Paleo Potato Latkes w/ Homemade Cinnamon Apple Sauce

Dec 7

Dec 7 Paleo Potato Latkes w/ Homemade Cinnamon Apple Sauce

Brunch, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Paleo, Savory, Sides, Snacks, Vegetarian

Potato latkes are a MUST for Hannukah, or any you’d like to appreciate potatoes! Shredded potato-onion pancakes fried up and served with a big dollop of apple sauce or sour cream. They are savory, crispy, decadent. These latkes are gluten-free, paleo and fried in avocado oil, which is high in healthful monosaturated fats and stable for high-heat cooking. Serve will a big dollop of homemade cinnamon apple sauce bask the glory of fried YUM!

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Ingredient Fun Facts:

- yukon gold potatoes: can be replaced with russet potatoes, but yukon golds have a creamier texture so that your latkes end up crispy on the outside and delightfully soft on the inside. Soaking the shredded potato in cold water helps remove some of the starch so that the potatoes can be dried out more effectively (because ↑ starch = ↑ water retention, like salt in the human body! 🤓)
- onion: can be replaced by 1/2 tsp onion powder, although the flavor is more subtle with fresh onion. If you’re not into onion, then just leave it out!
- egg + egg white: eggs work as the binders in this recipe, and leaving out the second egg yolk helps reduce moisture, but keep things together
- arrowroot flour: can be replaced with tapioca flour, an all purpose gluten-free flour for a non-paleo version, or if you really take time to dry out the potatoes, you can go no flour. Flour helps absorb excess moisture in the mixture and leads to a crispier latke.
- paprika: this is an unusual addition to latkes, and is totally optional, but I find adds another dimension of peppery flavor and complements the potato and onion
- avocado oil: I highly advise against using canola oil for frying. Avocado oil has shown to be stable at over 500°F and is high in healthful monosaturated fats (like olive oil). It is an expensive oil, but worth purchasing for the rare occasions of frying like this
- apple sauce: in my opinion, the superior latke topping, although many will disagree… I love making homemade apple sauce because I can just the spices and sweetness to my own taste. Make a big batch and use it on everything!

How to Make Paleo Potato Latkes:

1. Peel and grate the potatoes using a food processor on the small grate setting (or a hand grater). Place the shredded potato in a bowl of cold water to soak, this helps remove some of the starch from the potatoes and aid in the water removal

2. Peel and finely dice the onion and place inside a fine mesh bag or cheese cloth. Add the shredded potato and squeeze as much water as possible out of the mixture, then transfer to a large mixing bowl
Hot tip: If you don’t have the materials for this, don’t worry! You can double squeeze the potatoes in a colander.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and spices, then pour into the pre-squeezed potato-onion mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the arrowroot flour to the mixture and transfer to a fine mesh colander set on top of the same bowl

4. Use the back of a spoon or spatula, press the mixture to extrude any additional liquid

5. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, and add the oil so that it fully covers the bottom of the pan by about 1/4”. You can give the potato mixture a last squeeze with your hands or the back of spoon to push out liquid

6. Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, you can begin frying. Using a 1/4 cup, scoop a scant 1/4 cup of latke mixture, compacted into the measuring cup with a spoon. Add the mixture and use the back of the measuring cup or a spatula to flatten the mixture down into about a 1/2” thick pancake. The flatter the pancake, the crispier!

7. Repeat with 3 more latkes, or as many as you can comfortably fit (and flip)

8. Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip to the second side for 3-5 minutes. Once golden on both sides, transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer on paper towels to cool

9. Repeat with the rest of the mixture, adding more oil to the pan as needed

10. Keep warm or if making ahead, reheat the latkes in the oven at 200°F for 10 minutes

11. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and serve with your choice of apple sauce (see our homemade recipe below!), sour cream, smoked salmon or any topping you choose!

Paleo Potato Latkes

Yield: 4 servings (about 16 latkes)

Author: Samantha Sterman

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Fried, shredded potato crops up in a lot of cuisines and cultures, because, well, they are delicious. Potato latkes are the Jewish iteration, served for Hannukah. They are savory, crispy, decadent and often served with apple sauce (my preference) or sour cream. These latkes are gluten-free, paleo and fried in avocado oil, which is high in healthful monosaturated fats and stable for high-heat cooking. Serve will a big dollop of homemade cinnamon apple sauce bask the glory of fried YUM!

Ingredients

Latkes:

2lbs yukon gold potatoes
1 medium-large onion, diced
3 tbsp arrowroot flour (or tapioca)
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp paprika (optional, but so delicious)
1/2 tsp dried garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
avocado oil for frying

Cinnamon Apple Sauce

6 medium/3lbs mcintosh apples
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp maple syrup
5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder

Instructions

Latkes:

Peel and grate the potatoes using a food processor on the small grate setting (or a hand grater). Place the shredded potato in a bowl of cold water to soak
Peel and finely dice the onion and place inside a fine mesh bag or cheese cloth*. Add the shredded potato and squeeze as much water as possible out of the mixture, then transfer to a large mixing bowl
In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and spices, then pour into the potato-onion mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the arrowroot flour to the mixture and transfer to a fine mesh colander set on top of the same bowl
Use the back of a spoon or spatula, press the mixture to extrude any additional liquid
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, and add the oil so that it fully covers the bottom of the pan by about 1/4”
Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, you can begin frying. Using a 1/4 cup, scoop a scant 1/4 cup of latke mixture, compacted into the measuring cup with a spoon. Add the mixture and use the back of the measuring cup or a spatula to flatten the mixture down into a 1/2” thick pancake.
Repeat with 3 more latkes, or as many as you can comfortably fit (and flip)
Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip to the second side for 3-5 minutes. Once golden on both sides, transfer to a baking tray with paper towel to cool in a single layer.
Repeat with the rest of the mixture, adding more oil to the pan as needed
Keep warm, or if making ahead, reheat the latkes in the oven at 200°F for 10 minutes
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days

Cinnamon Apple Sauce:

Peel, core and cut the apples into 1/2” pieces
Add apples to a small or medium sauce pot, and add water**
Bring the pot to a low boil over medium-high heat, and reduce to a simmer
Add the maple syrup and spices, and cook for 10-15 minutes stirring every few minutes, until the apples are soft and falling apart
Using a fork, masher or hand blender, smooth the apple sauce to your desired texture. I personally prefer using a masher and keeping it chunky
Cool, and transfer to a container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Use in baking, as a topping on yogurt or on latkes!

Recipe Notes:

*If you don’t have a fine mesh bag or cheesecloth, you can add the potato and onion to the colander first and squeeze the liquid with your hands. Then once the mixture is all combined, use the back of a spoon or spatula to try and squeeze out more liquid

**Don’t worry that the water doesn’t cover the apples completely, then will cook down quite quickly anyway

Calories

298.75

Fat (grams)

5.14

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.90

Carbs (grams)

56.43

Fiber (grams)

5.82

Net carbs