German Potato Pancakes

This is the true Potato Pancake (not Latke). We usually serve them on a Friday night (especially during Lent) with potato soup, bread and butter, the pancake topped with the traditional granulated sugar with applesauce on the side. We are a German/Polish family. Leftovers were taken in sandwiches with butter, salt and pepper for lunch. Don't fret about the discoloration...it is a part of the pancake and never noticed after fried up. When 5 pounds of potatoes are grated by hand for a large family, the discoloration is not a problem.Don't spend a lot of time and trouble drying out the potatoes, just drain in a colander and the flour takes care of the rest. If a little drains from the pancake in the fry pan, it will just add a nice crispiness to the edge. ENJOY. Our family has for over 100 years.

These were great!!! I solved the oxidation problem by shredding the potatoes one at a time in my food processor and emptying it into a bowl of cold water after each potato. I had read that when making homemade french fries to put them in cold, even ice water and then dry them before frying. I then took a handful at a time and squeezed them in the collander and added them to the egg mixture. This worked great. There was no change in color, or if there was it was limited. Once dinner was over I quickly put the leftovers in plastic baggies and put them in the freezer, hopefully this will keep them from oxidizing. Thanks so much for this great recipe!!!

This is an awesome recipe! My Father-in-Law is from Austria, so my husband grew up eating potato pancakes every Christmas morning. This recipe is easy and sooooo good, impresses my husband every time! I do have a little trick that cuts down on the moisture from the potatoes - if you peel and boil the whole potatoes the night before (boil for only a few minutes). Then, cover and refrigerate the potatoes until morning. This will make shredding so much easier on the arms if you are doing it manually and it also cuts down on the moisture!

I used my blender to grate the potatoes in 1/2 c. of milk. This will keep the potatoes from turning dark or black. Then add extra flour to thicken. Mine turned out just fine.

A true Irish lass, I love potatoes. I am always looking for new ways to cook them. I've only had potato pancakes once before from a deli; they definitely didn't compare to this recipe. I made them as-written, and ate them with sour cream and homemade applesauce. Two descriptions came to mind: delightful, and finger-lickin' good! I will definitely make these again, and soon. This recipe is great for breakfast. For a dinner side, I'd try adding a little garlic powder and parsley. Awesome, Wendy! Thanks for sharing!

Made as is. No problem with oxidation because we soaked them in water and then pressed the water out. Delicious, thanks!

My mother had made potato pancakes like these when I was little. I made them for my fiance and he said they were the best he had ever tasted; better than any restaurant and even better than his grandmothers! Wow, what a compliment. The only alteration I made was I doubled the flour and the salt. Excellent recipe!

I squeezed out extra water from shredded potatoes by using a cheesecloth. Also doubled flour and salt plus added 1/4 C finely chopped fresh parsley. Be sure not to let the potato mixture sit too long or more water will be drawn out from the potatoes.

These were really tasty. I served them with rouladen and just topped them with a touch of seasoned salt. I used my cheese grater to shred the potatoes. Very easy.

Yum - my first time making potato pancakes - they were great! Definately will make them again. My husband said they were even better than his mothers! I shredded the potatoes and put them in a bowl of water - when they were all shredded, I drained the water and put them in my salad spinner!

this was a basis to go by.. and ill give it that. but otherwise, this is tasteless and bland.. will look elsewhere for something like this. but not here. this might be good in a country where taste means absolutely nothing, and this might be germany, but this was not good! im german too. lol. pretty bad.

Being from German and Polish decent, I have made TRUE German and Polish Potatoe Pancakes. I found that using 1-1/2 Tablespoons of Flour and GRATING the potatoes and onions instead of SHREADING the potatoes makes a more flavorable pancake. You can also put the potatoes, eggs, onions etc., into a blender and select the grate speed and the batter comes out very nice. The less flour,the better the pancake. The TRUE way to eat potatoe pancakes is accompanied with sour cream and/or applesauce or plain along with a meat such as roast beef or pork. One important thing to remember,, is that German or Polish potatoe pancakes are DEFINITELY NOT Latkes. Latkes require more flour and are more dense.

Oh I love these…..We call them Kartoffel puffer. ( potatoe puffers) and we usually eat apple sauce with them. A great combination

As others suggested I added more seasoning to this recipe... salt, pepper and garlic powder (about 1/2 tsp. each). Make sure your oil is hot before you put any in the pan or they will soak it right up. Everyone here enjoyed them!

wow. simple & easy. I used them for dinner and added garlic & parsley. I don't understand why everyone is trying to grate the potatoes & worrying about whether they'll turn brown or not. I don't put myself through all that. I just use the frozen shredded hash brown potatoes. They're raw, don't turn colors and already shredded. Saves a TON of time.

Great recipe! My wife and I am tired of eating the same thing over and over so we decide to give this a shot. We are from northeastern PA originally and have always enjoy potato pancakes at church bazaars and picnics. We are thrilled to say this recipe COMPLETELY met our expectations! Thank you so much and we will start working this meal into our cycle of dinners! They turned out great and really appreciate that someone took the time to post this! Thank you! Brian and Melissa from SC....originally from the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania

I grew up in a German household and these were a regular. We have always used unpeeled potatoes (more vitamins) and a blender (no shreeding necessary), just cube the potatoes. My husband still requests them after 45 years. Always use raw potatoes, spread thin and fry till crisp.

Thanks for your tips on the ice bath after shredding, this made a big difference. These are delish and went great with our fried bluegils and crappies.

I used 4 cups frozen shredded potato (thawed) and added two TBS potato flakes. Winner in my Home!

I made these a few weeks ago and I actually did not make too many as I did not know how well they would go over but...they were a hit! My son actually ate 3 before I ever even got them to the table. Next time I make them....I will definitely double the batch.

Super easy and delicious! I didn't bother with draining the potatoes or anything, except to press them with a paper towel right after shredding. Served with some sour cream. Would be delicious with some fresh parsley mixed in!

My family really likes these but next time I will dry the shredded potato before mixing it in because there was a lot of liquid.

Great! I did a half batch. I pressed the potatoes dry and they came out excellent. Very tasty and versatile. Breakfast lunch or dinner, they'll make a great side dish.

This recipe was great. Just make sure you drain the potatoes so the mixture is not too watery. I added 2 tbsp white sugar and some garlic for extra flavor. This was so simple and easy - perfect for a cold day.

This was a wonderful and easy potato recipe! I served it with a boneless sirloin and a veggie, and it was a great change from mashed potatoes! One thing I think is you could use only one egg, b/c after making them they are a little "wet". These reheat in a toaster oven VERY well! And I didn't think they needed any sauce or sour cream, they're good just like they are. And you could easily personalize them by adding your favorite seasonings!

This recipe was easy and delicious! I cheated a little and used frozen hash browns (thawed). My 9 year old son loved them and they went great with leftover turkey soup!

YUM! Just what I remember them like when I was little. I love them with either sour cream or applesauce on top!

The overall combo of flavor is good but no matter how I try to make these they always end up very soggy and very oily. I have redused the amont of oil to almost nothing but the potatos still suck up the oil and hold on to it for dear life - I have also tried butter which worked out pretty well but you have to keep it on a lower heat so not to burn the butter in the pan.

i think i have made these at least 5-6 times since finding this recipe. these are the best i have ever tasted! ecipe is perfect as is

Excellent! These are perfect side dish potato pancakes. The little shards of potato along the sides, getting all crisped up... MMM! I make these with pork roast and applesauce, and my husband thinks I am a goddess. What more can you ask for from a recipe, really? :)

messy, not worth the trouble for us

This is exactly the recipe that I've used, with the exception of the baking powder. What does baking powder do to a recipe?

I made these last night and they were delicious. Everytime I have tried to make potato pancakes they turn out like hash browns. My mother in law, who is deceased now, was German and made the best. I changed a few things...I used only 4 potatoes, 1/3 cup of onion and more flour. I took the advice and shredded my potatoes and put them in ice water until I was ready to fry them. I made 4 pancakes and fried them in oleo about 10-15 minutes on each side so that the potatoes were done. Finally had a great recipe and my husband loved them. I also made homemade applesauce and baked pork chops to go along with them. Tks for the recipe!

Delicious and authentic!

Please help me. This recipe looks great. I would appreciate someone giving the amount of shredded potato in cups or pounds. I always seem to guess wrong on the "medium potato." Thanks

These are more like hash browns, not German potato pancakes. Potato pancakes are not shredded but grated, placed in a towel and the liquid squeezed out. To make the task less time consuming, I slice my potatoes into chunks and just run them thru the food processor. My kids love hash browns and for a breakfast treat, these were very good. Thank you Swizzlesticks!

These were just wonderful. It may not be in keeping with the recipe, but I sprinkled each with some garlic salt while they were cooking - delicious! This recipe is a keeper! Thanks for sharing.

My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. After shredding the potatoes I soaked and rinsed them in very cold water until water ran clear. This gets rid of the starch and makes a crispy on the outside pancake. I then just squeezed dry in a towel and followed the recipe. Turned out beautifully. Served with real maple syrup and it was a treat. Yum...

This is delicious and worth the effort (especially when you have a husband to peel and grate). I served it with pork chops and applesauce.

These are to die for and so easy to make. They were so tasty and delicious!! I used a food processor to shred the potatoes and cooked them right away, so I had no problems with oxidation. Thanks for a yummy recipe!

What a wonderful addition to my regular menus, you can have these for lunch, brunch & dinner and you will always have an empty plate. I am amazed that such simple recipe turns out to be so flavourful and easy to make!!! a-kee-per!!!

This was a good recipe. My 17-month old baby loved it. My 4-year-old was a typical 4-year-old and picked at it, so who knows? I only gave it four stars because it seemed more like hashbrowns than pancakes. Maybe my potatoes (what I consider medium red potatoes)were too big? Next time I'll make more egg/flour mixture to go with it. That said, it was good. I spruced it up because we were having it as a side dish for dinner and added a little fresh oregano, thyme and garlic (just a little though). It was good, and I will make it again and see if it was just my potatoes or if it was the recipe.

I prepared this in small batches to keep the potatos from turning brown before cooking. Wonderful taste but time consumming if you are like me and don't own a food processor.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but these are truly the best potato pancakes I have ever had. I made them from leftover mashed potatoes, just about six cups to 1.5 times the recipe. I didn't have any trouble with moisture. I do recommend a skillet, to keep up with demand! They go quick!!!

Oh so delicious. I Ate over half of them as I was making them and had to make a second batch for dinner! Sprinkle with a little kosher salt for an elegant flavor and serving with apple sauce is a must!!

This Latke deserves its rating as the #1 Potato Pancake, and we tried many. You can also make it gluten free by substituting potato starch for the flour.

It took a few tries with this recipe to make it come out the way I wanted it to. I only eyeballed my ingredients, and so I needed to sprinkle some "nature's seasoning" on the pancakes while they fried. I also had to add a LOT more flour so that they would be crispy. Other than that, this recipe is excellent for a base; taste test as you cook works best with this one. Side-note; although my potatoes did discolor, as soon as they hit the hot oil they changed back to white.

These pancakes are the same as the German potatoe pancakes my mom learned from her mom, who was from Germany. Great recipe, but the picture could be better.

delish! I did forget to put onion in mine but they turned out great otherwise! I made them as a side to sasage and saurkraut.

Bacon fat is what my German Granny used to make these really stand out in my memories (1 or 2 tablespoons w/ oil). I only added a tablespoon more flour then this recipe called for & made sure the potatoes where pretty dry before frying. Great comfort food!

This has now become a Christmas morning tradition. My fincee loved these. I added ham and cheddar cheese to these and they turned out excellent. This recipe is one that definately lives up to its claims.

You can use sweet potato as well.

Regular pancakes will keep in the fridge, if you make too much. These, on the other hand, oxidize at the speed of light. By the time I was done shredding the potatoes, half of them had already turned a nasty-looking brown color. I had too much left over and tried to save the rest of the mix to make breakfast the next morning, but it turned a horrible dark grayish-purple color overnight. The recipe itself is ok and tastes fine, but I would strongly recommend making only as much as you can use, or you will waste your ingredients.

Pretty good, and surprisingly easy to make. (Remember to squeeze the water out of the shredded potatoes.) Served them with apple sauce and sour cream. <br> My only two complaints: One, while cooked, they didn't end up as hot off the skillet as I wanted. Next time I'll either cook them longer at a lower temperature to make sure they end up hot everywhere, or drop them in the oven at 250 after they come off the grill to make sure they're warm. Two, they didn't end up as greasy as I prefer (and as most potato pancakes are). (This may be a good feature for health reasons!) This is probably because I used a non-stick skillet and therefore used relatively little oil.

I grew up in northern Germany and potato pancakes were one of my favorite foods. These turned out great! I followed others advice and doubled the flour and salt. Absolutely delicious!

I've always heard about German pancakes but this is the first time I tried them. I didn't think the potatoes would get done in that short amount of time but they do. After draining them in the colondar, I squeezed as much water out as I could and even wrapped them in a strong paper towel to get even more water out. The potatoes turned a pinkish color from oxidation but when you fry them that goes away. These are tasty!

I used a food processor to "shred" my potatos. I didnt even think to drain them after shredded. Big watery mess.. BUT! My second batch was great! The kids went wild for these.

a very good side dish... a different change of pace... my mom and grandma actually make these by throwing all the ingredients in a blender, blending and then adding diced potatoes and liquefying them... then pouring the batter into a skillet making small pancakes.. some people may not like doing it like that because they tend to be mushier.. but they do taste excellent.. and very unique... but making them as this recipe states turned out good too

I used 1 extra large russet potato (the kind from Costco) for half the recipe. I also used 1/2 red onion. This was very delicious with ketchup and tabasco on the side!

My sister shared my Mom's version: 6 potatoes grated, 1/2 an onion grated or diced, 1 beaten egg, salt and pepper and a heaping Tablespoon of flour. Mix well. Drop by rounded spoonfuls into BACON GREASE .... smash down with a fork. Fry until golden brown on each side. We dip ours in Apple cider vinegar or top with sour cream. SOOOOO good! The bacon grease gives it a distinct and yummy flavor.

Skipped the onion and used onion powder as I was short on time- Not something I'd do next time, but they were still really good, just like I remember my mom and grandmother making when I was younger. Will be a regular for weekend breakfasts!

Made if just as the recipe called for. I noticed that using fresh yukon gold potatoes, the mix was a little wet. I put the potatoes in a colander over another bowl pot so they could drain. They came out perfect. I was making all german for the family this evening and these were as authentic as any I ever had in Germany when I lived there for 9 years.

I used someones advice and put it in a blender - OMG these were AMAZING..... they were all gone and my kids asked me to make them again the next day. So good and the blender made it incredibly easy!

these were delicious! I had to add more oil while frying (made 12+ pancakes), but other than that, recipe was spot-on.

Oh so good. Tasted like my dads Placki(polish potato pancake).

Loved these. My polish grandpa used to make a similar recipe when I was a child. These are as close as I've been able to find.

next time try using frozen southern style potatoes w/ onins and peppers.

Excellent...used grated onion though. For a delicious sauce to serve on the side, mix equal parts of plain Greek yogurt and apple butter or cinnamon apple sauce......YUMMY!

I love them! I used green onions instead of regular onions but it tasted the same to me. I also did not use all of the salt but still great. I have made them a couple of times already and plan on making them again. My three year old and I put applesauce over them and that was great.

Super! I added one extra egg, and I also added 1/4 cup chopped fine onions it was wonderful.

These were amazing and reminded me of my grandmas. Don't worry about the color change from the oxidation it doesn't affect the flavor. I do highly recommend removing as much moisture as possible though.

Flavor pretty good. Kinda messy and I made them too big (you get LOTS from the recipe)

very good, the only changes i made was i added an extra tablespoon of flour to thicken the egg a bit more.

These were fabulous and easy! This was my first time making potato pancakes, as I always thought they'd be more time-consuming. Well, they were time-consuming, but they were easy and delicious! Thank you for the recipe.

I changed a little bit. I used red potatoes (that's what I had on hand). I added garlic powder and used extra onion, extra salt & pepper, and about a tablespoon of extra flour. That having been said, AWESOME!!!! Soooo yummy. :) My hubby loved them even more than me. I did use paper towels to absorb some of the water from the potatoes before adding to the recipe. I let the batter sit for awhile before I cooked it, which meant there was more water that drained out of the potatoes. I just poured it out, but when I make them again, I'll just plan to make the batter right before I am ready to fry them. Also, I cooked them WAY more than 3 minutes a side, but I like things VERY crispy.

Delicious. My family loves these!

These were easy to make and very tasty. I used metal rings to make mine perfectly round, and they looked really nice. I omitted the onion just because I was lazy, and I fried them in olive oil. YUM!

Good recipe, I would make again. Instead of shredding potatoes, I used six cups of pre-shredded hash browns (1 1/2 packages). I added 1 teaspoon of salt and upped the pepper too. 1/4 cup of oil is too much, even in a big pan so I would decrease to 1/8. I tried to form the pancakes instead of loose tablespooning them into the pan and they stayed together and looked better.

These were fantastic, just like my grandma used to make. I served them as a side to the Maple Baked Pork Loin Roast. Served some fresh asparagus along side. What a great meal.

These are very good. When I made them, I lined a strainer with a flour sack dish towel and put the shredded potatoes in there to squeeze out some of the excess water that the potatoes give off. I also needed to add a little more flour, but they turned out excellent. My 8 year old daughter ate 5 of them topped with sour cream. My 6 year old son liked them topped with apple sauce. I enjoyed them both ways!

The recipe was wonderful the whole family enjoyed it.

Wow, these were so good and easy. Exactly like the ones my German grandmother used to make.

Well, I followed the recipe exactly and I thought they were kind of blah, but my bf thought they were great. Instead of sour cream on top (like some suggested), I used ranch dressing. This was just what they needed.

This is a great recipe to start with. I actually just make them with thawed out shredded hashbrowns, and they are delicious! No need to worry about the potatoes discoloring, either. I've gotten to the point that I make these without measuring, but the original recipe is great. You can actually just leave out the baking powder if you don't happen to have some - works great to just use a little more flour with the hashbrowns. Yum!!

The best potato pancake recipe I've tried. If the pancakes aren't sticking together just add an extra egg.

Excellent recipe. Recently my mom passed away and she used to make the best potato pancakes... I looked up this recipe and it's almost exactly like hers. The only difference was that I remember her using a meat grinder to grind up the potatoes to make them smoother (not so much like hashbrowns). It was great to taste these again and take me back to my childhood.

I loved this recipe. It brought me back when I was a child and my grandmother would make them for us every sunday. I wouldn't change a thing, tho my husband adds an extra heaping of salt.

MMMMMM these were absolutely FANTASTIC!

I am full German and these are quite authentic. Thanks for sharing .

Best potato pancake recipe I've found yet! I followed the recipe almost exactly with only 2 changes: doubled flour to 4 TBSP and doubled salt. The mixture was very watery so I did keep squeezing out the excess moisture. The result was well-seasoned, crispy potato pancakes worthy of a German restaurant. Thank you!

I was searching for a recipe just like this. My mom and I used to make these all the time. Thank you so much! They're delicious!

I really didn't care for these.

these are yummy i made them for my parents for breakfast and my dad loved them he visited Germany when he was in the army and he said they taste just how he remembers they do if not better :)

Never had a potato pancake before but I was a huge fan! If it weren't for the amount of oil needed, I would make these every time I needed a potato side dish!

OMG, these are just like my Polish mother made when I was a little girl. The story is that my great uncle Louis ate 18 of them at one sitting. I believe it. These are delicious. Made them per the recipe, but didn't really measure anything. Used peanut oil to fry them - marvelous!! Ate them with cottage cheese or sour cream. These are like a cross between hashbrown potatoes and latkas. So much flavor when beautifully browned. I questioned your timing - but used a timer and found 3 minutes on each side was really good, but turned the heat up a little bit.

My husband says these are the BEST potato pancakes he's ever eaten, and we live in Milwaukee where almost every restaurant and pub serves fish fries with potato pancakes every Friday. I used yellow flesh Yukon Gold potatoes, which don't darken. Excellent!

I whipped up this recipe for my family when the were visiting for the holidays and brought with them a bag of potatoes (don't ask). I followed the recipe and previous comments about soaking the shredded potatoes in ice and cold water and the pancakes had anice yellow golden color. I fried the pancakes in olive oil which required a longer frying time (~8 minutes).

Very good !! Will make often !!!

Want an EZ way to dry out grated potatoes after rinsing them? Simply rinse them in the basket of your salad spinner, then spin them dry! Hashbrowns, potato cakes, and potato pancakes have never been so easy! Enjoy!