Crispy homemade vegan hash browns with only a few ingredients! These potato pancakes are also known as Latkes or Rösti (Rosti) in other countries. Hash browns are a popular American breakfast dish. The recipe is plant-based, gluten-free, easy to make, and very tasty!
Potatoes – I just adore them! No wonder, most Germans love their potatoes, haha. When it comes to this delicious dish, I am most familiar with the German term “Kartoffelpuffer” which translates to “hash browns”. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
People from Switzerland call them Rösti (and often use a mixture of cooked and raw potatoes). People from Poland call them Latkes. Depending on the region of each country, there are also differences in the ingredients and preparation.
You can deep-fry hash browns, pan-fry, air-fry, or bake them. You can use a binder (e.g. flax egg) or leave it out. It’s also possible to add other veggies like carrot, onion or zucchini or only use shredded potatoes.
And if you love fritters, make sure to check out my recipes for chickpea fritters, red lentil patties, zucchini potato fritters, or millet fritters.
Are Hash Browns Vegan?
As mentioned before, there are many ways of making hash browns and not all recipes are vegan. Emmentaler Rösti has bacon in addition. Latkes often use binders like an egg. Some restaurants use butter for frying, etc. It’s super easy to make them vegan, though, and I will show you how.
These are the ingredients which I used:
- Potatoes – grated and raw
- Onion – not always traditional but very recommended
- A little flour – which makes the hash browns crispy
- Flax egg – a binder which will make your life easier, trust me!
The other few ingredients are spices, fresh herbs (I used parsley) and oil for frying.
Are hash browns gluten-free? Yes, if you skip the flour or use gluten-free flour. I used rice flour and it works really well in this hash brown recipe.
All ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Hash Browns?
You don’t need a blender or food processor to make these crispy hash browns. All you need is a regular grater, bowls, a skillet, all ingredients, and a stove. Ok, let’s start! Check the 6 process shots below for easy visual instructions.
PHOTO 1: I prefer peeling the potatoes, but you could also leave the peel on. Grate the potatoes. No need to finely grate them, we want the final hash browns to have some texture.
PHOTO 2: Put a clean cloth into a bowl and add the grated potatoes.
PHOTO 3: Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. It’s a great morning workout! 😀 Don’t throw out the potato water yet, let it sit in the bowl for a couple of minutes.
PHOTO 4: Transfer the squeezed out potatoes to a bowl and add the other ingredients. You can add more spices of choice if you like. Use your clean hands to mix all ingredients. Then carefully drain the potato liquid which was sitting in the other bowl. You will see some potato starch at the bottom of the bowl! Add it to the potato mixture, it will make the golden hash browns even crispier. Mix again.
PHOTO 5: Heat some oil in a pan/skillet (1 1/2 to 2 tbsp is enough for 4-5 potato fritters) and add the patties.
PHOTO 6: Fry from both sides on low-medium heat until golden brown and crispy. Don’t use too much heat as the outside would turn black, and the inside would stay raw. Serve with a hearty tomato sauce (you can even use ketchup), sour cream or enjoy them sweet with applesauce!
Which Potatoes?
I recommend Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes. They should be rather starchy, not waxy. All-purpose potatoes like Yukon are my favorite.
Baked Hash Browns
It’s totally possible to bake hash browns. Simply form patties with your hands, put them on a lined baking sheet, use a little cooking spray (or lightly brush with some oil). Bake at 380 °F (ca. 190 °C) for about 40 minutes, or until crispy. The baking time depends on the thickness and your oven! Flip and brush the other side with oil halfway through.
Air Fryer Hash Browns
First, make sure to spray or brush the air fryer basket with some cooking oil. Then, you can use a cookie cutter mold to help make evenly-shaped hash browns, drop ¼ cup dollops into the basket and gently flatten them. Spray/Brush the hash browns with oil, then air fryer for 14-18 minutes at 360 °F/180 °C or until golden brown and crispy.
These Vegan Potato Latkes Are:
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Crispy
- Flavorful
- Gluten-free
- Easy to make
- Quick
- Perfect for breakfast, dinner or side dish
Should you give these vegan hash browns a try, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan #elavegan because I would love to see your potato fritters!
Do you love crispy finger-food? Then make sure to also check out my other delicious gluten-free, vegan snacks:
- Crispy Polenta Fries
- Vegan Taquitos
- Stuffed Potato Cakes
- Vegetable Pakora
- Indian Onion Bhaji
- Oven-Baked Potato Wedges
Vegan Hash Browns
Ingredients
- 3 very large (700 g) potatoes e.g. Russet or Yukon Gold, peeled
- 1 medium white onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp rice flour (see notes)
- 1 flax egg (see instructions)
- 3 tbsp oil for frying
Instructions
- You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions.To make the flax egg, simply mix 1 tbsp ground flax seeds with 2 1/2 tbsp water in a small bowl and set aside to thicken.
- Peel the potatoes (or leave the peel on if you like), then weigh them. They should weigh 700 grams. Now grate the potatoes. No need to finely grate them, we want the final hash browns to have some texture.
- Put a clean cloth into a bowl and add the grated potatoes. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible (see step-by-step photos above in the blog post). Don't throw out the potato water yet, let it sit in the bowl, we will need it later.
- Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and add the other ingredients.
- Use your clean hands to mix all ingredients. Then carefully drain the potato liquid (throw it away) which was sitting in the other bowl. You will see potato starch at the bottom of the bowl! Add it to the potato mixture, it will make the hash browns even crispier. Mix again.
- Heat some oil in a pan/skillet (1 1/2 to 2 tbsp is enough for 4-5 potato pancakes) and fry the hash browns from both sides on low-medium heat until golden brown and crispy (this can take about 6-8 minutes per side). Don't use too much heat as the outside would turn black and the inside would stay raw.
- Serve with a hearty tomato sauce (you can even use ketchup), sour cream or enjoy them sweet with applesauce! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Flour: You could use chickpea flour instead of rice flour or regular flour (if not gluten-free).
- You can add a carrot or zucchini or even try mixing sweet potato with white potatoes for a variation (I need to try that too).
- I prefer to pan-fry the hash browns because they turn out crispier and the method is quicker. However, if you want to use less oil, you can air-fry or bake them (read the blog post above to find out how).
- If you love potatoes, you might also enjoy these Crispy Pan-Roasted Potatoes.
- The recipe makes about 10 hash browns (depending on size and thickness). Nutrition facts are for one hash brown.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Dear Ela, tnx for your full explanation. how should we use flax egg? I mean as powder or whole seed ?
Hi Jela, it’s mentioned in the recipe instructions 🙂
Hi Ela,
Is it possible to remove the flax egg? I Don’t see by What I can replace it?
Thank you so much!!
Hi Betty, you need it to hold the mixture together. I tried it once without it but it’s way easier to use a binder. Any other egg replacement (chia egg or Aquafaba) should work as well. 🙂
Are these vegan- keto friendly? 🙂
They’re vegan (all my food is) but not keto-friendly. The nutrition facts are in the recipe notes. 🙂
This was so goooooood! Only had one white potato but plenty of sweet potatoes but it still turned out great.
So glad it was a success! Thanks for your feedback, Alex. 🙂
Wow!! These are spectacular and simple to make. Thank you for another great recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Laura. 🙂
These taste amazing!! I had a craving for hash browns and found this recipe. I ran out of flax seed so I had to use an egg! My grandma and sister loved them! Can’t wait to make the vegan version, no doubt they taste just as amazing!! Thanks Ela 🙂
I am glad they turned out great, Sienna! I hope you will try out my vegan version soon. 🙂
Much love, Ela
Hello Ela. Thanks for the recipes. I wonder if I can freeze vegan hash browns?
Hello Lorena, yes that’s fine! I would pan-fry them halfway through, then let cool completely and freeze in freezer bags. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi Ela
Where can I find vegan sour cream recipe ?
I would like to try that with this recipe.
Thanks
Hey Roopa, I don’t have a recipe for sour cream on my blog yet. This is how I would make it: Blend silken tofu or vegan cream cheese with a little lemon juice (or lime juice) and add salt, pepper, and a little mustard to taste. Another option would be to soak 1 cup cashews and blend them with 1/2 cup water instead of using silken tofu or vegan cream cheese. Let me know if you give it a try. 🙂
I mix Veganaise and lemon juice (or lime juice) for sour cream if I forgot to buy some. Will be trying the recipe! Looks great!
Sounds great! 🙂
Hi, thanks for sharing this recipe, I am about to try this. Question, you mentioned the potato water, but what happens with it later? Thanks
Hi, it’s explained in the instruction step no. 5:
Oh man, YUM! I may try to make these in the air fryer. Any suggestions on time/temp? Thanks!!
Good question, Michelle. 😀 I never tried to make the hash browns in an air-fryer but I would suggest 375-400 degrees Fahrenheit and maybe 10-15 minutes or until crispy on the outside. Please report back if you give it a try.
I am getting onboard with American Cuisine. I really liked your hash brown recipe. I tried it and it was amazing. I am thinking of making it my monthly cheat meal.
Awesome! I am so glad you liked it. 🙂
These look so delicious! Love hashbrowns! ????
They are super crispy and yummy, I am sure you would love them, Bianca.
These are delicious!! And so easy to make. My husband and I enjoyed them for our sunday brunch!
Fantastic! I am glad your husband enjoyed them! Thanks for your great feedback Dipti! 🙂
So easy to make and extremely delicious. I had been craving hash browns all day and we ended up making this recipe for dinner. My whole family enjoyed them.
That’s awesome, Susan! I am so glad you and your whole family liked them! Thanks for your amazing feedback. 🙂