This post has been updated to add new photos and recipe tips.
These flourless potato latke muffins have all the crispy goodness of potato pancakes, but are baked instead of fried. Made with potatoes and onions, they have the perfect tender inside with a crispy caramelized outside. They are just like potato kugel only better with more crunchy edges. Perfect for Passover, Hanukkah, and Rosh Hashanah.
Potato latkes are traditionally served for Hanukkah, but my family’s tradition is to serve these for Passover Seder. They work well for Passover since they are made without regular wheat flour, which is one of the grains not eaten during Passover. They are also great when you want to served baked latkes instead of fried. Serve them as a potato side dish for any holiday or shabbat. Guests love them, and they always disappear no matter how many I make.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Every bite has a crispy potato edge.
- Easy recipe to make ahead and reheat.
- These are healthier than traditional fried latkes.
- Great recipe to serve a crowd, or it can be halved easily.
Dana's note: This recipe has been passed down from my aunt Rose. She used to make this for every Passover holiday, along with her haroset and brisket. I always looked forward to these potato latke muffins, crispy on the outside, moist and soft on the inside. Growing up it was my #1 favorite Passover dish. I also love that these are easy to make in advance and reheat, which is helpful when cooking for a big family seder.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the recipe card below for a complete ingredient list and measurements.
Jump to Recipe- Yukon gold potatoes - This is a great type of potato for this recipe, since Yukon gold potatoes are waxy enough to hold their shape when shredded, but starchy enough to get those delicious crispy edges and soft center. You could substitute for russet potatoes.
- Yellow or brown onions - Three small or two large onions.
- Matzo meal - Should be available at your local grocery store. You can also find it at online Jewish grocers. Amazon sells matzo meal as well. If it's not Passover, flour can be used instead, although I use matzo meal for these year round.
- Neutral, high-heat oil - Like grapeseed, avocado, or safflower oil. You could also use cooking spray instead.
Step by Step Photos
See the recipe card below for complete directions.
Jump to RecipeSTEP ONE: PREP. Preheat oven. Grease muffin cups.
STEP TWO: CHOP. Chop onions in a food processor and drain excess liquid.
STEP THREE: GRATE & DRAIN. Grate peeled potatoes in the food processor. You may need to do this in batches. Add the shredded potatoes to the colander with the grated onion. Make sure to drain the potatoes well. Alternatively, you can wrap the shredded potatoes and onions in cheese cloth or an old tea towel to squeeze out all the excess water.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can use the large holes of a box grater for this.
STEP FOUR: MIX. Combine all ingredients (except for oil) in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
STEP FIVE: PORTION. Fill mini muffin tins to the top with the potato and onion mixture. Brush the tops with a little of the oil for extra crisp tops.
STEP SIX: BAKE. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the tops are crispy and golden brown. If you'd like the tops browner and crispier, run them under the broil for a minute or so.
STEP SEVEN: SERVE. Serve these latke cups warm. Option to top with your favorite latke toppings like applesauce or sour cream.
Top Tips
- Prepare and measure all ingredients ahead of time and prepare to move quickly, because once potatoes are grated, they tend to discolor.
- Using a food processor instead of grating by hand makes this recipe much easier and faster.
- Make portioning easier by using a small ice cream or cookie scoop.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Large bowl
- Large strainer lined with paper towels or a tea towel
- Nonstick mini muffin pan (24 muffins, 2 inches across). It's very important to use a nonstick muffin pan for this recipe. Otherwise, it's difficult to get the potato muffins to release from the pan.
Make ahead
This is a good recipe to make ahead of time. Muffins can be frozen or refrigerated and then reheated just before serving. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven on a baking sheet until warm and crispy, about 10 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
How to store: Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How to freeze: Freeze leftover muffins in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating instructions: To reheat, warm in a 350°F oven on a baking sheet until warm and crispy, about 10 minutes. Reheating from frozen will take about 15-20 minutes.
Other Passover recipes
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Carrot Soufflé
- My Family's Apple Harosets Recipe
- Flourless Nutella Chocolate Cake for Passover
Frequently Asked Questions
Yukon gold and russet potatoes are both great options for making latke muffins. Yukon gold potatoes are waxy enough to hold their shape when shredded, but starchy enough to get those delicious crispy edges and soft center. Russet potatoes are extra starchy for maximum crispiness.
I like using a nonstick mini muffin pan with 24 two-inch muffin cups. Use a nonstick pan so that the potato muffins will release from the pan. The mini muffin size gives a good ratio of crispy outside to soft inside. You could also use a regular muffin pan; in that case, fill the cups halfway and cook for about 5-10 minutes longer.
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Recipe
Potato Latke Muffins (Mini Potato Kugels)
Equipment
- Mini muffin pans (24 muffins, 2 inches across)
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes peeled (about 12 potatoes)
- 3 small yellow or brown onions peeled (or 2 large onion)
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 heaping tablespoon kosher salt or more to taste
- ⅓ scant cup matzo meal
- Grapeseed oil or other neutral high-heat oil to grease pans or use cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use convection function if available and no need to lower the temperature. Grease nonstick mini muffin pans well with oil or nonstick spray.
- Chop onions in a food processor with knife blade and pulse until onions are finely diced. Place onions in a large colander with a plate underneath to catch excess liquid.
- Peel potatoes and grate them in a food processor with the grating/shredding blade. Grate in 2 to 3 batches. Place grated potatoes in a colander with onions. Drain off extra liquid.
- Combine all ingredients (except oil) in a large mixing bowl.
- Spoon batter into muffin pans. Fill each cavity to the top, and lightly smooth the batter flat. Do NOT pack the batter down tightly. Optional to brush a little oil on the tops for more crispiness and browning. If using regular muffin pans, fill each cavity half full and cook longer.
- Bake in a convection oven for 24-25 minutes. Check at 30 minutes for a regular oven. Muffins are ready when the outside of the muffin is golden brown and crispy. If the sides are golden, but you would like the tops more brown, place the muffins still in their pans under the broiler for 30-60 seconds. Run a blunt knife around each muffin to help remove from the pans.
- After the first batch in the oven, run additional batches until you have used up all the batter. When I use 2 pans with 24 muffins each at the same time, I need to run 2 batches total.
- Serve warm. Optional to top with your favorite latke toppings like applesauce or sour cream.
Notes
- If you want to make this recipe for 4-6 people, make ⅓ of the recipe.
- If you have a family potato latke recipe that you love, make that batter and bake as described above.
- You can use paper towels or a tea towel to wring out excess liquid from the onions.
- I like to use pans that hold 24 muffins each. The diameter of each muffin is about 2”. A very good nonstick pan is important, otherwise the muffins tend to stick.
- If using regular muffin pans, fill each cavity half full and cook longer.
- Take out and measure all ingredients and get ready to move fairly quickly. Once potatoes are grated, they can turn a darker color.
- Make ahead: Muffins can be frozen or refrigerated and then reheated just before serving. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven on cookie sheets until warm and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Debby says
if using hash browns , how many ounces should I use for this recipe?
Dana Shrager says
This recipe calls for 5 pounds, which equals 80 ounces. This is a large recipe to feed a crowd, about 18 people. If you have less people, you can scale down the recipe.
KareninStLouis says
If I use the convection setting, should I bake at 375 degrees or keep the 400 degree temp? Also, have you ever tried this with sweet potatoes? Do you think it would work? Thanks for this recipe!
Dana says
Hi Karen- Keep the oven at 400 degrees (F) for convection oven. I love the idea of sweet potatoes- it would work, but I haven’t tried it. Hope it turns out great.
KareninStLouis says
Thank you! I think I’ll make a half-recipe with Yukon Golds and a half-recipe with sweet potatoes. I’ll let you know how it goes. Going to make them this week and freeze for the 31st.
Dana says
Great idea to go half and half. I’d love to hear how the sweet potato ones turn out.
Jacqueline King says
I bet my husband would love these. I'm going to pin them for next passover. Thanks! 🙂
Dana @ FoodieGoesHealthy says
That's great. I hope they become a favorite in you family too.
Sue Lipp says
I made these for Hanukkah using hash browns. They were excellent.
Dana says
Glad you liked them. Using hash browns is a clever shortcut.
Andrea Gutterman says
I'm a little confused about the recipe amounts. You say the latke recipe is for 84 mini muffins, but you indicate that you use 2 pans that hold 24 muffins each. I just want to make sure I have the right ingredients. I am just planning to make 48 mini muffins.
Thanks!
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Thanks for your question. The amount of ingredients listed makes approximately 84 mini muffins. I edited the recipe to make it more clear.
Paula Jacobson says
I don't see any change in the pans. You say to fill the two 24-cup mini muffin tins and bake them. You never say to repeat. So, how many latkes does the recipe make? Do you serve four per person?
Dana says
Hi Paula, Thank you for the feedback. I'll update the recipe to clarify. Yes, the serving size is about 4 mini muffins per person. The recipe makes about 72 muffins (might get a few more), so that's how we get to 18 servings, which is specified in the recipe card. It takes 2 runs in the oven to make all the batter. Hope your family enjoys! Happy Passover.
Liz says
To keep potatoes white while waiting to cook - put grated potatoes in a bowl of ice water. It really works! the brown/pink color rinses right off.
Dana says
Liz- thanks for the great tip. If you soak the potatoes, wring them dry in a dish towel to remove the water so that the potatoes crisp up instead of steam when they cook.
Isabel Foodie (@familyfoodie) says
What a beautiful recipe! Look forward to trying it!
Dana says
Isabel- thanks for coming over to check out my recipe. Best, Dana
Muriel Harris says
Instead of muffins, can this be baked in a 9X13 pan?
FoodieGoesHealthy says
Muriel- I haven't tried it, but I think that the potatoes would not come out as crisp in a large pan. When you make these as mini-muffins, they are crispy on the top, bottom, and all around the sides. To me this produces the right ratio of outer crispness to inner soft potato. I have tried these in a regular muffin pan, and when I filled them to the top, the potato was a little mushy inside. When I filled the regular muffin tin half way, the potato latke muffins came out just right. Mini-muffin tins are shorter than regular muffin tins, so you can fill them to the top. So, technically you can make this recipe in a pan, but the overall dish would be much less crisp.