These irresistible German Potato Pancakes also called Kartoffelpuffer are golden brown, deliciously fried potato fritters for any time of the day made with only a couple of staple pantry ingredients. This traditional dish can be served with applesauce or sour cream.
Kartoffelpuffer is a popular holiday street food of Germany. My authentic German Potato Pancakes recipe comes together in a few ingredients, in under half an hour and is easily customizable with loads of different variations.
Reibekuchen (aka Kartoffelpuffer) is my top-of-the-line pick at Weihnachtsmarkt (apart from backfisch and crepe mit Nutella). These hot, crispy potato fritters in the freezing cold of December just warm up the heart.
If you are a fan of German food, make sure you try my Chicken Schniztel with Mushroom Sauce and my fusion Black Forest Tiramisu!
Table of Content
What Is Kartoffelpuffer
Kartoffelpuffer (pronounced kaar-taa-fuhl-poo-fr) are traditional German potato pancakes. They combine finely shredded potatoes, grated onions, flour, and egg to create a disc-shaped potato dish.
This recipe was first recorded in 1877 in Germany and used to be a 'peasant' food. Now it is a staple dish found across all regions, served in restaurants and as a popular street food at local festivals (like Oktoberfest), Karneval (carnival fair) and Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas markets).
Reibekuchen, karoffelphannkuchen, Reibeplätzchen, Reiberdatschi, Dotsch, Baggers and Grumbeerpannekuche are all different regional names of this dish.
These German style potato pancakes can be served with sweet or savory sides but the most common accompaniment is apfelmus (applesauce).
Looking for more savory breakfast ideas? Try my Croissant Breakfast Sandwich or Egg Salad Sandwich.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes - Use potatoes high in starch content, like Idaho, Yukon Gold and russet potatoes. If in Germany, get the vorwiegend kochend or festkochend.
- Onion - yellow or white onion works best in this dish!
- Flour - all-purpose white flour.
- Eggs - they help bind the batter.
- Seasonings - usually, only salt and pepper are added. I like to put in smoked paprika for extra flavor.
- Cooking oil - use any neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying these fritters. Some options are rapeseed, sunflower, canola oil, and vegetable oil. Some recipes additionally add butter as well.
- Garnish - chives or green onion works excellently as a garnish, giving them some colour too.
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make German Potato Pancakes
Grab your potatoes, and let's make some mouthwatering Kartoffelpuffer!
1. Wash and peel the potatoes. Thinly shred the potatoes from the small side of the box grater.
2. Now, grate the onion on the large holes. Onion otherwise can get really mushy.
3. Wring potatoes first and save the liquid collected at the bottom. Then, squeeze the onion too, in a separate bowl.
4. Transfer grated onion and potatoes to a bowl. Mix the seasonings, flour, egg, and a little bit of white potato starch liquid.
5. Using a measuring cup, spoon the batter into hot oil and press lightly with a spatula to flatten.
6. Fry on medium heat till the kartoffelpuffer is golden brown and crispy on both sides.
7. Remove on a wire rack and season immediately with some sea salt.
8. Top with sour cream and chopped chives. You can also enjoy these German potato cakes with applesauce.
Expert Tips
- Don't let the batter sit for too long. The salt pulls moisture out of the potatoes and makes the entire batter watery.
- Grate potatoes on the small side of the grater. It gives the most authentic results. I prefer to grate onion separately on the large blade because I feel it gets all mushy otherwise.
- Remove as much moisture from the grated potatoes and onions so they stay crispy later. You can squeeze in your palms, wring in a kitchen towel, or press in a sieve.
- Remove your fried potato pancakes on a wire rack. When you put on a paper towel, the trapped heat makes them soggy from the bottom.
Serving Suggestions
These classic German potato pancakes can be served with sweet spices, apple sauce, fruit compote, maple syrup, cranberry sauce, powdered sugar, or even sour cream.
Pair with a hot Caramel Latte, cozy Pink Tea or Masala Chai for a comforting meal.
If you want to spruce up these potato fritters, try fun toppings like smoked salmon, dill, and creme fraiche.
Variations
Wanna spice up your kartoffelpuffer recipe? Here are some options:
- Play with seasonings like garlic powder, cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg, cumin, or dried basil. Check out the Pakistani version of potato fritters called pakoras!
- Sneak in some veggies such as leeks, zucchini, carrots, and green onions. Just grate them and add them to your potato mixture before frying.
- Switch up the fresh herbs from chives to fresh dill, rosemary, parsley, or thyme. Add these herbs to the batter, or use them as a garnish.
- Swap with butternut squash. If you have sweet potatoes or butternut squash, you can use them as a substitute for regular potatoes. Your potato cakes will taste sweeter and have a fun orange color.
FAQs
Hash browns are simply shredded potatoes fried until crispy, while potato pancakes use egg and flour for binding. German potato pancakes are served with sweet or savory toppings, unlike hash browns, which are a classic breakfast side.
Rösti is Switzerland's version of potato pancakes and one of their national dishes. It is does not contain any egg or flour.
Latkes and Kartoffelpuffer are similar but not the same. German potato pancakes are simpler, using just shredded potatoes and a binder, while latkes often include baking powder, matzo meal, or milk.
I recommend making them fresh for the best texture, as prepped potatoes can discolor and get soggy. However, you can fry them ahead and store the fried kartoffelpuffer in an airtight container in the fridge.
Ideally, reheat in an air fryer to revive some of the crunch. Air fry at 180°C (350°F) for 4-5 minutes. For an oven, arrange the potato pancakes on a baking tray and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 5-8 minutes till hot.
You can freeze cooked German potato fritters for up to a month. Store them in an airtight box.
More Tasty Potato Recipes
Love potatoes? Then you must try these recipes:
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📖 Recipe
German Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer)
Ingredients
- 4 medium (550g / 1.2lb) potatoes see notes
- 1 small (90g) yellow onion
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 medium egg
- ¼ cup (60ml) cooking oil for frying
- 2-3 tbsp chives to garnish
Equipment
- Box Grater or food processor
Instructions
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Then using a grater or food processor grate them on the small side.
- Place them in a kitchen towel and wring to squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Don't throw the liquid from the potatoes. Keep aside for 5 minutes.
- On the large side, grate the onions. Grating on the larger holes will keep its texture intact. Squeeze out extra water by wringing in the same kitchen towel.
- Then put the potatoes and onions in a medium-sized bowl. Add the flour, salt, white pepper, smoked paprika and egg. Mix well to form a batter.
- Drain most of the liquid from the potatoes and save the white potato starch at the bottom. Add around 2 tablespoon to the batter and mix well.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add ¼ cup of the pancake batter and press lightly to flatten. Don't over crowd the pan, work in batches or the potato pancakes will get soggy.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes on medium high heat. Flip when you notice brown edges. Cook on the opposite side for 3-4 minutes till golden and crispy.
- Remove on a wire rack to drain excess oil. Sprinkle sea salt immediately. You can also keep in a preheated oven while you tend to rest of the batter.
- Spoon some sour cream on the kartoffelpuffer and garnish with chopped chives. Enjoy hot!
Video
Notes
- Use potatoes high in starch content, like russet, Idaho and Yukon Gold.
- Don't let the batter sit for too long. Start frying immediately! The salt pulls moisture out of the potatoes and makes the entire batter watery.
- Heat the oil properly to avoid soggy pancakes. Fry on medium-high, adjusting as needed—raise the heat if there's no bubbling, lower it if they're burning. Ensure they cook inside without burning on the outside.
- Remove your fried potato pancakes on a wire rack. When you put on a paper towel, the trapped heat makes them soggy from the bottom.
Nutrition
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