These Polish Sauerkraut Pancakes are simple, crispy, flavorful, and incredibly comforting. They are made with sauerkraut, flour, and a few pantry staples, then fried until golden brown on the outside while staying soft and savory in the middle. Perfect as a quick lunch, snack, or cozy dinner.
If you’ve never heard of Fuczki before, let me introduce you to these wonderful little sauerkraut pancakes. Fuczki are a regional dish from southeastern Poland, traditionally made with sauerkraut and a simple pancake-style batter (usually with eggs). They are especially popular during the colder months, when fermented cabbage and pantry staples become the stars of the kitchen, however they are just as good anytime of the year as well.
I really love how budget-friendly and practical this recipe is. Sauerkraut keeps forever in the fridge, the ingredients are basic, and the pancakes reheat surprisingly well. They are the kind of thing you can throw together without much planning and still end up with something very satisfying.
They are of course also totally customizable. I like to add some vegan bacon bits to my sauerkraut pancakes, but you can add whatever else you feel like.
The sauerkraut gives these pancakes a delicious tangy flavor and keeps them moist and soft inside, while the crispy fried edges make them seriously addictive. They remind me a little bit of hash browns, savory fritters, and cabbage pancakes all at once.
Polish Sauerkraut Pancakes are…
- vegan and plant-based
- optionally gluten-free
- quick and easy to make
- budget-friendly
- crispy on the outside
- soft and savory inside
- tangy and flavorful
- made with simple pantry ingredients
- great for lunch, dinner, or breakfast
- perfect for dipping
How to make Vegan Fuczki (Polish Sauerkraut Pancakes)
Start by squeezing as much liquid as possible out of the sauerkraut, then chop it roughly. This helps the pancakes crisp up better and keeps the batter from getting too wet.
In a bowl whisk together flour, chickpea flour, spices, plant milk, and seasonings until smooth. Fold in the sauerkraut and vegan bacon bits, if using. Letting the batter rest for about 15 minutes helps the flour hydrate and improves the texture, but you can skip this step if you’re in a hurry.
Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan, then spoon the batter into the pan and flatten the pancakes slightly with the back of a spoon. Fry until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Depending on their size, this usually takes about 3–5 minutes per side.
Transfer the pancakes briefly onto a paper towel lined plate, then serve while still warm and crispy. They are especially delicious with garlicky yogurt sauce, sour cream, or any creamy dip you like.
How to serve Polish Sauerkraut Pancakes
Serve these as a main dish with a big salad or some fried potatoes on the side. Don’t forget about a dipping sauce! Garlicky soy yogurt is my personal favorite, but you can go with whatever else you like.
You can of course also make these pancakes into bite-size pieces, and then serve them as a snack or appetizer with dipping sauce of your choice.
Polish Sauerkraut Pancakes are also great as a breakfast food. Think of them as Eastern European hash browns.
Leftovers won’t stay super crispy, but they will be still very delicious the next day. You can simply reheat them and serve as usual, or stuff them into a sandwich or pita bread.
Customize it the way you like it!
This recipe is super simple but you can still play around with it!
Flavor your Fuczki with extra spices like smoked paprika, caraway seeds, turmeric, cumin, or chili powder. Chpped fresh or dried herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro or basil are also delicious here.
You can skip the vegan bacon bits completely, or use smoked tofu cubes instead.
Extras like chopped walnuts, mushrooms or onions, shredded vegan cheese, fried crumbled tempeh, or fried onions are also great in these pancakes.
You can also have fun with the shape of these pancakes or patties. Make them extra small and bite-size, or turn them into larger pancakes and top with all sorts of fun toppings.
And of course serve Polish Sauerkraut Pancakes with whatever dip or sauce you like! Yogurt and sour cream based dips work especially well with them, but salsa, ketchup, mayo, hot sauce, or even pesto can be used here.
More vegan Eastern European recipes to try:
- Hungarian Potato Casserole
- Mushroom Paprikash
- Sauerkraut Soup with Smoked Tofu
- Stuffed Cabbage with Mushroom and Tempeh
- Hungarian Green Pea Soup w/ Pinched Noodles
- Sauerkraut Pasta w/ Smoked Tofu
- Hungarian Potato Noodles w/ Cabbage & Tofu
- Russian Style Quinoa Salad with Winter Vegetables
- Savoy Cabbage Soup
- Hungarian Sauerkraut Casserole
Polish Sauerkraut Pancakes (Vegan Fuczki)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 pancakes 1x
Ingredients
- 500 g sauerkraut
- 100 g flour (use GF if needed)
- 1/4 cup chickpea flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp sweet paprika powder
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
- 1/2 cup vegan bacon bits (optional)
- salt, pepper
- oil for frying
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Using your hands squeeze out excess liquid from the sauerkraut, then chop it roughly.
- Add to a mixing bowl flour, chickpea flour, garlic and paprika powder, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Mix them together, then add milk, and whisk until there are no lumps left.
- Fold in chopped sauerkraut and vegan bacon bits. For the best result, let the mix rest for 15 minutes in the fridge (if you don’t have time, you can skip it).
- Heat up some oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add large dollops of the sauerkraut mix to the hot oil, gently spreading them out with the back of your spoon. Do not overcrowd the pan, otherwise they’ll be hard to flip.
- Fry pancakes on both side for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Transfer pancakes for a second to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil, then serve immediately with garlicky yogurt sauce. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
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