CookOS may earn a commission from Instacart orders.
Russian cheese crepes are thin, tender pancakes filled with a rich blend of cream cheese and cottage cheese. This recipe yields 15 crepes and offers a butter-to-olive-oil swap for a lighter version.
Check what you already have. We'll leave it off your shopping list.
Prices vary by store
*Service fees apply. Instacart® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.
CookOS may earn a commission from Instacart orders.
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!
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.
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.
Store cooked crepes in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet or oven at 350°F.
crepe pan or non-stick skillet (8-inch preferred) · whisk
Yes. Mix the batter and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Let it come to room temperature and thin with a splash of milk if it's thickened before cooking.
Cook until the bottom is light golden (about 1–2 minutes per side). The crepe should be thin and slightly crispy at the edges.
Yes. The recipe already suggests using ½ cup whole wheat and ½ cup all-purpose flour for a nuttier flavor and added fiber.
Yes. Cool completely, layer with parchment paper, and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes.
Olive oil makes a lighter, slightly less rich crepe while butter creates a more traditional, indulgent flavor. Both work for the batter and sautéing.
