Kartoffelpuffer (German Potato Pancakes)
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Delightfully crispy and flavorful, these authentic German potato pancakes, Kartoffelpuffer, are fun to make and even more delicious to eat! They can be sweet or savory depending on the toppings you choose or what you serve them with. Made the way my Mutti and Oma made them in authentic German fashion!
A quintessential German treat beloved across every region of Germany, Kartoffelpuffer (German potato pancakes) are not only a favorite dish to serve at home but are also a popular street food found at local Volksfests and holiday events like Fasching, Karneval and Christmas markets.
In particular these German potato pancakes bring back memories of going to my Oma and Opa’s house. Throughout my childhood and through young adulthood my Oma would regularly make these when we went over to their house. My brother and I would play cards at kitchen table with my Opa while my Oma stood over the stove with the crackling sounds and smells of frying Kartoffelpuffer filling the air. Before long, plates of hot Kartoffelpuffer were set out on the table and we helped ourselves to a sprinkle of powdered sugar and generous heaps of applesauce. My Oma knew to make big batches of these Kartoffelpuffer because my brother and I could rarely get enough of them.
What Are Kartoffelpuffer?
Depending on the region of Germany, Kartoffelpuffer are also known as Reibekuchen, Reibeplätzchen, Reiberdatschi and Grumbeerpannekuche.
You may also be familiar with Swiss Rösti. But those are something different. The key difference lies in the size of the grated potatoes: Rösti are shredded whereas Kartoffelpuffer are finely grated. Also, with Rösti the potatoes are sometimes grated raw but more often are parboiled whole in their skins for a few minutes so that the center is still hard, then peeled and grated once they’ve cooled down. Because the potatoes are grated/shredded on the largest setting (in German, “grob geraspelt”) to get large, long strands, parboiling them first prevents the outside of the Rösti from burning before the potatoes are thoroughly cooked through. Grated onions are usually added and sometimes bacon and cheese, depending on the region. Rösti are also fried longer until they are light brown and crunchy.
Kartoffelpuffer on the other hand are made from potatoes that are grated raw and grated finely (allowing them to cook quickly and evenly). The shredded potatoes are wrung out in a clean dish towel and then mixed with egg, finely grated onion and flour and then fried to light golden. The end result is a crispy exterior and soft interior.
How to Serve German Potato Pancakes
Kartoffelpuffer can be served either sweet or savory. Most commonly they’re served dusted with powdered sugar and/or some apple sauce or other fruit compote. But in some areas of Germany they are also served with savory toppings such as herbed Quark, yogurt-herb sauce, or smoked salmon. Or served as a side with beef or pork and drizzled with gravy like Rahm Sauce, Mushroom Gravy or Onion Gravy and accompanied by Rotkohl or Sauerkraut. Try your German potato pancakes both sweet and savory style, they’re delicious both ways!
Kartoffelpuffer Recipe
Let’s get started!
Use a grater or food processor to finely grate the potatoes. You don’t want thick strands. Either place the grated potatoes in a colander and thoroughly squeeze the liquid out with your hands or place them in a clean dish towel and wring it to squeeze out the liquid.
Place the drained grated potatoes in a bowl along with the grated onion, eggs, flour and salt. Use your hands to knead the mixture together until you have a thick, tacky mass. Don’t let this mixture sit for long before frying it.
Heat some oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1/3-1/2 cup (depending on size preference) of the potato mixture to the frying pan and flatten it with the back of a spoon to form pancakes. Fry the Kartoffelpuffer on both sides (about 3-5 minutes) until golden brown. Place the fried potato pancakes on paper towels to briefly blot them and then immediately serve them while hot.
Serve with applesauce, fruit compote, or powdered sugar or serve it savory-style with some herbed yogurt, quark or creme fraiche or with meat and gravy.
Guten Appetit!
For more authentic German recipes be sure to try my:
- Spaetzle
- Kaesespaetzle
- Schnitzel
- Jagerschnitzel
- German Goulash
- Schweinshaxe
- Currywurst
- Sauerbraten
- Rouladen
- Rotkohl
- Maultaschen
- German Potato Soup
- German Potato Salad
- Semmelknödel
- Königsberger Klopse
- German Potato Dumplings
- Zwiebelkuchen
- German Bread (Vollkornbrot)
- Obatzda
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Kartoffelpuffer (German Potato Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds starchy potatoes, peeled and very finely grated (RAW, not cooked)
- 1 small yellow onion, very finely grated
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or more if needed)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- neutral-tasting oil for frying
Instructions
- Thoroughly wring out the liquid in the grated potatoes by placing them in a colander and squeezing them with your hands or by placing them in a clean dish towel and wringing out the liquid.
- Place the drained grated potatoes in a medium-sized bowl with the grated onion, eggs, flour and salt and use your hands to work it into a tacky mixture. Add a little more flour if needed. Do no let the mixture sit for long before using it, use it immediately.
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the mixture (depending on size preference) in the hot pan and flatten into pancakes with the back of a spoon. Fry on both sides for 3-5 minutes until the Kartoffelpuffer are golden. Place them briefly on paper towels.
- Serve immediately while hot with applesauce, fruit compote or powdered sugar. For a savory version serve with herbed yogurt, quark or creme fraiche or with meat and gravy as part of a meal.
Nutrition
Originally published October 24, 2017
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
My German grandmother’s “secret ingredient” was to add a grated apple to the mix. Yummy. And she would never used mashed potatoes!!!! These were a regular dish on “meatless Fridays” in our Catholic household. Even my Dad would make them occasionally. Decades later, visiting my brother, the one dish he always wanted me to make were these pancakes.
hi Marianne,the grated apple soundsgood.will try it.bill.bill
My mum use to make these when i was a kid when we had left over mashed potato .. I dont think these are kertoffel pluffer as my mum use to have me grating a dozen medium to large potatoes every weekend practically then we would wring them pulp out and drain all the starch from the pulp she would then add flower salt pepper eggs and some caraway seed to them and slowly boil them in a pot of water … but I know she would keep the starch to make the pancakes with a mxture of mashed potato and grated potato flour salt and onion and shallow fry them in the frypan I loved them though and i use to take some to school as well as she would make a couple of dozen of them as we had a big family .. my mum was an amazing cook she cooked so many german and european meals at home and at work as she was a chef when she came here from germany for a business for about fifteen years ..she loved cooking and everyweekend there she was in the kitchen making or baking something from germany ..I wished she had written recipes into a book it would definately be a hand me down treasure and possible business venture for one of our growing family numbers …btw I will be trying these out tomorrow however i wont be grating the potatoes I have a juice extractor which grates the pulp and wizzes all the juices out of most vegies I have used such as carrots and beets so I think it will be a treat to make the potato pancakes
Hi David, thank you for sharing all of these wonderful memories. I hope you enjoy the Kartoffelpuffer!
Very interestuing to read all the comments, my mum used to make these and she had a viniga and sugar suace to spread on top. Does anyone have this recipe i really need to make this
Hi Mike, The sauce might have been leftover sauerbraten gravy. We always had extra and had it on the potato pancakes the next day. If you don’t want to make the sauerbraten you could probably make a beef gravy and add some red wine vinegar and sweetner to give it that sweet and sour taste. I personally like the ginger snap cookies in the gravy. It gives it sweetness and a bit of kick from the ginger. That is the flavor profile I grew up with. Boy, did this bring back memories.
These were the best potato pancakes i have ever made and family agrees. So much better than my other fail cakes! so good. I added a little garlic chive and shallot. yum!
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Amy, thanks for the feedback!
My mom always added fresh parsley. I make them using Russet potatoes because they are not too watery.
If the grating is too much work try doing it in a blender using a very low grate or chop cycle but only for a few
seconds at a time. Less work still taste great.
I think my German grandmother used Matzo meal instead of flour. Anybody know if that’s possible? I think she was from Mannheim. Thanks for the memories. (Grandpa had to do the grating, too.)
When making latkes you use matzo meal. With these you are using flour. Comes out the same. My Polish grandmother used to make them all the time with four.
I love potato pancakes :-)
You are absolutely right, these are not rösti. But the difference is not what you say it is. I make my rösti with raw potatoes and grate them just as finely/coarsely as I do my potato pancakes. The difference is that rösti is just potatoes, potato pancakes are a “batter” – there’s eggs and flour/potato starch added.
My family made these and we had either with applesauce or sour cream. I think maybe chives went into the mix, maybe!
For a savory version, chives are a great addition, Adrienne!