Before I get to the yummy latkes recipe, I just have a few updates for you…
First, my microwave crisis is over thanks to my generous in-laws who surprised me with a new one this week. They were already the best in-laws ever, but this definitely edges them into in-law super star status! Thanks so much guys, love you bunches! But no, I won’t be popping out another grandchild for you anytime soon – there is a limit to what I’m willing to do to show my gratitude! ;) XO
Second, a quick update on my Whole 30 experience as we near the halfway point. I feel like I’m finally over the detox symptoms, which were not fun but also not horrible. I noticed this morning that the whites of my eyes are super clear and bright which is cool. My skin looks great, and with a few exceptions I generally have plenty of energy. The stiffness in my hands is still there but is much less noticeable and I hope that over time it will continue to dissipate. Also, I dropped 5 pounds in the first week – I know you aren’t supposed to weigh yourself but what can I say, I’m a rebel like that!
Honestly, I thought I would have lots more to talk about regarding the Whole 30 this month – detox symptoms, cheese withdrawals, chocolate withdrawals, bourbon withdrawals, cheese withdrawals (oh did I mention that one already!?), but I really haven’t missed anything as much as I thought. The Whole 30 has been kind of a non-issue for me actually. I’m feeling the benefits, but it hasn’t affected my eating patterns that much. I’m definitely enjoying eating a little more carbs in the form of fruit and sweet potatoes, and maybe that’s why I’m not really missing the other stuff! I hope you guys are also having a relatively easy time of it. I would love to hear about your experiences so far this month! What was hard, what unexpected benefits are you experiencing, would you do it again, etc.And now finally, we get to this delicious latke recipe that is totally Whole 30 compliant! These were easy to make and SO tasty! Crispy on the outside and sweet and slightly starchy on the inside, they went great with a poached egg for my breakfast. These latkes would also go great as a dinner side dish to pretty much any meat or poultry. It’s a great way to sneak some extra veggies into your kids menu – my five year old even liked them!
Zucchini & Sweet Potato Latkes
- Yield: (4) 5" latkes
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Latkes
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 1 cup shredded sweet potato
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp ghee or clarified butter
- 1 Tbsp EV olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the zucchini, sweet potato and egg in a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix the coconut flour and spices together. Add the dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture and stir until fully combined.
- Heat the ghee and olive oil in a medium nonstick pan. Divide the mixture into four equal portions and drop into the pan, pressing down with a fork until a 1/2 inch thick cake is formed. Cook on medium heat until golden and crisp, then flip carefully and cook the other side. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- Season with an additional sprinkle of kosher salt. Serve hot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 latke
- Calories: 122
- Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 6.25g net
- Protein: 3g
I made too many substitutions but maybe this will help someone out! I used 1 cup of frozen, shredded hash browns (Whole30 compliant), added a little salt to the zucchini, let it sit and squeezed out as much water as possible. I also didn’t have coconut flour, so I used 1 Tbs flax seed. I think this helped bind everything, but they didn’t get super crunchy and tasted a little grainy. Next time, when I’m not Whole30, I’d use cornstarch. These were great still though!
★★★★
I made these, they were wonderful, topped with an egg, side with chicken, half the recipe I added chopped onions. I’m making more now. Freeze half the batch for later. I had no issues with them falling apart, I followed the recipe eyed the measurements. Great nonetheless.
O love this recipe. I squeezed the moisture and they held together. Day 3 of whole30 and this helps. Made extra looking forward to moree
Thanks
Jim
★★★★★
What are doing still using a microwave?! More symptoms you’re experiencing would go away if you’d prepare the food properly.
Thank you so much for this recipe and for sharing your menu. I was looking for something different for breakfast today and found this recipe. I did not have zucchini but had some butternut squash spirals I needed to use up so threw them in the blender and they worked perfectly. Very nice mix of spices. I did not get it to crisp up, may have been lack of patience, but I thoroughly enjoyed them.
Have to say, these were horrible. I’m going to try again with a few amendments. I think squeezing the moisture out of the Zucchini and sweet potato before cooking would make a huge difference. I’d probably remove/swap the cumin as well as I found it extremely overpowering.
★
Another option for those of you who are having issues with them “staying together” – put them in a waffle iron :)
Hi,
I realize this is an old post and this might be a silly question but how do you shred a sweet potato? Do you cook it first? Sorry just confused on that part lol.
Hi, I just tried it this morning. It was good. Amy, you shred the sweet potato raw.
★★★★
When i make this I leave out the flour and make it just as hashbrowns. I LOVE it!! Can you tell me if you think it would be able to be frozen?
★★★★
Looks great, and I’ve made similar variations. The sweet potato adds so much flavor! I am surprised that you don’t mention using cheesecloth or another method to wring the excess water out of the zucchini. Do you find that your fritters are too soggy?
I tried to make these but they did not stick together at ALL. it became a hash brown like dish in the end. I got so frustrated!!!
★
If you find your mixture doesn’t stick together, add another egg.
I found this recipe to be a total bust, unfortunately. I even suspected that the zucchini would give off too much water so I squeezed them out before adding them to the sweet potato. But the mixture was just too wet and wouldn’t hold its shape. Then when I tried cooking them, they were gummy. They wouldn’t crisp up – so I dumped the first batch and turned the heat up a bunch, and then they just burned before they could really cook. I was making them as thin as possible, too, so that wasn’t the issue. Clearly from the pictures, they CAN work, but I wouldn’t say this is a consistent and reliable recipe. The whole batch went in the trash, which is my least favorite thing ever. :-(
★
Sorry it didn’t work out for you Maura!
Hi there
Just found your recipe this week and couldn’t wait to make these. They were delicious. One question though. Historically, I haven’t been a frying kinda girl because I tend to not be good at it. I heated my ghee and evoo in my iron skillet and added the mixture. It sizzled when i dropped them in so I know the pan/fat was hot enough. However they didn’t get crispy; more soggy. Brown and not real greasy-just not crispy. What did I do wrong????
Do you cook the sweet potato before shredding it?
No, shred it raw!
Can these be frozen and reheated later in the microwave?
I am making these right now. Just tasted one and they are delicious. The only thing I changed was using 2 Tbsp of oat flour instead of the coconut flour. The amount of spice you put in the recipe is perfect. Love them!
Was wondering if this could be made ahead of time, like the night before?
Thanks!
It could but they will lose their crispness over time.
What about making the mix and frying the next day?
That could work!
This may sound like a silly question – but are the sweet potatoes baked first?
I am starting Whole 30 next week and trying to compile a bunch of recipes before I start.
These look amazing!
Thanks
No JJ you just grate them raw and use them like that! Enjoy!
sorry, what does Tbl stand for?
Tablespoon!
I’m eating these as I type. These are DELICIOUS! I wish I was eating sour cream with them, but I’m trying to avoid dairy still as I just finished my 30 days about a week ago. I added some chopped red onion, lots of garlic powder, some onion powder (can you tell I like onion?), a bit of ground mustard, and I kept the cumin in. I skipped the parsley. Seriously awesome. Definitely planning to make them regularly. Thanks for the great recipe!
Just made these! I substituted carrot for the sweet potato and added onion flakes . . . As a last minute thought I added in a can of salmon. Not bad though I preferred the carrot and zucchini better.
I have made these before with the sweet potato and it was excellent! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!
I was wondering- are you using sweet potato or yam? In the picture it looks quite orange, but mine didn’t have any of that color. They were really good with sweet potato, though!
Mmmm these were delicious! Had no coconut flour, so I sub’d in 1/4C of almond meal and served it with some melted mozzarella and bacon with a spicy sriracha mayo sauce on the side.
PS- they are delicious though, together OR apart :)
Thanks Cheryl! ;)
I’m trying these right now and cant get them to stick together. They are falling apart in the pan before I even flip them. Do you think adding another egg to the batter would help?
Another egg might have worked Cheryl – but if there is too much moisture in the mix it might actually make it worse so it’s hard to say. The other problem could have been that they are so fragile you really have to let them set awhile in the pan and be patient before flipping them the first time. Hope you’ll try them again and let us know how they come out!
Largely inspired by you, I also began the Whole 30 at the beginning of August. Since I’ve been on strict keto since April 2011 (and have lost 85 pounds!!!), I was surprised how difficult I found the first week as I fought to break free of my cheese and fake sugar addiction. Anyway, I’m still hesitant to incorporate sweet potatoes back into my diet (thanks to my keto ingrained thinking) but this recipe may change my mind. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!
Having been on keto myself for months I was nervous about adding some sweet potatoes too but so far I’m down 6 lbs this month on the Whole 30 even though I’m eating fruit and some sweet potatoes. This recipe is a happy medium for us carb-a-phobes since it’s only a small amount of the sweet potato in each latke. Enjoy them and I hope you’re still going strong on your Whole 30!
Hey love, can you ask your in-laws if they want a mistress daughter in law. Mkay.
Whoo to the hoo. Keep up the good work. I’m done my ibs one and can see bones I forgot I had. Totally cool.
Love this dish.I’m scratching my head over ghee though. Could be hard to find here. But now you’ve put that nugget in my brain and I won’t be able to stop till I find it. Thanks for that.
Hey chick! Loving your 10 best series you’ve got going on this week! Ghee is just clarified butter basically and it’s pretty easy to make your own if you can’t find any. The in-laws are all mine though so hands off! ;)
I have seen ghee at Trader Joe’s and it s available at Amazon.
I’m excited that I just found your blog. Am making your rosemary flax crackers as we speak.
Hooray! Me too! :) I hope you liked the crackers, I still make them all the time!
These look incredible! Really tasty.
Thanks, they were awesome – hope you like them too!
I’m not doing this “Whole 30” program but I am intrigued. We are taking out most processed ingredients from our diet and looking for ways to make fun recipes. This would be a really good one. I’ll try it. Good luck with your program and I’m gleaning off of some of your fabulous recipe ideas!
Thanks Sarah! Anytime you are making a move toward eating more whole foods and less processed foods it’s a good thing! Glad you are enjoying the recipes! :)
I am excited to make your recipe! I was also wondering if anyone experienced extreme bloating? I am excited to see results but on day 10 I am still bloated.
These look really good and except the coconut flour I have everything I need – these would make a great snack when you are craving something like chips or crackers. I’ll be trying these tonight! Thanks for the recipe and congrats on your new microwave!
Thanks Jan, I was so excited to get the new microwave but it’s been two days and I haven’t even used it yet! I guess just knowing it’s there for when I need it is enough! :) You can try substituting almond flour or flax meal for the coconut flour if you need something to bind it. Hope you like them!
Hi Melissa, I was interested to read that you’re still experiencing stiff hands. I’ve been low-carbing for about 3 months now and while basically I’m feeling pretty healthy, I have been waking up with stiff hands nearly every morning since I started. I’ve also developed what feels like arthritis in two fingers on the same hand. Interestingly, the stiffness isn’t there every day, though usually about 5-6 days a week. I’ve started to wonder whether it’s a particular food that’s triggering it. Or perhaps a food I’m not eating? I’ve recently begun trialling coconut oil, but it hasn’t helped.
Did your stiff hands begin with your detox?
BTW, I looooooove all of your recipes ;-)
Hi Ria! Actually it’s funny you asked because this morning I woke up and my right hand was really stiff and sore. I haven’t taken my Magnesium supplement in the last few days and I have a feeling it’s related. A low carb diet usually requires Magnesium and Potassium supplementation. Magnesium is critical to joint and nerve health and being deficient in it can cause stiff joints among other things. If you aren’t already supplementing you might want to start! Here’s a link to some info if you’re interested: http://www.livestrong.com/article/502019-magnesium-deficiency-joint-pain/
These looks yummy – have to true them some day! It’s hard to get sweet potato here in Denmark, but sometimes they are available and then I will remember this recipe :-)
Thanks CDS – hope you can find some and make these because they are yummy! :)
I have to say, I’m not loving the Whole 30 so much. I’ve decided it’s the Nancy-Reagan-Diet…”Just say no!” I’ve had a lot of events out of the house and it’s frustrating to not just have a salad with dressing to keep me full. The Cinnamon Crunch has been a real boon – I’m happy with coffee and almond milk (no sweetener) – I also lost about 4 pounds – but I’m not sure I would repeat it.
Hey Donna! Your “just say no” comment is so true! It’s definitely not fun when you are socializing a lot and having to pass on everything. I’m glad the cereal is helping you out – I need to make another batch myself! For me I’ve just made sure I have something I enjoy with me when I’m out. I even keep a raw sweet potato in my purse so I can pop it in the microwave pretty much no matter where I am and have something to snack on. And nuts, lots of nuts! I also have a lot of smoothies which helps keep me full and they taste delicious. But I still open my fridge and see that half a bar of Lindt 90% in the door at night and think “you look delicious old friend” and then I have to “just say no” which is a bummer. I think it’s easier for me since I was already on low carb for so long and have been just saying no since January to a lot of things. But I’m looking forward to “re-toxing” with some of my favorite low carb treats when the month is over! Thanks for sharing, good for you for sticking with it! XO
I started Low-carbing in February and found IBIH pretty quickly. Everyone who asks how I lost my 30 POUNDS gets a referral here. I was stuck at 26 pounds for about 6 weeks until the whole 30 so that alone makes it worth it. I’ll hang in there!
Thanks for the referrals Donna! Can’t wait to hear an update at the end of the month from you!
These look really good! I’m with you on the Whole30…I have my energy back and it’s not been half as bad as I thought. I too was a rebel and weighed myself..I lost 6 pounds the first week. :) Thanks again for this delicious looking recipe!
~Lisa
Glad you’re staying strong and seeing results too Lisa! These latkes were awesome and guilt free – enjoy! :)
Hi I’m super new to the Whole 30 program. On my second day. My Chiropractor suggested I do this. So I’m sensing this is a cleanse for 30 days? What do you do after the 30 days? Do you start adding foods back? If so what is the sense of doing this if you’re just going to pollute yourself again? What are some of the detox side effects you experienced. I’m guessing the headache I have is one of them 😞
Hi Suzie,
Your chiropractor suggested it and you started it without knowing what it is about? You are brave! Have you read the book? I had to take a week to read into the beginning of the book before I felt confident with starting it. I’m on day 3 currently, so I’m just a few days behind you. Yes, it’s a detox sort of diet. The book talks about the “reintroduction period” after the 30 days. When you reintroduce the different types of foods, you pay attention to your body and how it reacts. I suspect I’ll have issues with either gluten, lactose or sugar. I already notice a difference with my GI tract. So, I’m anxious to get to the end to find out where my issues lie. Good luck!
These sound yummy, will try them for sure. I do similar thing without sweet potatoe just zuchinni egg and 2 tablesppons of ground flax and a table spoon of hemp seeds and spices, let it sit for a while and then I fry them in a bit of coconut oil..Baked in the oven were also as delicious…
Sounds yummy! I haven’t tried baking them in the oven yet!