Cheese Blintzes

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/16/21
Jewish cheese blintzes recipe

The Spruce

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Rest Time: 30 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
146 Calories
11g Fat
7g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 146
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 7g 33%
Cholesterol 74mg 25%
Sodium 145mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 68mg 5%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 54mg 1%
*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.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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!

1:50

Click Play to See This Cheese Blintzes Recipe Come Together

Ingredients

For the Blintzes

  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup butter, for frying

For the Filling

  • 1 pound ricotta, dry curd, or farmer's cheese, at room temperature

  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted

  • 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1/4 cup sugar (or more to taste)

  • Sour cream, garnish

  • Fruit toppings, fresh or canned, garnish

Steps to Make It

Make the Blintzes

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Jewish cheese blintzes
    The Spruce

  2. In a medium bowl, beat together 4 eggs, water, milk, salt, and flour until well-mixed. Don't over-beat. It's okay if small particles of flour remain as they will be absorbed during the resting period.

    Beat together eggs
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  3. Let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

    Let the batter rest
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  4. Heat a small skillet (about 7 inches in diameter) and add a pat of butter.

    Butter on skillet
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  5. Whisk the batter until smooth.

    Whisk
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  6. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the pan and swirl it around, pouring off excess. Make sure not to let it brown.

    Pour batter
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  7. Flip and cook the other side for a few seconds.

    Flip
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  8. Then, turn the blintz out onto a towel.

    Turn blintz on napkin
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  9. Repeat with remaining batter and pats of butter, staggering the crepes one on top of each other.

Make the Filling and Assemble

  1. In a large bowl, mix together cheese, melted butter, 1 egg yolk, vanilla, and sugar until well-incorporated.

    Mix filling
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  2. To assemble, place one blintz on a work surface and place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling in a line close to the edge nearest to you.

    Add filling
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  3. Fold envelope-style.

    Filling in blintzes
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  4. Roll up, and continue with remaining blintzes and filling.

    Roll up
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  5. Fry the filled blintzes in butter until golden brown.

    Fry
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  6. Serve with optional sour cream and/or fresh or canned fruit toppings. Enjoy!