Xanthan Gum Free Simple Vegan Potato Pancakes
These crispy potato pancakes are the kind of comfort food that feels both humble and deeply satisfying — golden and crunchy on the outside, tender in the middle, and packed with savory flavor from grated onion and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. A flax egg made from ground flaxseed and water does all the binding work here, making eggs completely unnecessary without any specialty products or hard-to-find additives. Crucially, the recipe skips xanthan gum entirely — no gums, no stabilizers, just real ingredients that hold together naturally once you've wrung every last drop of moisture from the grated potatoes. That step of squeezing the potato and onion mixture in a kitchen towel is the real secret: it's what gives you that irresistible shatter-crisp crust instead of a soggy, steamed interior. All-purpose flour rounds out the batter, keeping things simple and pantry-friendly. Finish them with a dollop of vegan sour cream and a scatter of fresh chives, and you've got a dish that's as impressive as it is unfussy.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 ½ lb russet potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled
- ½ medium yellow onion, peeled
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4–5 tbsp neutral oil (such as canola or sunflower), divided
For serving
- vegan sour cream, for serving (optional)
- fresh chives, chopped, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Stir together the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl until combined, then set aside for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens to a gel.
- 2
Grate the potatoes and onion on the large holes of a box grater (or using a food processor with a grating disc) into a large mixing bowl.
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