11 Ways to Make Latkes Like a Pro Grab the scallions and crème fraîche for these fantastic fried potato pancakes. By Ashley Day Ashley Day Ashley Day is Food & Wine's associate editorial director. She's edited and directed food and travel content at USA TODAY, the Institute of Culinary Education, and Chef & Restaurant magazine, and contributed to The Food Institute, The Daily Meal, and the recipe app meez. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 10, 2025 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Amelia Rampe Depending on who it's for, the perfect latke can mean a classic, unadorned potato pancake or a fried treat piled with interesting garnishes and condiments. For Hanukkah and beyond, we have crispy, savory, delicious latke recipes, plus tips for achieving the perfect texture and toppings — including advice from TV host and prolific cookbook author Joan Nathan about how to best tackle making latkes with kids. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 11 Best-Ever Potato Latkes Diana Chistruga Niki Russ Federman of Russ & Daughters makes the tastiest, crispiest latkes with scallions and onion. The shredded potatoes and onion are first drained and then mixed with reserved starchy paste, scallions, matzo meal, eggs, and more to form the batter. That batter is then fried in batches until golden latkes form. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 11 Potato Pancakes Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Amelia Rampe The trick to a crispy potato pancake that holds together well is to use russet potatoes, which have a high starch content. You can grate the potatoes on a box grater or shred them with a food processor, which makes this recipe especially fast and easy. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 11 Scallion Potato Pancakes Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely These crispy, savory fritters from chef Evan Bloom of Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen in San Francisco combine traditional Jewish latkes with crispy Chinese scallion pancakes to create the perfect festive fried food. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 11 Latke Breakfast Hash Anna Stockwell Pastry chef Caroline Schiff, who loves to fry up latkes the way her great-grandmother did, uses a dash of pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika to give extra depth to the dish. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 11 Savory Latke Babka Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors-Hall / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood This savory babka channels the spirit of classic Hanukkah latkes by layering crisp, deeply browned shredded potatoes and sweet caramelized onions inside a tender enriched dough. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 11 Killer Potato Latkes Stephanie Meyer "Every year at our house, we have a Hanukkah night when we invite the neighbors and stand around the kitchen shoving these hot, crispy little beauties into our mouths," says chef Andrew Zimmern. "These Jewish potato pancakes are so good that posting the recipe alone is a mitzvah (blessing) of the highest order." Get the Recipe Save 07 of 11 Kate's Supercrispy Potato Latkes Hector Sanchez Former F&W editor Kate Heddings uses an unlikely piece of equipment to make her lacy, ultra-crispy Hanukkah latkes: a Benriner turning vegetable slicer, which produces continuous thin curls of potato that fry up beautifully. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 11 Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon, Caviar, and Dill Cream Maura McEvoy Star chef Wolfgang Puck loves this trio of toppings with his exceptionally crispy potato pancakes, a dish he makes frequently when cooking at home. The three garnishes are wonderfully decadent together. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 11 Scallops with Potato Pancakes and Caviar Sauce John Kernick Chef Vinny Dotolo found inspiration for this elegant dish by thinking about New Year's Eve classics. Both Champagne and caviar flavor the butter sauce that he spoons over seared scallops set on mini potato pancakes. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 11 Celery Root–Potato Pancakes with Green Apple Sour Cream Tina Rupp Top golden, crisp, plant-based pancakes with tart and fruity sour cream and a picture-perfect garnish to match. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 11 Crispy Summer Squash Pancakes Nicole Franzen OK, OK, there are no potatoes here. But Kay Chun’s take on latkes pairs grated yellow squash with scallions and jalapeño for light, crisp pancakes with gentle heat. Served with lemon wedges and sour cream, they make an easy, bright alternative to classic potato versions. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Holidays & Occasions Hanukkah Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit