Chag Sameach and Happy Shavuot to all of you! Continuing with our dairy theme, here is another Shavuot favorite–the blintz. A blintz is a thin crepe-like pancake filled with cheese. Blintzes are pretty easy to make, and they’re one of the most delicious things EVER (in my humble opinion). If you’ve never made a blintz, this blog will walk you through the process.
My blintz recipe includes vanilla in both the blintz and the filling, which gives it a delectable flavor and aroma. You can actually eat these blintzes without the cheese filling (if you cook them on both sides), they are pretty tasty on their own. I prefer them stuffed with cheese!
For the blintz filling I use a blend of ricotta cheese and cream cheese. If you’re watching your fat intake, try subbing nonfat ricotta and Neufchatel cheese. You can also use farmer’s cheese. The blintzes are sweet, but not overly sweet. They’re perfect for breakfast or brunch, especially when served with a side of scrambled eggs.
For my Strawberry Topping recipe, click here. These blintzes are great both with topping and without. Enjoy!
Note: When I originally published this post, a reader gave me a tip to only cook the blintzes on one side before stuffing, which saves a substantial amount of prep time. I’ve been making them that way ever since! I’ve updated the blog with new photos to reflect this process. Thanks for the tip Phyllis! Also, I have added a step for draining the ricotta cheese, which helps the filling to thicken and not spread.
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Cheese Blintzes
Ingredients
Blintz Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch salt
- Nonstick cooking oil spray
- Vegetable oil with a high smoke point for frying (grapeseed or peanut oil works best)
Filling Ingredients
- 1 cup lowfat ricotta cheese (you can use farmer's cheese if you prefer, which Is drier and thicker)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1 package)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- The night before: Place the ricotta cheese from the filling ingredients into a strainer lined with cheesecloth placed on top of a bowl. Let the ricotta drain overnight in the refrigerator to remove excess liquid. Note-- this step is optional, it will help the filling to thicken so it won't be quite so soft and goopy in the center. Blend all of the blintz ingredients together using a food processor, blender, immersion blender or electric hand mixer. Consistency of the batter should be smooth (no lumps). Alternatively, you can use a fork to mix all ingredients together until the batter is smooth. Make sure you get rid of all the lumps.
- Warm up a nonstick skillet on medium heat until hot. The skillet is ready when a drop of water sizzles on the surface of the pan. If the water pops or jumps out of the pan, the skillet it too hot—let it cool slightly before starting. If the water sizzles, it’s at the perfect temperature. Grease the entire surface of the hot pan generously with nonstick cooking oil spray (keep the oil spray away from gas stovetop flame).Pour the blintz batter by 1/3 cupfuls into the pan, then tilt the pan in a circular motion till the batter coats the entire bottom of the pan in a large, thin circular shape.
- Let each blintz cook for 60-75 seconds until the edges of the blintz brown and the bottom of the blintz is lightly golden. You can tell it's ready by touching the center of the pancake's surface-- it should be dry and slightly tacky to the touch. Do not flip the blintz to cook the other side. Use a spatula to take the blintz out of the pan and place it on a plate.
- Keep the blintzes separated by pieces of parchment paper, wax paper, or paper towels. This will help keep them from sticking together.When all of the blintzes are cooked, create your filling. Put all of the filling ingredients into a mixing bowl, then use a fork to mix them well. Filling should be well blended but slightly lumpy.
- Now you’re going to stuff and wrap up your blintzes! Put 3 tbsp of filling on the lower part of the blintz, about an inch from the edge.
- Fold the lower edge of the blintz up over the filling.
- Fold the sides of the blintz inward, as though you’re folding an envelope.
- Roll the blintz up and over the filling like a burrito, tucking the edges in as you roll.
- When the blintzes are stuffed and rolled, you are ready to fry them. Pour ¼ cup of vegetable oil into the skillet and heat over medium until hot. Do not let the oil turn brown or start smoking—if this happens, discard the oil and try again. Cook the blintzes in batches of 3--this will give you space to turn them easily in the pan. Carefully place the stuffed blintzes flap-side down into the hot oil. The blintzes should fry for 1 ½ to 2 minutes until they’re brown and crispy.
- Turn the blintzes carefully using a spatula and/or tongs, then fry for an additional 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Blintzes should be evenly browned on both sides.
- Serve blintzes warm. They can be served as-is or topped with fruit topping, sour cream, applesauce, whipped cream or maple syrup.
NOTES
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Really delicious recipe. I’ll try it for sure!!
This was phenominal!!! My very first attempt and it won’t be my last. I was surprised how easy they were to make and also how well the blintzes themselves were quite easy to work with. I used 2 tbsp of filling and feel that was enough, as the first two I did with the 3 tbsp were a bit too heavy. I topped mine with heated strawberry preserves with fresh strawberries added. It was perfect and everyone raved!! Thank you again, I love this website and always enjoy reading your stories and how it pertains to the receipe. Look forward to more great receipes.
So happy you liked the blintzes Janet!
fabuloso recipe! i would also cut back on the sugar for the filling and the strawberry sauce doesn’t need any sugar esp if the berries are sweet. i made them in a small pan-a 5.5-6″ and they came out slightly thick. will have to buy a bigger pan for next time. they r easy to make.
Hi Michelle, make sure the skillet you buy is nonstick, it makes the process so much easier. 🙂
Thank you for this, they were delicious. I used whole milk ricotta. For the children there was a bit too much filling, next time I’ll fill them a bit less and reduce the sugar somewhat, they were just a bit too sweet.
Happy you liked them Emily! I’m actually thinking about reducing the sugar to 2 tbsp in the filling. Next time I try it I will do that and if the flavor is good I will update the recipe.
I always made my blintzes with baker’s cheese and friendship farmer’s cheese, but the baker’s cheese is almost impossible to find now.
Have you tried topping them with strawberries mashed with sugar and not adding the cornstarch? yum!
I think by bakers cheese you mean curd cheese, yes difficult to get but the nearest thing to it is Quark…lovely
I just love blintzes and can’t wait to try this recipe. My family is Polish and we grew up on crepes (or Platzkies as we called them). A tip for stacking crepes that eliminates the need to put paper between them is to use a light sprinkling of sugar ( I use Splenda even) on top of each crepe. They don’t stick and even freeze well using this method. I enjoy your recipes very much!
That’s a great tip Sally, I’ve never heard that one! Thank you! 🙂
These blintzes were incredible and sublime! I made them for a Shavuot dinner with the raspberry sauce and they were a total hit. Guests were wrangling over the last one! I did use whole milk “ricotta con latte” for a creamier filling, in addition to the specified cream cheese. Perfect crepe texture and excellent filling with vanilla essence. Thank you!
Naomi, I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the blintzes! I’ll bet the whole milk ricotta brought them to a new level of yum. Next time I want to try them with ricotta from one of the local organic farms here in Cali, there are some great ricotta producers here. Thanks for reporting back! 🙂
Blintzes are fun and easy to make but you can double your batch and freeze them up to a month in the freezer. There is so many things you can fill a blintze with too. I’m going to try this recipe with the ricotta cheese and cream cheese but I use to use cottage cheese and cream cheese with sour cream and strawberries on top.
Yes, place on a cookie sheet after you’ve filled and folded them, before you fry them the second time, pop the whole sheet in the freezer, then put in quart or gallon size zip-lock bags to suit your future serving-size needs.
Or, fry until just golden, then bag as a gift for those you know who are disabled or elderly and just want to heat them up in the oven.
When you put forth an effort, might as well make a double or quadruple batch for when you want great goodies, fresh baked, without having to put forth that effort each time – also, you can give a quart zip-lock bag of frozen blintzes to a loved one who tends to buy store-bought frozen foods. And yours will be healthier :-).
My mom has always used BOTH Pot Cheese and Cream Cheese in her blintz’s. Yum –
Ah these are just what I have been looking for, reminds me of my grandma’s! I am going to try them this weekend! Yum, I miss grandma’s blintzes!
Hey, don’t forget using sour cream as the topping! It’s really the best!
Ditto that, “other Phil”… When I came home to Las Vegas from 2 tours in Danang, my first stop was to schmooze with old “uncles” at the Flamingo where my “Da” was a Maitre’D. All us Chicagoans ask the same question FIRST; “Hey, ya’ hungry?” I wanted cheese blintzes with blueberries and sour cream in the 24/7 coffee shop. Although a new “nondrinker,” the “auntie” family friend waitress snuck in a small glass of Manischewitz blackberry wine with a hug, a wink, and “Hey, Schatzi, ya probably need some extra iron.” I knew then I was finally home.
or, for a lower fat alternative, use yogurt.
These look incredible, but I bet they taste even better. I’m going to make them this weekend. As someone said, they are dairy goodness and you are the dairy godess, or is that somehow blasphemous to say? Anyway, thanks. ~NS~
Ihad the opportunity to be a part of a Jewish Community when I was young. I miss the hospitality, the food, and especially the seda. Blintzes bring back sweet memories. Thanks for the site!!
this is great I am printing so I can make them they look great, and I bet they taste just as good , will let you know how they go over, I can tell thye will be a hit thank You Bianca
always wanted to learn how to make jewish food, ur site is super helpful and this looks awesome thank u!!
Glad you all enjoyed the recipe, I made a batch today and they disappeared VERY quickly. David, Bubbe’s way is always the best– but butter tends to have a low smoke point, which is why I don’t use it try fry very often. It does taste good though! Phyllis that is an excellent tip, I will have to try it that way next time. Thank you!
Can you make any or all of this and freeze it?
try a can of cherry pie filling as a topping…yum!
Torey,
Can I make the crepes 2 days in advance and keep them refrigerated before filling and frying them or do I need to make them fresh?
Always looking for new ways to use strawberries, we have so many this time of year in the garden I never know what to do with them. I will try this!
these look gorgeous.
the woman who teaches cooking at our shul taught us that we don’t have to bother to flip the crepes. just cook one side, dump it out of the pan, and fill the cooked side. then the less cooked side (it’s not really raw) is on the outside when you fry them again. and if you make blintz souffle (although really, why would anyone make blintz souffle from homemade blintzes!?) you can jsut line them up in the pan and not have to worry about the outsides being fried….
it does save a step and make the crepe making go more quickly.
Wow! I love the pics and what a great recipe. My hubby is the crepe maker in our house and I’m sending him your blog with a special request that he make them for us this weekend. I bet my toddler will love them as well. Thanks and keep the recipes coming!
My bubbe fried them in butter, it’s the best way.
Yep, butter is far and away the best, and complements the delicate bouquet of flavours.