Healthy Latkes Recipe: Air-Fried Potato and Zucchini Pancakes

Active time: ~30 minutes | Total time: ~55 minutes | Serves: 4–5 (about 12 patties) | Difficulty: Easy

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Quick Overview

1. Grate potatoes, zucchini and onion; squeeze hard and keep the potato starch
2. Mix in eggs, a little whole wheat flour, salt and pepper
3. Shape ⅓-cup patties and spray them lightly with oil
4. Air-fry at 190°C (375°F), 8 minutes plus 5–6 after flipping, or bake in a hot oven
5. Serve with Greek yogurt and applesauce instead of sour cream

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What This Version Changes — and What It Keeps

The method stays the same as in our traditional latkes recipe: grated potato and onion, squeezed hard, the settled starch stirred back in, bound with egg and seasoned with salt and pepper. What changes is the cooking. Instead of frying in a ¼-inch layer of oil, the patties go into an air fryer or a hot oven with about a tablespoon of oil for the whole batch.^5,6

Four smaller swaps follow from there. About a third of the potato becomes unpeeled zucchini, the matzo meal becomes a couple of tablespoons of whole wheat flour, the salt drops from 1¼ to ¾ teaspoon, and Greek yogurt takes the place of sour cream on the table. The amounts of these swaps are Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s estimates.

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Why These Swaps Work

Most of the fat in a traditional latke comes from the frying oil, not the potato: fresh potatoes are virtually fat-free, and it’s the added fat that adds the calories.⁷ A Cleveland Clinic dietitian notes that an air fryer, which works like a small convection oven, needs about a tablespoon of oil, and that switching to one from deep frying can cut calories by up to 80%.⁶ Latkes are pan-fried rather than deep-fried, so the saving here is smaller, but pan frying still takes “a fair amount” of oil,⁶ and a published air-fryer latke recipe uses only a spritz.⁵ By our estimate, the oil per serving drops from about 16g to about 3g.

Zucchini wasn’t invented for this version; modern latke recipes already fold it in.⁸ One medium zucchini has about 33 calories and 2g of fiber, and 35mg of vitamin C, 39% of the daily value. Much of that vitamin C sits in the skin, which is why it stays on.⁹ Zucchini is also wetter than potato, about 95% water against 79%,¹⁰ so the squeezing step matters even more here.

Whole wheat flour replaces the matzo meal. Matzo meal is ground matzo, unleavened bread made only from flour and water and baked, by Jewish tradition, within 18 minutes of mixing, before the dough can rise.¹⁵ Refining wheat strips away more than half of its B vitamins, 90% of its vitamin E and virtually all of its fiber, and fiber slows the breakdown of starch into glucose.¹¹ With only two tablespoons in the batch, the difference is modest.

Cutting the salt is the simplest change. The NHS advises adults to keep to no more than 6g of salt a day and suggests black pepper, herbs and lemon juice for flavor instead,¹² which is why the lemon and chives are there at the end.

Greek yogurt in place of sour cream has the biggest effect per spoonful. Per 100g, plain whole-milk Greek yogurt has 97 calories, 5g of fat and 9g of protein; sour cream has 198 calories, 19.4g of fat and 2.4g of protein.¹⁰ Cleveland Clinic suggests swapping Greek yogurt in for sour cream in dips to cut saturated fat, and notes it has about twice the protein of regular yogurt.¹³

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Healthy Latkes Recipe

This recipe was compiled by Heritage Healthy Kitchen from published recipes and the sources for the swaps, all listed at the end of this article. Figures that are Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s own estimates rather than taken from a published source are marked as such.

The base follows published traditional recipes, which use one onion and one or two eggs for 450g to about 1.4kg of potatoes, bound with matzo meal, flour or potato starch.^1,2,3 The air-fryer method, patty size and timing follow a published air-fryer latke recipe.⁵ The share of zucchini, the amounts of flour, salt and oil, the oven method and the number of patties are Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s estimates.

Ingredients (serves 4–5, about 12 patties)

• 600g (about 1⅓lb) starchy potatoes, such as russets, peeled
• 1 medium zucchini (about 250g), unpeeled
• 1 medium onion (about 150g), peeled
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour (or potato starch, for gluten-free latkes)
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sunflower or olive oil, in a spray bottle or for brushing

For serving

• Plain Greek yogurt
• Unsweetened applesauce
• A squeeze of lemon and chopped chives, optional

Instructions

1. Grate. Grate the potatoes, zucchini and onion on the large holes of a box grater or with the shredding disk of a food processor. Leave the zucchini unpeeled.^1,2,9
2. Squeeze, and keep the starch. Pile the shreds onto a clean kitchen towel or a double layer of cheesecloth, gather the corners and twist hard over a bowl until no more liquid comes out. Leave the liquid for a few minutes until a layer of white starch settles, then pour off the water and keep the starch.^1,4
3. Mix. Put the vegetables back in the bowl with the starch, eggs, flour, salt and pepper, and mix with your hands.^1,5
4. Air-fry. Spray the air-fryer basket with oil. Shape the batter into patties of about ⅓ cup, set them in the basket without crowding and spray the tops. Cook at 190°C (375°F) for 8 minutes, flip, spray the second side and cook 5–6 minutes more, until browned and crisp. Repeat with the rest of the batter, keeping the cooked latkes warm in a 120°C (250°F) oven.⁵
5. Or bake. Without an air fryer, heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Brush a parchment-lined baking sheet with oil, set the patties on it, brush the tops and bake for 12–15 minutes, then flip and bake 8–10 minutes more, until golden at the edges. These oven times and temperature are Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s estimates.
6. Serve. Serve hot with Greek yogurt and applesauce. A squeeze of lemon, more black pepper and a few chives make up for the lighter salt.^12,1

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Kitchen Tips

Don’t skip the oil altogether. Spray the basket, the tops of the patties and the second side after flipping; a published air-fryer recipe uses only that spritz.⁵

Leave space between the patties and work in batches, keeping the finished ones warm in a low oven.⁵

For gluten-free latkes, use potato starch instead of the whole wheat flour; it binds the batter and keeps the pancakes light.²

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The Traditional Version

For latkes fried in a layer of oil, with matzo meal and sour cream, and for the story of how they became the Hanukkah dish, see our Traditional Latkes recipe.

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Nutritional Comparison

Per serving, 1 of 5, with 2 tablespoons of topping (sour cream for the traditional version, Greek yogurt for this one):

Nutrient	Traditional latkes	This version
Calories	365–445 kcal	185–230 kcal
Protein	7–8.5g	8–10g
Total fat	22–26g	6–7g
Saturated fat	5–6g	1.5–2g
Carbohydrates	37–46g	27–33g
Dietary fiber	about 3g	about 3g
Sodium	530–650mg	345–420mg

Without a topping, a serving comes to about 310–380 kcal for the traditional version and 160–195 kcal for this one.

Nutritional values are estimates based on standard ingredient databases (USDA FoodData Central). They vary with how much oil the latkes take up, the size of the vegetables and how much salt goes on at the end.

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Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and eat them within 3–4 days, or freeze them for 3–4 months; they can be reheated straight from frozen, without thawing.¹⁴ The air fryer recrisps them well: 150°C (300°F) for 5–10 minutes, with no extra oil.⁵

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does air-frying really cut that much fat?
The “up to 80%” figure is for switching from deep frying.⁶ Traditional latkes are pan-fried in a shallower layer of oil, so the saving is smaller. By our estimate, the oil per serving falls from about 16g to about 3g.

Can I bake these in a regular oven?
Yes. An air fryer works like a small convection oven,⁶ so a hot oven gives a similar result, just more slowly. The oven times in this recipe are our estimates; watch the edges and flip once.

Won’t the zucchini make the batter watery?
Only if the squeezing is rushed. Zucchini is about 95% water,¹⁰ so twist the grated potato and zucchini together hard, and keep the potato starch that settles out of the liquid; it helps hold the batter together.^1,4

Is Greek yogurt a good stand-in for sour cream?
It’s thick and creamy, with about twice the protein of regular yogurt.¹³ Per 100g it has about half the calories of sour cream and about a quarter of the fat.¹⁰

Is this version suitable for someone managing blood sugar?
It has fewer carbohydrates per serving than the traditional version, about 29g against 41g by our estimate, but it is still a potato dish, and potatoes carry a high glycemic load.⁷ Anyone managing diabetes or prediabetes should check portions with a doctor or registered dietitian.

Can I make these ahead?
Yes. Keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days or freeze them,¹⁴ then recrisp them in the air fryer at 150°C (300°F) for 5–10 minutes.⁵

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Further Reading & Sources

The recipe is a compilation based on the published recipes listed here; these links are provided for readers who want to explore further.

The base recipe

1. Joan Nathan. Joan Nathan’s Classic Latkes. Saveur (first published in the December 2007 issue; updated 4 December 2025). Published recipe for the traditional base: 1 medium onion, about 1.1kg potatoes, 3 tablespoons matzo meal, 2 eggs; onion and potato grated alternately; liquid squeezed out and the settled starch kept; chives to serve.
2. Deb Perelman. (21 December 2008, revised). potato latkes, even better. Smitten Kitchen. Published recipe for the traditional base: 450g russet potato, 1 small onion, ¼ cup potato starch or flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 egg; coarsely shredded and wrung out; potato starch keeps latkes gluten-free.
3. Andrew Zimmern. (7 December 2020). Andrew Zimmern’s Perfect Potato Latkes Recipe. The Nosher, My Jewish Learning. Published recipe for the traditional base: 1.4kg potatoes in all, 1 large onion, 2 eggs, 1 cup matzo meal, 2 teaspoons salt. Used for ranges only.
4. Patty Catalano. (updated 22 December 2020). I Tried 5 Latke Recipes and This Is What I Learned. The Kitchn. Squeezing hard and keeping the starch; resting matzo-meal batter about 10 minutes.
5. Emily Paster. (12 December 2019). You Should Be Air-Frying Your Latkes. Here’s How. The Nosher, My Jewish Learning. Published air-fryer recipe: 2 large russets, 1 onion, 2 eggs, ¼ cup matzah meal, 1½ teaspoons salt; ⅓-cup patties; basket and tops sprayed with oil; 375°F for 8 minutes, flipped, sprayed and cooked 5–6 minutes more; not overcrowded; kept warm at 250°F; reheated in the air fryer at 300°F for 5–10 minutes without extra oil; “only a spritz of oil, instead of a whole panful.”

The swaps

6. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, with registered dietitian Julia Zumpano. (22 January 2024). Are Air Fryers Healthy? Air fryers work like small convection ovens; they need about a tablespoon of oil; switching from deep frying may cut calories by up to 80%; pan frying also needs “a fair amount” of oil.
7. The Nutrition Source. Potatoes. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (no author or date given on the page). Fresh potatoes are virtually fat-free, and added oil or fat adds calories; potatoes carry a high glycemic load.
8. Susannah Brodnitz. (8 December 2022). The Real History of Potato Latkes Will Surprise You. The Nosher, My Jewish Learning. Modern latke recipes incorporate zucchini, spinach and beets.
9. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, with registered dietitian Lara Whitson. (22 July 2024). Is Zucchini Good for You? One medium zucchini: 33 calories, 2g fiber, 35mg vitamin C (39% of the daily value); the skin holds a large amount of its vitamin C and B6, so don’t peel it.
10. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, via MyFoodData: zucchini (169291), russet potato (170027), sour cream (171257), plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (171304). Water per 100g: zucchini 94.8g, potato 78.6g. Per 100g: sour cream 198 kcal, 19.4g fat, 2.4g protein; Greek yogurt 97 kcal, 5g fat, 9g protein.
11. The Nutrition Source. Whole Grains. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Refining wheat strips away more than half of its B vitamins, 90 percent of the vitamin E and virtually all of the fiber; bran and fiber slow the breakdown of starch into glucose.
12. NHS. Salt in your diet. (Last reviewed 17 April 2023.) Adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day; flavour food with herbs, spices, black pepper, garlic or lemon juice instead of salt.
13. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, with registered dietitian Julia Zumpano. (9 November 2020). Is Yogurt Good for You? Greek yogurt is strained, rich and creamy, with about twice the protein of regular yogurt; swap it in for some of the sour cream in dips, dressings and soups to cut saturated fat.
14. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety. Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and 3 to 4 months frozen; safe to reheat from frozen without thawing.
15. Rabbi Yissachar Dov Krakowski. (25 February 2026). Understanding the Not-So-Simple Matzah. OU Kosher. Matzah as bread that has not risen, made from flour and water alone and fully baked within 18 minutes of mixing.

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Disclaimer

The information in this article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Heritage Healthy Kitchen makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of any content on this site. Nutritional values are estimates only and will vary depending on the specific ingredients, brands, and measurements used. This content is not intended as dietary, medical, or professional nutritional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any dietary needs or health conditions. Heritage Healthy Kitchen is not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use of recipes or information published on this site.

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