Syrniki – Ukrainian Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Syrniki are soft, golden cottage cheese pancakes from Ukraine – crispy on the outside, creamy and slightly tangy inside. They’re the classic weekend breakfast across Eastern Europe, served with a spoon of sour cream and jam.

You need just a few ingredients and 30 minutes. The key is using dry farmer’s cheese and frying on low heat.

How to Make Syrniki

1. Prepare the cheese. If your cheese is wet, wrap it in a clean towel and squeeze out the liquid. Press it through a sieve or mash it with a fork until smooth and without big lumps.
2. Make the dough. Add the egg, sugar, salt and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the flour – the dough should be soft and slightly sticky but hold its shape.
3. Shape. With wet hands, divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each into a ball. Flatten into patties about 1.5 cm (½ in) thick and coat all sides lightly in flour.
4. Fry. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Fry the syrniki for 3–4 minutes per side, covered, until deep golden and cooked through. Low heat is the secret – they need time to cook inside.
5. Serve. Serve warm with sour cream and jam, honey or fresh berries.

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Footnotes:

Which cheese? Use dry farmer's cheese (tvorog) – it's sold in Eastern European shops. Regular cottage cheese works if you drain it overnight in a sieve and blend it smooth.

Variations: add a handful of raisins (soaked in hot water first) or a little lemon zest to the dough.

Oven option: brown the syrniki for 2 minutes per side, then finish them in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 8–10 minutes.

Photo: Turzh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and color-adjusted).