A latke (Yiddish: לאַטקע, romanized: latke, lit. 'pancake'; sometimes romanized latka) is a type of potato pancake or fritter in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine that is traditionally prepared to celebrate Hanukkah.

It is commonly eaten by the Jewish diaspora where it is known as ״לביבות״ (romanized levivot, lit. "little hearts") and has many variations.

The word comes from the Yiddish latke, itself from the East Slavic oladka, a diminutive of oladya 'small fried pancake', which in turn is from Hellenistic Greek ἐλάδιον eládion, '(olive) oil', diminutive of Ancient Greek ἔλαιον élaion, 'oil'.

Its Modern Hebrew name, levivah (לְבִיבָה levivá), plural levivot, is a revival of a word used in the Book of Samuel to describe a dumpling made from kneaded dough, part of the story of Amnon and Tamar. Some interpreters have noted that the homonym levav (לֵבָב leváv) means "heart", and the verbal form of l-v-v (ל־ב־ב‎ l-b-b) occurs in the Song of Songs as well.

Although the fritter was not made in the Land of Israel during biblical times, the story behind the levivot is usually regarded as biblical, and appears in the story of Amnon and Tamar. Amnon, who lusted after his half-sister Tamar, pretended to be ill and asked their father David: "Let Tamar my sister come and prepare two levivot before my eyes, so I may eat from her hand" (2 Samuel 13:6). And it is written about Tamar: "She took the dough, kneaded it, and prepared the levivot before his eyes, and cooked them. Then she took the pan and served them to him…" (verses 8–9).

Some version of latkes goes back to at least the Middle Ages. They were likely made of cheese (probably either ricotta or curd cheese), fried in poppyseed oil or butter, and served with fruit preserves. These cheese latkes were the most common kind of latke in Ashkenazi communities until the 19th century when the potato arrived in Eastern Europe. At the time, the cheapest and most readily available cooking fat was schmaltz, rendered poultry fat (usually from a goose or chicken), and due to Jewish dietary laws, which prohibit the mixing of meat and dairy products, alternatives to the cheese latke were introduced. These included buckwheat, rye flour, or root vegetables endemic to the region, such as turnips. As the potato became popular in Eastern Europe, it was quickly adopted to the point that today, latke is almost synonymous with potatoes.

The latke is traditionally prepared during the Hanukkah holiday to commemorate the miracle of the oil in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem lasting eight days.

Latkes today are most commonly made with potatoes, although other vegetables are also sometimes used. There are two main varieties: those made with grated potato and those made with puréed or mashed potato. The textures of these two varieties are different.