Tova's Shabbos Kitchen Make-ahead Shabbos and Yom Tov cooking

Baked Sweet Potato Latkes: Oven-Crisp, Make-Ahead, and Pareve

Pareve · · By Tova's Shabbos Kitchen · Jump to recipe

Sweet potato latkes baked on sheet pans instead of fried. Less oil, no splatter, and they freeze and reheat crisp. Easy pareve recipe for Chanukah.

Sweet potato latkes are the easy cousin of the classic. They need less squeezing, they hold together well, and they bake beautifully on a sheet pan, which means no standing over hot oil and no smell that lingers for days. Bake them ahead, freeze them, and reheat them crisp.

Why bake them

Frying gives you the crunchiest latke. Baking gives you a lot of latkes at once with almost no attention. Two sheet pans hold a whole batch, and the oven does the work while you set the table. For a family that wants latkes every night of Chanukah, a freezer bag of these is the easiest way to get there.

Tips for crisp baked latkes

  • Oil the pan well. The oil on the pan is what fries the bottom. Don’t skimp.
  • Shape them thin. About 1/3 inch thick. Thick latkes steam instead of crisp.
  • Leave space. Crowded latkes steam each other.
  • Flip once, gently. Wait until the bottoms are well browned so they release.

Make-ahead plan

WhenTask
Up to 3 months aheadBake, cool on a rack, freeze flat, bag
Serving dayOven to 425 F, frozen latkes straight onto sheet pans
10 to 12 minutes laterServe hot

Holding them for a party? The same rack-and-low-oven method in our guide on keeping latkes warm and crispy works for these.

Serving ideas

Serve them with homemade applesauce for a pareve or meat meal. For a dairy table, a spoon of sour cream and a pinch of cinnamon. They also sit nicely on a platter next to classic make-ahead potato latkes, so everyone gets a choice.

Recipe card · Pareve

Baked Sweet Potato Latkes

Grated sweet potato and onion latkes baked on oiled sheet pans at high heat until the edges crisp, with freezer and reheating steps.

Prep
20 min
Cook
25 min
Total
45 min
Yield
About 18 latkes, 3 inches each
Kashrus
Pareve

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled
  • 1 small onion, peeled
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour or matzo meal
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin or smoked paprika (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup vegetable or avocado oil, divided

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven: Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 425 F. Brush two rimmed sheet pans with 2 Tbsp oil each, or line them with parchment and brush the parchment.
  2. Grate: Grate the sweet potatoes and onion on the large holes of a box grater or with a food processor grating disk.
  3. Squeeze: Squeeze the grated mixture in a clean towel to remove extra moisture. Sweet potatoes are drier than russets, so a firm squeeze is enough.
  4. Mix: In a bowl, combine the sweet potato mixture with the eggs, flour or matzo meal, salt, cumin or paprika, and pepper.
  5. Shape: Scoop packed 2 Tbsp mounds onto the oiled pans, 2 inches apart, and flatten each to about 1/3 inch. Thin latkes crisp better.
  6. Bake: Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until browned underneath. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, swap the pans between racks, and bake 8 to 10 minutes more until both sides are browned and the edges are crisp.
  7. Serve: Move to a wire rack for a minute so the bottoms stay crisp, then sprinkle with a little flaky salt.

Make-ahead and storage

  • Refrigerator: cool completely and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat on a rack at 400 F for 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Freezer: freeze in a single layer on a tray until firm, then bag. Keeps up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen at 425 F for 10 to 12 minutes, or in an air fryer at 375 F for 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Don't make the batter ahead. Grated sweet potato releases water as it sits and the latkes spread.

Notes

  • Sweet potato burns faster than white potato because of its natural sugar. If the edges darken before the centers set, lower the oven to 400 F.
  • These are pareve. Serve them with applesauce at a meat meal, or sour cream at a dairy meal.

Questions people ask

Can you bake latkes instead of frying them?

Yes. On well-oiled sheet pans at 425 F, thin latkes brown and crisp at the edges in about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once. They are less crunchy than fried latkes, but they use far less oil.

Can sweet potato latkes be made ahead?

Yes. Bake them, cool them, and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in a hot oven or air fryer, never the microwave.

Can you make sweet potato latkes in an air fryer?

Yes. Brush or spray the basket with oil, add a single layer of flattened mounds, and air fry at 380 F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway. They are also a quick way to reheat baked latkes.

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Baked Sweet Potato Latkes: Oven-Crisp and Make-Ahead

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