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
NOTES
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.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Pat says
Easy and really is wonderful. The whole family was impressed!
Risa Golding says
I added a bit of farmers cheese to the cheese mixture. Made the crepes, put them between sheets of wax paper and refrigerated them for 2 days. Made the cheese mixture and put it in a baggie and refrigerated. On the day of the brunch I removed them an hour before cooking and put them together. They were wonderful. If make them again.
Gail says
Awesome!
I will make this blintz recipe again.
Cynthia Handler says
What size pan is best for the crepe? I have two: 7″ or 8″.
Thanks.
Tony Engelmore says
DearTori,
Your blintz recipe is delicious, but I find the filling too
be a little too runny. Would it help if I added a little more
egg to the mix? Or perhaps a little flour?
Need your thoughts on this. Thanks.
–Tony
Tori Avey says
Hi Tony, have you tried the very first step in the recipe– draining the ricotta? This should help it thicken up quite a bit.
Tony Engelmore says
Hi Tori,
Great recipe. Just like my grandmother from Romania used to
make when she baby sat me. Plus, I added raisins to the fillling like she did and that made them even better!. Try it!
-Tony E
Binnie says
I use my Mother’s recipe, and it calls for Farmer cheese mixed with eggs (4 packages of cheese to 2 whole eggs). This fills 24 medium size crepes with a not sweet filling, which is what my family has always preferred. But you can always add flavoring and sugar to the cheese/egg mixture. As the Farmer cheese is no “soupy”, it doesn’t need draining.
Abi says
Do these freeze well? Alternatively, can they be made a few days in advance or will they get soggy?
Tori Avey says
Abi, I have never frozen them so I’m not sure. If you decide to try it, be sure to drain the ricotta cheese overnight before making the filling.
Deb says
I made them for a friend and wrapped them individually (filled but not yet fried) in wax paper then packed them all in a storage container to be frozen. He raved about how good they were and as a widower, he could pull just one out and enjoy while the rest kept frozen. Not sure if he followed my suggestion to thaw in the fridge overnight before frying, but I’m about to make another batch for him the same way because he enjoyed them so much!
Elf says
Made this, this morning for my mom in honour of her birthday this week. She loved them! I used 1/8thnof a cup of sugar, and doubled the recipe; I then fried them in butter and made three different fruit sauces to go with them and topped them with sour cream. Huge hit. There are even some left over which can be frozen and then heated up in the crockpot. Fantastic! The helpful tips and suggestions which have been added were really nice too. Although I had nothing but problems when I tried only cooking the one side, perhaps I need to cook it a little longer on a lower heat to get them cooked more thoughly than I could on the lowest setting on the gas stove!
Parker Lindner says
I am lactose intolerant. Used lactose free milk and vegan ricotta.
This recipe is lovely – though sweeter than what I’m used to. Sort of a cross between a blintz and a crepe.
Laura Colley says
This recipe was absolutely amazing! I made it this morning and my whole family loved it. I also used the strawberry topping from elsewhere on this website. I will definitely be making these again! Thanks so much 🙂
Tori Avey says
You’re welcome Laura! 🙂
Judy Applestein says
I made blintzes years ago; I used farmer cheese (don’t know where to get it), & cream cheese and added a tiny bit of oj. Flavor is great!1 Your recipe is also terrific.
Nellie says
I love it! Im the rattatouille of the house, and im always trying to find different recipes to try on pinterest. Istumbled upon this post, and i decided to try and make the blintzes with my niece and nephews over the weekend. Not only did the kids love them but now its a family favorite! Very easy, very scrumptious recipe. Thanks for posting!
Tori Avey says
Fabulous Nellie! 🙂
Barbara says
Do you have any fruit filling recipes?… I love the recipe, so much easier and frugal than buying the frozen ones..
Tori Avey says
No fruit filling recipes for blintzes, but the topping recipes in this post could probably be thickened with additional cornstarch or cooked to a thicker consistency and used as filling: https://toriavey.com/history-kitchen/2013/08/kolache/
Will B says
First place Google sent me and I have to say score. Your blints are amazing. I have one problem, my filling ends up very runny. I followed recipe to the Tee. Any suggestions.
Thank you Will
Tori Avey says
Hi Will, try draining the filling in a colander lined with cheesecloth for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. Glad you like the blintzes!
Shannon says
These were fabulous! Reminded me of my childhood, everyone loved them ! Thank You! This recipe is great. I made them with a raspberry topping I make.
Tori Avey says
So glad to hear that Shannon!
sandy says
i made these today for my husband’s Father’s Day breakfast. He LOVED them. I only made one adjustment (on purpose). In the filling i used splenda instead of sugar. They were amazing. I am not a cook at all, so it took me much longer than the average person to complete the whole process. Here are a few ‘notes to self”. Next time (because i WILL make them again), I will use a bigger skillet to make the crapes. When I went to fold them up it was hard to fold in the sides and I had filling left over. Another thing i had trouble with since I am NOT a cook, they started to unfold in the oil. Next time i will use an egg wash to “seal” the fold. I thought about mixing the filling the night before and it would cut out some time out. The accidental adjustment I made was, because the crapes were smaller I had filling leftover, I didn’t want to waste it, so i used 3 tortillas to finish using the filling. They weren’t bad, but crapes are better! Thanks for sharing…
nadia says
Sandy- I’ve made up a ‘blintz pancake’ with left over filling. simply add some prepared ( add the water or milk) pancake mix with it (my preference is Hungry Jack or Kreustez if you can’t find it.) Adjust the amount of liquid and mix until it will make a thick pancake. ( test by the spoonful until you’re happy with it) I top them with a bit sour cream sprinkled with sugar, as I do with my blintzes. Once you get the right balance of mix to cheese filling, they’re really delicious!
Leah says
They were awesome! Everyone ate them all up. I even mixed a little King Arthur pancake flour with all the purpose flour to see how it would turn out and they were yum! Thanks again Tori 🙂
Tori Avey says
Great Leah!
Leah says
What kind of flour did you use?
Tori Avey says
Leah I use all purpose flour.
Leah says
Hi Tori, I am making these as we speak but I’m having trouble with the batter spreading?? I sprayed the oil generously and I’m wondering if I put too much…
Leah says
Nevermind!!! I forgot the milk :-O No wonder. Thanks for your help!
Tori Avey says
Oops! Haha yes that will make a major difference. Enjoy Leah!
Desire Ricker says
I substituted goat cheese for the cream cheese in the filling and it was absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing a great recipe in an easy to follow format.