Gluten-Free Potato Knishes

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Get ready to enjoy knishes again with this simple gluten-free potato knish recipe. A potato knish is a savory mashed potato filling enveloped inside a pastry dough. I use store-bought gluten-free puff pastry as a shortcut to fast-track the making of this popular Jewish appetizer and side dish.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Jewish

Keyword: knishes, potato knishes

Servings: knishes

Calories: 183kcal

Author: Jenny Levine Finke

Equipment

1 Rolling pin
1 Baking Sheet
Parchment paper
1 large pot
1 large skillet pan
1 fork
1 pastry brush
spatulas and utensils

Ingredients

1 package of Gluten Free Easy Puff Pastry Squares or other puff pastry of choice see notes

For the Potato Filling

1 lb Yukon gold potatoes washed, peeled and quartered (about 3 large potatoes)
1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
2 tsp kosher salt divided
2 Tbsp butter or dairy-free butter
2 Tbsp avocado oil or vegetable oil of choice
freshly ground pepper to taste

The Finish Before Baking

1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water mixed together for egg wash

Instructions

For the Puff Pastry

If you've have frozen puff pastry, remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw as instructed on the packaging. See notes for preparing your own puff pastry.

For the Potato Filling

Fill a large or medium pot with water ½ full. Add peeled and quartered potatoes and 1 tsp of the Kosher salt. Turn the heat to high and bring the potatoes to a boil. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes in the boiling water for 10-15 minutes until fork tender. Drain, add the potatoes to a large mixing bowl, and mash with a fork.
While the potatoes are boiling or thereafter, prepare the onion mixture. Add two tablespoons of avocado oil and two tablespoons of butter to a large skillet pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the diced onion and ½-1 tsp of salt and a few cracks of fresh ground pepper. Saute the onions for about 10-15 minutes until they're soft and start to caramelize.
Add the onion mixture to the mashed potato mixture and stir to combine. Taste the mixture and add more salt or pepper, if needed. Set the mixture aside to cool.

Assembling the Knishes

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400º F.
Lay down a piece of parchment paper on your countertop, or use a silpat mat. If working with puff pastry squares, like the ones from Gluten-Free Easy, roll out the squares on the parchment paper using a rolling pin until they're 5-6" long rectangles. If working with a sheet of puff pastry, cut the pastry into 12 four-inch wide by 5-6" long rectangles. The puff pastry should be rolled out until it's about 1/8" thick.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of the potato mixture to one side of the pastry rectangle, leaving about 2" of space around the edge. Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the egg wash, then fold the pastry in half to envelop the potato filling. Use a fork to press all the sides together gently like a ravioli. Place each knish on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until you have 12 knishes.
Brush the top of each knish with the egg wash, then bake for 14-15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Enjoy the knishes as a warm side dish, appetizer, or snack. Many people dip their potato knishes in yellow or spicy brown mustard.

Notes

Nutrition values are approximate and will vary depending on the puff pastry and ingredients used.

Where can I find gluten-free puff pastry? You can find gluten-free puff pastry at some grocery stores nationwide or order Gluten-Free Easy Puff Pastry online at the Gluten-Free Shoppe. The Gluten-Free Easy Puff Pastry Squares come in 12 squares that can easily be used to form the dough around the potato filling. You can also make your own puff pastry sheet using this gluten-free puff pastry recipe.

Are these dairy-free? Yes, this recipe is dairy-free, as I used dairy-free puff pastry and dairy-free butter.

Is this recipe vegan? The recipe is vegan except for the butter and egg wash. You can swap butter for dairy-free/vegan butter. You don't have to brush the top of the knishes with egg, although they won't be shiny. You can also use water vs. egg to seal the puff pastry ends together.

Can I buy gluten-free knishes? I don't know anyone who sells gluten-free knishes, so you'll have to make them if you want them. If you know of someone who makes gluten-free knishes, please leave a comment below to share.

What kind of potatoes do you use? I use Yukon gold potatoes because they're creamy when mashed, but you could use Russet or another potato of choice.

Nutrition