Homemade Potato Latkes with Sour Cream & Applesauce

There’s a moment every December—usually the third Sunday, when the sky outside my kitchen window is the color of brushed steel—when I surrender to the siren call of grated potatoes and onions sizzling in a shimmering pool of oil. It’s not a casual craving. It’s a full-body memory: my grandmother’s sturdy cast-iron pan buckling ever so slightly on the burner, her apron dusted with potato starch, and the first latke emerging like a golden sun, edges lacy and crackling. She’d blot it on a paper-towel nest, slide it onto my small plate, and whisper, “Eat it standing up; the first one never makes it to the table.”

That wisdom still holds. Latkes are theatre as much as they are sustenance—an edible drumroll that announces Hanukkah, yes, but also any gray winter morning that needs brightening. Over the years I’ve tweaked her ratios (more potato for extra crunch, a whisper of baking powder for lift, and a two-step browning technique that keeps them crisp for hours). The result is a latke that shatters between your teeth yet stays tender inside, ready to be swiped through cool sour cream or sweet-tart applesauce—or both, if you’re feeling festive. Whether you’re frying for a crowd or simply chasing nostalgia, this recipe will earn you the kind of quiet that falls when everyone’s mouth is full of hot, salty potato.

Why This Recipe Works

Double-strung method: Grating onto a clean tea towel, then wringing until the fabric steams, removes every last drop of excess moisture—guaranteeing lacy, crisp edges.
Matzo meal + baking powder: The matzo adds traditional flavor and structure; a pinch of baking powder gives just enough puff to keep them light, not bready.
Shallow-fry, then oven-crisp: A ¼-inch oil bath sets the crust; a 250 °F oven on a rack finishes batches while you focus on the next round.
Neutral oil blend: Half sunflower, half clarified butter (or ghee) yields deep color and dairy richness without burning.
Make-ahead friendly: Par-fry, freeze in a single layer, then reheat straight from frozen for 8 minutes—taste and texture intact.
Two classic toppings: Tangy sour cream and cinnamon-kissed applesauce balance the salt and crunch, giving every bite a push-pull of temperature and texture.

Ingredients You'll Need

Russet potatoes (about 2¼ lb / 1 kg): Their high-starch, low-moisture flesh fries up fluffier interiors and glass-crisp shells. Choose firm, unblemished spuds; avoid any with a green tinge—it signals solanine, a mild toxin that tastes bitter.

Yellow onion (1 medium): Adds gentle sweetness and sulfur compounds that deepen flavor as the latkes brown. A standard yellow balances pungency and sugar; sweet onions would scorch too quickly.

Large eggs (2): Act as the binder. Room-temp eggs disperse more evenly; place them in a bowl of warm tap water for 5 minutes if you forgot to pull them out ahead.

Matzo meal (⅓ cup): Essentially finely ground unleavened crackers. If your pantry is bare, pulse plain matzo in a food processor or substitute panko, though the flavor will be less nutty.

Baking powder (½ tsp): Just enough to aerate the batter so latkes feel airy rather than dense. Make sure it’s fresh—if it doesn’t foam in warm water, toss it.

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper: Salt pulls residual moisture from the potatoes and seasons from the inside out. I use Diamond Crystal; if you’re using Morton, scale back by 25 %.

Sunflower oil & clarified butter: Sunflower has a neutral flavor and a 450 °F smoke point; clarified butter (ghee) contributes buttery notes without milk solids that burn. Olive oil’s lower smoke point makes it prone to bitter off-flavors here.

Applesauce (homemade or good-quality store-bought): Look for versions without added sugar so the apples’ natural acidity can cut the fried richness. If you’re DIY, a 50-50 mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith, simmered with a strip of lemon peel and a bay leaf, is sublime.

Sour cream (full-fat): The fat carries flavor and tempers the heat of just-fried latkes. Crème fraîche works for a tangier, more pourable option; Greek yogurt is leaner but can weep—stir in a spoonful of heavy cream to stabilize.

How to Make Homemade Potato Latkes Served with Sour Cream and Applesauce

Prep the station & preheat oven

Line a rimmed baking sheet with brown paper (grocery bag) or a double layer of paper towels; set a wire rack on top. Preheat oven to 250 °F (120 °C). This low, dry heat will keep latkes crisp while you fry successive batches.

Grate potatoes & onion

Using the large holes of a box grater (or the shredding disc of a food processor), grate potatoes and onion together. The onion’s sulfur compounds help prevent the potatoes from oxidizing to that unappetizing pink-gray.

Squeeze dry—aggressively

Pile the shreds onto a clean, lint-free tea towel. Gather the corners, twist into a tight ball, and wring over the sink until water no longer drips and the towel feels hot from potato friction. Transfer the shreds to a mixing bowl; fluff them with a fork so they’re not one compressed brick.

Season & bind

Stir in eggs, matzo meal, baking powder, 1¼ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. The mixture should feel damp but not soupy. Let stand 2 minutes; matzo meal hydrates and the batter tightens.

Heat the pan & oil

In a heavy skillet (cast iron preferred), pour sunflower oil and clarified butter to ¼-inch depth. Heat over medium until a shred of potato sizzles instantly but doesn’t scorch—about 325 °F (165 °C) on a candy thermometer.

Form & fry

Scoop ¼-cup mounds; flatten gently into 3-inch patties. Slide 4–5 latkes into the pan, leaving 1 inch between each. Fry 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden with mahogany lacy edges. Transfer to the prepared rack; sprinkle with a pinch of salt while still glistening.

Maintain temperature

Between batches, let oil reheat 30–45 seconds; add a splash more oil/butter if the level drops below ⅛ inch. Burnt bits = bitter latkes—skim the stray potato shreds with a mesh spoon.

Serve immediately—or hold

Latkes wait for no one, but if you must, keep them on the rack in the 250 °F oven up to 1 hour. Re-crisp 5 minutes at 400 °F if they’ve gone soft.

Expert Tips

Keep the starch

After squeezing, let the extracted potato liquid sit 2 minutes; the white starch settles. Pour off the water and scrape the starchy paste back into the batter for extra cohesion.

Cold batter, hot oil

Pop the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes while oil heats. Cold batter sears faster, forming a barrier that locks out excess grease.

Test one first

Fry a single latke; taste. Adjust salt or matzo meal before committing the full batch. Think of it as your dress rehearsal.

Don’t crowd = don’t sog

Overcrowding drops oil temperature, inviting spongy latkes. Work in small batches and let the oil rebound each time.

Reuse oil smartly

Strain cooled oil through cheesecloth; refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze 1 month. The clarified butter solids will be gone, so the smoke point stays high.

Color cues

Golden around the edge + deep brown in the lace = perfect. If the center is still blond, flip again for 30 seconds.

Variations to Try

Sweet-potato latkes: Swap half the russets for orange sweet potatoes. Add ½ tsp smoked paprika and serve with lime-spiked sour cream.
Zucchini-potato: Replace 1 potato with 2 medium zucchini. Salt the grated zucchini, drain 10 minutes, squeeze fiercely to avoid watery fritters.
Spicy jalapeño-cheddar: Fold 1 small minced jalapeño and ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar into the batter. Top with cooling ranch instead of sour cream.
Herb garden: Add 2 Tbsp chopped dill or chives plus 1 tsp lemon zest for a springtime spin—still kosher for Passover if you omit baking powder.
Gluten-free: Replace matzo meal with very fine almond flour or potato starch in equal volume; texture stays delicate.

Storage Tips

Refrigerate

Cool completely, layer between parchment in an airtight container, refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat on a sheet pan at 400 °F for 6–7 minutes, flipping halfway.

Freeze

Par-fry 2 minutes per side, cool, freeze in a single layer 1 hour, then transfer to zip bags for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen 8–10 minutes at 425 °F.

Frequently Asked Questions

Potato starch oxidizes quickly. Work fast, keep the grated mixture covered with the tea towel, and add onion (its sulfur slows browning). A splash of lemon juice also buys time.

Yes, though you’ll sacrifice some crunch. Brush a parchment-lined sheet generously with oil, shape latkes, brush tops, bake 12 minutes at 425 °F, flip, bake 10–12 minutes more until edges brown.

High-starch, low-moisture russets give the crispest exterior and fluffiest interior. Yukon Golds work for a creamier bite but turn out slightly less crunchy.

Ensure potatoes are dry, and lower latkes gently with a slotted spatula—no dropping from a height. A splatter screen tames rogue bubbles without trapping steam.

Up to 2 hours, covered tightly in the fridge. Beyond that, potatoes weep and discolor. Stir gently before frying; drain any pooled liquid.

Latkes contain grated onion and matzo meal for a rougher, craggy texture. Potato pancakes are typically smoother (mashed potatoes), often include milk, and are pan-fried in butter for a cake-like interior.