Traditional Russian Pancakes (Blinchiki)

This traditional Russian pancakes (blinchiki) recipe is a pearl of Russian cuisine. I use this recipe for over 15 years and my pancakes have always come out great. Fill Russian pancakes with sweet or savory fillings and eat to your heart’s content.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Russian

Cook Time 40

Total Time 40

Servings servings (about 40 pancakes)

Calories 272kcal

Author Elena Szeliga

Cost $4

Equipment

Ingredients

350 grams or 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour See notes below for substitutions
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs (see notes below for substitutions)
800 ml or 3 1/3 cups milk warmed (see notes below for substitutions)
100 ml or 1/2 cups cream for lower calories intake use warm water
5 tablespoons melted butter for lower calories intake use warm water instead
sunflower oil or canola oil to fry

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Add eggs, milk, cream and melted butter. Use a whisk attachment of your mixer or food processor to mix the batter until smooth. The consistency of the batter should be a bit thicker than cream with no lumps.
Heat two pans over high heat. Pour a tiny bit of sunflower oil in both pans (you can use a silicon brush to spread it). Use a scoop or a ladle to pour the batter in the middle of the pan. Acting quickly, tilt the pan from side to side while pouring, forming a circle with the batter.
Flip the pancake over with a thin spatula, after the surface looks porous and sides are golden. Fry for half of the time you fried the first side. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
You might want to put them in the warm oven (not warmer then 70 °C/160 °F) to keep them hot before serving. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Cook’s Tips

Store blini covered in the fridge for about 3 days.
You can freeze them for up to 3 months. To reheat, bring to a room temperature and microwave or heat stalked blini in the pan, 5-6 pancakes at a time.
Use 2 or 3 frying pans if you are tight on time.
Some of the traditional savory fillings include minced meat, cheese, ham, mushrooms, smoked salmon, caviar and sour cream.
Sweet fillings include but are not limited to jams, chocolate cream, poppy seeds, condensed milk (sgushenka), berries, honey, sweetened cottage cheese, apples and cinnamon or any other sweet.

Recipe Variations

To make Russian pancakes gluten free, use the same amount of buckwheat flour.
To make blini more nutritious, use a 1:1 ratio of all-purpose and whole wheat flour.
Beer or kefir can be substituted for milk.
Use same amounts of dairy-free milk and a flax egg to make blini vegan.
To make this Russian blini recipe lighter, skip the cream and butter and add same amounts of warm water instead.

Nutrition