I’ve recently fallen in love with Colcannon, but it has competition, though it’s Colcannon too – these Colcannon Cakes! Leftover Colcannon – delicious Irish mashed potatoes with cabbage – is transformed into crispy-edged, uber-tasty potato cakes and let me tell you. These Colcannon Potato Cakes are IT.

To be honest, I really want to say they “slap,” but I’m too old for that.

colcannon cakes on white stoneware plates with sour cream and dill
A fork grabs a bite of Colcannon Cakes with a dollop of sour cream. They're on a white plate with a green napkin in the background.
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Colcannon Potato Cakes

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 6 servings
Take your leftover Colcannon (mashed potatoes and greens) and transform them into crispy patties. Garnish with herbs and dip in sour cream for an elite snack – or full meal!
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Ingredients

For the Colcannon Cakes

  • 2 cups leftover colcannon mashed potatoes (cooled)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (+ more to taste)
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (+ more to taste)
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil, for frying)

For serving

  • sour cream
  • fresh dill (minced)
  • flaky sea salt

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix together the colcannon potatoes, eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
  • Place a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the oil is shimmering and hot, add the potatoes in 1/4 cup increments. Use a spoon to spread them out a bit.
  • Fry on one side until golden brown on the bottom and slightly dry looking on top, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side until golden and cooked through.
  • Serve with sour cream for dipping. Garnish with fresh dill and flaky sea salt.

Notes

Scaling the recipe: This recipe is easily halved or doubled depending on how much leftover potatoes you have and how many cakes you want to make. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2cakes, Calories: 91kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.004g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 163mg, Potassium: 176mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.3g, Vitamin A: 60IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg

The Story Behind the Recipe

I recently created (and shared!) a recipe for Colcannon, Irish mashed potatoes with cabbage. I LOVE this side dish, especially for St. Patrick’s Day. But then I remembered that such thing as mashed potato cakes exist, and I couldn’t get the idea out of my head.

Enter: Colcannon Potato Cakes.

We’re talking leftover Colcannon – buttery, creamy mashed potatoes with onion, garlic, and sautéed cabbage – formed into patties and pan-fried until crisp.

What’s not to love?!

Plate full of colcannon cakes with flowers and dill in the background.

Why You’ll Love Colcannon Cakes

  • Super fast – Just 15 minutes to make.
  • Takes care of leftovers – It’s always nice when you can transform leftovers into another dish.
  • Small list of ingredients – Just leftover Colcannon, eggs, flour, salt and pepper, and some oil to fry them.
  • DELICIOUS – Fluffy inside, crispy outside, a little salty, buttery, yummmmmm. Especially with fresh herbs and sour cream.
ingredients for Colcannon Cakes

Ingredient Details

  • Leftover Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage) – You’ll want them cooled so that they don’t cook the eggs when you mix them in.
  • Eggs – To help bind the potato cakes together (and I like the nice added hit of protein!)
  • Flour – I use all-purpose flour for these Colcannon Patties. It helps to hold them together and helps to create a crisp outer layer. I suspect that a one-for-one gluten-free blend or maybe even potato starch would work, but I haven’t tested a GF version yet.
  • Salt & pepper
  • Olive oil or vegetable oil for frying these colcannon cakes – I’m partial to olive oil, but vegetable oil is a nice neutral choice that stands up to high heat and crisps up a bit better.
  • Sour cream, fresh dill, and flaky sea salt – For serving.

How to Make Colcannon Patties (Step-by-Step with Pics)

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cold colcannon mashed potatoes, eggs, flour, and salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a frying pan then add the oil. When the oil is shimmering, scoop the batter into the pan. I like to use approx. 2-tablespoons per patty, for around a 3-inch patty. Use a spoon to flatten it out gently.
  3. Let the batter cook until golden on the bottom and looking slightly matte/dry on top. Flip and cook on the other side.
  4. Serve with sour cream, dill, and flaky sea salt.
Ingredients for colcannon cakes in a bowl
mixed batter for colcannon cakes in a glass bowl
colcannon patties in a frying pan cooking
browned colcannon cakes in a frying pan
pile of golden colcannon cakes on a white plate with flaky sea salt and fresh dill

Tip for Success

  • If the potato batter sticks to your spoon, quickly dip the spoon into the oil before scooping the potatoes, and they’ll slide right off.
colcannon cakes on a stack of gray stoneware plates with sour cream and a silver fork

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