Sweet Cheese Blintzes Recipe (Filled Crepe)

Sweet cheese blintzes always take me back to my childhood. My grandma used to make them for special breakfasts, standing by the wood burning stove (imagine all the effort to keep it going hot with wood – so unlike our electric stoves today!). I vividly remember watching her flip the thin crepes and her tiny kitchen filling with the smell of butter and sweet cheese. I loved helping her roll the blintzes and sneaking in bites of the filling whenever I could.

Now, making this sweet cheese blintz recipe with my own family (which is so much easier with a gas or electric stove) feels like carrying on a tradition that means so much to me. I always pull out everyone’s favorite toppings, and for a moment, it brings me right back to my grandma’s tiny kitchen. You’re invited to come along with me!

What are Cheese Blintzes?

Cheese blintzes are thin, filled crepes with Eastern European/Jewish roots. They’re served often at breakfast, brunch, or as a dessert. Unlike a simple crepe, blintzes are always filled with a sweetened cheese mixture and cooked twice: once as a pancake, then pan‑fried to a golden brown crisp after filling. An easy way to remember it is that a blintz is a filled and rolled blin (or crepe).

So what can you expect from a bite of blintzes? In about 40 minutes from start to finish, you’ll be enjoying the sweet crepes and sweet cheesy filling, with each bite melting in your mouth. I’m already drooling, are you?

Sweet Cheese Blintzes Video

How to Make Cheese Blintzes

Despite their pretty presentation, cheese blintzes are quite simple to make and require minimal ingredients. After you whip up the crepes, it’s really just a matter of assembling them.

• Prepare the crepes: Whip up a batch of thin, eggy crepes using this crepe recipe. You’ll need about 12 crepes, roughly 10–12 inches across.
• Make the filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the farmer’s cheese, egg yolk, sugar, and melted butter until smooth. For an ultra‑silky texture, give the mixture a quick blitz in a food processor or blender.
• Assemble the blintzes: Place a heaping tablespoon or two of filling on the lower third of each crepe (browned side up). Leave enough space on the sides. Fold the sides inward, then roll the crepe up from the bottom, like a burrito. Set each blintz seam‑side down on a plate or baking sheet.
• Pan‑fry the blintzes: Just before serving, brush the tops and bottoms with melted butter. Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the blintzes seam‑side down to seal the filling. Then flip, making sure to fry until both sides are golden and crisp — about 2–3 minutes per side. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.

Serving Cheese Blintzes (Toppings & Filling Ideas)

Serve cooked blintzes warm, plain, or loaded with toppings. Some people like them cold, too. Here are a few toppings my family and friends have loved over the years.

• Syrup: A drizzle of pure maple syrup, honey, or sweetened condensed milk is superb.
• Fruit: Fresh fruit is great, especially berries!
• Jam: Jam is another great fruity option, especially paired with a dollop of sour cream. Here’s my favorite raspberry jam recipe and apricot jam. Applesauce can be an option too, even if its not technically jam. If I have blueberry compote, I make sure to offer it.
• Chocolate: Melted chocolate or nutella is always a favorite for chocolate lovers!
• Lemon: Lemon zest or a spritz of lemon juice is really yummy to add a bit of brightness.

Tips for Amazing Cheese Blintzes

Master this sweet cheese blintz recipe with these insider tips from my grandma’s wood stove to your electric or gas stove.

• Let the crepe batter rest. Resting the batter for 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge) lets the flour hydrate fully, yielding pliable crepes that won’t tear when you roll them.
• Drain the farmer’s cheese well. Excess moisture is the #1 enemy of a tidy blintz. If your cheese seems wet, press it gently with paper towels or drain it in a cheesecloth before mixing. This keeps the filling thick and prevents leaks.
• Substitute the farmer’s cheese if needed: Farmer’s cheese gives authentic tang and graininess. It can be hard to find, but it is easy to make with this recipe. For a substitution, mix 80% well‑drained ricotta or cottage cheese with 20% cream cheese — a combo that delivers the right balance of flavor and smoothness.
• Roll like a burrito — and fry seam side down first. Place the filling on the lower third, fold in the sides, then roll tightly away from you. Always cook the blintzes seam‑side down first to seal the edge shut.
• Avoid overstuffing. Use about 2–3 tablespoons of filling per crepe. Overfilled blintzes may burst during frying. Extra filling? Serve it on the side!
• Try a gluten free option (optional): For a gluten free option, substitute 1‑to‑1 gluten‑free flour blend for the all‑purpose flour in the crepe batter. Let the batter rest a little longer to hydrate properly.
• Make the crepes a bit thicker than you normally would. Thick crepes are easier to fold and assemble into blintzes. Save yourself the heartbreak of ripping them by pouring a bit of extra crepe batter in the pan.

Storing & Reheating Blintzes

Leftover blintzes can be stored for both the short term or long term. Here’s how to keep enjoying them again and again.

• Refrigerator: Store cooked blintzes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
• Freezer: For longer storage, freeze both cooked and uncooked blintzes for up to three months. Let them freeze on a sheet pan until solid, then stack them in a freezer bag between layers of parchment paper. Defrost in the refrigerator.
• Reheating: Reheat blintzes in the microwave for about a minute or (a better option in my opinion), pan‑fry them in a little butter to revive the slightly crispy crust.

More Sweet Breakfast Recipes

• Russian Pancakes Oladi (Buttermilk Pancakes) – Slavic-style buttermilk pancakes
• Cheese Danishes – Delicious homemade danish pastry dough filled with a sweet cream cheese filling.
• Crazy Easy Sourdough Pancakes – Classic pancakes with a sourdough kick
• Cottage Cheese Pancakes (Quick & Easy) – Sweet and salty pancakes
• The Best Crepe Recipe (with Filling) – Crepes stuffed with cottage and cream cheese

Recipe

Sweet Cheese Blintzes Recipe (Filled Crepe)

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Servings

12 servings

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin

This sweet cheese blintze gives you "crepes" that are stuffed with creamy sweet farmer’s cheese and are made even better with your favorite toppings. They're to-die-for!

Ingredients

• 12 crepes
• 2 lbs farmers cheese
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk

US Units – Metric

Instructions

• Prepare 12 large crepes about 10-12 inches in size, per the recipe.
  
• For the filling, combine the farmer's cheese, butter, sugar, and egg yolk. Stir the mixture until smooth.
  
• Place a dollop of the cheese filling on the bottom part of each crepe, leaving enough room on the edges for folding.
  
• Fold over both of the sides.
  
• Starting from the bottom, roll up the crepes and secure the filling inside.
  
• Keep the blintzes refrigerated until you're ready to serve. Right before serving, warm them up on both sides of a buttered skillet over medium heat. Serve with sour cream, fruit compote, jam, or any of your favorite toppings!
  

Nutrition Facts

Sweet Cheese Blintzes Recipe (Filled Crepe)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 186 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 5g25%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 50mg17%

Sodium 390mg16%

Potassium 2mg0%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 51IU1%

Calcium 12mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.