These gluten free sweet potato latkes are delicious little savory potato pancakes with a hint of caramelized sweetness, a crispy outer layer and tender inner layer. Enjoy them for Hanukkah or any occasion!

The perfect Hanukkah recipe!

For Hanukkah, we celebrate the miracle where oil to light the ancient temple lasted for eight nights when it was only supposed to last for one. In order to commemorate that miracle, we make lots of foods that use oil…which means lots of fried foods! One of my favorite Hanukkah foods are latkes- delicious savory potato pancakes. They are traditionally made with regular potatoes and white flour, but I wanted to make a healthier spin on them with gluten-free ingredients and sweet potatoes. I’m in love with what resulted!

Why I love this recipe

• The flavor of these gluten free sweet potato latkes are a delicious departure from regular latkes. The sweet potato adds a hint of caramelized sweetness to this savory salty treat. Plus the crispy outer layer and tender inner layer make for the perfect complement to sour cream topping!
• Instead of using regular wheat flour, I use a small amount of coconut flour to bind the ingredients together. Coconut flour is a high-fiber and low-carb alternative to regular flour. Since it’s such a small amount and mixed with strong savory flavors, there is no coconut flavor present.
• The hardest part to this recipe in my opinion is just grating the sweet potato. After that, it’s a pretty simple process to arrive at crispy savory latkes.
• These latkes are a healthier gluten free alternative to regular potato latkes. I use coconut flour instead of white flour and sweet potatoes instead of regular.

Recipe Tips

• Depending on the size of sweet potato used and the size of latkes made, this recipe can make anywhere from 7-12 latkes.
• You can peel the skin of the sweet potato prior to shredding or leave the skin on. It will only slightly change the texture of the latkes. I chose to leave the skin on…less work, more food!
• To shred the sweet potato, I like to use the grating attachment on my food processor to make it easier. If you don’t have a food processor a regular box grater or cheese grater will work fine.
• The onions can be sliced thinly into strip which might be easier than grating them, which may result in a goopy mess.
• DO NOT skip the step where you squeeze out the moisture of the potato and onion–this is critical for a nice crispy latke! Otherwise it will likely be floppy and unsatisfying. Be sure to use a strong kitchen towel to squeeze out the moisture and make sure it’s a towel that you don’t mind getting orange. The sweet potato may dye the towel.
• The amount of coconut flour in this recipe is intentionally very small. Since coconut flour is very fibrous, it soaks up a lot of moisture so it requires much less flour than regular flour. Be sure to give the mixture a few minutes to soak up the moisture and set after you add in the coconut flour.
• I started off with roughly 2 tbsp of oil to cook the latkes, but you may need to continue to add more oil to the pan if the oil gets used up. You’ll want a good layer of oil in the pan for nice crispy edges. If you add more oil, give it a few minutes to heat up before adding in the latkes to cook.
• I prefer to use avocado oil or refined coconut oil for this recipe since they are both healthy oils with high smoke points.

How to make these gluten free sweet potato latkes

Shred the sweet potato and thinly slice the onion. You can peel the skin of the sweet potato prior to shredding or leave the skin on. I like to use the shredder attachment on a food processor to make it easier for shredding the sweet potato. You can also use a regular box grater for cheese. Place the sweet potato and onion on a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the moisture. Set aside still on the towel.

In a large bowl whisk eggs, coconut flour, salt and pepper together. After the shredded potato and onion has sat for a few minutes try to squeeze out a little more moisture. Add the sweet potato and onion to the egg mixture and mix well.

Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-high. If you use a larger skillet you may need to add more oil because the pancakes have to fry in a good layer of oil. Make sure the oil is allowed to heat up for a few minutes (about 5) on medium to medium-high. It should be hot, but not smoking. If it starts smoking a lot, turn the heat down. Once oil is hot add small spoonfuls of the mixture to the skillet.

Cook for a few minutes on one side until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side. You may need to continue to add more oil to the pan if the oil gets used up. You’ll want a good layer of oil in the pan for nice crispy edges. If you add more oil, give it a few minutes to heat up before adding in the latkes to cook.

Place on a paper towel after frying to catch excess oil. Serve with sour cream and applesauce.

This gluten free sweet potato latke recipe was originally posted in May of 2013, but has been republished in October of 2021 to include improved photos and recipe tips.