Carrot Potato Latkes

These classic carrot potato latkes are light, crispy, and tender. I fry them up and serve them with sour cream and apple sauce. This recipe has been passed down for generations and is our most cherished Hanukkah recipe. We love them so much, we make them more than just once a year. I learned how to make these from my mom, who learned from my grandma, who learned from her mother. This recipe is adapted from my traditional Potato Latke recipe. I just use less potato and add carrots. I also make some variations of this recipe, like Cheddar and Jalapeno Latkes, Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Latkes, and Cheddar Leek Latkes.

What are Potato Latkes?

A latke, which originated in Central and Eastern Europe, is a type of potato pancake or fritter that is traditionally eaten to celebrate Hanukkah. Potato Latkes are eaten for Hanukkah to remind us of the miracle of oil. The reason hanukkah is 8 days long is because once upon a time there was only enough oil to have light for one night, but miraculously the light lasted for 8 days. Potato Latkes are fried in oil to remind us how magical oil can be. 

My potato latke recipe has been passed down for generations in my family and is one of our most cherished Hanukkah recipes. We love them so much, we make them more than just once a year. I like making variations of the recipe like I did with this Carrot Potato Latkes recipe. Carrots are a delicious and healthy root vegetable and it blends wonderfully in this recipe. I also love the beautiful pop of orange color it gives.

There is somewhat of a debate as to what should be served with potato latkes. Should you serve them with sour cream or should you serve them with apple sauce? Try them both and let me know what you prefer.

How to Make Potato Latkes

Potato Latkes, also known as Potato Pancakes, are like hash browns. They are made from freshly grated potato, which I season liberally, add some flour and egg so that they hold together, and then I fry them up into little potato patties. Here is a summary of how to make these carrot potato latkes.

1. First, grate your potatoes. You can use a box grater just like you would use to shred cheese, but I prefer to use my food process. It grates a full potato in seconds. Once my potatoes are grated I use a thin towel or cheese cloth to squeeze as much liquid out of the potatoes as possible.
2. Puree your onions and squeeze out as much onions as possible. 
3. Then, combine the grated potatoes with spices, eggs, baking powder, and flour.
4. Lastly, fry the latkes in a large, heavy bottomed skillet. I add about 1/4″ oil to the bottom of the pan, heat it on medium heat, and then I add the latkes once the oil is hot. I cook them on each side until they are golden brown (about 3-4 minutes on each side) and then I transfer them to a paper towel lined plate so remove the excess oil. Sprinkle with sea salt!
5. Serve with sour cream or apple sauce.

Best Potatoes for Latkes

A lot of people say they use russet potatoes, but you definitely have to peel those before grating. I don’t have that type of time anymore, so I now use Yukon Gold Potatoes. The skin is super thin and golden, so you don’t need to worry about removing it. 

No matter what type of potato you use in these carrot potato latkes, you should note that once you grate your potatoes, they will quickly start to turn a light brownish color due to the oxidation process. This is normal and you should not worry. Once you form your potatoes and fry them up, you will not see any discoloration.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Yukon Gold Potatoes Large
• 3 Carrots Medium/Large
• 1 Onion
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp Seasoning Salt Garlic and Herb seasoning or Lawry’s
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• Oil for Frying

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Grate the potatoes using the grating disc of your food processor or by using a box grater. You do not need to peel the potatoes if you are using yukon gold potatoes.
• Take half of the grated potatoes and add them back to a food processor and pulse a few times until they start to resemble mashed potatoes. You want half to be grated and half to be a mashed consistency. This will ensure creamy, but crunchy latkes.
• Drain all water from the potatoes by using a thin towel nut milk bag, or cheese cloth. This step is very important. If you dont remove all of the water, the latkes will never crisp up. Once all the water is removed, add the potatoes to a large bowl.
• Throw the onion into the food processor and pulse until it starts to look like a paste. Squeeze all water from the onions using a cheese cloth or nut milk bag and add the onion mixture to the potatoes.
• Grate the carrots. These will not produce excess water so they can be added to the bowl right away.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg with the salt, pepper and garlic and herb seasoning. Pour egg mixture over potatoes and onions, and mix well. Add flour and baking powder to the mixture and mix well.

Frying Instructions

• On medium heat, heat enough oil in a large skillet to cover the bottom of a large pan. Once oil is hot, carefully drop one spoonful of the potato mixture into the pan and flatten it with a spatula. Cook this one latke by itself so that you can test the salt level. Once it is done cooking, drain it on a paper towel and then taste it once it cools slightly. Add a little more salt to the recipe if needed. 
• Drop spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the oil and flatten them. Do not move the latkes for about 3 minutes. Once one side is golden brown, flip it over and brown the other side. As the latkes are cooking, transfer them to a paper towel lined baking sheet to absorb excess oil.