These gluten-free cheese blintzes are golden and crisp on the outside, with a warm, creamy ricotta filling that melts in your mouth. Whether you serve them for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, each bite is rich, slightly sweet, and irresistibly comforting. This recipe is adapted from my grandmother’s traditional blintz, with a gluten-free twist that keeps all the flavor and texture you remember.
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I am so excited to share a version of my grandmother’s cheese blintz with you. When our family first began the journey of gluten free living, I thought I would never get to enjoy a cheese blintz again. I am so glad that I was wrong!
The exterior of the blintz is crispy, while the inside is filled with sweet ricotta cheese and jam. Every nibble you take is delectable and leaves you wanting more. If you want to try another traditional recipe, try this Gluten-Free Sufganiyot recipe!
Some of my favorites my Grandmother made were her Homemade Chicken Soup and her famous Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I tested my recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Blend. Learn more about flour blends in my Gluten-Free Flour Blend Guide.
- Xanthan Gum – If your blend doesn’t contain a binder, you will want to add one. I recommend 3/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum. Learn why binders are so important in gluten-free baking.
- Eggs – Use size large eggs.
- Ricotta Cheese – I recommend full-fat ricotta cheese. (Drain the excess liquid.)
- Oil – I used coconut oil, but any light oil will work.
- Jam – Use your favorite jam or fresh fruit! Homemade and no-sugar jams also work great.
Testing Notes From My Kitchen
This recipe is one that I grew up with. My grandmother never wrote down the recipe, so it took me a little time to create a gluten-free version that tasted almost the same as hers. I tested my usual two flour blends to make sure you have an easy to find flour choice.
Making these blintz are a similar process to making crepes, except you fold them up and pan fry them. Don’t skip this step, it is what makes the cheese soften and blend in with the jam. It sounds difficult, but once you see the pictures below, it will be easy.
How to Make Gluten-Free Cheese Blintz (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Add your blintz dry ingredients to a large
Step 2: Add your wet ingredients to a smaller bowl and whisk to blend.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk until you get a nice creamy batter. You will want to whisk hard to get the lumps out.
Step 4: The blintz batter will look like runny pancake batter or crepe batter. If yours batter is thicker, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time until you have the right consistency. If your batter is much runnier, add more flour a tablespoon at a time.
Step 5: Heat a 10-inch non-stick pan or well seasoned cast iron skillet, and add coconut oil to prevent sticking. When the pan is really hot, add one soup ladle full of gluten-free blintz batter. Rotate the pan around so the whole bottom of the pan is covered with batter..
Cook for 3 minutes until you see bubbles, then use a wide spatula to flip the blintz over to cook the other side. Repeat this process until all of the batter is used. Blintz batter will behave just like crepe batter.
Step 6: Mix the ricotta, lemon juice, vanilla, and sugar in a bowl. Put a blintz on a plate and add the cheese mixture.
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Step 7: Add jam or fresh fruit to the cheese mixture.
Step 8: Fold over one side of the blintz. Next, fold over the two sides on top of the first fold. Last, fold the blintz over the last side so every side is folded over. This will prevent the cheese and jam from leaking out.
Step 9: Heat a little coconut oil in a pan. Pan-fry the blintz in the hot oil for 4 minutes per side. The blintz will look a little golden on the top and bottom. Pan frying will also help prevent the filling from leaking.
Step 10: Dust the blintz with powdered sugar and enjoy warm! If you are looking for another delicious Jewish recipe, try my homemade Gluten-Free Kugel or this Gluten-Free Challah!
Want more yummy blintz filling ideas?
You can make these gluten-free cheese blintz exactly as the recipe instructs, and they will be amazing! If you want to add some extra ingredients or make a change, here are some ideas:
- Honey – Drizzle honey over the finished blintz for a little extra sweetness.
- Whipped Cream – This makes them like a dessert.
- Fresh Fruit – Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and peaches are just a few of my favorites.
- Vegetables – If you are looking to make the blintz savory, add in some spinach, onions, chives, mushrooms, or any other veggies you enjoy.
- Nutella (or another chocolate spread).
What is a cheese blintz?
A cheese blintz is similar to a thin pancake or crepe with a crispy exterior and sweet interior. Once you fill and fold the blintz, you fry it in light oil to add slight crispiness to the blintz. The blintz is filled with sweetened cheese and can be sweet or savory.
They have a delightful flavor and are usually served for breakfast or brunch but can be eaten any time of day. You can serve them warm or cool.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can freeze the blintz, too. You can flash freeze them by placing the blintz on a baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure they do not touch each other. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 1-2 hours. After frozen, you can move them to a freezer bag or plastic container with a lid. This cheese blintz recipe will last around a month in the freezer.
There are a couple of methods to reheat cheese blintz. You can microwave the blintz by covering it with a damp paper towel and heating it for 15 seconds.
I prefer to reheat them in a skillet with a little cooking spray, coconut oil, or butter. Use medium heat and turn them as needed. They will not take a long time to reheat, so you will want to pay close attention to them so they don’t burn.
Lastly, if the cheese blintz is frozen, you can bake it at 350º F for 10 – 15 minutes. If it is thawed, it will only take 5-10 minutes in the oven.
The main difference between a blintz and a crepe is that a blintz is more like a thin pancake. A crepe is light and even more delicate. Blintz are fried in a pan after they are filled, so it has a crispy outer layer.
If you want to make some crepes, you should look at my Gluten-Free Crepes. These crepes are also dairy-free! If you love Grandma’s recipes, this Gluten-Free Chocolate Babka and this Gluten-Free Poppy Seed Roll are must-try recipes!
Check out these other tasty treats:
- These Gluten-Free Cheese Danish are so worth making!
- Everyone loves this Simple Gluten-Free Cinnamon Crumb Cake recipe. Make with regular sugar or coconut sugar.
- Gluten-Free Date Nut Cake {Perfect for Tu B’Shevat!}
- These simple Gluten-Free Hamentaschen Cookies are a fun project to make with the kids.
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Grandma’s Homemade Cheese Blintz (Gluten-Free!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 ½ cups non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil one for the batter and one for frying
- 1 tablespoon cane sugar
Filling
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup jam any flavor
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, add 1 cup gluten free flour blend and 1 tablespoon cane sugar. Whisk to blend
- Add 3 large eggs and 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk in a smaller bowl, and whisk to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk quickly to blend. Whisk for 4-5 minutes to ensure there are no lumps. The batter will look like thin pancake batter or crepe batter.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan with 2 tablespoons coconut oil.
- Add one soup ladle of batter to the pan. Pick up the handle and swirl the batter around to cover the whole bottom of the pan. This is the same process as making crepes.
- Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the blintz to a plate.
- In a mixing bowl, add 2 cups ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons cane sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and mix well.
- Take a blintz and add cheese mixture and jam.
- Fold the blintz by folding over one side over the cheese and jam. Fold the two vertical sides over the first fold. Roll the blintz over to fold the top and bottom of the folded blintz. (See photos in the post.)
- Add the last tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat.
- Place the folded blintz in the pan and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. This will give a bit of crispiness to the outside of the blintz.
- Remove from the pan and dust with powdered sugar.
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure, Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum, add 3/4 teaspoon to the dry ingredients.
- These blintz will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
Made these this a.m. They were awesome! The only mistake I made was using part skim ricotta, because I was concerned it would bother my stomach, since I’m dairy free. Next time, I would use the whole milk ricotta. All your recipes that I have made have been phenomenal!! Thank you!
I am so glad you are getting to try and enjoy my recipes. Thank you!
These are great! Simple and yummy!
I didn’t have any ricotta cheese at home so I made a mix of cream cheese & sour cream with a bit of cinnamon, white sugar, cranberries and vanilla and used that as the filling and it was great!
Thanks!!
I love your filling combo Maya. I need to try this next 🙂