Vegan Potato Pancakes (Using Leftover Mash)

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. For a sweet potato variant, see these sweet potato pancakes with chilli and lime.

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.

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.

Hey you – let me know what you think

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it – or did anything differently – I'd love to hear from you down below in the comments 👇

You can also find me and let me know on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @thepeskyvegan 🌿

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You can also check out my full list of vegan sides.