This vegan Kartoffelpuffer recipe, also known as tahini potato patties, is baked instead of fried and completely gluten-free. Appropriate for Hanukkah, Sephardic Passover, or anytime, this recipe is brought to you by a contributing writer, Sharon Aharoni. The dish is inspired by her experience at a Berlin restaurant called Kanaan.
At Kanaan, a vegetarian restaurant in Berlin, food is more than a meal. It’s a story of cultural unity. Founded by Israeli Jew Oz Ben David and Israeli Arab Jalil Debit, the restaurant blends family traditions and regional flavors into vibrant plant-based dishes. Their menu highlights Middle Eastern staples like hummus, salads, and freshly baked breads, paired with local German influences. One of their most popular creations, Kartoffelpuffer with tahini, reflects this spirit of connection. German potato pancakes are reimagined with Moroccan and Israeli touches, showing how shared flavors can bridge cultures while offering a delicious, nourishing experience.
What Is Kartoffelpuffer?
If you’re unfamiliar, Kartoffelpuffer are traditional German potato pancakes made from grated potatoes mixed with onion, egg, and flour, then pan-fried until golden and crispy. They’re often served with applesauce or sour cream and are a beloved comfort food at German street fairs and holiday markets. In this recipe, the classic dish gets a fresh twist. Baked instead of fried and paired with tahini, it’s made completely gluten-free for a lighter, plant-based take on the traditional favorite.
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Potatoes – Russet potatoes work best here since they’re starchy and bake up crisp on the outside yet tender inside.
- Fresh Herbs – A mix of parsley and cilantro adds brightness and flavor. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, use extra parsley instead.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic infuses the patties with a savory, aromatic base.
- Spices – Cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper give these patties warmth and depth, with just the right balance of earthy and peppery notes.
- Tahini – Creamy tahini binds the mixture together while adding richness. Choose a high-quality tahini that’s smooth and not bitter for the best flavor.
Tori’s Top Tips for Success
- Squeeze out excess liquid. When shaping the patties, gently press out extra moisture from the potatoes. This helps them become nice and crispy instead of soggy.
- Use Parchment Paper. Lining your baking sheets prevents sticking and makes flipping the patties much easier.
- Don’t worry if the patties are loose. The patties may feel soft when shaping, but they’ll firm up as they bake.
- Flip and flatten. Halfway through baking, flip the patties, and press down lightly with a spatula for the best texture and browning.
- Adjust with tahini. If the mixture feels too dry, add a little more tahini. If it feels too wet, squeeze out a bit more liquid before baking.
- Make it your own. Try mixing in shredded carrots, leeks, or sweet potatoes for added nutrients, flavor, and variety.
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Kartoffelpuffer – Crispy Baked Potato Tahini Patties
Ingredients
- 5 whole potatoes, large (about 4 pounds)
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped – if you don’t like cilantro, substitute additional parsley
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons cumin
- 2 1/4 teaspoons turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, more or less to taste
- 1 cup tahini paste, or more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scrub the potatoes clean.
- Grate the potatoes into shreds. The easiest way to do this is using a food processor with a shredding disc, but you can also use a hand grater to shred by hand if you prefer. You should end up with around 10-11 cups of potato shreds.
- Combine the shredded potatoes, minced garlic, chopped herbs, tahini, spices, salt and pepper in a very large mixing bowl. Mix until it all comes together – the easiest way is with clean hands. You want to make sure the tahini is well mixed throughout the batter. Taste the mixture at this point and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. If mixture feels too loose or dry, add a little more tahini.
- Form patties from the mixture, using a scant 1/2 cup of mixture for each patty. Gently squeeze out excess liquid starch from each patty before placing the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet. They will be more like loose mounds at this point, but don’t worry, they will firm up as they bake.
- Place baking sheets in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the patties have firmed up a bit. Flip the patties and gently press on them with a spatula to flatten.
- Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes longer, until golden brown and crispy on both sides.
- Kalil and Oz recommend you serve these crispy kartoffelpuffer potato patties with tahini sauce, hummus and vegetable salad. They also noted that you can substitute or add carrots, leek or sweet potato to this recipe. It is very adaptable.
NOTES
Nutrition
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FAQs
Traditionally, German Kartoffelpuffer are served with applesauce or sour cream, but this recipe pairs beautifully with tahini sauce, hummus, and a crisp vegetable salad. You can also enjoy it alongside roasted vegetables or as part of a mezze-style spread. If plant-based options aren’t a concern, it’s also great with proteins like date-glazed orange chicken, smoky panko schnitzel bites, or sriracha salmon cakes, or as part of a mezze-style spread.
Yes! You can prepare the patties up to a day in advance and store them, unbaked, in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, simply bake as directed. Fully baked patties can also be refrigerated for three to four days or frozen for up to a month. Reheat in the oven at 375°F just until warmed through and crisp again.
Can I make these ahead and freeze them?
Deborah unfortunately I haven’t tried freezing these, so unsure if it will work. It would be best if you can test it. Latkes freeze very well, but these contain tahini and I’m not sure if that will change the texture on reheating. My gut says they’ll probably be fine, but I can’t promise without testing it myself.
These were really excellent! We were looking for a healthier latke alternative (no frying) for hanukkah and these fit the bill. Interesting background too. Thanks for sharing!
Hi! I can’t wait to try this recipe. A few of us are making Israeli food for a synagogue Beyond Falafel and Hummus dinner and a movie, and this is one I want to include. Can you tell me if this is freezable and, if so, any recommendations for reheating?
Btw, my daughter turned me on to your site years ago, when you were “in the kitchen” and we’ve prepared your dishes for many a Jewish holiday and beyond. You’re our favorite.
Thanks Maria! 🙂 I think these would probably freeze well, like latkes do– but I haven’t actually tried it, so you might want to do a test run first.
I will let you know. I thought I had a grater attachment for my food processor but it seems to be missing a piece and I was too lazy to hand grate, so i improvised. Although the texture was off, as a result, it still tasted delicious. I am going to try to freeze some now, and will let you know. They should freeze like latkes but I suspect that they will be easier to reheat (less “drama,” as they aren’t fried).
Thanks!
Hi Tori,
You mentioned that you made a few changes in the recipe such as oven temp., is your suggested oven temp whats written in recipe?
Thanks xo
-Dara
My suggested oven temp is 425 degrees F, which is what is written in the recipe. They suggested 450 or 475, if I remember correctly.
Tor A-V — I understand yours is a veggie blog. ;So you shuld be sending us lots of salmon recipes.
Marvin
Jerusalem
This is not a vegetarian blog, but Sharon (my newest contributor) will be focusing mostly on vegan and vegetarian recipes– which would not include salmon. However, I do have lots of salmon recipes on the site, all you need to do is search the word “salmon” in the search box at the top of the page. 🙂
Sharon. what a wonderful addition to Tori’s outstanding culinary website you are. The melding of cultures in the kartoffelpuffer recipe and Kanaan backstory serve as more than cookery; it serves as a lesson for the entire human family. I can’t wait to blend “kartoffel” and tahini in what looks like a delicious dish, nutritious for body and soul!
I agree Joy! Sharon is fabulous. 🙂
EGADS, Love this recipe. Thanks so much for this new blog approach.
Keep up the Good Work!
Geraldine in Barcelona, Spain
Hi Sharon,
Any relation to the famous Aharoni TV cooking host here in Israel???
Would it be possible to include the serving size in the Nutritional Facts?
Thanks!
I will try to do that for future posts. Thanks Margie!
Shalom Sharon! What a treat to read you with Tory! Great recipe. Looking forward to more…
Happy new year to you tori your family and team. I just have a question? Please when is your cook book going to be available? I humbly await its release.
How very kind of you to ask! I am working on an idea right now, not sure on a release day yet. I’ll be sure to post information on the blog when I have more info to share!