Oma's Traditional Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer / Reibekuchen)

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust, rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.

Published: June 6, 2018, Updated: May 13, 2025

My German potato pancakes (kartoffelpuffer) are crispy, golden, and just like Mutti made ... perfect with applesauce or a sprinkle of sugar (my favorite).

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Such a treat! German potato pancakes, just like they're made in Germany.

These crispy German potato pancakes take me right back to Mutti's kitchen. I used to avoid hand grating by using a blender, but now that I’ve got a food processor with a grating blade, I’m back to making them the traditional way. So worth it!

Top Tips for Best Results

1. Grate Right: Use a food processor to save time and knuckles
2. Drain Well: Squeeze out excess moisture for crispier pancakes
3. Starch Saver: Let drained liquid sit; add settled starch back in
4. Gluten-Free Hack: Swap flour with potato starch or gluten-free flour

In Germany, you’ll find these potato pancakes everywhere, from markets to beer gardens. They're a favorite street food since they don’t stink up the kitchen. At home, I sometimes fry them on the BBQ side burner in summer, but truthfully, when the craving hits, I’ll make them inside too.

Different Names for German Potato Pancakes

These tasty pancakes go by many names across Germany: kartoffelpuffer (what I grew up with), reibekuchen, reiberdatschi, erdäpfelpuffer, and erdäpfellaibchen. The name changes depending on the region.

Erdäpfel (earth apples) is the Bavarian word for potatoes, just like the French pomme de terre. Why "apple of the earth"? I’ve always wondered too!

Oma's Blender Potato Pancakes

If you love super easy recipes, try making kartoffelpuffer in the blender. They won’t have the classic grated look, but they’ll still taste delicious!

Go to blender potato pancakes ->

Above, I’ve served them with applesauce ... a classic combo.

If you don’t have an electric grater (like I do now) and want to skip the hand grater, just use your blender and follow my simple recipe here.

What to Serve With Potato Pancakes?

Growing up, kartoffelpuffer were the main meal, topped with sugar or served with applesauce. That was dinner, and it was so good! But over the years, I’ve discovered they make a great side or appetizer too. Here are some tasty ways to serve them:

• Sweet options: applesauce, fruit compote, cranberry sauce, maple syrup, or a simple sprinkle of sugar
• Savory pairings: sour cream, yogurt-herb dip, hummus, homemade quark with herbs, sauerkraut, caramelized onions
• On the side of: potato soup or potato salad or as the starch side dish for roasted chicken, pork chops, salmon, bratwurst sausage, herring salad 

Some of these combos were surprising to me too, but they really are lecker.

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Potato Pancakes or Latkes?

They’re very similar, but with a few key differences that reflect their cultural roots.

• Latkes are traditionally made for Hanukkah and fried in oil (sometimes chicken schmaltz) to honor the miracle of the oil
• Kartoffelpuffer are fried in a mix of oil and butter (or butterschmalz) for extra flavor
• Latkes use coarsely grated potatoes and often include matzo meal or breadcrumbs as a binder
• German pancakes tend to be finer, rounder, and use flour or potato starch
• Both are crispy, golden, and totally lecker!

Many cultures have their own take, Swiss Rösti, for example, but for me, the top of the list will always be the traditional German grated potato pancake.

The Best Potatoes to Use 

Starchy potatoes like Russets are best. They crisp up beautifully. If you can’t find them, Yukon Golds are a great all-purpose option that still work well.

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Oma's Traditional Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer / Reibekuchen)

My German potato pancakes (kartoffelpuffer) are crispy, golden, & just like Mutti made ... perfect with applesauce or a sprinkle of sugar.

Prep Time:

20 minutes

Cook Time:

30 minutes

Total Time:

50 minutes

Servings:

12 'hand-sized' pancakes or 20 small ones

Ingredients:

• 5 - 6 potatoes, peeled (see hints below)
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup (75 g) onions, grated
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
• 4 tablespoons (30 g) all-purpose flour or potato starch 
• butter and vegetable oil for frying (see hints below)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Put cookie sheet into oven.
2. Grate potatoes, either with a box grater or using the grating blade with your food processor. Drain grated potatoes (in batches) by putting them into a clean dish towel and squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible. 
3. Put drained grated potatoes into a large bowl. Add eggs, grated onion, salt, and flour. Mix well.
4. Using a large spoon, drop tablespoonfuls of the potato mixture into hot oil or butter in a large skillet. Use the back of the spoon to flatten them out. Fry over medium-high heat until golden brown (about 3 to 4 minutes), flip over, and continue frying until cooked through and crispy brown (about 3 to 4 minutes). If they are frying too fast, lower to medium heat.
5. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil and then transfer to the oven to keep them warm. Continue frying till all batter is used, adding more butter or oil as needed.
6. Serve with applesauce, sprinkled with sugar, or serve plain with sour cream on the side.

Notes/Hints:

• I use Yukon gold potatoes, but any starchy potatoes will work. Grate the potatoes as fine or as coarse as you wish. 
• Change the quantities as needed. Depending on how little or how much liquid is in your squeezed potatoes, you may need to add an extra egg yolk or you may need to add more flour. 
• Use a mixture of butter and oil for frying. Canola oil is great and it keeps the butter from burning.
• Adding the onion is optional. You could add green onions instead.
• Add some freshly ground black pepper to the mixture.
• Authentic german potato pancakes call for peeling the potatoes. Keeping the skin on when you have nice, new potatoes, though, is healthier (and quicker)

*  *  *  *  *

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Recipe updated on May 13, 2025

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.