This classic cheese Blintzes recipe makes a thin, crepe-like pancake filled with a creamy cheese filling, pan fried, and topped a simple berry sauce, or served with fresh fruit.
Want to try more breakfast recipes? Try my Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Yeasted Waffles, or Buttermilk Pancakes!
I’m a huge lover of both sweet and savory breakfast foods and cheese blintzes are a newer favorite of mine. I first fell in love with them a few years ago when I had them at great breakfast restaurant on my birthday, and now everyone cheers when I make them for home. They’re easy to make and customize with your favorite toppings, and you can serve them for a special breakfast, brunch, or even dessert!
What are Blintzes?
Blintzes are a traditionally Jewish cuisine that consists of a thin pancake, similar to crepes, that are usually filled with a creamy cheese mixture and pan fried to give a crispy outside. They can be served for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert!
Blintzes vs Crepes
The main difference is crepes are only cooked once, and be be served plain, without filings. Blintzes, are always served filled, usually with a cheese mixture, and are cooked twice; once when made, and again after they are filled and pan fried.
How to make Blintzes:
Make Filling. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stick in the freezer while you make and cook the blintzes.
Make Batter. Add milk, flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla and salt to a blender and blend until smooth.
Cook Blintzes. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Pour ¼ cup of batter into the pan and swirl the pan in a circular motion until the batter is in a thin, circle in the pan. Cook until lightly golden on the bottom, then flip and cook on the other side. Remove to a plate and keep warm covered by a dish towel or tinfoil while you cook the rest.
Assemble Blintzes. Place a spoonful of the chilled filling onto the pancake, about 1 inch from the bottom. Fold both sides in, then roll all the way up, like a burrito. Repeat with remaining blintzes.
Pan Fry. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable or coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, work in batches to toast the blintzes seam-side down in the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, just until until golden brown all over.
Serve. Top golden blintzes with berry sauce or your favorite toppings (find my suggestions in the recipe card).
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: These blintzes can be made a few hours ahead of time and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Just wait to pan fry until right before serving. The berry sauce can also be made up to 1 day ahead of time and kept in the fridge.
To Freeze: For best results, freeze blintzes right after filling them, but before pan frying. Place rolled and filled blintzes on a cookie sheet and “flash freeze” for one hour. Transfer them to a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before pan frying.
Recipe Variations:
- Blueberry Blintzes: Stir a handful of blueberries into the cheese mixture once it’s made, or use frozen blueberries and follow the instructions to make a blueberry sauce.
- Potato Blintzes: Peel and slice potatoes into cubes. Cook them until soft then saute them with onions, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Fill blintzes with potato mixture and pan fry according to recipe.
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Recipe
Blintzes
Ingredients
Blintzes
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons butter , softened (plus more for toasting them, later)
Cheese filling:
- 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping Ideas:
- Berry sauce (recipe in notes)
- Fresh berries
- Powdered sugar
- lemon zest
- Mint
- Whipped cream
- Applesauce
- Syrup
Instructions
- Cheese Filling: Combine filling ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Place bowl in freezer to chill filling while you cook the blintzes.
- Make Batter: Add milk, flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla and salt to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Cook: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Pour roughly ¼ cup of batter into the pan and swirl the pan in a circular motion until the batter is in a thin, circle in the pan. Cook until lightly golden on the bottom, then flip and cook on the other side. Remove to a plate and keep warm while you continue cooking all the blintzes.
- Add Filling: Place a big spoonful of the filling onto the pancake, about 1 inch from the bottom. Fold both sides in, then roll all the way up, like a burrito. Repeat with remaining blintzes.
- Pan Fry: Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or coconut oil) in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, work in batches to toast the blintzes seam-side down in the pan. Cook for 1-2 on each side, just until until golden brown all over. Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
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The first time we made this recipe, it came out great, but the second time, it came out very bitter tasting, especially in the cheese filling. We made it as written other than substituting vanillin (artificial vanilla) for vanilla and oat milk for regular milk. Could either of those substitutions have caused that bitterness?