Cheese blintzes are the perfect way to break your Yom Kippur fast, celebrate Shavuot or just enjoy an old-world comfort food. Serve with jam or fruit compote for the perfect cheesy bite.
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Why youโll love this recipe!
If you know and love Jewish cheese blintzes, this recipe will give you the confidence to make a huge batch and enjoy them from the freezer for months to come.
If you aren't familiar and want to know -- what is a blintz? Here's the scoop: A blintz is a cheese-filled crepe-like pancake pan-fried in butter and served with jam and sour cream.
The word blintz is derived from the yiddish word "blintze" which is derived from the Russian word "blinyet", which means little pancake.
This blintz recipe is tried and true from my dear friend Sharon who is a legend in her own time because of these blintzes. And I've included a few touches from my son's efforts over the years to best Aunt Sharon at her blintz-making prowess.
If you love crepes and cheese or you celebrate Yom Kippur or Shavuot, I promise you will love this blintz recipe and return to it again and again.
Ingredients youโll need
I've broken out what you need for the blintz pancake and the filling. The ingredients are straightforward but there are some options of what to choose for the cheese filling.
Blintz pancake
- Melted Butter: Let this cool off a bit before adding it to the other blended ingredients. You don't want hot butter to cook the eggs.
Blintz filling
- Farmer's cheese: If you can't find farmer's cheese, buy cottage cheese. If the cottage cheese is extremely liquidy, let it drain for a few minutes before you make the filling.
- Ricotta/cottage cheese: My son used ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese in his filling. If you can't find the farmer's cheese and substitute in cottage cheese, then using ricotta instead of doubling the cottage cheese is a great choice. The nuance of blending three different cheeses is lovely.
- Cream cheese: use block cream cheese and not whipped cream cheese.
- Orange zest: This is an addition from my son's version and it adds a lovely undertone to the sweet cheese filling.
How to make this recipe
A bit of planning and some practice making the crepes and you'll see that this blintz recipe comes together easily. Once you get in the groove, you might as well make a lot and freeze the extra!
1. Make the batter: Whisk vigorously or use a hand mixer but it's so easy to do in a blender, if you have one. Refrigerate the batter for at least an hour or even overnight. Do not skip chilling the blintz batter.
2. Make the cheese filling: Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk vigorously or use a food processor. My son was a fan of the food processor for this step but it also comes together just fine by hand.
3. Cook the blintz pancakes: I use an 8-inch non-stick frying pan and a scant ยผ cup of batter. Expect that the first couple of pancakes will not be perfect as you get the heat right in the pan. Swirl the batter around the pan quickly and when it looks dry on top, it is ready to remove for filling and folding.
4. Assemble the cheese blintzes: With the "clean" side of the blintz facing downward, place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of the pancake, fold in each side and both ends and place seam side down on a parchment-lined sheet tray.
5. Cook the blintzes: Heat two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat or until butter is bubbly. Place blintzes seam side down in the pan โ do not crowd. Heat until browned on both sides. Serve immediately with jam and sour cream.
View my cheese blintz story for a quick visual guide of how to make this recipe.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- If you are new to making blintzes, it is probably wise to make all of your crepes first, then fill and fold and either fry or freeze.
- Pro-tip: Once you become confident in your blintz-making, you can fill and fold your blintzes while your crepes cook. This makes life easier, as you donโt have to layer the crepes with the wax paper. Make crepe. Turn cooked crepe onto clean dish cloth, cooked side up. Pour batter into pan and cook next crepe. While it cooks, fill and fold blintz. Repeat.
- You can do all of this by yourself, for sure, but a helping hand is nice too!
- It's ok to play with the filling cheese choice - the idea is to end up with something slightly sweet and not overpoweringly flavorful and somewhat melty. Here is how the cheese combination from Sharon's blintzes looks:
Absolutely! Sharon says: โI make them in large batches and freeze them, uncooked. Usually, I have about 3 dozen leftover in the freezer, which we'll eat between Yom Kippur and the end of the year."
To freeze, spread them out on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, you can stack them more tightly in layers separated by parchment paper in sealed containers.
Cook them exactly as you would from fresh - they just might take a minute or two longer to heat all the way through.
A filled crepe is cooked once - you cook the crepe, add the filling and fold. A blintz is cooked twice - you fill and fold and then you pan fry for a crispy exterior and warm interior.
They work as breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. My mom could eat them every day. In my circle of friends, we always eat them to break the fast for Yom Kippur and serve them with salads and bagels, lox, and cream cheese. They are also a perfect choice for the dairy-centric holiday of Shavuot!
As mentioned above, the word blintze is a Yiddish word that derives from a Russian word for mini pancake - blinyet. So most likely cheese blintzes are of Eastern European origin. In fact, Sharon's recipe is her variation of a recipe originally entitled "A Russian Grandma's Cheese Blintz".
Note: Since this post was first published in 2011, much has changed. My son tragically passed away in 2017. But his blintz legacy lives on as Sharon makes her incredible blintzes for us each and every year. I have also created a jam in his honor - please read more about him and my jam recipe, created in his memory: Gregory's Jam.
Luckily, I captured my son showing us his prowess with the blintz pancakes many years ago. And I am so glad to be able to share it with you. His technique was excellent.
Making the crepe is not hard but it is a technique worth practicing.- The right size pan is important โ 8-inch non-stick is best.
- The proper amount of batter is key โ a scant ยผ cup.
- Pay attention to the heat of the pan (medium heat) and the speed with which you spread the batter around the pan (quickly).
What to serve with a cheese blintz
The classic toppings for Jewish blintzes are jam and sour cream. But here are some other ideas:
- Use yogurt instead of sour cream
- Seasonal fresh fruit
- Make a fruit compote
- If you are serving blintzes to break the fast on Yom Kippur or as part of a dairy-based meal on Shavuot, a couple of side salads and mini bagels with lox and cream cheese make a lovely accompaniment. (Speaking from years of experience 😉.)
Supplies for making cheese blintzes
Probably the two most important tools are the 8-inch non-stick pan to make the crepes and fry pans for cooking the blintzes. A blender to make the crepe batter is easiest but you can definitely whip vigorously by hand. And the same goes for the filling - my son made it in the food processor but you can also mix it by hand. It's also nice to have sheet pans to lay the blintzes out.
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The Best Cheese Blintzes
Beth LeeIngredients
Crepes
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups water
- ยผ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 ยพ cups all purpose flour
Filling
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 8 ounces farmer cheese
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg
- 1ยฝ teaspoons vanilla
For Pan Frying
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Crepe Batter
- Place eggs, water and milk in blender and mix until combined.
- Then add slightly cooled melted butter and flour and blend until smooth.
- Refrigerate the crepe mixture for 1 -2 hours or even overnight.
Blintz Filling
- Add the cheeses, sugar, egg and vanilla to the bowl of a food processor and blend well. (You can also do this by hand - Aunt Sharon always does, Gregory used the processor.)
- This can also be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for a few hours or overnight.
Make Crepes
- Use an 8-inch non-stick frying pan (or crepe pan if you have one). Heat skillet over medium heat until a drop of water bounces off the surface. (For extra insurance, you can also brush with a bit of melted butter.)
- Add a scant ยผ cup of batter to pan when it is ready. Quickly swirl it around to cover the bottom of the pan and let it cook until the edges begin to curl and brown. Do not flip the crepe.
- Place crepes browned side up on a towel (place a piece of wax paper or parchment in between each just to be 100% sure they don't stick together) and cover lightly. Repeat with remaining batter - be sure to keep cooked ones covered as you make the balance of the crepes. When you are confident in your crepe-making, see notes below for Aunt Sharon's tips on speeding up the process.
Fill and Fold Blintzes
- To fill and fold each blintz, place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling down the center of the crepe. Tuck two sides toward the center. Then fold the two remaining sides like an envelope. Place seam side down on a parchment-lined tray or platter. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling.
- Now you can either cook them, refrigerate them covered, or freeze them for later use.
Cook Blintzes
- Heat two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat or until butter is bubbly. Place blintzes seam side down in pan - do not crowd. Heat until browned on both sides. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- If you are new to making blintzes, it is probably wise to make all of your crepes first, then fill and fold and either fry or freeze.
- Pro-tip: Once you become confident in your blintz-making, you can fill and fold your blintzes while your crepes cook. This makes life easier, as you donโt have to layer the crepes with the wax paper. Make crepe. Turn cooked crepe onto clean dish cloth, cooked side up. Pour batter into pan and cook next crepe. While it cooks, fill and fold blintz. Repeat.
- You can do all of this by yourself, for sure, but a helping hand is nice too!
- It's ok to play with the filling cheese choice - the idea is to end up with something slightly sweet and not overpoweringly flavorful and somewhat melty.
- To freeze the blintzes, put blintzes on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment. Freeze one sheet at a time, and then you can layer frozen blintzes in a freezer container.ย
Nutrition
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Laura
These cheese blintzes taste as amazing as they look! Thank you for the recipe!
Beth Lee
Yay I am so glad you liked them! Gregory is smiling
Little Cooking Tips
Those look amazing Beth! So blintzes are the Jewish tradition's blinis? Do we understand that correctly?
We can't wait to try your wonderful vanilla-cheese filling. Have you ever served that with honey on top? Does that sound good?
Thank you both for the recipe and the insight into your culture/heritage.
Panos and Mirella
Beth Lee
Thanks for stopping by - I just love your enthusiasm for multicultural food! Blinis are actually the little buckwheat yeasted pancakes that usually serve as a vehicle for caviar. I would say these blintzes are more like the Eastern European version of a French crepe. I'm glad you enjoyed the post and the cultural context of the recipe. I have to give Tyler Florence most of the credit for the filling, tho my son and I do adapt as we continue to compete for the best blintz prize!
Little Cooking Tips
Thank you for taking the time to clarify Beth! It's true what you said about being enthusiastic, both of us (we're a couple) love to learn new recipes and their link to a people's culture. And Jewish culture, like ours (Greek), is immensely rich!
Congrats both to Tyler, you and your son for this post. Excellent work!
Have a beautiful week!
Panos and Mirella
Tori @ The Shiksa in the Kitchen
Yay! I'm so happy to discover your site via Eating Rules. Battle of the Blintz = amazing! So much fun. Looking forward to reading your blogs. ๐
Andrea
I come from a long line of crepe makers. Which has enabled me to never have to make a crepe myself. Ironic since I love to cook. But my dad has always made them.And then my sister. So I just skipped it. But I imagine I may need to try soon because this recipe looks amazing!
Leah
These look exactly like the ones my mother and grandmother made. What memories!
Martha Kokes
I must second my hubby's comment - the strawberry jam was KILLER!
Bibi
I absolutely love blintzes, but I never made them. One of the foods I look forward when visiting Vegas is breakfast buffet with blintzes.
Stopping by from SITS. Nice to meet another food blogging sitsta
Lana Watkins
Beth, I find a few things more heart-warming than a child of mine cooking for the family! Bravo, Gregory! Those blintzes look amazing! I make crepes often, filled with jam, ground walnuts and sugar, lemon and sugar, Nutella:) I bet my girls would love Gregory's blintzes (especially my oldest daughter who is studying Russian).
We are food nerds, too! I sometimes center a meal around a holiday or a dish (any culture, any nation, any meridian:) and as we eat, we tell stories (I assign each of my girls a bit of research) and we learn.
I hope your are getting along with the demands of the school year. I am still in Serbia and I miss my family, but I should be home in a month or so.
Greetings, my friend!
omgyummy
Lana -- so good to hear from you! Oh how I hope to join one of your "nerdy" family meals so I can learn too! I saw Ferran Adria of ElBulli fame speak in SF Monday night and he said he knows nothing of cuisine - meaning there is always so much more to learn than we can possibly know in one lifetime.
I am really enjoying your posts from Serbia and hope you can come back with some peace of mind that you have truly done everything you can for your mom.
I am coming to IFBC in November in Santa Monica so if you're back - I hope to see you there! Or let me know when you are coming up to see your daughter at CAL and we'll coordinate up here.
Serene
Oops, tried to post the photo and failed. The link to the photo is here, and here's a last try at posting the pic itself:
omgyummy
Serene - those are beautiful! "Mom food" and "grandma food" at it's best and loveliest!
Serene
Gorgeous! I recreated my aunt's blintzes:
Jay Mellman
I know the post is about blintzes and I wait the entire year to have them. But what I was most taken with was the strawberry jam. For a condiment that usually ends up tasting mostly of sugar or sweetness, the jam tasted of the ripest strawberries with almost a caramel undertone. I'm still thinking about it.
omgyummy
Sharon and I are still analyzing the blintzes and you are still thinking about the jam - what more could a food blogger hope for??!!
I wrote about the basic jam recipes in this post (http://omgyummy.wordpress.com/2011/07/07/why-i-love-blogging-and-strawberry-jam/). From those two basic recipes, I have evolved a bit. I use far less sugar than they call for, tasting about half way through to check for the right sweetness. For the blintz jam, I added a teaspoon or two of vanilla and a shot of a Mexican liquer called 43 which has orange caramel flavors. I also had some fresh figs in the house and added about 3 of those.
It's really easy to make jam, if you're not going through the canning process. Takes about 10 minutes to get going (have to wash and cut up the fruit, but once it's on the stove, it's a no-brainer. Just let the stovetop and pan do the work.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Sharon Vinick
Aunt Sharon here . . . in looking at the pictures, I have a couple of comments that might be enlightening to anyone who wants to make the blintzes. First, I mix my filling by hand. I don't know if that makes any difference. Second, I fill and fold the bilntzes as I make the crepes. This makes life easier, as you don't have to layer the crepes with the wax paper. Here is how I do it. Make blintz. Turn cooked blintz onto clean dish cloth, cooked side up. Pour batter into pan and cook next crepe. While it cooks, fill and fold blintz. Put blintz on cookie sheet with wax paper. Freeze one sheet at a time, and then put into tupperware once it is frozen solid. Generally, I do this all by myself, but this year my kids helped with filling, and crepe making.
omgyummy
OMG! Sharon - fabulous suggestions - that's why you are the current champion - efficient and yummy. Doesn't get any better than that ๐ And the food nerd in me is just loving all of these technique details.
And aren't you the pillar of a good opponent, giving away all of your trade secrets for the good of the food community and your blintz-making nephew!
Serene
Oh, thank you for the tips! I think I'll make some in my next big freezer-cooking session. Oh, man, the thought of having blintzes whenever I want them is almost making me cry! Yay!
omgyummy
Oh - my readers are talking to each other and bringing each other to tears over a blintz! I think this might be my best day ever as a food blogger!
Sandy Corman
OMG gregory's blintzes look fabulous. Did he save some for his grandma & Papa? The best blintzes before yours & Gregory's were Aunt Trudy's and Grandma Reich's. Man my mouth is watering at the thought.
omgyummy
They were excellent, but Sharon's were really fabulous this year - back to her true legendary form. Aunt Trudy and Grandma would have been proud of her too!