14 Hanukkah Latkes That Take Potato Pancakes To The Next Level
We bet you've never thought of some of these before!
We’re BIG fans of latkes here at Delish. Not only are potato pancakes a must for Hanukkah (December 18 to 26, 2022), they’re also crazy versatile. We’re turning them into everything from apps to dessert (seriously!). We’ve rounded up 14 recipes so you can do the same—keep things feeling fresh for the entirety of your Festival of Lights celebration and beyond.
Before you even think about innovative ways to top your latkes, you’ve gotta get your base recipe down. We’ve included a few of our favorites, like our classic latkes and our house latkes (with horseradish), as well as some fun spins like our Swiss rösti (basically one large latke), our cauliflower hash browns (more latke than hash brown tbh, and low-carb!), and our latke cups. Our top tip for the crispiest, craggliest latkes? Squeeze as much liquid out of your potatoes as you can, and remember, they're called pancakes for a reason: The first few might not be perfect, but you’ll get there!
Then it’s time for the real fun. We’ve included a number of recipe-less ideas for you here in the hopes that they’ll get your creative juices flowing. Take inspiration from them, then try and make up your own. Turn it into a contest for most original among you and your family and friends—you might just like this game better than playing dreidel (sorry gelt, but potatoes are better 😉). Lastly, we’ve also included a tongue-in-cheek recipe for our latke cookies, featuring an apple caramel and potato sticks. They’re not wholly traditional, but they are fun—bonus, no hot oil required!
Want even more Hanukkah ideas? Check out the rest of our favorite Hanukkah cookies, our top Hanukkah appetizers, and our best Hanukkah desserts too.
Classic Latkes
If you ask us, you're not truly celebrating the Festival of Lights without a crispy batch of latkes. Serve these homemade ones with sour cream and homemade applesauce for the PRIME Hanukkah experience.
Get the Classic Latkes recipe.
Latkes With Whipped Cream Cheese, Red Onion, And Capers
This classic combo is creamy and cool with just the right amount of umami from the capers. Try it with pickled red onions if you're sensitive to raw onion.
Rösti
Swiss rösti is essentially the fanciest potato latke you’ll ever eat, where the best part is the topping. We view it almost like a Hanukkah pizza. We love classic applesauce, but you can go fancy with a bit of lox, sour cream, fresh dill, and roe for an amazing treat for any Hanukkah celebration.
Get the Rösti recipe.
House Latkes
Though latkes are commonly served with applesauce and plain sour cream; here, they get a flavor-boost with a spicy horseradish and chive sour cream topping, which adds savory depth to each bite. Got leftover horseradish? Stir them into these creamy horseradish mashed potatoes.
Get the House Latkes recipe.
Latkes With Goat Cheese, Roasted Beet, and Mint
This latke topping option is seasonal, yet transcendent—the earthy beets are grounding while the goat cheese and mint add brightness and pep.
Latkes With Ricotta, Lemon Zest, And Hot Honey
Ricotta is the perfect creamy background for hot honey for this latke, while lemon zest add brightness while tying the flavors together.
Latke Cookies
If you're more of a sweets fan but want to keep with tradition, we've got just the Hanukkah cookie for you. Our favorite part? A homemade apple caramel as a nod to the applesauce often enjoyed with potato pancakes.
Get the Latke Cookies recipe.
Latkes with Roast Beef, Sauerkraut, And Russian Dressing*
If you're not keeping kosher this year, try out this Reuben-inspired latke topping combo. It's perfect with leftover roast beef or corned beef if you've got 'em, but store-bought deli meat works too. Just don't skip that Russian dressing!
Latke Cups
When your favorite latke becomes a cup, magical things happen. Feel free top these with classic applesauce and sour cream, or go wild with your toppings.
Get the Latke Cups recipe.
Latkes With Smoked Chicken, Swiss, Dijon, And Pickles
If you're not keeping kosher this year, you've got to try this chicken sandwich-inspired combo. The flavors are truly next-level on top of hot, crispy latkes.
Cauliflower Hash Browns
Okay, okay, we know that hash browns definitely AREN'T latkes, but if you or a loved one is looking for a low-carb option this Hanukkah, these will fit the bill. Plus, since they're held together with eggs, technically they are closer in definition to a latke than your average potato pancake. Yays all around.
Get the Cauliflower Hash Browns recipe.
Molly Yeh's Latkes with Caramelized Onion Sour Cream
"These are a variation on the hockey puck–size latkes that I make every year," Molly says. "The caramelized onion sour cream is like a French onion dip for Hanukkah, so consider this an amped-up chips and dip situation!"
Get Molly Yeh's Latkes with Caramelized Onion Sour Cream recipe from The Pioneer Woman.
Parsnip-Potato Latkes With Quick Sautéed Apples
Top these fried potato delicacies with easy fried apples for a touch of sophistication. These sautéed apples taste kind of like apple pie filling... but better.
Get the Parsnip-Potato Latkes With Quick Sautéed Apples recipe from Good Housekeeping.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
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