The Best Blintzes Recipe (2024)

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!

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 blintzes 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 - and 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 remain a popular dish among many cultures and you can find them served in restaurants around the world.

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 that is traditionally served warm. Both dishes are delicious and make for an excellent breakfast treat or snack!

Russian Blintz Ingredients

• Flour - use a 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 the amount of milk she uses, based on how fancy she feels. The more milk, the thicker and more luxurious your crepes will be - but also the harder to spread. But using too little milk makes them very thin and brittle. My ratio as stated in this recipe 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 it gives the best and most traditional flavor.

Please see recipe card for exact measurements.

How to make Blintzes

Make blinchiki batter

Making my family's blinchiki recept is quite easy, and honestly foolproof.

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.

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 a ¼ cup of the 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 pan onto the buttered plate. Top the cooked blintz with a touch of butter.

Continue cooking

Repeat with remaining blintzes.

(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).

Pro Tip: you can also whizz the blintz batter in a blender or food processor to avoid any lumps.

Whatfillingis used forBlintzes?

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

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

Store blintzes, folded into triangles, in an airtight container in the fridge. Store filled blinchiki seam side down in a container.

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!

FAQ

If you liked this recipe, comment and rate it below the recipe card! You can also share your creations with me on social media, tagging @immigrantstable.

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