Looking for a simple recipe to turn that leftover mash into something special? Enter vegan potato pancakes. Light, fluffy, crispy, and slightly cheesy, they're a great snack or breakfast dish that's egg-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
If you want to make these but don't have leftover mashed potatoes, simply prepare some mash as you normally would then allow it to cool and firm up in the fridge before following this recipe.
For a hearty vegan breakfast, pair these mashed potato pancakes with protein-packed eggy scrambled tofu or leftover vegan haggis fritters.
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Let's talk mash
The leftover mashed potatoes you use will affect the final outcome of this recipe. Ideally, they'll be fluffy, very smooth, and with a relatively neutral flavour. If they already include stronger flavours such as mustard, as I'll sometimes include in vegan mash, then that'll come through in the pancakes.
In that case, it might be worth using the potatoes in another savoury dish such as vegan fish pie or vegan cottage pie.
Making these without eggs
You might think that mashed potato cakes won't really work without eggs or an egg substitute (there are plenty of vegan egg alternatives). But it really is as simple as combining the ingredients and frying the potato 'dough' in a hot pan.
Of course, the texture won't be exactly the same as with a thinner, more traditional batter, but you should end up with a pancake that's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
What you'll need
The beauty of these gluten-free potato cakes lies in their simplicity. You'll need:
- Leftover mashed potato that has been chilled in the fridge
- Gluten-free flour and baking powder to bind the mix and help make the pancakes fluffy
- Nutritional yeast for added flavour and cheesiness
- Spring onion to add a fresh and aromatic edge
How to make mashed potato pancakes
In a bowl, use a fork or spoon to loosen up the leftover mashed potatoes (1).
Mix in the flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, plant-based milk or water, and a pinch each of salt and pepper (2). Stir together until all the ingredients are combined, then mix in the sliced spring onion (3).
You should have a firm, fairly dry dough that keeps its shape, doesn't break apart, and can be easily moulded in your hands.
Take a small amount of dough – approx. one twelfth of the mix – and roll it into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc approx. ½ inch thick and smooth the sides to make it round.
Repeat until you've used up all the dough (I ended up with 12 pancakes, but this can easily vary). You can either shape all of the potato cakes before frying, or do it in batches as you go.
Heat a wide, flat-based pan on medium heat and add a tablespoon of plant-based butter or oil. Once hot, place 3-4 pancakes in the pan (depending on how much space you have).
Gently fry for a few minutes until golden underneath, then flip over and repeat on the other side.
Do this until you've used up all your dough, adding as much extra plant-based butter or oil as necessary for each new batch. If you like, you can place the cooked pancakes on a plate lined with kitchen paper to remove any excess oil. Serve warm.
Serving suggestions
These things are great on their own, or with sliced spring onions and tomato ketchup on the side. You could also top with plant-based sour cream or crème fraîche, or include them as part of a larger cooked breakfast.
Recipe FAQ
Baking powder is usually gluten-free, but it's worth making sure on the product packaging if you need to be careful.
If you don't need this recipe to be gluten-free, simply use regular plain/all-purpose flour.
You can refrigerate the cooked pancakes for up to four days, although you should reduce this time accordingly depending on how many days the leftover mash had already spent in the fridge.
These are best when freshly cooked, however you can freeze them for up to six months.
Variations and tips for vegan potato cakes
- Consistency: You may need an extra splash of plant-based milk or water, so tweak as necessary. You definitely want the dough to be fairly dry as it'll turn softer in the hot pan.
- Sticky hands: If your hands get a bit sticky when shaping the discs, you can rinse them quickly under running water or have a bowl of cold water next to you to dip them in.
- Mashed potatoes: If you've recently made the mash, it helps for it to have cooled down thoroughly in the fridge before making these pancakes.
- Vegan cheese: If you want to add vegan cheese, grate this and stir it into the mix.
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More vegan recipe ideas
If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:
Vegan Potato Pancakes (Using Leftover Mash)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (600 g) leftover mashed potatoes (chilled)
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour (or regular plain/all-purpose flour if not GF)
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon plant-based milk or water (plus more if necessary)
- 1 medium spring onion, finely sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Plant-based butter or oil for frying
Instructions
- In a bowl, use a fork or spoon to loosen up the leftover mashed potatoes.
- Mix in the flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, plant-based milk or water, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir together until all the ingredients are combined, then mix in the sliced spring onion. You should have a firm, fairly dry dough that keeps its shape, doesn't break apart, and can be easily moulded in your hands.
- Note: You can either shape all of the potato cakes before frying, or do it in batches as you go.Take a small amount of dough – approx. one twelfth of the mix – and roll it into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc approx. ½ inch thick and smooth the sides to make it round. Repeat until you've used up all the dough (I ended up with 12 pancakes, but this can easily vary).
- Heat a wide, flat-based pan on medium heat and add a tablespoon of plant-based butter or oil. Once hot, place 3-4 pancakes in the pan (depending on how much space you have).
- Gently fry for a few minutes until golden underneath, then flip over and repeat on the other side. Do this until you've used up all your dough, adding as much extra plant-based butter or oil as necessary for each new batch.
- If you like, you can place the cooked pancakes on a plate lined with kitchen paper to remove any excess oil. Serve warm with your favourite toppings or accompaniments.
Notes
- Eggy Scrambled Tofu
- Vegan Tofu Pancetta
- Ultimate Vegan Haggis
- Vegan Haggis Toastie
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes (Dauphinoise)
- Mashed Leek and Potato Soup
- Vegan Haggis Quesadilla
- 4-Ingredient Cashew Parmesan
Nutrition
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