Homemade German Potato Pancakes aka Kartoffelpuffer/ Reibekuchen

If you like your potatoes crispy with a golden brown colour, a crunchy top and a soft inside – then these German Potato Pancakes are for you. In Germany, you can find them at Kirmes (fairs), as street food and at Christmas markets. These German potato cakes are also known as Kartoffelpuffer or Reibekuchen, this dish is easy to prepare at home. 

What are German Potato Pancakes? 

German potato pancakes are a dish that originates from Germany, Austria and Bohemia. It consists of grated raw potatoes, onion and egg. These are fried in oil until they reach a golden crispy colour. They are sometimes referred to as German Potato Fritters. 

These delicious fried potato cakes have a long tradition. There are regional differences regarding what they are called, made and how they are served. 

What are potato pancakes called in German?

There are almost as many names for this dish as there are recipes. The most common term to describe these German-style potato pancakes is “Kartoffelpuffer” or “Reibekuchen”.

There are other regional names for these pancakes. I have listed them for you below.

• Kartoffelpuffer - short just Puffer – all over Germany but also known under the synonym for potato Erdäpfelpuffer, Härdöpfelpuffer, Grombeere puffer and Grundbirnepuffer.
• Reibekuche, Rheinische Reibekuchen, Reibe(r)datschi (Bavaria), Reibeplätzchen in Westfalia.
• Pfannkuchen and Pannekuchen in parts of western Germany.
• Tätschli and Tätsch in Switzerland
• Dotsch and Detscher in North Bavaria and Thuringa
• Placki and Wegierskie in der Poland
• Plinse in the high German Dialekt. [source Wikipedia: Kartoffelpuffer]

How to make Kartoffelpuffer

Let’s answer some basic questions before diving into the recipes.

Which type of potato to use for potato pancakes? 

I personally prefer waxy potatoes, as they are lower in starch than the floury varieties. You will find the pancakes are easier to shape, they are also easier to grate. Waxy potato varieties include Yukon Gold, Charlotte or Anya. 

How to grate the potatoes? 

I think this is up to personal preference. Traditionally, and some people swear by this method, you can use a hand grater. This requires a little physical strength but is not as difficult as it sounds. 

You can also use a kitchen machine/blender. Do not use the finest blade use a semi-fine blade. Mine was about 2-3 mm wide. You do not want your potatoes to be too fine, as they will loose structure nor do you want them to be too large either, as they tend to be more difficult to shape. 

Which oil to use? 

For proper crispy potato pancakes, I would recommend vegetable oil, as it gets very hot. If you prefer the buttery taste, I recommend using clarified butter. Normal butter cannot hold too much heat. 

Ingredients for 4 people

• 1 kg/35 oz waxy potatoes 
• 3 white onions 
• 3 eggs 
• Salt and pepper 
• Vegetable oil or clarified butter to fry 

Kartoffelpuffer Recipe 

1. Peel the onions. Then grate them roughly with a hand grater, or if you prefer a kitchen machine. 
2. Peel the potatoes and grate them with the hand grater or kitchen machine/blender. Place the grated potatoes into a kitchen towel and squeeze out all the starchy water in a bowl. 
3. Whisk the eggs and combine them with the potato and onion. Season generously with salt and pepper (optional add some muscat). 
4. Now slowly pour out almost all the starchy potato water from the bowl. At the bottom of the bowl, you will find the remaining starch. Pour out the water and add the starch to the potato mixture as it will help the consistency (see picture).

5. Add a generous amount of oil or clarified butter to a large frying pan. The bottom of the pan should be entirely covered. Once the oil is heated, add your potato mixture into the pan. The size is up to your preference, mine had about 15 cm in diameter. Press them flat with the back of a fork, as you do not want them to be too thick. 
6. Fry your potato pancakes at medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side. They should have a golden colour. Test the first one, to check that they are cooked all the way through. 
7. Line a plate with some kitchen towel and place your finished Kartoffelpuffer in it. You can put your oven on low heat to keep them warm while you fry the remaining ones. 

Recipe variations 

• To crisp up your German Potato cakes even more add some oats to the potato mixture before frying.
• Some people in Germany swear by making their potato pancakes from mashed potato. Just add egg and fry. They might not end up as crispy but are still delicious.
• You can first fry some bacon and then add them to our potato mixture before frying them. 

How to serve Kartoffelpuffer/Reibekuchen?

Although Kartoffelpuffer is one of the best known German dishes, every state in Germany eats it differently. 

• The most common side to kartoffel puffer is to eat it with applesauce or apple compote (Apfelmus or Apfelkompott). The sweet refreshing apple goes well with the crispy greasy potato pancakes. 
• Another sweet way of serving Kartoffelpuffer is to sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar (Zimt and Zucker) or add some fruit compote.
• In Bergischen Land they serve their „Reibekuchen” (as it is known there) with black bread (Schwarzbrot), sugar syrup and coffee. 
• In Bavaria, you can get Kartoffelpuffer with Sauerkraut and Beer. 
• Another popular combination is to eat the potato pancakes with smoked salmon, horseradish and a quark dip (Kräuterquark.) 
• Other dip/ sauce sides include sour cream or cottage cheese (Hüttenkäse).
• It is also common to serve Kartoffelpuffer with soup. This was especially common after the second world war when bread was scarce. It was served with swede soup, potato or pea soup.
• Sometimes these potato fritters are also served baked over with melted cheese. Schmelzkäse a cheese especially designed for melting is popular.
• You can also serve it with creamed spinach and a fried or scrambled egg.
• A popular sausage to serve alongside Reibekuchen is Blutwurst. (German black pudding)

Storage Instructions

Making potato pancakes is not the fastest recipe, so I like to make them in bulk. They keep well in the fridge and when stored in an airtight container can last up to 3-4 days. 

How to a freeze German potato pancakes

After frying them, lay them on some paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Then place them on a tray or plate, making sure that they don’t stick to one another. Place the tray in the freezer. Once they are frozen you can add them to a plastic bag, which can be placed back in the freezer. 

Frozen potato pancakes can be defrosted at room temperature. To reheat them you can either place them in the oven at 200°C or 392°F for about 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can fry them again for 3 minutes on each side to crisp up again. 

More German Sweet Dishes

• Milchreis (German Rice Pudding)
• Heart Waffles - German Waffles
• Pfannkuchen - German Pancakes
• German Apple Pancakes (Apfelpfannkuchen)
• Plum Dumplings (Zwetschgenknödel)

Other German Recipes You might enjoy:

• Käsespätzle - German Cheese Spätzle
• Bratkartoffeln - German Fried Potatoes
• Currywurst and Currywurst Sauce
• Braised Red Cabbage with apple
• Turkey Schnitzel