This gluten free cheese blintz is perfectly elegant, delicious and you will be hooked after the first taste. Not only does this gluten free blintz recipe work for breakfast, but it’s also fantastic for brunch or any other event.
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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!
When we were little we would visit my grandparents in Florida. My grandmother was an incredible cook. It was frustrating that she never wrote down her recipes, and it left my mother and me to try to figure out what was in each recipe.
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, give this Gluten Free Sufganiyot recipe a try!
Some of my favorites my Grandmother made were her Homemade Chicken Soup and her famous Cabbage Rolls.
What is a cheese blintz?
A cheese blintz is similar to a thin pancake that has 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.
What is the difference between a blintz and a crepe?
This is another question that is common. 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. A blintz is filled with a blend of sweet cheese such as mascarpone, ricotta, or cottage cheese while crepes are filled with different ingredients like bananas, Nutella, or strawberries.
Another difference is that a blintz is fried in a pan, so it has a crispy outer layer. Both crepes and blintz can be filled with sweet or savory foods.
If you want to make some crepes, you should look at my gluten free crepes recipe here. These crepes are also dairy-free!
Are you ready to make this delicious cheese blintz recipe for yourself?
Step by step recipe directions:
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a bowl. Whisk to blend.
I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
Step 2: Add your wet ingredients to a smaller bowl and whisk to blend.
Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
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: This is what your blintz batter will look like.
Step 5: Heat a pan and add a little coconut oil to the pan to prevent sticking.
Add one soup ladle full of gluten free blintz batter. Rotate the pan around so the whole bottom of the pan is covered. Cook for 3 minutes until you see bubbles, then flip the blintz over to cook the other side. Repeat this process until all of the batter is used.
Step 6: Time to make that yummy cheese filling! In a bowl, mix the ricotta, lemon juice, vanilla, and sugar. Put a blintz on a plate and add the cheese mixture.
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. Heat a little coconut oil in a pan.
Step 9: Pan-fry the blintz in the hot oil for 4 minutes per side.
Step 10: Dust the blintz with powdered sugar and enjoy warm! If you are looking for another delicious Jewish recipe, give my homemade gluten free kugel recipe a try!
Recipe swaps:
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 just make a change here are some ideas:
- Honey - drizzle honey over the finished blintz for a little extra sweetness.
- Whipped topping - adding whipped topping is an extra special idea for a birthday breakfast or just because.
- 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
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
Yes, you can make this recipe ahead of time and eat them later. Wrap each blintz separately in plastic wrap or parchment paper and place in an airtight container. You want to wrap them, so they do not stick together. They will last in the refrigerator for approximately five days.
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 they are 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 for 15 seconds on high.
The way I prefer is to reheat them in a skillet with a little bit of 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, you can bake the cheese blintz at 35º F for 10 - 15 minutes if they have been frozen. If they are thawed, it will only take 5-10 minutes in the oven.
You can make this cheese blintz recipe dairy-free, though you will need to experiment with the dairy-free cheeses to find the one you like best.
The actual blintz pancake is already dairy-free...so check out dairy-free cheeses by Daiya and Kite Hill.
If you love Grandma's recipes, this Gluten Free Chocolate Babka recipe is another must-try!
Check out these other tasty treats:
- If you love a good cake recipe, this Gluten Free Vanilla Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting makes an incredible birthday cake.
- 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 make a fun project to make with the kids.
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📖 Recipe
Grandma's Homemade Cheese Blintz {Gluten Free!}
Equipment
- Cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 ½ cups almond milk
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil one for the batter and one for frying
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Filling
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup jam
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients. Whisk to blend
- In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients 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.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan with 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.
- Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the blintz to a plate.
- In a bowl, add the cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla 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 last side. (see photos above.)
- 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 GF, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, 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 1 teaspoon to the dry ingredients.
- These blintz will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
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Maya
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!!
Sandi Gaertner
I love your filling combo Maya. I need to try this next 🙂
Amanda
Your grandma would be proud. These blintzes are perfect! I am thinking these should go on my Easter brunch menu.
Sandi Gaertner
I hope she is proud. :-). I am so glad you are going to give this a try.