Elana's Pantry

New York Times Bestselling author Elana Amsterdam founded Elana’s Pantry, the go-to website for easy, healthy, grain-free, Paleo recipes, in 2006

butternut squash latkes

Butternut Squash Latkes

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I love a crispy latke as much as the next person. But unlike most, I don’t eat potatoes and so the traditional fried latke is not on the menu for me. That’s why I created this incredible low-carb latke recipe made with butternut squash.

Why Do We Eat Latkes on Hanukkah?

Hanukkah is referred to as the Festival of Lights. During this holiday we celebrate an incident of divine intervention that occurred long ago. The Hanukkah miracle involved a tiny flask of pure olive oil that lasted for 8 days, until new oil could be retrieved. In honor, we fry foods in oil on Hanukkah. The tradition for Ashkenazi Jews is to fry latkes.

What are Latkes?

Traditional latkes are a fried potato pancake, that may contain wheat flour, or gluten. My healthy Butternut Squash Latkes recipe is potato-free and gluten-free making it perfect for those on low-carb and gluten-free diets.

Low-Carb Latkes

Below is my 4-ingredient recipe for Butternut Squash Latkes. I created it in 2002, shortly after I went on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. This diet heals the gut by eliminating certain starchy foods.

This gluten-free latke recipe is one of my all time favorite dishes. Butternut Squash Latkes have a hint of sweetness when they’re fried to a crisp. What could be better?!

Print Recipe
Butternut Squash Latkes
Serves:12Latkes
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl combine squash, onion, eggs, and salt
  2. In a 9 inch skillet heat oil
  3. Scoop large tablespoonfuls of batter onto skillet
  4. Fry patties on each side over medium heat until browned and crispy
  5. Transfer latkes to a paper towel lined plate
  6. Repeat process with remaining batter
  7. Serve with applesauce and sour cream or yogurt

Gluten-Free Hanukkah Recipes

Every year at Hanukkah I make the boys Homemade Apple Sauce to serve over their latkes. Here’s that recipe and more easy gluten-free Hanukkah recipes for you!

Comments

  1. I stumbled across this recipe as I was looking to see if anyone had ever substituted butternut squash in place of potatoes to make potato kugel. After reading the success of this recipe, I did substitute the butternut squash in my own kugel recipe (making it grain free). The success was remarkable! Tasted and looked almost identical to the real thing. Thank you!

    Reply

  2. My latkes fell apart, but I used matzoh meal to bind them. I did not follow your recipe completely, I’m too blame.
    The ones I salvaged were delicious. Yum Yum

    Reply

  3. Do you think this would also work with fresh pumpkin? We still have some pumpkins from our garden and I am looking for something to do with them. Thanks

    Reply

    • This recipe did not work at all. I was suspicious to begin with wondering how butternut squash onions and some eggs could actually make a batter. Perhaps I did something wrong? The mix did not hold together at all.

      Reply

      • Charlene, thanks for your comment. This is a traditional latke recipe in which eggs are the binder. The batter is very loose and the latkes come together perfectly while cooking :-)

        Reply

  4. Don’t forget to drain the excess liquid from the onions before putting it into the squash… otherwise the latkes end up steamed, not fried & crispy.

    Joni

    Reply

  6. I can’t wait to try these. Last year I did spaghetti squash latkes made with coconut flour. I have since found that I don’t tolerate coconut flour. I will probably try a batch with your ratio of eggs to squash with both spaghetti squash (pre cooked and well drained) as well as following your posted recipe.

    Reply

  7. Hi there,

    Did you use one or two butternut sqaushes to make the recipe?

    What can you use instead of the onion?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Alice, thanks for your question! The number of squash generally depends on their size. I haven’t made this without onions so not sure what to use instead :-)

      Reply

  8. We had these last night for Hanukkah along with Elana’s chicken with olives and prunes. The are the easiest, tastiest latkes I’ve ever had. The whole family voted for these in the future – no more potatoes!

    Reply

  10. I was just told about your site last night! I am so thankful for what you are posting. My 6 year old has hf as and is allergic to dairy and is glutton intolorent. My question is what egg substitute works best with this and some other recipes? I noticed if I use substitute for more than one egg the dishes never turn out right. Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks again

    Reply

  12. Excellent recipe! Don’t add salt until after they are cooked as it will leach out water from the squash. Primal/GAPS SCD people try fring in lard. Double delish.

    Reply

  13. These were so delicious and easy!! All my guests loved them too. Plus I got quite an arm workout from grating all that squash!
    Thank you so much!

    Reply

  15. Hi Elana,

    Tonight was the first night of hanaukkah, and did a search for SCD latkes since I have been on the SCD way of eating for 4 months now. I was so excited to have found your recipe! However, nothing binds them together even though I followed the recipe exactly and they completely fell apart in the oil and got destroyed when I flipped them. So the next batch I added some almond flour which helped, maybe I didn’t add enough. Ay ideas why mine went wrong? Your don’t fall apart? Doesn’t it need a binding agent! But they still were delicious! We gobbled them up!

    Happy Hanukkah!
    Alyssa

    Reply

    • Alyssa, try packing them down a bit once they’re in the pan and they’ll hold together perfectly. I’m so happy to hear that these latkes were delicious and gobbled up :-)

      Reply

  17. Wonderful recipe – thank you so much for the idea! We made these last night and fried them in tallow. While it is true that olive oil is perhaps more authentic, it does not hold up well to frying. Coconut oil works well too, but may impart a coconutty flavor. The tallow (collected from the top of a large batch of bone broth) worked really well for us.

    Reply

  18. My husband made them tonight with what we had on hand: sweet potatoes, no onion, egg, garlic, salt and pepper. They were SO, SO good . . . Happy Hanukah . . .

    Reply

  20. Has anyone ever tried freezing and reheating these? I often did this with my potato latkes and then i didn’t have to fry when I had company. They reheated well in the oven. Would like to try these instead…

    Reply

  21. Thanks Elana for this recipe. I love butternut squash and since I’m making latkes for my Hanukkah party this Saturday night, I’m switching from the potatoes.

    I need a recipe for sufganiyot (donuts)

    Happy Holidays !

    Reply

  22. These look fabulous. My family switched to rice flour in latkes years ago for me and they come out fabulously but these look interesting and a fun spin to an old recipe. Question, do you soften the squash before you peel it if so how? I find it hard to peel squash when it is raw. Do you have any advice?

    Reply

    • I do not peel squash with a peeler. Rather I cut the top and bottom off so that I have the straight piece of sqush and then using my chef’s knife cut straight down the sides (standing the squash on a flat end). The more bulbous part takes a bit more finessing but I do the same way. If you want to peel it, I find it easier if you chop it into smaller pieces first.

      Reply

  23. I was surprised that these held together so well. It almost makes the effort of peeling and grating a butternut squash worth it. I used red onions instead of yellow and these tasted fantastic. It is incredibly time consuming to peel and grate a squash though. I might not make these very often esp since I am not Jewish and I almost feel like I am breaking some sort of religious law by making these in November. Go Fig. Anyway, I like them. I hope my husband does too! He hates “healthy” food I always have to trick him.

    Reply

    • These are delicious!!! I used the grating attachment to my food processor and it made quick work of grating the squash and onion. I have tried serving my three children butternut squash roasted in the oven and in soup, but this is the first time they have eaten it and asked for seconds!

      Reply

  25. Chag Sameach! These were SO delicious! It’s amazing how sticky butternut squash is, without any added starch! My husband really liked them too!

    The only change I made is the oil: I used organic, virgin/unrefined coconut oil since I’ve read it’s healthier, especially for frying, than grapeseed. Plus, I have a new gallon of it, thanks to a present from my mom! :) I didn’t need very much oil to fry these in my cast iron pan.

    Reply

  28. OK Elena,

    This is the second year I have made the SCD compliant butternut squash latkes. While the rest of my family was bloated with indigestion from potato latkes, my husband and I were enjoying easy digestion and mouth-watering sensations eating the squash latkes. We’ll never miss potato latkes again. These are simply scrumptious! Honestly, people just don’t know what they are missing.

    Reply

  29. Just made these and they are ALL gone. So delicious. Some cracked sea salt on top was perfect. I didn’t have grapeseed oil so used some sesame oil I had on hand.

    But now I’m interested in finding a way to bake/broil them in batches on a cookie sheet. With no oil would be my thought. Any thoughts on that?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Julie, I haven’t tried baking these so not sure if that would work. I’m so happy to hear these latkes are so delicious!

      Reply

  30. I, too, am part of the Crossfit community. I first bought your book because I follow a paleo+dairy diet and then stumbled upon your website. My husband and I are passionate about eating real food and avoiding refined foods including grains. We hope to set a good example for our newborn girl.

    I can’t wait to try this squash recipe. Roasted butternut squash is one of our staples and I have a feeling this will be as well.

    Thanks so much!

    Reply

  31. Thank you for this recipie! (I will be using some others as well!) I am very excited that you are both Gluten Free and Jewish! That is more than I bargained for. :]

    I have been on a strict form of the Paleo Diet, infusing elements from Barry Sears’ “Zone.”

    I am a member of a new, and quickly growing, world-wide phenomenon known as CrossFit. The CrossFit program has been introducing Paleo eating to thousands of people (athletes, firefighters, police, military, housewives, and grandmas!). Many of us are completely grain free, legume free (no peanuts!), and dairy free (except for a bit of heavy whipping or manufacturing cream).

    Your website is a goldmine!
    So as Hanukkah is approaching any ideas other than latkes, like maybe jelly donughts ? :]

    I know a few CrossFit Jews that would be very grateful about this! (I am sure they will love the Macaroons for Passover).

    Thanks again.

    You are a Rockstar!

    Reply

  32. Next time I come across a butternut squash, I’m trying this. Have you tried making almond yogurt? I did a raw version where you soak the almonds, blend them with water and then add salt and lemon. It came out more like ricotta, but I liked it.

    I want to try adding cultures and fermenting it sometime.

    Reply

  33. Do you wring out the extra moisture out of the squash in a dish towel, like you would with potatoes, or do you use as is?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  34. These were absolutely delicious! I couldn’t have imagined the flavor, so wonderful, and perfect with applesauce. We will definitely be making these again – thank you!

    Reply

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