There is nothing like waking up to the smell of pan-fried thin Russian blintzes for brunch. My mother's blintzes recipe is easy, foolproof, and yummy for breakfast or dessert!
Jump to:
- What are Russian Blintzes?
- Where do blintzes come from?
- What is the difference between crepes and blintzes?
- Russian Blintz Ingredients
- Steps to make this Blintz Recipe
- Top Tip
- What filling is used for Blintzes?
- How to make cheese blintzes recipe filling
- When to serve blintzes?
- How do you fold a blintz?
- How to Store and Reheat Blintzes
- Blintzes Variations
- Recipe
This recipe is meant to make you happy. When you hear that butter hitting the pan, you should start getting excited. Because you know that what follows next is a generous ladle of batter going in and beautiful, golden-brown blintzes coming out. Because you know that from that moment on, nothing could spoil your morning. Because you know that in the kitchen, someone who loves you is making you Russian blintzes.
This is my mother's long-standing, tried-and-true traditional Russian blintzes recipe. It uses butter, eggs, white flour, and a bit of sugar, and it's perfect just the way it is. And if you aren't suffering from any food sensitivities, you really should try this thin crepe-like pancake called blinchiki the way my family has been making it for generations.
Since developing this recipe (or blinchiki recept, as we call it), I have made tens of thousands of blintzes - in fact, I used to organize an all-you-can-eat blintzes brunch every year for Maslenitsa! So you can rest assured that this easy blintz recipe is foolproof.
What are Russian Blintzes?
Blintzes are a type of thin pancake made from crepes batter. The pancakes are traditionally filled with a sweet cheese or fruit sauce and then fried in a pan. Though we also can have savory snacks with meat and mushrooms! They are popular in countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Hungary.
Russian Blintzes, known as blini or blinchiki, can be served as a main course or dessert. They often feature in festive occasions such as weddings, christenings and Easter celebrations (in Russia, we eat them for maslenitsa, a spring and harvest festival).
To prepare them, thin blintzes are typically cooked on both sides until golden brown. Once cooked, they are usually served hot with sour cream, melted butter, jam, or honey.
Russian Blintzes have become popular around the world due to their light texture and delicious taste.
Where do blintzes come from?
The word ‘blintz’ has its roots in the Yiddish word for ‘pancake.’ Hence, the roots of this blintzes recipe are Eastern European and Jewish origin - specifically, Ashkenazi Jewish.
Jewish tradition holds that blintzes were first made during the holiday of Shavuot to commemorate the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Blintzes also became popular among Ashkenazi Jews during the 19th century.
Today, blinchiki remains a popular dish among many cultures, and you can find them served in restaurants worldwide.
What is the difference between crepes and blintzes?
The main difference between crepes and blintzes is the type of batter used.
French crepes are made with a thin, pancake-like batter that is poured onto a hot skillet or griddle. The batter often has no eggs.
Blintzes, however, are made with a thicker batter that is spread onto a griddle and then folded over to form a pocket. They almost always have eggs at their base.
Additionally, a crepe is often served as a savory dish with various fillings such as ham and cheese, while blintzes are typically served as a dessert with sweet fillings like honey, jam, or cream cheese.
Furthermore, crepes can be enjoyed either warm or cold, whereas blintz is a thin pancake traditionally served warmly. Both dishes are delicious and make for an excellent breakfast treat or snack!
Russian Blintz Ingredients
- Flour - use regular flour, like all-purpose flour, for this.
- Eggs - eggs are a mandatory part of a real Russian blintz recipe. Skipping them will change the flavor considerably.
- Milk - My mother's recipe varies in how much she uses, based on how fancy she feels. The more milk, the thicker and more luxurious your crepes will be - but the harder to spread. But using too little milk makes them very thin and brittle. As stated in this recipe, my ratio is the golden ratio, developed after making tens of thousands of blintzes over the year! You can also use any milk or plant-based milk you like.
- Water - follow my lead for the perfect water-to-milk ratio.
- Sugar - use just a bit for savory blintzes or more for sweet - but don't skip it.
- Oil - this is used to thin the batter and make it pliable and non-sticky. You can also use melted butter or melted coconut oil.
- Butter - for frying the blintzes. This is not mandatory but gives the best and most traditional flavor.
Please see the recipe card for exact measurements.
Steps to make this Blintz Recipe
Make blinchiki batter
Whisk together eggs and liquid until well combined. Add oil, sugar, and salt. Continue whisking, gradually adding a cup of flour in small portions. Continue whisking until the mixture is perfectly even and the consistency of yogurt or low-fat sour cream (should be easily pourable but not watery).
Place just a touch of butter at the bottom of a large plate. Set aside.
Cook blini
Set a nonstick skillet over medium heat – the pan should sizzle when you add in the oil! Add a teaspoon of oil, and pour in ¼ cup of the batter while you swirl the pan to spread it thinly and evenly. The blintz should start cooking immediately!
When the edges of the blintzes curl, after about 2 minutes, use a thin spatula to flip it.
Cook briefly on the other side, and remove from the pan onto the buttered plate. Top the cooked blintz with a touch of butter.
Continue cooking
Repeat with the remaining batter.
(Please note that the first blintz rarely turns out; use this one to taste and correct the amount of sugar, flour or salt in your batter. If mixture is too watery to cook properly, add a bit more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time).
Top Tip
you can also whizz the blintz batter in a blender or food processor to avoid any lumps.
What filling is used for Blintzes?
You can have these thin blintzes with the following sweet or savory fillings, or topping ideas:
- cottage cheese - Russians often use farmer's cheese that's known as tvorog for a traditional filling
- cream cheese and ricotta cheese filling
- Russian sour cherry sauce
- blueberry sauce (or other berry sauce)
- served with fresh fruit
- honey
- sour cream
- mushrooms (use the filling from this bourekas recipe)
- meat - in Russian culture, it is very common to see blintzes stuffed with a meat and onion filling
How to make cheese blintzes recipe filling
To make a delicious cheese filling for blintzes, start by combining creamy ricotta cheese with a bit of sugar to sweeten it slightly. Add a touch of vanilla extract for extra flavor and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness of the cheese blintz filling. Mix everything together until smooth and well combined to make the filling. You can also incorporate some lemon zest for a hint of citrusy freshness.
Once mixed, spread a generous spoonful of the cheese filling onto each blintz before folding and cooking. This creamy and slightly sweet cheese filling adds a delightful richness to your traditional Russian blintzes, making them even more irresistible.
When to serve blintzes?
Blintzes are often eaten for breakfast or brunch.
When filled with a savory filling like mushrooms or meat, Russian blinchiki can be eaten for a light dinner as well.
They are eaten for maslenitsa, a late-winter celebration of the coming of warmer days.
I also love to serve blintzes recipe for Christmas day brunch, or for Mother's Day!
How do you fold a blintz?
The easiest way to fold a blintz is by folding it into a quarter of a circle - so fold once in half, and then fold the semi-circle in half again.
Another way to fold a blintz with filling is to fold it like a burrito - place the filling in the middle, then fold in one side, then the other, and then fold the bottom edge and the top edge overhead.
How to Store and Reheat Blintzes
If you want to store them in the fridge, fold them into triangles and place in an airtight container in the fridge. Store filled blinchiki seam side down in a container.
If you want to freeze them, start by allowing them to cool completely after cooking. Once cooled, arrange the blintzes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze them for 1-2 hours until firm. Then, transfer the frozen blintzes to airtight containers or freezer bags, labeling them with the date. Store the frozen blintzes in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
Additionally, you can freeze the filling separately by allowing it to cool, transferring it to airtight containers or freezer bags, and labeling it before freezing for up to 2-3 months.
When ready to enjoy, thaw the blintzes and filling overnight in the refrigerator before reheating and assembling as desired. You can reheat them in the microwave or in the oven set to 200 F for 10 minutes, arranged on a baking sheet.
Blintzes Variations
Gluten free blintzes: If, like me, the joys of white flour and eggs are beyond your reach, check out my buckwheat crepes for gluten-free, vegan blintzes. That way, you'll have something to compare it to!
Vegan Blintzes: Replace dairy milk and eggs with plant-based alternatives such as almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk, and use vegan butter or coconut oil for frying. For the filling, try using vegan cream cheese, tofu ricotta, or mashed bananas mixed with almond butter.
Low-Carb Blintzes: For a low-carb option, substitute regular flour with almond flour or coconut flour, and use sugar substitutes like erythritol or stevia instead of sugar. Fill with low-carb options such as sugar-free fruit preserves, sugar-free chocolate spread, or savory fillings like avocado and bacon.
Recipe
Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.
Traditional Russian blintzes
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups liquid milk, water, or combination of 2 glasses of milk and one glass of water
- 1 Tbsp. Grapeseed oil olive oil or butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 Tbsp. sugar more for sweet blintzes
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups flour or more, as needed (start with 1 cup if using only water)
- Butter as needed
Instructions
- Bring eggs to room temperature.
- Whisk together eggs and liquid until well combined. Add oil, sugar and salt. Continue whisking, gradually adding up to a cup of flour in small portions. Continue whisking until mixture is perfectly even and the consistency of yogurt or low-fat sour cream (should be easily pourable, but not watery).
- Place just a touch of butter at the bottom of a large plate. Set aside.
- Preheat a pan to medium-high heat – the pan should sizzle when you add in the oil! Add a teaspoon of oil or butter, and pour in ¼ cup of the the batter into the pan, tilt the pan and swirl it around to spread it thinly and evenly. The blintz should start cooking immediately! When the edges of the blintzes curl and bubbles appear, after about 2 minutes per side, use a thin spatula to flip it. Cook the blintz briefly on the other side, and remove from pan onto the buttered plate. Top the cooked blintz with a touch of butter. Repeat with remaining blintzes, and transfer the blintzes onto the plate. You can also fold cooked blintzes into triangles.
- (Please note that the first blintz rarely turns out; use this one to taste and correct the amount of sugar, flour or salt in your batter. If mixture is too watery to cook properly, add a bit more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time).
- You can also whizz the blintz batter in a blender or food processor to avoid any lumps.
Lyn says
These look perfect!!!! Thanks
kseniaprints says
I thought the Russionphile in you would like them 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Mom says
It' really testy!)
kseniaprints says
They're your recipe, of course they are!!
Sally says
My dear grandma was from Russia..gone now..would love to duplicate her blinchacke recipe..anyone have one..these crepes were stuffed and sour cream and butter topped and baked in the oven till bubbly and golden brown..
kseniaprints says
Hi Sally! So glad you stopped by. Basically, your grandmother's blinchiki recipe would involve making the blintzes in this recipe, then making a filling of tvorog/tworog/farmer's cheese (if it's too wet, drain it overnight in a cheesecloth) and one egg, a pinch of salt (if you want it sweet, you can add a teaspoon of sugar to the filling as well). You would put a bit of filling in each blintz, then fold it kind of like a burrito. Arrange your folded and stuffed blintzes in an oiled oven pan, add a few pinches of butter and bake in a 375F oven until bubbly and golden brown.
I should make it one day and actually post it, but how this helps for now! Let me know if you have any additional questions.
Katia says
There's nothing like Russian blini! This recipe looks even easier/quicker than recipes I've made in the past. Thanks for sharing!
kseniaprints says
I know, it's incredibly easy. If you've read other posts about my mom, you would see she doesn't make anything that's complex or involved! Haha. And that's why her recipes are always winners.
Heidi says
These were perfect for New Year's brunch at our house! The kids loved them too and asked for more. Thank you for sharing!
Shelby says
These make for such a delicious brunch recipe! And though they come out fancy and delicate, you broke down how to make them easily which helped so much for my first time!
Sonia says
I made these blintzes for brunch and they were a hit. They are so delicate and delicious. I served them with some ricotta cheese, honey, and blueberry compote, and they disappeared in no time.
Lisa says
I had blintzes at a restaurant and wanted to make them at home. This recipe was perfect and better than the one we ordered.
Sandi says
This is so similar to my grandma's recipe! I can't wait to try them.
Myra says
Great recipe and instructions, I made it thinner as described so I could tilt the batter around my crepe pan. Single recipe made 17. Great taste. I had never made these or crepes before.