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Danielle Dolinsky sent me an interesting email a while back; a recipe for her Ukrainian syrniki, also known as tvorog pancakes. It’s her specialty and it was featured on the Martha Stewart Show (sounds soo soo dreamy!).
Here’s a link to her syrniki recipe and a step-by-step video from the show. I haven’t experimented with a store-bought cheese but I can tell you Mom’s homemade cheese creates a very soft dough; more delicate to handle but had amazing results.
Thank you Danielle for sharing your recipe. We’ve enjoyed your Ukrainian syrniki several times and I am currently craving them again.
Ingredients for Ukrainian Sirniki:
15 oz (about 2 cups) farmers cheese, homemade (aka Tvorog) or storebought
4 large eggs
3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus about 1/2 cup more for dredging
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar
1 cup raisins
2-3 Tbsp extra light olive oil for each batch
Toppings:
Fresh fruit or jam, sour cream, powdered sugar; whatever you like!
How to Make Ukrainian Syrniki:
1. In a large bowl, mix together 15 oz of cheese, 4 eggs, 3/4 cup flour, 3 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt.
2. Place 1 tsp baking soda in a small bowl and add 1 tsp vinegar; give it a stir as it fizzes. Add this mixture to the cheese mix.
3. With a hand-held electric mixer, mix until uniform consistency. Stir in the raisins with a spoon. It will still have some little cheese clumps.
4. Heat a large non stick skillet over medium heat, add 2-3 Tbsp extra light olive oil.
5. Add 1/2 cup flour to a small bowl. Place a heaping tablespoon or flat ice cream scoop of the cheese mixture into the flour. Reach into the bowl and sprinkle flour over the top of the pancake. With Well-floured hands, remove excess flour by gently transferring the pancake from one hand to another.
6. Once the skillet and oil are hot, place patties directly into the skillet as you mold them. Saute until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes each side, flipping once during cooking.
7. Transfer to a plate and serve with your favorite toppings. I’m old school so I like sour cream, fruit and powdered sugar.
Are these pictures making you hungry? I’m gurgling in my gut… I better get started on another batch of cheese.
Ukrainian Syrniki Recipe (Cheese Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 15 oz about 2 cups farmers cheese, homemade or purchase 2 packages.
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour + 1/2 cup for dredging
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 cup raisins
- 2-3 Tbsp extra light olive oil for each batch
Toppings:
- Fresh fruit or jam, sour cream, powdered sugar; whatever you like!
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together cheese, eggs, 3/4 cup flour, sugar and salt.
- Place baking soda in a small bowl and add vinegar; give it a stir as it fizzes. Add this mixture to the cheese mix.
- With a hand-held electric mixer, mix until uniform consistency. Stir in the raisins with a spoon. It will still have some little cheese clumps.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 2-3 Tbsp extra light olive oil.
- Add 1/2 cup flour to a small bowl. Place a heaping tablespoon of flat ice cream scoop of the cheese mixture into the flour. Reach into the bowl and sprinkle flour over the top of the pancake. With Well-floured hands, remove excess flour by gently transferring the pancake from one hand to another.
- Once the skillet and oil are hot, place patties directly into the skillet as you mold them. Saute until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes each side, flipping once during cooking.
- Transfer to a plate and serve with your favorite toppings like sour cream, fruit and powdered sugar.
These are beyond delicious!! Tasted just like the ones I had in Ukrainian earlier this year.
I’m happy you enjoy the recipe Lisa! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
great blog and recipes 🙂 I tried these today, but they turned to charcoal on the outside within seconds, yet remained almost raw in the middle. what am I doing wrong? wrong skillet, too much/too little oil? too much heat? hope you can help me 🙂
Hi Ingrid, if that is the case, the skillet is probably way too hot. It should not be anywhere near black within seconds. Definitely turn the heat way down. A non-stick pan is easiest to use for this recipe.
Hi, I just made and ate syrniki. I didn’t add raisins cause my boys don’t like them. Also when u have a recipe with salt and baking powder just use self rising flour instead. That’s it. How simple. Anyway, thanks cause they turned out perfect, not gooey but soft and crispy. Try it, I think u just might love it with this flour. I used farmers cheese from Russian store. Perfect consistensy not liquidy at all.
Thanks your sharing your review and tips Larisa! 😀
So did you not use any salt or baking soda and just used the self rising flour instead? Same measurement?
Finally finally, Natasha, мои сырники получились))) Sorry for using Russian) I love this recipe, you know I’ve tried so many and I love syrniki, but I never could make them the way I wanted them to be and this recipe is perfect!!! And not only the recipe, I love how you take pictures and even the dumbest person can cook really well with the help of your website) I love food, I love good food, so I cook, because if you want to do something good – do it yourself. I am so happy I was recommended your website, it is perfect for every day recipes. Thumbs up, Natasha! Your recipes stand second after Jamie Oliver’s one in my personal rating of cooking recources! Thank you!
You’re very welcome Yulia! Thanks for following and thanks for the great compliments! 😀
These look amazing!!! Can I substitute coconut flour for regular flour?
Hi Galina, I haven’t tried it that way but I imagine it would work. If you experiment, let me know how it goes 🙂
Have to admit, I was skeptical because I’m not a fan of cottage cheese usually. But these were very tasty and a hit with my kids. The only change I made was to use potato flour instead of regular wheat flour as we’re trying to cut back on the refined wheat. Besides, I figured potatoes were very Russian/Ukrainian anyway 🙂 But the potato flour worked just fine – gave them a hint of ‘latke’ flavor, which is never a bad thing. (Did make the texture a bit ‘gooey-er’ than regular flour likely does, which my family likes, but others might not) It’s an option, though, for anyone needing to make these gluten-free.
Glad to hear you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing the tips 🙂
These look tasty! But syrniki are not only Ukrainian, they’re Russian, Belarussian, Latvian, and Luthuanian 🙂
I made these this morning and I have added cranberries instead of raisins. The tasty pan cakes came out very fluffy, however I had to let them cool for 10-15 minutes for them to be a bit harder and therefore tastier. The right of the pan hot pancake did not exactly appeal to me at first with the hot gooey consistency. I would give 3.5 stars.
Hi Garbelka, since farmer’s cheese is a dryer cheese, they should be fluffy rather than gooey, I wonder if maybe you added too much batter and made them thicker than normal?
Hi! These tasted delicious but mine fluffed up like a pancake and really expanded in the pan. Maybe I did something with vinegar/soda..
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Made these for breakfast today for the first time. Very easy recipe. Husband and I both loved them. Definitely will be making them again! Thanks!
Inna, thank you for such a nice review on the recipe and you are welcome 😁.
Made this recipe twice but without raisins and loved it. Thank you!
Thank you for the nice review Luiza and you are welcome 😀.
Natasha, do you think these sirniki will turn out well using ricotta cheese?
Hi Viktoriya, I haven’t tested with ricotta but ricotta is a more moist cheese than farmer’s cheese so you will have to make other adjustments. Without testing it myself, I hesitate to guess how you should change it up. It does sound like a great experiment! If I try it, I will definitely let you know :). I do need a good ricotta pancake recipe on my blog! 😉
I love this recipe! What I like to do is instead of putting the mixture in four, I use cream of wheat or corn meal. The outside becomes crunchy and it’s really good! Thanks for the wonderful recipes, make my life so much easier! God bless!
Oh wow that sounds so tasty with a crunchy exterior and soft interior. You’re making me so hungry!
Mmmmm yummmm love cheese patties haven’t made since Chanukah maybe I’ll do a fry up pf these on Sunday morning tho am wondering what’s a good substitute to put in place of the raisins I don’t mind em but my folks and sissy do lol these look really way tantalizing and tempting have a gr8 awesome weekend luv cheers
HI Tzivia, you could try diced dried apricots or leave them out completely. I have a very similar recipe posted that uses apples and they are also really good 🙂
Oh hmmmm apricots that’s very interesting and would add color apple is also another option will keep these in mind thanx hun and let the weekend fun begin
Thanks Tzivia. Have a great weekend!
Great recipe! I didn’t add raisins, my family doesn’t like raisins, and I didn’t dredge them in flour, didn’t really have time, and they still turned out really really good and yummy and fluffy and soft and…… well you get the point! Thank you Natasha! Thumbs up from my family!
Olga, thank you for such a nice review 😄. Thank you for sharing it with us!
These are amazing! Very light and fluffy!
Hi Annie! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
preheat your oven 350F. Prepare your baking dish, line with aluminum foil and cover with cooking spray that contains flour. Use your ice cream scoop and scoop it on your baking dish about one scoop on each pancake. Bake for 10 minutes then remove. Pancakes are double in size. Meanwhile heat your skillet over medium heat with oil and transfer your pancakes on skillet and continue cooking until golden-brown color on both sides. Easier, less mess, your hands are clean. less flour its make your pancakes more fluffy…
Thank you for sharing that tip!
Can you replace the raisins with chocolate chips?
Hi Shaden, I haven’t tried it that way but I think it could work. Let me know if you try it! 🙂
I am wondering what I can use to substitute for the farmers cheese. Is that cottage cheese. Never heard of it b4 and I want to make these Thanks.
The farmers cheese is a little difficult to find, that is why we always make it from scratch. With this recipe, there really is no good substitute for the farmers cheese. If you want to use cottage cheese, try this recipe instead: https://natashaskitchen.com/2015/09/11/fluffy-cottage-cheese-pancakes/
Hi Natashenka!
I’m a newlywed and my husband thinks im such a good cook hehe even tho I never though I can cook ;/ thank you soooo much for your webside and such easy and tasty recipes! You are so awesome! 🙂 I also wanted to ask you if you think its ok to prepare sirniki night before and fried them in a morning? our breakfast is usually at 5:30am :/
Lena, I’m so happy to hear that my blog is a blessing to your family 😊. For the syrniki, I would prep everything the night before and add baking soda/vinegar mixture in the morning.
ok awesome! Thank you so very much for responding! 🙂 can’t wait to taste them! 😉
They are so freaking good!!! Thank you!! Thank you !!
You are welcome Cristina and thank you for such a nice review 😁.