Amish potato pancakes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, made with simple, wholesome ingredients. These German-style pancakes bring a comforting, old-fashioned flavor the whole family will enjoy.
Quick and easy to make, they're perfect for breakfast, brunch, or as a hearty side dish. Love classic breakfast pancakes too? Check out my traditional pancake recipe for another easy, comforting dish.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Amish Potato Pancakes
- Ingredients
- How to Make Potato Pancakes
- Tips for Extra Crispy Potato Pancakes
- Optional Variations
- Shortcut Potato Pancakes Using Hash Browns
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Using Leftover Mashed Potatoes
- More Amish Breakfast Recipes
- More Amish Potato Recipes
- 📖 Recipe Card
Why You'll Love These Amish Potato Pancakes
- Made from grated potatoes: Using raw, grated potatoes gives a soft, tender inside with a golden, crispy outside.
- Classic Amish-style flavor: Simple, traditional ingredients that cook up golden and comforting.
- Quick and easy to make: A few ingredients you probably already have, and a little skillet time is all it takes for this comforting homemade dish.
- Versatile toppings: Serve sweet with applesauce or cinnamon sugar, or savory with sour cream, fried eggs, fried bacon, herbs, plain yogurt, etc.
Ingredients
- Raw potatoes: The base of the pancakes. (I recommend finely grated russet potatoes for a tender inside and crispy edges.)
- Flour: Helps bind the pancakes together and gives structure. (I use unbleached all-purpose flour. Flour can also be replaced with fine dry bread crumbs.)
- Eggs: Act as a binder and add richness.
- Milk: Adds moisture for a soft, tender texture. (I recommend whole milk for extra fat.)
- Butter: Adds flavor and richness; also helps with browning. (Salted butter is always my choice.)
- Grated onion: Adds subtle savory flavor. (Finely chopped onion or dried onion flakes work as well.)
- Salt & pepper: Seasoning to bring out the flavors. (Feel free to add more seasonings such as garlic powder, paprika, herbs, or cayenne pepper, if desired.)
- Baking powder: Lightens the batter slightly for a fluffier interior. (I recommend using aluminum-free baking powder.)
- Oil, extra butter, or bacon grease for frying: Needed for a golden, crisp exterior.
- Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoon cornstarch - Remove a teaspoon or two of flour and replace it with cornstarch to make the pancakes extra crispy if you like a really golden, crunchy edge.
How to Make Potato Pancakes
Step 1: Prep the potatoes
- Grating method: Peel (optional) and grate the potatoes by hand or use a food processor fitted with grating disc. (Can also grate the onion along with the potato. Use the medium shred rather than course shred.) Transfer to a cheesecloth or clean kitchen cloth.
- Blender method: Cut small potatoes in half and place in a blender half-filled with cold water. Pulse a few times until chopped into very small pieces, then drain completely. (You don't want complete mush, but aim for as fine as a medium course grate.)
- Important tip for both methods: After grating or chopping, place the potatoes in a clean cheesecloth or dish towel and squeeze out any extra moisture. This prevents soggy pancakes and helps them crisp up beautifully.
Step 2: Make the batter
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, eggs, milk, melted butter, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Beat until smooth and well blended. Stir in the prepared potatoes and onion until evenly mixed.
Step 3: Heat the skillet
- Place a skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom with a little oil or butter (or a bit of both). Let it get hot - the batter should sizzle slightly when it hits the pan.
Step 4: Cook the pancakes
- Drop spoonfuls of batter into the skillet, spreading slightly to form small rounds about ¼-inch thick. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown and crisp on the bottom. Flip carefully and cook the other side until golden and cooked through.
- Don't overcrowd the pan - it helps the pancakes brown evenly
- Adjust heat as needed; the first pancake often acts as a "tester."
Step 5: Serve
- Remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Serve warm on their own or with fried bacon, sour cream, herbed yogurt, or your favorite toppings.
Tips for Extra Crispy Potato Pancakes
If you love a really crisp edge, try these easy tricks:
- Drain the potatoes thoroughly after blending or grating, then squeeze in a cheesecloth or towel to remove extra moisture.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet - leave space so each pancake fries evenly.
- Make the pancakes slightly thinner for more crispiness.
- Use a hot pan with enough oil to lightly coat the bottom.
- Let them cook undisturbed before flipping.
- Place them in single-layer on a plate instead of stacking.
- If they taste a bit "too bready," feel free to reduce the flour slightly next time.
Optional Variations
Flavor additions:
- Extra grated onion or green onion
- Garlic powder, paprika, herbs, or cayenne pepper
- Shredded cheese stirred into the batter
Diet tweaks:
- Gluten-free: swap the flour for a gluten-free blend or potato starch
- Dairy-free: use oil instead of butter and a dairy-free milk
Shortcut Potato Pancakes Using Hash Browns
If you're short on time or want a slightly different texture, you can make these German potato pancakes with frozen hash browns instead of grating or chopping raw potatoes. Using pre-shredded frozen hash browns is a convenient shortcut that still gives you golden, crispy pancakes.
How to do it:
- Thaw frozen hash browns and squeeze out any excess moisture with a towel or cheesecloth.
- Combine with the rest of the pancake batter and proceed as usual.
Tips:
- Make the pancakes slightly thinner to get them extra crispy.
- Using hash browns gives a slightly different texture than raw potatoes: a bit more uniform and soft inside, with a quick crisp on the outside.
- This method is perfect for busy mornings or anyone looking for a faster version of classic German-style potato pancakes, without losing flavor or crispiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can prep the potatoes and batter a few hours ahead, but it's best to fry them just before serving so they stay crispy.
Absolutely. Cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a tray. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat in a skillet or oven until crispy.
These Amish potato pancakes are made with grated potatoes and a lightly leavened batter, which gives them a soft, tender inside and a crisp, golden outside. They're slightly thicker and heartier than many potato pancakes, making them especially filling and comforting.
Using Leftover Mashed Potatoes
Don't let leftover mashed potatoes go to waste - you can turn them into delicious potato pancakes with just a few tweaks to the recipe. These pancakes have a softer, creamier interior than the traditional version, but still fry up golden and lightly crisp on the outside.
How to make them:
- Combine your leftover mashed potatoes with eggs, a little flour or breadcrumbs (start with only a little and add as needed to hold the batter together), melted butter, grated onion, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese (optional).
- Heat a skillet over medium heat with oil or butter. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and flatten slightly. Cook slowly until the bottom is golden, then flip carefully.
Tips:
- If your mashed potatoes are very creamy, drain any extra liquid before mixing.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet - thicker pancakes need room to cook evenly.
- Add shredded cheese, extra onion, or a pinch of garlic powder for extra flavor.
This variation is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a quick side, and it's a smart way to give leftover mashed potatoes a second life without losing flavor or texture.
More Amish Potato Recipes
- Crispy Parmesan Potatoes
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Baked Potato Bar
- Potato and Chicken Casserole
Many Amish recipes are largely influenced by their German roots, and this recipe is no exception, very closely resembling Grumbeerpannekuche (potato pancakes) or Kartoffelpuffer (German potato puff).
Give these Amish potato pancakes a try for your next breakfast or brunch. With just a few simple ingredients and a little skillet time, you can make a batch of potato pancakes that are crisp, tender, and completely customizable. Perfect for weekend mornings, holiday sides, or anytime you want a cozy, homemade dish. And don't be afraid to get creative with toppings. Sweet, savory, or a mix of both - they're great either way.
If you try this german-style Amish potato pancake recipe, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you! And, if you love these fried potato fritters, you may also want to try my Amish corn fritters recipe.
📖 Recipe Card
Amish Potato Pancakes Recipe (German-Style)
Equipment
- grater
- skillet
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons grated onion
- 3 cups raw potatoes, grated and drained
- Oil, bacon grease, or butter for frying
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except potatoes and onion. Beat until smooth.½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup milk, 4 tablespoons butter, melted, 2 large eggs
- Prep the potatoes and onion: Peeling the potatoes is optional. Using the medium holes of a box grater or food processor fitted with grating disc, grate the potatoes and onion. Transfer to a cheesecloth or clean kitchen cloth. Twist and drain as much liquid as possible.2 teaspoons grated onion, 3 cups raw potatoes, grated and drained
- Stir the potatoes and onion into the wet mixture. Cook immediately.
- Heat a thin layer of oil, bacon grease, or butter in the bottom of a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, drop mounds of batter into the oil, then flatten with the back of a spatula to make approx. ½-inch-thick pancakes.Oil, bacon grease, or butter for frying
- Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown, then drain on paper towels. Transfer to a wire rack and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining pancakes.
- Serve warm with fried bacon and eggs, sour cream, applesauce, or your favorite toppings.
Anna
Simple, old-fashioned goodness here!
Pamela Hackett
I grew up eating Pennsylvania Dutch potato pancakes . This is similar with some exceptions . We used lots more onion . For 3 cups shredded potato we use 1 cup grated onion . We don’t use butter at all or oil , but fry in bacon fat . Also we like them just a little underdone and thin and crispy on the outside and a little crunchy inside . And always applesauce never sour cream .
Anna
Thank you! There's a difference in how people prefer them. Definitely sour cream over applesauce here. lol