Raggmunk — Swedish Potato Pancakes
Crispy, golden potato pancakes fried in butter and served with lingonberry jam and streaky bacon — a simple, beloved Swedish comfort food.
About This Recipe
Raggmunk are Sweden's beloved potato pancakes: thick, shaggy rounds of grated raw potato bound in a thin batter, fried in generous amounts of butter until the exterior is deeply golden and crispy while the interior remains soft and yielding. The name comes from 'raggig' (shaggy or rough) and 'munk' (monk or friar), referring to their irregular, rustic appearance. They are traditionally served with crispy fried bacon and a spoonful of lingonberry jam — the sweet-tart berry cutting through the richness of the potato and bacon. This is Swedish home cooking at its most satisfying: humble ingredients transformed into something completely delicious.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 800 gfloury potatoes(peeled and coarsely grated)
- 2eggs
- 100 mlwhole milk
- 3 tablespoonsplain flour
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- 0.5 teaspoonwhite pepper
- 60 gbutter(for frying)
- 200 gstreaky bacon(to serve)
- 4 tablespoonslingonberry jam(to serve)
Instructions
- 1
Prepare potatoes
Grate potatoes coarsely. Place in a clean cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible — this is the key step for crispiness.
Really squeeze hard — excess moisture is the enemy of crispy raggmunk.
- 2
Make batter
Beat eggs with milk, flour, salt and pepper. Stir in the squeezed potato. The mixture should be thick and shaggy.
- 3
Fry
Melt a knob of butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat until foaming. Add a large spoonful of batter per pancake and flatten slightly to about 1cm thick. Fry for 4–5 minutes per side until deeply golden and crispy. Work in batches, adding more butter for each batch.
- 4
Fry bacon and serve
In a separate pan, fry streaky bacon until crispy. Serve raggmunk stacked, topped with crispy bacon and a generous spoonful of lingonberry jam.
Pro Tips
- →
Squeezing out the potato liquid is the single most important step — don't skip it.
- →
Use plenty of butter — this is a rich dish and the butter flavour is part of the appeal.
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Lingonberry jam is essential — cranberry sauce is a reasonable substitute if unavailable.
Variations
- •
Some recipes add a grated onion to the batter.
- •
Serve with sour cream instead of lingonberry for a savoury version.
Storage
Best eaten immediately. Leftover raggmunk can be reheated in a hot pan with butter, but they lose some crispiness.
History & Origin
Raggmunk is one of Sweden's oldest dishes, with roots stretching back to when potatoes became a staple crop in Sweden in the 18th century. The combination of potato pancakes with bacon and lingonberries is considered quintessentially Swedish — appearing in school canteens, home kitchens and traditional restaurants throughout the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between raggmunk and Swiss rösti?
Both are grated potato cakes, but raggmunk uses a flour-and-egg batter binding the potatoes (making them softer and more pancake-like), while rösti is pure grated potato pressed and fried without batter (making it more cake-like and crispy throughout).
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (320g) · 4 servings total
Time Summary
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