Guys. DON’T WORRY. I didn’t forget about Hanukkah this year. You were worried, right? But just in the nick of time, I’m comin’ atcha with some latkes like BOOM.
A few weeks ago, I was talking to my best friend Emily and mentioned that I was sad I wasn’t going to any Hanukkah dinners or parties this year. I always love celebrating with my Jewish friends and their families, but this year, all of our close Jewish friends are living in different cities, and nothing came up on the calendar. Like the smart, savvy lady that she is, she suggested that I have my own Hanukkah celebration. And she’s totally right. I mean, why can’t two completely Christian people who have a healthy appreciation for all Jewish foods have a little latke party?
So we did a little early celebration with these incredible sweet potato latkes with golden raisins and walnuts (and The Maccabeats on repeat, obviously). I may not get to play dreidl or light the menorah this year, but I will eat all the latkes I damn well please! And these are THE latkes, in my opinion. They’re obviously a bit untraditional, but everything just goes together so well and has so much flavor. We start with a sweet potato base, load it all up with scallions, golden raisins, and chopped walnuts, and fry ‘em up in a cast iron skillet for that to-die-for crunchy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside potato pancake perfection. They’re sweet and salty with a little crunch from the walnuts and the scallions, and they’re just perfect, both for Hanukkah and any time of year.
Obviously just as critical as the latkes themselves are the TOPPINGS. I rock a serious 1:1 latke-to-topping ratio. We served these with the classic applesauce and plain Greek yogurt as a healthier alternative to sour cream. These would also be great with Sriracha (what isn’t?) or any other hot sauce, although that may not be totally traditional-Jewish-dinner-approved. Feel free to do ‘em up however you like, but we both liked the Greek yogurt best with these sweet potato beauties. (Important note: with regular potato latkes, I’m all applesauce, all the way, no ifs ands or buts about it. Just for the record and all.) No matter how you like ‘em, these sweet potato latkes would be a total crowd-pleaser for any Hanukkah celebration, whether you’re having a giant rambunctious family dinner or a small Sunday afternoon latke-eating party of two. Happy almost-Hanukkah, friends!
- 1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled and coarsely shredded
- 2 scallions, chopped
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, chopped scallions, golden raisins, chopped walnuts, flour, eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix extremely well.
- In a large skillet (preferably cast iron), heat enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan by about ¼ inch over medium heat. Once the oil is hot but not sputtering, add the mixture to the pan in ¼ cup scoops, using the bottom of the measuring cup to smash each scoop into about a 3-inch round pancake. (Don’t overcrowd the pan – I fried about 3 latkes at a time.)
- Cook until golden brown and crunchy on the edges, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked latkes to a plate lined with paper towels to drain for a few minutes, then to a large baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the oven to stay warm while you fry up the rest of the batch, adding latkes after they are done frying and draining.
- Serve warm, with applesauce, sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), and/or Sriracha.
And if you’re looking for a fun, easy, and festive Hanukkah dessert – try these!
Chocolate-Covered Matzah Toffee with Sea Salt
Oh man, these are beautiful! What a great twist on the traditional latkes! And I totally love the name of your blog… so cool!
Thank you so much Chris! I love your blog and I’m so glad you stopped by!