This cheese blintz recipe is a thin, delicate crepe stuffed with a sweetened, creamy cheese mixture. They are great served for breakfast or brunch and undeniably delicious!
Blintzes were a real treat growing up in my house, only reserved for special occasions. Now I make them quite often. Have you ever had them? If not, you are missing out!
What is a Blintz?
A blintz is a paper-thin crepe that is filled with sweetened cheese and then pan fried until golden. They are traditionally served for Shavuot and sometimes other Jewish holidays, but anyone can enjoy them anytime of year!
If you love crepes and sweetened cheese, you will love a blintz.
What is the Difference Between a Crepe and a Blintz?
A crepe is a thin, delicate pancake that is cooked once and can be eaten on its own or with fillings, whereas a Blintz is a crepe that is always filled (usually with a sweetened cheese mixture), and is cooked twice – once when the crepe is made and a second time after being filled, pan-fried in butter.
Crepes have French origin (similar to the Russian Blini) and the blintz has a Jewish origin and Russian origin.
What filling is used for Blintzes?
The most traditional filling for blintzes is farmer’s cheese, but it can be harder to find outside of the Ukraine, so it’s often replaced with ricotta or cottage cheese, and sometimes even cream cheese, mascarpone, or creme fraiche. The filling is then combined with egg, sugar, and vanilla.
My favorite filling for a cheese blintz is actually a combination of whole ricotta and cream cheese. It almost tastes like cheesecake. Rich, creamy, and incredible!
How to Store Cheese Blintzes
- Crepe batter: I don’t recommend making this in advance.
- Cooked crepes: if you want to make the crepes ahead of time and store them for later, wait for them to cool, stack (with pieces of parchment paper in between to prevent sticking), and place in a resealable plastic bag. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. When defrosting them, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart. Warm them slightly in the microwave so they are pliable and don’t crack while rolling.
- Cheese filling: the cheese filling can be made up to 2 days in advance, kept refrigerated in a tightly sealed container. Drain any liquid that accumulates.
- Uncooked blintzes: uncooked blintzes can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept refrigerated in a tightly sealed container. Or frozen individually on a tray until solid, then wrapped individually and frozen for up to 1 month. (You don’t want to thaw them before cooking or they will fall apart.)
- Cooked blintzes: cooked blintzes can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. They can also be frozen, using the method for uncooked blintzes, but this time you do want to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven until warmed through.
What to serve with Blintzes
Blintzes are typically served with jam and a dusting of powdered sugar. Here are a few suggestions!
Watch the video for this Blintz Recipe
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Cheese Blintz Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 8-inch crepes
- 1 1/2 cups full fat ricotta cheese , strained of all moisture if wet
- 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , divided, for pan
- jam , for serving
- powdered sugar , for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, beat together the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, egg, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer until thoroughly combined.
- Forming the blintzes is like a burrito or folding an envelope: spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese filling along the lower third of each crepe, leaving a 1-inch border on the sides. Fold the bottom edge away from you to just cover the filling; then fold the 2 sides into the center. Roll the crepe away from you a couple of times, tucking in the edges as you roll, to completely enclose like a neat little package, ending with the seam side down.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Place as many blintzes that will comfortably fit in the pan, without over-crowding, and fry for about 2 minutes per side until crisp and golden.
- Transfer blintzes to a foil lined baking sheet. Repeat with the other blintzes, adding another tablespoon of butter to the pan, if necessary. Place baking sheet with all the blintzes in the oven for about 10 minutes so the cheese warms and sets.
- Using a spatula, transfer the blintzes to serving plates. Spoon jam on top and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
How to Store Cheese Blintzes
- Crepe batter: I don’t recommend making this in advance.
- Cooked crepes: if you want to make the crepes ahead of time and store them for later, wait for them to cool, stack (with pieces of parchment paper in between to prevent sticking), and place in a resealable plastic bag. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. When defrosting them, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart. Warm them slightly in the microwave so they are pliable and don’t crack while rolling.
- Cheese filling: the cheese filling can be made up to 2 days in advance, kept refrigerated in a tightly sealed container. Drain any liquid that accumulates.
- Uncooked blintzes: uncooked blintzes can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept refrigerated in a tightly sealed container. Or frozen individually on a tray until solid, then wrapped individually and frozen for up to 1 month. (You don’t want to thaw them before cooking or they will fall apart.)
- Cooked blintzes: cooked blintzes can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. They can also be frozen, using the method for uncooked blintzes, but this time you do want to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
Other Notes
This recipe is wonderful!! My mother used to buy the frozen blintzes when I was a kid. I had no idea they were this simple to make. Thanks for sharing this recipe – we loved it!
Love this recipe – reminds me of the blintzes my mom used to make when I was growing up. Hadn’t had them in ages and they were just as wonderful as I remember.
Very delish