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.
What are syrniki?
Syrniki are slightly sweet, cheesy Russian pancakes made from Farmer’s cheese. They are a traditional Russian and Ukrainian recipe. They are super soft and just slightly sweet on the inside. These pillowy pancakes of cheesy goodness are just so 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, but a little dryer and more crumbly. Farmer’s cheese is perfect for combining with a little flour, sugar, and eggs to make breakfast and dessert recipes.
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.
- 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. 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 sauce to go on top. You cannot go wrong with Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves – all their preserves are so delicious.
How would you serve syrniki pancakes?
Just like traditional American pancakes, these are amazing with maple syrup on top. Or try them with homemade syrup, such as 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.
You’ve got to try this recipe and switch up your breakfast routine!!