Vegan Boxty Recipe: Classic Irish Potato Pancakes

This simple vegan boxty recipe uses only six main ingredients (plus salt and a plant-based spread for frying) and cooks in minutes. It’s perfect for using up leftover mashed potatoes.

There’s nothing like fresh boxty: a crisp exterior giving way to a soft, pillowy interior that’s almost gnocchi-like. I used to enjoy them as part of a hearty Irish breakfast after nights out in Dublin during my college years.

If you enjoy Irish recipes, try other veganized classics or check out related St. Patrick’s Day ideas.

• Gur cake
• Barmbrack
• Easy vegan soda bread
• Tomato bread
• Traditional sage and onion vegan stuffing
• Vegan Irish Christmas cake

What is boxty?

Boxty is an Irish potato pancake. Compared with some other potato pancake variations, it contains more potato, giving it a denser, more substantial texture.

There are two common approaches to making boxty. One method forms a dough with a higher flour ratio, divides it into farls and bakes them (often called potato farls). The other method creates a looser, batter-like mixture that is fried into small, dumpling-like cakes. This recipe follows the latter approach.

What to serve it with

Traditionally, boxty is served warm with butter; for a vegan version use a high-quality plant-based spread. I like them with vegan sour cream and chopped scallions. They’re also fantastic with creamy mushroom gravy for a richer option.

A classic full Irish breakfast often includes boxty or hash browns alongside grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, baked beans, vegan black and white pudding, vegan sausages and toasted soda bread — a filling and satisfying meal.

Boxty is versatile. You can thin the batter for a crepe-style pancake and roll it around savory fillings. Some great filling or topping ideas:

1. Vegan cheese, spinach, pine nuts and raisins.
2. Creamy mushrooms.
3. Pinto beans, onions, salsa and guacamole.
4. Garlic, spinach, mushrooms and coconut cream.
5. Vegan potato salad, tomatoes, scallions and grated vegan cheddar.

You can also make small boxty rounds topped like blini for appetizers. They’re commonly eaten at breakfast or brunch, but they’re delicious any time and often develop even better texture after chilling in the fridge.

How to make it

Boxty is straightforward to prepare and the recipe scales up easily. You will need:

• Potatoes (mashed and grated)
• All-purpose (plain) flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Plain plant-based milk
• Plant-based spread for frying (e.g., Earth Balance or Flora)

If you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes, make them first: peel and chop potatoes into walnut-sized pieces, cover with cold salted water, bring to a boil then simmer for about ten minutes until tender. Drain and mash.

Because this is an egg-free vegan recipe, you don’t need to cool the mashed potato before using it. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the mashed potato and plant-based milk, then whisk until fairly smooth.

Fold in the grated potato and mix. Some recipes recommend squeezing out excess moisture from the grated potato, but leaving a bit of starch in the mix helps bind these vegan boxty. Let the batter rest for five minutes to thicken slightly while you heat a large frying pan over low–medium heat.

Rather than oil, I prefer frying in a plant-based spread for flavor (traditionally in Ireland these are fried in butter). Add a knob of spread to the pan and let it melt and coat the surface. Drop about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter per boxty into the pan, depending on the size you want, leaving space between each one.

Gently flatten the dollops so they cook through; they will rise slightly from the baking powder. In a medium pan you can usually fit up to four at once. Fry for about four minutes on the first side until golden, then flip and cook another four minutes on the other side. If unsure of the pan temperature, cook a small test boxty first.

When all the batter is used, serve the boxty hot. They keep well in the fridge and often taste even better the next day—reheat in a pan with a little spread. Freshly cooked boxty should be crisp outside and soft inside; after chilling they can become more like hash browns in texture.

Enjoy!

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 12 boxty

Easy Vegan Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)

Crisp on the outside and soft inside, these vegan boxty are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any weekend breakfast.

Prep Time
15 minutes

Cook Time
21 minutes

Additional Time
5 minutes

Total Time
41 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed potato (230g)
• 1 cup flour (140g)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups grated potato (225g)
• 1 cup plain sugar-free plant-based milk
• Up to ¼ cup plant-based spread (for frying)

Instructions

1. If you don’t have mashed potatoes, boil potato chunks in salted water for ten minutes until tender, then mash.
2. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder.
3. Add the mashed potato and plant-based milk and whisk until fairly smooth.
4. Fold in the grated potato and let the batter rest for five minutes.
5. Heat a large frying pan over low–medium heat and melt a knob of plant-based spread.
6. Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup portions of batter into the pan, leaving space between them. Flatten slightly.
7. Cook about four minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.
8. Serve immediately or cool and store in the fridge; reheat in a pan with a little spread to serve later.

Notes

Cooking time includes making mashed potatoes and frying in batches. If you already have mashed potato, the total time will be shorter.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12 boxty

Serving Size

3 boxty

Amount Per Serving
Calories 457
Total Fat 4g
Saturated Fat 1g
Trans Fat 0g
Unsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 5mg
Sodium 1039mg
Carbohydrates 100g
Fiber 3g
Sugar 51g
Protein 8g

Did you make this recipe?

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