground potatoes. So, naturally, the next best thing is potato flakes. Made from dehydrated potatoes, potato flakes offer the closest texture and flavor to potato flour.

Is applesauce or sour cream better for latkes? ›

Tart and fruity applesauce—unsweetened is best—cuts through the grease and lightens them right up, leaving you feeling perfectly satisfied, but not stuffed. Sure, sour cream is tart too, but since it's dairy, it can weigh down the latkes—adding unwanted heft to an already filling meal.

Are latkes good for you? ›

Latkes are easily one of our favorite holiday foods, but considering they are traditionally fried in lots of oil, they're not necessarily the healthiest! So I took it upon myself to turn these beloved potato pancakes into a healthier, baked version that are vegan and gluten free.

What's the difference between potato pancakes and latkes? ›

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.

Why are mashed potatoes not gluten-free? ›

No, most mashed potatoes do not contain gluten. Potatoes, milk, and butter are all naturally gluten-free. So if you're on a gluten-free diet, you can eat mashed potatoes without worry! But keep in mind: You may need to skip the gravy, if wheat flour is the thickening agent!

Is gnocchi gluten-free? ›

While the primary ingredient in gnocchi is potatoes, flour is typically used as a binder in traditional gnocchi so this makes them definitely NOT gluten-free. However, if you need to eat gluten-free and you love gnocchi, not all hope is lost!

Is sourdough bread gluten-free? ›

Sourdough is not gluten free, but we know that many people with IBS, gluten intolerance, or gluten sensitivity can tolerate sourdough bread. This is because the methods used to make sourdough break down some of the gluten in the flour so it is easier to digest. Think of sourdough as low-gluten rather than gluten-free.

What is a good substitute for flour in pancakes? ›

Almond and coconut - This is the best tasting combination - most of the top-rated gluten-free pancake recipes have a blend of almond and coconut flours. They work well together because while almond flour doesn't absorb liquid well, coconut flour does, which leads to lighter, fluffier pancakes that hold together well.

How do I substitute flour for potato starch? ›

You may need to use about twice the amount of wheat flour when using it as a substitute for potato starch. Additionally, note that wheat flour is not gluten-free, so it may not be suitable if you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

What is a good substitute for wheat in pancakes? ›

Since pancakes don't rely on gluten formation, you can substitute just about any kind of flour - rice, millet, oat, etc. You can also use a combination of a gf flour and nut meal. You can even make pancakes by combining almond paste with egg whites and a mashed banana.

How do you mimic bread flour? ›

Another option is to create your own bread flour substitute by combining all-purpose flour with vital wheat gluten, an isolated form of the flour protein. Measure out a cup of flour, remove one teaspoon of flour, and replace it with a teaspoon of vital wheat gluten.

References

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