This recipe for cheese blintzes is a similar type of pancake as French crepes, Polish nalesniki, Hungarian palacsinta, and Serbian palacinke.
Unlike the thick, fluffy traditional pancakes that Americans have come to love and enjoy for breakfast, these pancakes are very thin and can be stuffed with various sweet or savory fillings, making them a unique vehicle for a variety of flavors. Ideal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they can be as filling as you make them.
Due to their texture, they can be made ahead of time and frozen before use. Just complete all of the steps up through filling them, but make sure to skip frying. When you're ready to enjoy them, fry them in butter while still frozen.
If you don't want to use ricotta cheese but can't find dry curd cheese, you might want to try making your own farmer's cheese from scratch. It's easier than you might think!
![A plate of Jewish cheese blintzes, served with fresh berries and raspberry sauce](https://www.thespruceeats.com/thmb/M8q1r6tGh_srMCepZtuBgzp69hE=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/SES-jewish-cheese-blintzes-recipe-1136318-hero-C-4d6d9d079f7c47858c7e5cfac56e34da.jpg)
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“These Blintzes are a delightful mix of subtle sweetness and smooth savoriness, perfect when served with some fresh raspberries. As long as you use a gentle touch, the folding process is relatively stress-free. So just make sure not to rip your pancakes and you’ll have an easy time" —Noah Velush-Rogers
![A cheese blintze cut in half and resting on a plate](https://www.thespruceeats.com/thmb/gqgYqN4mKUvlP7vk6WjJCsGSPVE=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/jewish-cheese-blintzes-recipe-1136318-noah-velush-rogers-2023-35122d48c4ac47838acbd64a86bca194.jpg)
Ingredients
For the Blintzes
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4 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
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1/2 cup water
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1/2 cup milk
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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1 cup unsalted butter, for frying
For the Filling
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1 pound dry curd ricotta, or farmer's cheese, at room temperature
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1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
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1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
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2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
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1/4 cup granulated sugar, more to taste
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Sour cream, for garnish
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Fresh or canned fruit, for garnish
Steps to Make It
Make the Blintzes
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
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In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, water, milk, salt, and flour until well combined. Don't over-beat. It's okay if small particles of flour remain as they will be absorbed during the resting period.
Let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
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Heat a small skillet (about 7 inches in diameter) on medium and add a pat of butter.
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Whisk the batter until smooth. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the pan and swirl it around so it forms a very thin layer. Make sure not to let it brown, adjusting the heat as necessary. The pancake should be very thin, like a crepe. If the batter is too thick to spread well in the pan, whisk in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.
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Flip and cook the other side for a few seconds.
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Then, turn the blintz out onto a clean kitchen towel.
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Repeat with the remaining butter and batter, staggering the crepes on top of each other.
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Make the Filling and Assemble
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In a large bowl, mix together the cheese, melted butter, egg yolk, vanilla, and sugar until well combined.
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To assemble, place one blintz crepe on a work surface and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling in a line close to the edge nearest to you.
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Fold letter-style.
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Roll up and away from you. Continue with the remaining blintz crepes and filling.
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On medium-low heat, fry the filled blintzes in butter as needed on both sides until golden brown.
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Serve with optional sour cream and/or fresh or canned fruit toppings.
The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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584 | Calories |
44g | Fat |
30g | Carbs |
17g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 584 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 44g | 56% |
Saturated Fat 26g | 129% |
Cholesterol 297mg | 99% |
Sodium 327mg | 14% |
Total Carbohydrate 30g | 11% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 2% |
Total Sugars 10g | |
Protein 17g | |
Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
Calcium 271mg | 21% |
Iron 2mg | 12% |
Potassium 218mg | 5% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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