Syrniki Recipe – Russian Cheese Pancakes

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Last updated on May 23rd, 2019.

An easy Syrniki recipe. Make these delicious, pillowy-soft, Russian cheese pancakes for a tasty breakfast treat. Serve these with syrup like traditional American pancakes, or with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt and a spoonful of fruit preserves.

_{I originally posted this recipe in 2015. I updated it in 2018 with clearer instructions, new photos, and a snazzy new video!}

_{This post contains affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission if you purchase anything through these links. Using these links to shop is a great way to support this blog so I can keep sharing delicious recipes with you, at no extra cost to you.} 

Syrniki pancakes are one of my all time favorite things to eat… Out of ALL THE FOOD in the world.

Seriously.

What are syrniki?

Syrniki are slightly sweet, cheesy Russian pancakes made from Farmer’s cheese. They are super soft and just slightly sweet on the inside. These pillowy pancakes of cheesy goodness are just so darn delicious.

‘Syrniki’ is pronounced SYR-nee-kee, where “y” in ”SYR” sounds like the “i” sound in ”bill.” Come on, say it out loud. 🙂

(You can also spell them as “sirniki” sometimes.)

Syrniki pancakes are made from farmer’s cheese, which is somewhat similar to ricotta cheese.

Where to buy farmer’s cheese:

Look for farmer’s cheese in the refrigerated dairy section, next to ricotta, cottage cheese, and sour cream.

Farmer’s cheese is available at most major grocery stores in the US and in pretty much all Slavic/Russian grocery stores.

If you don’t see it, make sure to ask someone in the dairy section. And if they don’t carry it, make sure you ask the store to get some farmer’s cheese! Did you know a lot of stores listen to input from their customers about what items they should carry?

If you can’t find farmer’s cheese, you can use ricotta cheese – just drain it in a colander overnight in the fridge to get the extra liquid out, otherwise your syrniki will fall apart when you form them.

I remember being excited every time my grandma made sirniki when I was a kid. Sadly I just don’t think to make these often enough! That has got to change now that I nailed down this recipe.

I started with asking my grandma for her recipe, and in the usual grandma fashion, the response I get was ”oh, I don’t know, you need farmer’s cheese, eggs, flour, a little bit of sugar… just add the flour until the texture is right, don’t add too much or they’ll be tough.”

Well THANKS FOR NOTHING GRANDMA. Just kidding.

It took a couple of tries, but I got the recipe down. I guess years of hanging around the kitchen impatiently waiting for syrniki to be ready gave me some intuition about what looked ”right” for the batter. 🙂

A few tips for making Syrniki:

• The “batter” will be much thicker than American pancake batter – it will be more like dough.

• You can add raisins to the recipe, if you like raisins. I usually skip them. Nothing against raisins, just not my thing in pancakes.
• You’ll need to dredge the syrniki in flour after you form them but before you fry them. This will make sure that the syrniki don’t stick to the pan.

• You’ll want enough oil in the pan to coat it slightly. You can use a spoon to help you flip these pancakes easily.

• You can cook a few syrniki at a time, but don’t crowd the pan!

What you’ll need to make syrniki:

A squeeze-release ice cream scoop makes it very easy to form these pancakes and make them all a nice even size. I use this ice cream scoop for syrniki, as well as for scooping out regular pancake batter, muffin batter, and of course – ice cream.

Syrniki should not be fried in olive oil – it has too much of a strong savory smell. You’ll want to use a neutral vegetable oil such as canola, or coconut oil. If you love coconut oil, then definitely make sure to get non-refined coconut oil. It will have a lovely fresh coconut smell to it.

Don’t forget maple syrup or some blueberry preserves. You cannot go wrong with Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves – all their preserves are so delicious. Or you can try making your own blueberry preserves! This easy 15-minute Blueberry Preserves recipe from This Girl Cooks looks REALLY good.

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How would you serve syrniki pancakes, you ask?

Just like traditional American pancakes, these are amazing with maple syrup on top. Or try them with homemade syrup, such as mulberry syrup (get the recipe here: mulberry syrup). If you can’t find fresh mulberries, you can make the syrup with blackberries and it is SO GOOD. Syrniki are also great with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

But my favorite is the traditional Russian way: with sour cream. We Russian people put sour cream on EVERYTHING.

So I like to eat these syrniki pancakes with a dollop of sour cream and a spoonful of fruit preserves and mulberry syrup. If sour cream is not your thing, try a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Either way, you’ve got to try this recipe and switch up your breakfast routine!!

You might also enjoy these other breakfast recipes:

Instant Pot Chocolate Cherry Steel Cut Oats:

Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Pancakes:

Pumpkin French Toast:

Veggie-Loaded No-Bake Frittata:

Breakfast Grits with Caramelized Peaches:

Breakfast Veggie Bake Surprise:

Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest and give it a rating in the recipe card below!

Print Recipe

4.83 from 45 votes

Syrniki Recipe (Russian Cheese Pancakes)

Make these delicious, pillowy-soft, cheesy Russian cheese pancakes for a delicious breakfast treat. Serve these syrniki with syrup like traditional American pancakes, or with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt and a spoonful of fruit preserves.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian

Keyword: cheese pancakes, russian pancakes, sirniki, syrniki

Servings: 10 cheese pancakes

Author: Kate

Ingredients

• 1 lb farmer's cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 + 1/3 cup all purpose flour , divided
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Optional: 1/2 cup raisins
• 6-8 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

• Prepare the batter: In a large bowl, crumble the farmers cheese into little pieces with a fork. Add 2 eggs and mix well. Add 1/2 cup flour (reserve 1/3 cup for step 2), sugar, and salt. Mix well, using the fork to break apart any clumps of flour or farmer's cheese. Add raisins, if using. The 'batter' will be thick like dough, not like traditional pancake batter. 

   
• Form the syrniki pancakes: Prepare a small bowl with about 1/3 cup flour - you will use it to dredge the pancakes. 

  Scoop out approximately 1/4 cup pancake dough at a time. (See recipe notes below)  Use your hands to gently flatten the dough into a small patty. Dredge the pancake with flour on both sides. Shake off the extra flour and set aside until you are ready to cook the syrniki pancakes.

   
• Cook the syrniki pancakes: In a large skillet, heat 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and gently place the flour-dredged cheese pancakes into the pan using a spatula. Cook on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until each side is golden brown. Place on a paper towel to cool. 

  Do not crowd the pancakes - cook them in 2-3 batches if necessary.

   
• To serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or drizzle with maple syrup, honey, whipped cream. Or try these syrniki the traditional Russian way - with sour cream and your favorite fruit preserves.

   

Video

Notes

It is easiest to scoop the syrniki dough with a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop with a squeeze-release handle. Otherwise, you can use a spoon or your hands - just wet your hands in cold water so the batter doesn't stick to your hands.

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Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Syrniki Recipe (Russian Cheese Pancakes)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 162 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Cholesterol 47mg16%

Sodium 310mg13%

Potassium 12mg0%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 45IU1%

Calcium 5mg1%

Iron 0.2mg1%

* The nutritional information shown here is just an estimate and not meant to be used as dietary/nutritional advice. Please consult a nutritionist for exact nutritional information based on the exact ingredients you use.

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