Blintzes

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These homemade blintzes feature a thin, delicate crepe filled with a sweetened cream cheese and ricotta filling. Top with an easy berry compote, powdered sugar, or your favorite sweet topping.

This Cheese Blintz Recipe brings back all the nice memories!

Is there a food that you maybe had as a child that just immediately brings back really nice memories? The answer is likely yes, and over the years, I’ve found several foods that invoke those feel-good moments that take me right back to very specific times growing up.

I grew up in a fairly diverse neighborhood in central Pennsylvania, and manyyyy of my friends were Jewish. This meant that not only did I know what “kosher” meant before I even went to preschool, it also meant that I attended dozens of bar/bat mitzvahs when we were teenagers.

At what I imagine was probably all of these celebrations, I remember these delicious cheese blintzes that graced the brunch buffets after services.

I always looked forward to grabbing one (or 5), and distinctly remember bringing home a plate full of a few after one brunch so I could enjoy them later. And my mom and I promptly devoured all of them in the car on the way home.

It’s been a long time since I had a blintz, so I decided to figure out how to make them myself and share them with all of you so that you, too, can enjoy the deliciousness that are light and sweet, absolutely delectable baked cheese blintzes (with all the topping suggestions).

It’s often topped with a berry compote or other sweet toppings, but it can also be served with savory toppings like sour cream or crème fraiche.

Blintzes are traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (a June holiday), but they can be enjoyed year round. They are slightly sweet, savory, cheesy, and an absolute joy to eat!

You are likely familiar with the crepe: a thin and flexible pancake with French origins. But have you heard of a blintz? Blintzes are crepes that have been filled and cooked once again, and are often filled with a cheese filling consisting of cream cheese, ricotta, mascarpone, farmer’s cheese, or other creamy cheeses.

Blintzes, after filling, are cooked for a second time. They may either be baked in large batches in the oven, or pan fried individually in a skillet.

Blintzes originated with the Ashkenazi Jewish people of Eastern and Central Europe and, like crepes, have reached popularity over the entire world! They can be served for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert.

You’ll need some eggs (room temperature if possible), milk, some melted unsalted butter, vanilla extract, flour, and a touch of salt.

First, I’ve chosen to include some part-skim ricotta. This is a tad dryer than whole milk ricotta and will hold together better once combined with the other ingredients and used to fill the crepes.

The other option I’ve included in the cheese blintz filling is cream cheese. This will make the filling super creamy and decadent, and is a common addition to modern cheese blintz recipes. You will want to make sure it’s softened to room temperature, so it’s easily combined with the ricotta and other ingredients.

Then, we’ll use just a touch of sugar, one egg, some vanilla extract, and some salt. This makes the perfect sweet and salty filling that will have you begging for more!

All you need is some fresh (or frozen) berries, water, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.

This is the traditional topping for cheese blintzes, but there are a bunch of options to choose from if you prefer something a little different.

But me? I’m sticking with a nice spoonful of warm, sweet, and fresh berry compote. Oh, and maybe a sprinkle of powdered sugar if I don’t devour the whole plate first.

STEP 2. Add the milk, melted (and cooled) butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk again to get everything combined.

STEP 3. Add the flour and salt, and whisk vigorously to bring everything together. It’s totally ok if there are a few lumps, since they will likely absorb some of the liquid during the resting time.

If you’re really not feeling all the whisking, you can add all of the ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. This is a super easy way to prep them, and makes pouring the batter out later on so simple.

STEP 5. Once the 30 minutes are up, whisk the batter again. This should break up any remaining lumps of flour, but you can use a silicone spatula to press out any large lumps of flour if they remain.

If you prefer to work ahead of time, you can prep the batter the night before and cover it. Then, stash it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, remove the bowl from the fridge, give it a whisk, and get started making those delicious crepes!

Crepes, like pancakes, require a bit of a system and flow to keep them moving along seamlessly. I recommend setting out a larger dinner plate or platter lined with parchment paper (or wax paper) and placing it right next to your stovetop.

STEP 7. Then, once you’re ready and all set up, heat a 9″ nonstick skillet over medium heat.

STEP 8. Once the skillet is hot, coat it with a light layer of butter. Pour ¼ cup of the crepe batter into the skillet, and hold it up from the heat.

STEP 9. Use your wrist to gently tilt the pan, swirling the batter around to evenly coat the bottom of the skillet. Once the entire bottom of the skillet is coated with a thin layer of batter, set it back down on the heat.

STEP 10. Cook your crepes until the top is set. It should look opaque, but still be sort of tacky and sticky if touched. In my tests, this took about 75 seconds, but it could vary based on a lot of factors, so it’s best to go by sight.

STEP 11. Use a silicone spatula to lift and slide the crepe out of the pan and onto the parchment lined plate. If they don’t budge easily, continue to cook for another 15-20 seconds. Try again, and the crepe should slide out super easily.

STEP 12. Repeat with the remaining batter, keeping in mind that the crepes may cook more quickly as you go on, since the skillet tends to stay hotter. Again, it’s SO important to go by sight here to avoid overcooking your yummy crepes.

After all is said and done, you should have about 8-10 crepes that are approximately 8″ in diameter.

STEP 13. Once all of your crepes are cooked through, set them aside and get started on the amazing and creamy cheese filling.

To prevent your crepes from sticking together, you can layer them in between sheets of parchment or waxed paper, but if you’re moving quickly, you don’t necessarily need to worry about that extra step.

STEP 15. Add the ricotta, cream cheese, and sugar to a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer OR the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

STEP 16. Beat the ricotta, cream cheese, and sugar together until well combined and smooth.

STEP 17. Add in the egg, the vanilla extract, and salt. Beat again until everything is incorporated creamy.

With the side that has the filling facing you, fold the edges inwards to cover the filling.

STEP 19. Fold the flap closest to you up, and gently roll the filled crepe away from you. Place the filled crepe seam side down on the prepared baking sheet.

Repeat this with all of the remaining crepes and filling.

After your crepes have baked through, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the counter while you make the berry compote topping.

STEP 22. Heat the saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a low boil.

STEP 23. Once a low boil is reached, stir well and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the liquid thickens.

STEP 24. Once your compote has thickened, pour it over the cheese blintzes to serve.

You can top them with a fine dusting of powdered sugar if you want to be extra fancy, but I’m totally in love with them as is. PLUS, it takes too long to find my sifter in the drawer, and I can’t wait to take a bite, so it’s really only for extra special occasions.

If you prefer, you can freeze these! They freeze really well! You can store them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months if individually wrapped.

When you’re ready them, just thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave, oven, toaster oven, or stove top.

The first is that I wouldn’t recommend preparing the batter in advance. While you can let it rest in the fridge overnight, any longer than that and it will begin a super slow cold ferment.

This can change the texture pretty significantly, so I would recommend instead to make the fully cooked crepes in advance.

Your cooked, unfilled crepes can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. To keep the crepes from sticking, you can layer sheets of parchment paper between each crepe.

If you prefer to prepare the crepes filled and rolled, you can do that but the storage time decreases. You won’t want to store them like that for any more than 12 hours.

Another storage option is freezing your cheese blintzes. While you can freeze either baked or unbaked blintzes, the unbaked version will taste a bit better when you go to serve it.

To freeze, prepare the blintzes through filling and rolling. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap or freezer paper and place in a freezer bag. Label and freeze for up to 2 months.

When you’re ready to serve, bake them completely from frozen at 350°F (170ºC) for 25-30 minutes, or until completely heated through.

Serve with berry compote, or your favorite topping of choice.

In fact, feel free to get creative and top it with your favorite sweet (or savory) toppings. Almost anything goes when it comes to the savory goodness of these classic cheese blintzes.

You can eat them plain, with fresh fruit on the side, dusted with powdered sugar, homemade whipped cream, salted caramel sauce, hot fudge sauce, or even with a dollop of peach curd or lemon curd!

For savory options you could try sour cream, crème fraiche, or a savory jam or chutney. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could try a mixture of a few different topping options.

Could I also suggest making some at Thanksgiving and topping them with spiced cranberry sauce? Yes, do that.

Cheese Blintz FAQ