Nalesniki with Cheese and Raisins – Russian Crepes
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Nalisniki (налесники), cheese blintzes, cheese crepes, blinchiki. This Russian dish has many names, but whatever it’s called, it has remained one of the most popular dishes with Vadim and I for breakfast, lunch or a late night snack.
There are many ways to make them and a variety of fillings; everything from cheese to fruit and even meat! Make a batch of these and have gourmet breakfasts! They seem intimidating, but once you get the hang of it, they are fast and easy to make.
Ingredients for crepes:
½ cup lukewarm water
1 cup milk
4 large eggs
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted. Plus more to sauté.
1 cup all-purpose flour (you can use 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose)
2 Tbsp sugar
Pinch of Salt
Ingredients for cheese filling:
8 oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
16 oz small curd cottage cheese
1/4 cup sugar
¾ cup raisins
Powdered sugar for serving (optional)
Watch How To Make Crepes:
How to Make Crepes:
1. Put all of the ingredients for the crepes (in the order that they are listed) in a blender and blend until well combined.
2. Melt a dot of butter in 2 non-stick skillets over medium heat. (2 skillets make the process go faster). Pour about 2 to 3 Tablespoons of batter into the skillet. I use a 1-ounce measuring cup. As you are pouring into the skillet, swirl the batter to evenly coat the bottom. If you get any small gaps, you can fill them with more batter.
3. Once the bottom is golden, flip the crepe using a sharp edged spatula to easily get under the crepe. Let the other side get golden and plop the crepe out onto a cutting board.
Repeat with all of the batter, using a dot of butter each time. Don’t stack hot crepes on top of each other. Once they are just warm or room temp, they can be stacked.
Don’t panic, the first crepe in the pan never turns out nice!
How to make Cheese filling and complete Cheese Crepes:
1. In a colander, rinse the cottage cheese with cold water and DRAIN WELL. A cheese cloth also works well. Mash the cream cheese, cottage cheese and sugar with a potato masher until well combined and creamy. Cottage cheese will still be a little lumpy.
2. Using a spatula, spread 2 generous Tablespoons of cheese filling on each crepe and sprinkle with about 15 raisins.
3. Roll the crepe into a log and cut in half. Refrigerate crepes that aren’t being served. It keeps in the fridge for almost one week.
To Serve Cheese Crepes:
Melt about 1 Tablespoon of butter in a skillet and sauté the rolled cheese crepes on medium heat until golden brown on both sides. They don’t take long to sauté. Be careful not to burn them.
Dust with powered sugar (optional) and serve with sour cream or jam on the side. YUUUMMMM!
Do you put anything unusual in your Nalisniki/ Blinchiki?
Nalesniki with Cheese and Raisins (Russian Crepes)
Ingredients
For the Batter:
- ½ cup lukewarm water
- 1 cup milk
- 4 large eggs
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted. Plus more to sauté.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, you can use 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- Pinch salt
Instructions
How to Make the Crepes:
- Put all of the ingredients for the crepes (in the order that they are listed) 1/2 cup warm water, 1 cup milk, 4 large eggs, 4 Tbsp melted butter, 1 cup flour, 2 Tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt in a blender and blend until well combined.
- Melt a dot of butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat (2 skillets make the process go faster).
- As you are pouring into the skillet, swirl the batter to evenly coat the bottom. If you get any small gaps, you can fill them with more batter. Depending on the size of your skillet; add about 2-3 tbsp of batter. I use a small ladle.
- Once the bottom is lightly golden (about a minute or less) flip the crepe using a sharp edged spatula to easily get under the crepe. Let the other side get lightly golden and plop the crepe out onto a cutting board. Repeat with remaining batter; you may not need to dot with butter after the first time if your skillet is a good one (and remember there is butter in the batter). Don’t stack hot crepes on top of each other. Once they are just warm or room temp, they can be stacked. Don’t panic, my first crepe never turns out nice so I wolf it down to conceal the evidence!
How to make cheese filling and complete nalesniki:
- In a colander, rinse the cottage cheese with cold water and drain well. Mash the cream cheese, cottage cheese and sugar with a potato masher until well combined and creamy. Cottage cheese will still be a little lumpy.
- Using a spatula, spread 2 generous Tablespoons of cheese filling on each crepe and sprinkle with about 10-15 raisins.
- Roll the crepe into a log and cut in half. Refrigerate crepes that aren’t being served. It keeps in the fridge for almost one week.
To Serve:
- Melt about 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet and sauté the rolled cheese crepes on medium heat until golden brown on both sides. They don't take long to sauté. Be careful not to burn them.
- Dust with powered sugar (optional) and serve with sour cream or jam on the side.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha. My Polish mother-in-law taught me how to make nalesniki. Her family didn’t care for raisins, so she would spread a big tablespoon of applesauce on the crepes, add a mixture of cinnamon & sugar sprinkled on top, then roll them up. That’s how I’ve learned to make and enjoy them… Thanks for your enjoyable videos and great recipes; you’re my go-to resource every time! Bless you & your family.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Michelle! I love that we all have our own versions of these recipes! I hope you try this version soon and love it!
I grew up eating Blintzes. I think we put cottage cheese, an egg, sugar, lemon juice for filling. Made them into a square, sautéed til lightly brown, sprinkle with powdered sugar, top with sour cream & grape jelly. Hadn’t had them in many years, made them a few years ago and all my childhood memories came flooding back. They are SO good! Need to make them more often! I wondered if this is a modified version of yours. Interesting to hear the origin.
That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing. There are probably as many variations of these as there are countries in Eastern Europe and beyond. We called them nalesniki.
Hey Natasha! Those nalesniki are so delicious! But have you ever tried pouring heavy cream on top of them before putting them in the oven?? My mom always does it, and nalesniki(we call them blinchiki) are turning out super soft and juicy! Pour some and spread that heavy cream on top of nalesniki & on the sides! Soooo gooood!!
I have not, Janna! Thank you so much for sharing that suggestion!
So to warm the nalesniki, pre-heat oven to 350° (instead of warming them up on a skillet), arrange them in an oven safe dish, generously pour heavy cream on top of them, & then bake for 20 mins. They will be soft and yummy!! Then we love to eat it with condensed milk, whipped cream, & berries :))
Thanks a lot for sharing!
Definitely want to make these. Quick question, in your recipe for tvorog you recommend using in this recipe. Am I correct in thinking that would replace the cottage cheese?
Hi Dawn, yes, Tvorog can be used as a substitute.
These are so delicious, I’ve made them probably four times in the last two months! My kids had fun making them too.
Nice to know that the kids love this too!
Best recipe out there, always turn out good. Everyone ones favorite.
Lovely to hear that, Irina. Thank you for your good comments and feedback!
Love this recipe!!
Absolutely delicious.
It might be the best crepes recipe I’ve ever tried. Thank you for sharing!
Aaaw that is so inspiring for me, thank you so much!
Can I heat these in the oven before serving?
Hi Lily, yes, heating these in the oven will work great.
Love this recipe. Best crepes recipe I’ve ever tried. And bonus that it all goes in the blender 👏👏
That’s so nice of you, thank you for your great comments and feedback!
Dear Natasha, your nalistniki look very delicious and I have been looking for a recipe for some time already. I just wanted to add a correction that nalistniki is a traditional Ukrainian dish and not Russian (even Russian wiki says it). Please correct it. Thank you.
Hello Victoria, thank you for the information. I’ll check about that and do some research too. We appreciate the heads up!
Thank you …I was wondering why would someone who claims to be Ukrainian label Ukrainian dishes as Russian. Needless to say Russia has claimed enough stuff as theirs!!!
Love all your recipes! We add vanilla to cheese butter, also fill crepes with slightly pre cooked shredded apple and cinnamon.
Love!Love! prepared crepes & Maple syrup: poor over melted butter with Maple syrup and baked in casserole 5-7 min
Sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing that with us, I am so happy to read about your good feedback.
Really very very tasty
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Cristina! Thank you for that great review!
I love these UKRAINIAN nalysnyky!!! Haven’t they stolen enough from us?
Can I make the batter the night before?
Hi Tanya, it may work but the butter will probably separate, float to the top and firm up so it won’t be incorporated into the batter as easily after refrigeration. If that happens, you will need to get creative to warm the mixture up just enough for the butter to incorporate and blend into the batter again. Because of this, it’s easier to just make the batter in the morning.
Perfect blini recipe, Natasha!! Turned out awesome – best I have ever made! Thank you!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Viktoriya!
I don’t have cottage, think ricotta cheese will work?
Hi Olivia, I just searched the comments and one of my readers did say she used ricotta successfully and also shared the following tips/advice: “I lined a sieve with paper towel, put the ricotta in it and left it overnight to drain. I think the nalesniki turned out well. Using something like a cheesecloth would probably have been a lot better and possibly drained more liquid, but all I had was paper towel.” I hope that is helpful to you!
I have been eating Blintzes all my life growing up with a Jewish dad. We always served them with a dollop of sour cream and jelly. I like them with a teas. of sugar on top of the sour cream. I can’t wait to make your recipe. Thank you for all your recipes.
Sounds yummy! I hope you can give this recipe a try too.
Nalesniki that’s Polish name for crepes. In Russian they are called блины (bliny)
Can I use 1 cup of only wheat flour instead of splitting it with all-purpose flour?
Hi Eugenia, I haven’t tried that but I think it’s worth experimenting. You may need slightly more butter on your skillet if there is any sticking.
Hi, Natasha!
Can you roll them with the filling and bake them in the oven? I wonder if it wont affect the taste if the filling….
Thanks!
Btw.. ever since u tried your crepe recipe in the blender, i dont bother any other recipes. Lol
Many slavic ladies who i talk to love your recipes) so i joke by saying that we have got the same great source [natashaskitchen]
Hi Viktoriya, to bake these bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes (if they are cold from the fridge, do 45 minutes, if room temp, bake 30 minutes). Generously brush all sides and bottom of a pyrex dish with unsalted butter. Lay down your first layer of nalesniki and brush generously with melted unsalted butter, brush the top layer with butter. Cover with foil and bake. You should have no more than 2 layers when its done. I still feel the best way is to saute them on a skillet with butter – they cook very fast and turn out perfect
Oh that’s awesome! Thanks for sharing that with me. I’m so glad you enjoy the crepes! You can bake these. I like to arrange them in 2 layers, brushing with butter between and around each layer. One of my readers reported great results pouring some heavy cream over them before baking.
Hi Natasha,
I grew up with crepes. I really like of your version using more eggs. I made them today and they were fantastic. I filled them with strawberry jam. Great recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
My mum tends to fill the blinciki with a risotto type of mixture and cook them in the oven..mmmm
Thank you for sharing that with me, Nina.
If I don’t have a blender can I use hand mixer?
Hi Dani, The blender really helps to incorporate the flour to a smooth consistency. If you have a hand mixer, that would work just as well.
Yummy! Can you make them with chocolate inside.
Hi Doris, I haven’t tried that but I imagine this will be delicious with chocolate inside!
hmmm….an interesting recipe – i’ve got to try this one!
I hope you try that soon!
I’ve made these three times already since the start of the year (New Years resolution) – these are the tastiest nalisniki I’ve ever eaten, and I made them with gluten free flour using the same measurements. My whole family loved these, husband asked why I never made these before and if I had time to make another batch. Off to make them for a fourth time…. thank you for a great recipe.
You’re so welcome, Inga. I’m so happy you have enjoyed these!
What kind of pan do you prefer to use when frying crepes? My mom uses the aluminum crepe pan … I can’t seem to make on that pan, nonstick has always been my go to ever since I was a kid . I have noticed that on the pictures you have crepe in cast iron skillet. Is it good?
Hi Ksyusha, I don’t have a specific crepe pan, but I use my best non-scratched non-stick pan for making crepes. It’s the only thing I’ve found that doesn’t tear the delicate crepes aside from using a specialized crepe maker or crepe pan.
I use farmer cheese only with a little sugar and cinamon pour melted butter over and bake
Thank you for sharing that with me, Cathy!
Natasha, Will cream cheese, plain or flavored, work by itself? I’m currently in Ecuador and you can’t get cottage cheese at all, and I haven’t found a decent ricotta. I miss a lot of good food items that I took for granted in Oregon.
The texture will not be the same but I don’t see why not. You may need to alter a few things and soften it a bit. I hope you love it1
I just made these & used local blueberry jam along with the cheese spread. So delicious!! Reminds me of my mom’s nalesniki. This recipe will be a repeat for sure. And….my 5 year old son loved them. How about that 😄
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
Can u use blueberries instead of raisins?
Hi Patsy, yes, dried blueberries should work or even fresh blueberries 🙂 There is so much room to experiment with these and change the flavor. I hope you love our crepes! 🙂
This sounds very much like what my Mother used to make. I have not seen a recipe that sounds like hers (which I haven’t been able to find since she passed away). The only other thing I can remember her using in her filling is cinnamon. I am going to make this soon! If I want to freeze part of them should I freeze them before or after I saute them? Thanks!
Hi Jan. I’m so happy you discovered this recipe!I would recommend freezing before sautéing them.
I tried learning to make these with my Polish grandmother-in-law, but she didn’t use measurements😊, so thank you for the recipe!
You’re so welcome Amy! 🙂
Looks easy and so yummy
That’s so great Leta! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
You asked, “Do you put anything unusual in your Nalisniki/ Blinchiki?” I made the batter according to your recipe, but since we eat nalisniki for breakfast, I did not make the fancy filling. Instead, yesterday I made your strawberry sauce (https://natashaskitchen.com/strawberry-sauce-recipe/) and this morning I made the batter and filled the crepes with cottage cheese straight out of the container (not drained) and the strawberry sauce, rolled them up, and served them. They simply disappeared. My husband is usually the breakfast nalisniki cook, but he liked this version better, especially with that strawberry sauce!
Hi Kathryn! Thank you for sharing your method with us! I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Hi! These look delicious! Question, I was stabbed multiple times and cannot have cottage cheese or yogurt as it will kill me. (they don’t know why either) Can I substitute it for ricotta or some other type of cheese?
Hi Neema, oh my goodness, I’m so sorry to hear that 🙁 what a scary experience that no one should have to go through :(. I just searched the comments and one of my readers did say she used ricotta successfully and also shared the following tips/advice: “I lined a sieve with paper towel, put the ricotta in it and left it overnight to drain. I think the nalesniki turned out well 🙂 Using something like a cheesecloth would probably have been a lot better and possibly drained more liquid, but all I had was paper towel.” I hope that is helpful to you!
I made them ,excellent .god bless you for sharing all these delicious treats with us
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe Makrina! Thanks for sharing!
Hi. Can I freeze them with filling?and how to un thaw them?
Hi Alina, I think that would work well. I would layer them with parchment paper or wax paper between layers so they don’t stick together when thawed. Thaw in the refrigerator 🙂
Ok thank you 🙂
Do you know if I can use ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese for the filling?
Hi Nataliya, I haven’t tried with ricotta, but I think it would be too wet to substitute since you can’t really strain ricotta. Tvorog can be used as a substitute, but I’m not sure about ricotta. Again, I haven’t tried it. Maybe someone else has experimented and can provide some insight? Thanks in advance!!
I lined a sieve with paper towel, put the ricotta in it and left it overnight to drain. I think the nalesniki turned out well 🙂 Using something like a cheesecloth would probably have been a lot better and possibly drained more liquid, but all I had was paper towel haha
That is awesome!!! Thank you for sharing that with us!
I used ricotta for one batch and cottage cheese for the other. Natasha is right the ricotta recipe was wayyy to runny.
Made some crepes a couple of days ago, my family loved them, thanks for this amazing recipe.
My pleasure! I’m glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I made these and must say these are the best crepes ever!!My husband says this is what angels eat in heaven lol but they are truly bomb!Thank you! :))
lol your review is the best! It made me laugh out loud and then I read it to my husband so he can realize he’s eating angel food! 😉
Hello young lady. I often watch your videos and also make some of your great recipes, but what I most want to praise you for in your blog is, besides your knowledge, also your genuine interest and your intrinsic enthusiasm for cooking. I am single and 65+, cooking is now more like a burden, although I’m good at the kitchen, has many own recipes and the endless Hungarian collection of Hungarian cuisine to eject.
If I were a man who had a hat, I would take it off for you and bow deeply to congratulate you for who you are and what you do.
Oh my, such kind words, it really means a lot to me! Thanks for following and sharing your thoughtful comments! <3
I can’t wait to try these! We used to live in a small town with a high population of lovely Russian folks. Going out for Sunday breakfast of blintzes piled high with fresh fruit is on of my favourite memories. Thanks for posting this. You are my “go-to” site for fantastic recipes!
These are so delicious, you’re gonna love them! Thank YOU for following and please let me know what you think of the recipe! 🙂
Just wanted to add I made 2 batches of these naleskini, I used light olive oil instead of butter they were still delicious.
I made the tvorog cottage cheese filling a by my moms recipe..absolutely delicious
Cottage cheese (a little over 24oz)
Softened creme cheese (8oz)
Condensed milk (half can)
I used a hand mixer absolutely delicious filling, I DID NOT Draine the cottage cheese.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing with other readers Angelina! 🙂
Can I prepare the everything in blender for the crepes and put it in fridge overnight and fry the crepes in morning ? Or will it get bad
Hi Liliya, it won’t go bad but the butter will probably separate, float to the top and firm up so it won’t be incorporated into the batter as easily after refrigeration. If that happens, you will need to get creative to warm the mixture up just enough for the butter to incorporate and blend into the batter again. Because of this, it’s easier to just make the batter in the morning.
This recipe is delicious! I use it just to make crepes with Nutella or jam this time I might try with cottage cheese filling! Absolutely delicious crepes!
Thanks Natasha!
You’re welcome Angelina! I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Fast and yummy! my kids absolutely love these. Thanks!
Yay! It’s “kid approved”! Thank YOU Jessica for sharing your great review!
Would it turn out ok if I used Almond or Coconut Flour??
Hi Tamara, I honestly have never tested that to say for sure. I’m not sure if they would work with those substitutions. if you experiment, let me know how it goes! 🙂
I love making these! I’m glad you posted the recipe. My family and my relatives love it. They’re basically my favorite deserts!
Olga, I totally agree with you 😄. We love eating them for breakfast after toasting them on the skillet in some butter.
These are so delicious, I made them without raisins and they were perfect. My husband said this is angels food! Thank you for the perfect crepe recipe
LOL! You’re welcome Lena! I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe!
I make these for breakfast today. This is the best blinchiki recipe. Very easy to make and every single one including the first came out perfect! I substitute the butter with olive oil. Turn our perfect. I made different filling (tvorog with blueberry) . Now this is going to be my go for recipe. Thank you,Natasha!
You’re welcome Anna! I’m happy to hear you love the recipe! 🙂
This recipe is delicious! very easy to prepare.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Tatyana! Thanks for sharing your review! 🙂
Can I make a batch and freeze? How would you suggest?
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried freezing them because they usually disappear within a few days (they definitely refrigerate well), but one of my readers, Kathy, shared her advice on freezing these cheese crepes in one of the comments: “freeze them with layers of wax paper between them in Ziplock bags. They freeze so well and defrost beautifully in the fridge for pan frying later on.”
Thank you! They look delicious and I cannot wait to try. I love them plain with just butter and syrup.
Thanks for the great recipe!!! I have a question- can I use milk instead of 1/2 cup of water?
I always stick to this recipe with water so I can’t say for sure how it would affect the crepes but I imagine it would work ok.
Dana , I have made my crepes with only milk for many years , it works .
Nice recipe, I’m in process right now, and crepes behave good, proportions are very precise. Thank you, Natasha, for your good job. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! God’s blessings!
Nat, thank you for the nice review and blessings to you and your family as well!
Thank you so much for the recipe Natasha! they are so delicious!
Whenever i make them for a guest i heat them in the oven for about 10 min before serving, with a few thin slices of butter on top, that way i don’t have to fry them while my guest are waiting
You are very welcome Natalya and thank you for such a nice review 😁.
This is are rockstar crepes!! everyone love them at the party. Thanks for sharing.
Zoe, that’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
Most delicious!
Thank you Tonya, we just made some for today 😀.
Five stars!
These look great. Hubby will love them. I need to substitute the raisins with berries due to the high amount of sugar in raisins.
Thanks for this recipe!
Let me know how you like them. Berries would be a great substitute 😀
I always soak raisins in boiling water than drain them…maybe that will help? It also helps to revive them, lol. Taste softer and fresher! or eliminate sugar from the filling?
I just made the recipe, I think I will omit the sugar next time.
I love your recipe Natasha, and i put inside nalesniki dried cranberries and cherries in syrup ( without syrup ) from russian store. Taste very good too 🙂
Anna, thank you for the nice review, I’m happy to heat that you love the recipe 😀. I’m craving some nalesniki after reading your comment 😋.
2 thumbs up!! Another winner recipe. I really love the texture- its light soft almost melt in your mouth – not gummy rubbery, and they are not overly too sweet. I use farmers cheese for the filling-mmmmm my fave. Defiantly will be using this recipe over & over. Thanks again-You Go Girl!! With love- Utica, NY
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for the awesome review! 🙂
Made this yesterday! This is amazing how simple it is to make them and how delicious they are! Great idea! I usually bake blini, but never like that.
Thank you Natasha!
I’m so happy you liked them!! It’s one of our favorite breakfasts 🙂
Your crepe recipes are amazing. I love that you have the perfect crepe recipe.
Other filling ideas I tried that are very taste are:
Spinach, scallion, feta crepes that taste like spinach pies but healthier without all that butter. Feta, goat cheese, egg, yogurt filling that taste like greek cheese pies, so good, and last idea is tomato, mushroom, onion with a little feta. So delicious.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I am actually making these cheese crepes for Easter morning :). Thank you for sharing your delicious filling ideas! They all sound wonderful!
Those were so delicious!!! I heated them in the oven but before beat two eggs and mixed with two tbsp of sour cream and pour over them.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them Tanya. Thank you for sharing that with us 😀
A 5 star, this is my go to recipe. Thanks!
Awesome!! I’m so happy you loved it. Thanks Karolina! 🙂
I can’t seem to find all your recipes to browse threw to look what I want to make….
Lisa, have you looked at our recipe index page at the top? Are you having trouble seeing that link?
my melted butter curdled ! will my crepes still come out fine?? and it always happens to me, do you know what am i doing wrong? should the milk be room temperature , is that why? thanks in advance!
It will still work fine since the blender blends it all up to a smooth consistency. It would help if your milk was room temp if you are concerned about butter firming up.
hey if I only make the batter today and put it in the fringe and will make crapes out of them tomorrow . will that be ok ?
Yes, that will work fine 🙂 Just blend it a little bit before using the batter to get it well mixed.
Hi Natasha,
I am not a big fan of cottage cheese, never been. Is there a way to take out the cottage cheese and still make them as delicious? Also, can I bake them instead of pan frying?
Thanks.
HI Anna, You can use tovog (farmers cheese), but the texture isn’t as smooth. If you mash the cottage cheese really well, you won’t even be able to tell it’s cottage cheese by the texture and the flavor is so good mixed with the cream cheese.
I will have to give it a try then. Thanks so much for responding. 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Really enjoy your simple easy elegance recipes. I’ve made this version of Nalesniki so many times that I found myself doubling the recipes cause my hubby and my daughter love them so much. I’ve assembled them “spring roll” style without any opening, added rum extract and freeze them with layers of wax paper between them in Ziplock bags. They freeze so well and defrost beautifully in the fridge for pan frying later on. Tonight, I just triple the recipe and will finish assembling them tomorrow after church! We love this recipe that much!!! Thank you for your wonderful recipe!!!
You’re so welcome and thank you for sharing your great tips about freezing them. 🙂
Привет.у меня вопрос если я напеку блинов.и заморожу их на 2 недели.а потом буду их начинять и готовить.можна так? Просто сейчас есть времья,а после буду сильно занятая. А будуть гости
Hi Tanya, do you want to freeze the finished crepes with cheese in them? I haven’t tried that but I think it would work well. You will probably have to put parchment or wax paper between layers so they don’t stick to each other when you thaw them.
JUST NADE THESE LAST NIGHT
DANG IT WAS GOOD!!!
HAD TO GIVE MOST AWAY TO MY COWORKERS KZ THEY LOVED IT
ITS BEST AFTER BEING REFRIGERATED FOR ME AND I NEVER FRIED IT AGAIN JUST ROLLED IT UP AND LET IT GET COLD DANG DANG ITS BOMB!!!!!!!!
I’m so happy you loved the recipe! If you haven’t tried it, you should toss them on a skillet with butter the next day, just heat them till the outside is golden brown. MMM 🙂
These are perfect! Just like I am a kid again in my Baba’s kitchen! Thank you so much!!
That’s so great! I love hearing things like that. 🙂 Food brings back so many memories 🙂
this is the best recipe for crepes. i used farmer’s cheese. i made them last week and making them this week again! just love this recipe! 🙂
Farmers cheese is the best and most traditional filling for these. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for the great review!
Can you mix the batter with a Kitchen Aid mixer??
Yes, use the whisk attachment until smooth. It may help if your milk is room temp also if using a mixer to ensure that your butter doesn’t clump up when it comes in contact with cold liquids.
Just came across your website and made your oven roasted red potato’s. hmm good I then thought I would search thru your website to see what else I could see. I am Ukrainian and we make a similar dish to your Nalesniki (ours of course is spelled differently) The best way to have the cottage cheese not be so lumpy is to put it in the freezer for about an hour if you want to eat it that day or leave the cottage cheese in the freezer and pull it out the night before you want to make them. Also, my recipe we beat the egg whites separately and then fold them into the rest of the ingredients. It just makes them a little fluffier but still keeping it thin like it should be.
Thanks so much for sharing your methods and welcome to the site! 🙂
what we do is heat these in the oven after we have covered them in a sour cream sauce.
ito make the sour cream.sauce, we heat about a cup of sour cream with 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 stick butter until well mixed and pour over the nalistniki. this is the best method for us! tas tree s
That sounds so good and rich! I can almost taste them! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe 🙂
My favorite recipe…my mom made this since I was a baby now I am 40 🙂
I absolutely love them too. My mom made them often growing up. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of them 🙂
Hi Natasha!
Russian people have never used cream cheese or cottage for filings. We use white pressed cheese like ”Western” in Canada. Anyway I love your website that I visit very often. Love your recipes!
I use cream cheese and cottage cheese because it is much more accessible than farmers cheese and not everyone is up for making their own. I also love the creamy texture and amazing flavor of this combination. Thank you for your sweet compliment! I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes 🙂
I’m making it for Easter breakfast!!! thanks Natasha and Happy Easter!!!
What a great choice for Easter breakfast! Topped with beautiful berries; I think I’ll copy you! 😉
Hi, Natasha was wondering if you use whole milk or 2%. And can milk be used instead of water if using 2% milk. Love your recipes.
I have used 1%, 2% or whole milk. All work great! To be honest, I haven’t used water instead of milk so I can’t give you a good answer for that. Sorry 🙁 It’ll have to be an experiment! 🙂
Natasha thank you for a ur recipes ur instructions are so simple and easy to follow first time making these and they turned out great!
That’s awesome! Thanks so much for your great feedback 🙂
Natasha, thank you very much for your helpful and very delicious recipes!
Do you know if in this recipe of Nalesniki, I can substitute milk somehow?
I only have Almond,coconut and condensed milk. Thank you!
I’ve never tried to substitute it to be honest but the almond milk might work well. I’ve seen other recipes online that say you can sub it instead of milk with great results. Now I really want to know! If you test it before me, do let me know 🙂
Can u freeze these?
I have never tried to freeze them, but they do refrigerate very well for up to a week and you just toss them on a buttered skillet to re-heat.
I add olive oil to the crepe batter, it seems to give it more elasticity
I have tried it with olive oil and it does work well and it’s healthier 🙂
I also add oil to the batter instead of melted butter, have actually never tried it with butter in the batter….I also fry them on oil not butter, have never tried frying in butter…what I do is basically season my pans with oil, (so I rub them) and then thats good for the whole recipe-sometimes I have to rub with oil again if the pan has a scratch on it otherwise not 🙂
Are you using a cast iron skillet? I really need to get a good one of those! 🙂
Hi! Sorry for late reply! No I don’t use a cast iron skillet. I actually happened to find 2 crepe pans at Ross or Marshall’s once. They are like a regular non stick pan, but quite large, and are completely flat with a short rim. But my mom has been frying this way forever and works great 🙂
Thanks Alina! 🙂
I’ve been using the two nonstick skillet method for a long time too except mine are two different sizes, oh well 😉
what a good cheese for nalisnikov?
I use cottage cheese and cream cheese but farmers cheese is a classic and is used often for nalesniki. I do have a recipe for farmers cheese posted here
We would have something like this but would put chopped soft boiled eggs and melted butter for the first round and then sour cream and jam for “Dessert”
Two rounds of crepes. Sounds amazing to me! 🙂
I made these today and let me just tell you… They were AMAZING! 😀
Oh yaya!!! I’m so happy you loved the nalesniki 🙂
its polish u know that?
I guess its the same part of the world. That doesn’t surprise me that it’s popular in Poland as well. How do you fill the Polish ones?
Simply Perfect!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
do you have a recipe how to make homemade tvorog…your version
Why yes ofcourse! 🙂 Here is the recipe for tvorog cheese.
i was just wondering…i like to try different options of how to make tvorog…they way you make it sounds good…i did the same way plus i add half&half or plain yogurt…
Great recipe, thank you. This summer,while in Ukraine we ate this resturent they served the most amazing crepes. They were filled with sweet poppyseeds and crunchy on the outside, best of all covered in powered sugar and drizzled with dark melted chocolate. I’m not a really big fan of poppyseed, but thoses made day! Any idea how to make the sweet poppyseed filling?
If it’s anything like nearly all of the poppyseed fillings in Russian/Ukrainian cooking, it’s probably like this: https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/12/24/russian-cake-truffles-recipe/ Follow the How to make poppyseeds section 🙂
I was making a lot of nalisniki in my life, different recipes but, these nalisniki are amazing,light,very flexible and they taste great.!!!!!!
Thank you Natasha
Greetings from Montreal
Hi Joanna from Montreal! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. I made the same thing for breakfast this morning! We added white raisins since we were out of craisins and regular raisins! 🙂 So tasty!
I made the nalisniki today, and they were super good. For the filling I put the whole container of cottage cheese without rinsing them and put a block of cream cheese added orange zest and a little bit of orange juice, yummy. My kids put peanut butter and bananas and loved it. Thanks for the recipe and keep them coming.
Wow that sounds so good. I love the idea of adding the orange juice and zest. WOW! 🙂
My sister made these awhile back. I tasted them, they’re super good.( I don’t care for raisins. I usually just top with berry sauce.)Just printed recipe. Planning on making these tomorrow on my day off. I love Natashas Kitchen super helpful.
Thank you! You’re so sweet and I appreciate your kind words 🙂 You can definitely omit the raisins. Sometimes I toss in craisins because I love their sweet/tartness.
just made these and they are sooooooooooo delicious! thank you, Natasha!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the nalesniki. They are my favorite 🙂
I use a little different recipe for my nalisniki I love nalisniki with cherries inside and serve with sweet sour cream (sour cream and sugar mix together on medium speed blender or mixer)
Oh my goodness cherries and sweet sour cream sound amazing!
I need a little advice. So every time I make these my flour doesn’t want to blend into the batter. I have tried everything, changing the order of ingredients around, using other recipes, and in the end I still have to use a sifter to get all the lumps out of my batter. I don’t have a blender so I just use a regular hand mixer. What am I doing wrong?
The blender really helps to incorporate the flour to a smooth consistency. Do you have a hand mixer? That would work just as well.
I love this filling as well…..it just so soft and just melts in your mouth….:)i’ve made nalesniki with russian store bought cottage cheese and no cheese cream- its different….
I totally agree, it does melts in your mouth :).
this is a great recipe….i love to cook and was looking for a good recipe for nalesniki, and here it is…awesome…thanks for sharing 🙂
You’re so welcome! It’s definitely my go-to for making nalesniki 🙂
Sorry, but i have to correct you, it’s nalisniki not nalesniki
I went by whichever one was correct according to google. Nalisniki had 5K search results while nalesniki had 374k results. I wanted to make sure most people found the recipe so I called them Nalesniki but what’s in a name? 🙂 I’ve seen it spelled both ways.
I really really need to learn how to make nalisniki but they scare me! lol thank you for the video tutorial though.. I think that will help me! Wish me luck! ahh..
You’ll do great!!
These were soooo yummy!!!!! Even my husband who doesn’t really like sweets said these were amazing! Thanks for sharing this recipe!! 🙂 God bless!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Love your site! I also like the chicken filling.
Cook chicken breast with peppercorns,bay leaf,
and salt. While the chicken is cooking, sauté diced
onion. When the chicken is well done cooked, chop and
add to onions. Add salt, pepper,1-4 eggs depends
on the chicken amount. Bake 25-30 min, or I usually
cook them on slightly oiled pan. Very tasty!
Thank you for sharing the recipe Alla, I should try it.
I thought the name “nalesniki” came from Ukraine.:)
Anya you are probably right about that. This recipe has many names; I’m not sure which one originated where.
Just made this recipe…. Loved the results….. Thank You so much Natasha for sharing with this delicious recipe!!!
http://borrowidea.blogspot.com/2013/03/russian-crepes-with-cheese-and-raisins.html
I’m happy to hear a good report, enjoy :).
Use Tapioca Flour/Starch instead of all purpose to make this GF. I stuffed mine with cream cheese and lemon curd. Was soooooooo yummy!
These are so delicious! My mother makes them with just cream cheese and sugar, but I like it your way better! I used an electric crepe maker though. Makes it so much easier. I got mine at bed bath and beyond, for around $40. CucinaPro electric crepe maker. I highly recommend it, especially if you make crepes often.
Hmmmmm maybe I should consider it 🙂
These were absolutely delicious
So glad you liked them as much as we do! 😉
Natasha, what does tada means?
TADA is “Exclamation when something is finished” 🙂
Thank you so much for making those site! I’m so intimidated by Russian food! You’re recipes help me so much! Made nalisniki today! They turned out so yummy!! It helps because my mama makes everything “na glaz,” as I’m sure many of our Russian mamas do, so to have something concrete to work off is awesome!! I’m so appreciative!! God bless!!
Everyone loves these, thank you!
You’re welcome. Thank you Svetta 🙂
I made my first nalisniki today, and they turned out amazing. Thanks for the great recipe:-)
Oh awesome!!! So happy you liked the recipe. And there’s so much you can do with them once you master the crepe 🙂
Nestle. It sells everywhere-Winco, Wal-mart, Costco, Raley’s.
That’s my favorite too. I put Hazelnut cream original( no fat free) 1 cup + all ingredients like you do. Only no water. It adds some taste.
What brand of hazelnut cream do you use? Which store?
If startin from scratch, use meat grinder. If leftover chicken, use a large knife and cut fine.
I like to make chicken with mushroom. Make a marinade with bit of butter an better than bouillon. Mince chicken an mushroom. Stir in couple TBS sour cream, fill blinchikov as usual. My boy’s favorite.
Jen
Mmmm, how do you mince the chicken and mushrooms; using a knife or a food processor or meat grinder?
Thanx Natash, this was a big hit my hubby and 2 year old loved it. I put both raisins and pineapple …. So delicious. 🙂
That’s so awesome that they both liked it!!!
Dear Natasha, thank you for the recipes, I absolutely love nalisniki, sometimes I put them in ovenproof dish pore heavy wiping cream on top and bake them for about 15-20 min on f 350, and them OMG….. sooooo good
Mom does something similar, do you cover them with foil? Thanks for the tip.
ok good, will add fruits next time for sure!! everytime i look at the pic i crave for some!!
Made these today, they are absolutely delicous!! best crepes i ever tried, and so easy to make – the cream cheese is such a great idea!! My kids loved it too, especially my daughter, who is a very picky eater….she kept on asking for more 🙂
To please a picky eater is a VERY big deal!! 🙂
It sure is!!. do u think its ok to add fruits to it? maybe like blueberries, strawberries,or bananas?
I’ve added pineapple, peaches and apricots in the past with great results; just make sure you drain the fruit well if it’s canned. So, the answer is yes; there are many different variations for this recipe 🙂
Great Recipe 🙂 I make them with electrical Crepe Maker. So much easier then a regular pan.
Hmmm. That sounds like a nice tool. What kind do you have and where did you get it?
My mother in law makes hers with chicken or turkey and some cheese/onion with sour cream on the side. So after thanksgiving, she usually makes a ton of these and sloyki because there is a lot of leftover roasted meat to mince.
Meat with cheese and onion sounds really good! The meat filled nalesniki are on my to-do list. What are sloyki?
Love this recipe! My mom makes them all the time but she has no concrete recipe (as many other Russian moms lol 😉 so I’m gonna try your for a breakfast get together with friends tomorrow.
P.S. How did you start your website? Did you have technical help? Did you start with blogging? I want to start a DIY blog/website because I love doing those types of things but have no idea where to start… You can e-mail me if you have some suggestions
tried this recipe a few weeks ago and these turned out absolutely delicious!!! They’re really yummy hot or cold Thanks for sharing
tried this recipe a few days ago and these turned out absolutely delicious!!! They’re really yummy hot or cold Thanks for sharing my honey love them thanks agen…
Hi Natasha – I am loving your blog! My hubby’s Ukrainian and I’ve always wanted to dive into that side of the family’s recipes for my kids 🙂 … I’m also glad to have found a fellow believer – there are few things better than mixing food and fellowship!
I have a question – have you ever made a whole batch of the crepes, and then frozen them for future use? Do you think that would work well? I’ve got three little ones in the house, and I’m thinking that it would be easier to have regularly if the crepes were made ahead of time!
Hi Sarah from Canada :). Welcome to the site! I couldn’t agree with you more! I haven’t tried freezing the crepes. I do know they keep well in the fridge for even 4 or 5 days and we never get tired of eating them – we reheat them sauteed in some butter – YUMM! Let me know how it works out if you do try to freeze them.
I Love Your Sit.
You Have A Beautiful Family(:
This Gonna Help Me So much.(since i’m getting married and gonna cook for my husband(:.. )
God Bless You…
Thank you! I hope you and your fiance enjoy the recipes 🙂
Ah, all three kids are down napping (all under age 3) so I’m making these crepes. In Hungary, we mostly put jam or the cheese filling with raisins in our palacsinta/crepes. However, when we lived in Germany in the early 80’s, we discovered Nutella, and that it spreads very nicely on still warm crepes/palacsinta and that has been my family’s favorite filling ever since.
My mom also makes a crepe and chocolate pudding casserole (basically crepes rolled up and laid in rows in a 13×9 pan and then covered with chocolate pudding.)
One time when I went back to Hungary to visit, my dad’s mom served me meat and cheese stuffed crepes that were breaded and deep-fried and then poured over with a tart mayonnaise sauce.
But I’m drooling now so to the kitchen I go!
Thanks for such a great site!
You’re welcome. Thank you for the great filling ideas. The meat and cheese stuffed crepes, breaded and deep fried… how can you go wrong with that?? That sounds really good!
My husband is Hungarian, too, and we love palacsinta/crepes. Favorite fillings are poppyseed, apricot jam, and the cheese mixture. Dessert special is filled with chocolate or Nutella. Gundel’s is a famous restaurant in Budapest, and well-known for its palacsinta. My husband’s name is Csaba. Thanks for sharing crepe recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Alexa!
I made these today, and I’m so proud 😉 But I did something different that my mom does, for the cream/cottage cheese mixture, i added a splash of vanilla extract and one egg yolk. then i baked them in the oven till they turned a deep shade of yellow…. yum… so good with strawberry preserves 😉
Baking them is awesome if you are feeding a large crowd. The vanilla and egg yolk sound nice for baking. I don’t add it if I’m not planning on baking them because I don’t have to worry about the raw ingredient. I’ve tried these with strawberry preserves mixed with sour cream and it is very good!
How long do you bake them for and at what temp? I have a large group that I am making them for, so thought that would be easier. Thanks!
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes (if they are cold from the fridge, do 30 minutes). Generously brush all sides and bottom of a pyrex dish with unsalted butter. Lay down your first layer of nalesniki and brush generously with melted unsalted butter, brush the top layer with butter. Cover with foil and bake. You should have no more than 2 layers when its done. I still feel the best way is to saute them on a skillet with butter – they cook very fast and turn out perfect 🙂
My family likes crepes, too. Recently I discovered new filling – cheesecake filling! No hassle with cottage and cream cheeses… and heavenly taste.
Little expensive, but worth it.
Oooo, I really like cheesecake!! Yumm! Do you make the filling for a cheesecake and just put it in or do you bake the cheesecake filling first?
No, I buy cheesecake filling at the grocery store. Then just spread it over crepes and bake them in electric skillet with whipped cream on a top for 15 minutes.
That sounds really good and easy! 🙂 Thank you.
TY FOR A GREAT IDEA FOR TWOROG SUBSTITUTION
we love crepes with strawberry, banana and honey or
with spinach, mushrooms cheese and deli meat or
with anything else or by itself 🙂
sometimes I make them when I forgot to buy bread
we like them a little bit softer and fluffier
so, I use less eggs (well, I don’t name them crepes…)
250 ml milk
1 egg
salt & sugar to taste
beat with mixer
+ flour to crepe like consistency
shoul be bubbly
then stir in 2-3 T oil
to make them I usually use frozen stick of butter for seasoning a pan. Works very well.
Makes 10-12 blinchikov, good for 2 people.
Crapes with cheese could be frozen. It’s a great breakfast idea for these busy holiday mornings with home full of relatives. I guess, I need to start making them … 🙂
I make them with 100% whole wheat and the results are pleasing. I fold them into a pocket and eat them with strawberries-and-cream, or applesauce with syrup. Very tasty! I also use a non-stick pan and do not have to add the butter to the pan each time, although the butter does give it a good taste ))
Good to know, I should try 100% whole wheat; healthier that way! I usually don’t have to keep adding butter with a good non-stick skillet as well. I don’t think these would work on any other kind of skillet. Thanks for the tips, I haven’t tried strawberries & cream or applesauce with syrup. Sounds good!
i accidently came upon your website, wow awesome recipes!! Great job! i love cooking too! cant wait to try some of your recipes!
Hi Anya! Thank you so much! Welcome to the site, I hope you enjoy the recipes.
These look soo good! So glad I found your site!
Thanks for stopping by 🙂 This is one of my favorites!
Omg I just found your website through Recipe Rhapsody! I am so stoked! My grandparents are Ukrainian and Russian and my husband served a two yr mission for our Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Kiev, Ukraine and some surrounding areas. I am so excited to start making some of these recipes for myself and my Russian lovin husband!
Thanks Veronica. You are so nice 🙂 This is our favorite breakfast food. Hope you get a chance to try them. Once you get the hang of it, they really arent difficult to make.
These look incredible! And I love the new pic of yourself in the sidebar–you’re so gorgeous!
I put few drops of vanilla extract in the cream cheese..
I put an egg yolk in my cheese, and it makes such a huge difference in taste. I always run out of cheese when I’m filling them cause I can’t stop eating it. I just eat it by the spoonful, and it’s sooo good. I obviously am not very afraid of salmonella. I’ve never heard anyone get sick from it, ever.
I’ll give the egg yolk a try next time.
I also put an egg yolk in the cheese (I dont know why it makes such a change in flavor!), and my cheese recipe is almost exactly like yours. I have never rinsed the cottage cheese however, can you tell me what is the reason for that? Thank you!
I rinse it to make the filling less wet so it doesn’t seep out when I sauté them in butter. Do you bake your nalesniki or saute them?
I usually sautée them, but my filling does run out sometimes, that’s a good tip thank you! I think the egg yolk also might help stiffen the cream a little when its cooking…hm thank you! I will also try your idea of mixing it in the blender, that sounds easy
I love nalisinki (my favorite ones are with cheese) … I haven’t made them in a long long time though… thanx for the suggestions on a great yummy snack 🙂