Norwegian lefse is a traditional potato cake made by rolling cold mashed potato dough thin and cooking it on a hot skillet until lightly browned. This simple recipe transforms leftover mashed potatoes into a soft, pliable flatbread perfect for sweet or savory toppings.
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Mix the mashed potatoes, margarine, milk, sugar, and flour together and knead.
Note: It's important that your mashed potatoes are cold.
You may need more or less flour than listed depending on the consistency of your potatoes. Add flour until you have a nice, stiff dough.
Preheat an electric skillet to 400°F. Skillet must be hot. Do not grease.
On a floured surface, begin rolling out dough. Dust with flour as needed to keep from sticking.
Roll nice and thin (about 1/8 inch) and then cut out circles using a bowl. You want them to be large enough so they can be rolled up when eaten — think crepe size or just a bit smaller.
Place potato cakes on the hot skillet. No need to worry about excess flour; it will keep them from sticking.
Cook until light brown spots form, then flip and cook the same on the other side.
Remove potato cakes and place on a damp towel to cool.
Serve with butter and white sugar, jam, Nutella, or toppings of your choice.
Cool completely and stack between parchment paper, then wrap tightly and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month; reheat briefly on the skillet.
electric skillet (preheated to 400°F) · rolling pin · bowl (for cutting circles)
Ensure your skillet is properly preheated to 400°F and ungreased. Dust the dough generously with flour before rolling and cooking—excess flour on the surface prevents sticking.
Yes. Cool lefse completely on a damp towel, stack between parchment paper, wrap tightly, and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Reheat briefly on the skillet before serving.
Add flour gradually until you reach a stiff dough consistency. The amount needed depends on your mashed potatoes' moisture content—start with 1½ cups and adjust as needed.
Yes. Cold mashed potatoes are essential for proper dough consistency and texture. Warm potatoes will make the dough too soft to roll out.
Yes. Butter works as a direct substitute for margarine in equal amounts.
