Crepes With Cheese (nalisniki)
Crepes with Cheese (nalisniki): thin and delicate filled with farmer’s cheese filling that melts when you cook in butter or oil. This dish can be made ahead of time, either in full or in part. It’s one of the major dishes at weddings, holidays and major events. You can also enjoy them for breakfast, lunch or during snack time!
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Cheese crepes, nalisniki, cheese blintzes – this dish has many names. It’s very popular among Slavic families, not just at weddings and different events, but also for breakfast, lunch or as a snack. There are many ways to make crepes and many varieties of fillings to fill these. They seem complicated to make, but once you make them once, you will always make them. They are so easy, slightly time consuming, but always turn out amazing and you can never go wrong with them!
This crepes recipe was shared with me by my sister Alla. They are sweet, creamy, cheesy and always in demand. She likes to fill them with a cream cheese filling, but I’m more on the farmer’s cheese side so I always fill them with homemade farmer’s cheese. This recipe is always a crowd-pleaser and always gets so many compliments. The results are always beautiful!
Can Crepes be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes! This dish can be made ahead of time, either in full or in part. The crepes may be cooked, cooled completely, stacked and wrapped well one day and filled the next day. They can also be filled and frozen for up to 2 months and heated when ready to serve.
Can Crepes be Reheated?
Yes! We do it all the time, especially when we are making crepes for the crowd – there are always leftovers. Refrigerate cooled leftover crepes until are ready to use. To reheat, add 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter or oil to a skillet over medium-low heat and heat crepes until heated through and golden brown (if desired).
Secrets to Perfect Crepes:
- Use a non-stick skillet. I always use small skillets so these turn out smaller in size and you don’t have to cut them in half once filled.
- Use a thin-edged spatula to flip over the crepes.
- Use eggs with really yellow egg yolks. Egg-Land’s Best or Happy Egg are my favorite.
- Use whole milk for truly creamy results.
- Cook crepes at lower temperature to prevent from burning and having hundreds of darker spots.
Can Crepes be Frozen?
Absolutely yes! I do it often myself. Layer filled crepes in a plastic container with parchment paper or plastic food wrap in between the layers. You can also wrap each crepe in plastic food wrap and place into freezer bag. Preheat a skillet over medium heat, add some oil and heat until golden brown. These crepes freeze very well and good up to 2 months.
Crepes Batter Ingredients:
- Milk (2% or whole)
- Large eggs
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Fine salt
Crepes Cheese Filling Ingredients:
- Farmer’s cheese
- Cream cheese
- Cool whip
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
Quick Tips for Crepe Recipe
- Use blender for easiest and quickest way to make the batter
- If batter turns out too runny, add couple tablespoons of flour
- Use a cookie scoop to ensure all crepes are equal in size and thickness
- Use a thin-edged spatula to flip the crepes and prevent from tearing
- Cool crepes completely before stacking and wrapping with food wrap
How to Make Crepes with Cheese:
Scroll down for the printable Crepes with Cheese recipe.
- Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth and well combined.
- Pour crepes batter into pre-heated skillets and cook until golden on both sides.
- Combine and cream together: farmer’s cheese, cream cheese, cool whip, granulated sugar and vanilla extract to make cheese filling.
- Fill crepes generously with cheese filling, fold and roll in.
- Refrigerate and enjoy throughout the week.
Crepes for Weddings, Events and Large Parties:
When I make crepes for a big gathering, I always increase the serving amount. I would double the ingredients for blender and then do another double, making 4 servings or so. The easiest way to serve these for the crowd is to stack them in a baking dish and heat in the oven. I don’t think anyone would want to stand or even have time to heat these on the stove, especially if there are hundred crepes to be heated.
When I roll the crepes, I single layer in a glass baking dish, brush the first layer with melted butter and do another layer. I do maximum 3 layers in a 5-quart baking dish, brushing with unsalted melted butter between the layers. Adding more than 3 layers will take longer time to heat crepes thoroughly and will take forever. The butter between the layers prevents the crepes from sticking to each other once heated.
While my guests are enjoying the main course, I preheat the oven to a 300°F. Cover the crepes with foil and heat for 50 minutes. Remove the foil at 35-minute mark to get a bit of golden finish to the crepes. Crepes are heated through if all butter is completely melted and the baking dish is really hot on the bottom. Make sure not to keep them in the oven for prolonged time or the crepes will start cracking. High oven temperature will also lead to crepes cracking before they are even heated through.
More All-time Family Favorites to Try:
- Mimosa Salad – layered egg and cheese salad
- Olivye Salad – Ukrainian potato salad, every family’s staple
- Shuba Salad – layered beet salad with herring
- Ukrainian Pork Meatballs (kotlety) – baked in oven, freezer-friendly
Crepes with Cheese (nalisniki)
Ingredients
Crepes Batter:
- 1 1/2 cups 2% or whole milk (I use whole milk)
- 4 large eggs - room temp
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter - melted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
Crepes Cheese Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups farmer's cheese , (crumbled into measuring cup)
- 4 oz cream cheese - softened
- 2 tablespoons cool whip - slightly thawed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar , (OR 3/4 cup powdered sugar)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To Make Crepes:
- Place ingredients for crepes batter into blender in order they are listed: 4 large eggs, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 1/8 tsp fine salt and 1 cup all-purpose flour.
- In a glass measuring cup, microwave 1 1/2 cups whole milk for about 40 seconds. In a separate bowl, melt 4 tbsp unsalted butter and then combine with milk. Pour the liquid over flour in the blender. Blend together for 1 minute or until smooth and well combined. (If batter seems too watery, add 1-2 tbsp flour).
- Preheat 2 non-stick small skillets over medium heat. (2 skillets will make the process go faster). Wipe the skillets with oiled paper towel.
- Pour about 2-3 tbsp of crepes batter into the skillet. (I use a 2-tbsp cookie scoop). As you are pouring into the skillet, swirl the crepes batter to evenly coat the bottom. If you get small gaps, you can fill them with more batter. Cook until the bottom is lightly golden (about 1 minute), then flip the crepe using a thin-edged spatula to easily get under the crepe. Let the other side get golden and transfer the crepe onto a cutting board. Don’t worry about first crepe not turning out all nice; happens most of the time to all of us!
- Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping skillets with oiled paper towel every 4-5 crepes. Don’t stack hot crepes on top of each other. Layer crepes in a single layer on a large cutting board to cool. Then stack crepes on a dinner plate and wrap with plastic food wrap, leaving tiny hole for air, but covering the crispy edges. The edges will soften and will not break when filling with cheese.
To Make Cheese Filling and Complete Crepes:
- In a large bowl, cream together 1 1/2 cups farmer’s cheese, 4 oz cream cheese, 2 tbsp cool whip, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. (Set aside until ready to use or refrigerate if not using right away).
- Using a small spatula or dull knife, spread 1 generous teaspoon of cheese filling on each crepe, in a thin layer. Fold 2 opposite sides of crepe and roll the crepe into a log with the cheese filling on the inside. Refrigerate crepes that aren’t being served. These will stay fresh and delicious in fridge for up to a week.
To Serve Crepes:
- Melt about 1 tbsp of unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat and saute the rolled cheese crepes until golden brown on both sides. Be careful not to burn them. Serve with dollops of sour cream, jam or fresh berries on a side.
Notes
- To heat crepes for the crowd: Preheat the oven to a 300°F. Cover crepes in baking dish with foil. Heat for 50 minutes. Remove foil at 35 minute mark. Crepes are heated when butter is melted and the bottom of the dish is really hot.
- To freeze crepes: layer filled crepes in a plastic container with parchment paper or plastic food wrap in between the layers. You can also wrap each crepe in plastic food wrap and place into freezer bag. These crepes freeze well up to 2 months.
*This crepe recipe was first published in June 2019.
Izzy says:
I never did crepes before but these were super simple and came out perfectly on my very well seasoned cast iron griddle. Followed the recipe exactly. Served with blueberries, blueberry jam and orange marmalade. Yum!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Hi Izzy! Thanks for the feedback. I’m so glad it was enjoyed.
Mary G says:
It was my first attempt on making crepes. This recipe just hit it right on the first go… not one crepe got spoilt or burnt! My family loved them with cheese. This is surely going to be my go to recipe!!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Im so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Mary!
Becca Rodrigue says:
I love this recipe! I’ve made crepes a bunch and thought the recipe I used was great – until I tried this one! The amounts are perfect and everyone in my family loves them. Theres not a single one that goes uneaten! They cook beautifully in my cast iron. Thank you so much!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thank you for the wonderful review, Becca! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Carly says:
Having to get crepes so thin was always a big challenge for me, until I found this recipe. It was so good and so easy. It came out flawless even without the crepe pan. I used a small 8″ skillet and crepes turned out beautifully. Tank you for sharing.
Olga in the Kitchen says:
So glad it worked out for you, Carly! Thank you for that great feedback.
Leanne L. says:
Love this simple delicious recipe. We feel with cream cheese and fresh berries. Can’t belive how goid these are.
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thank you for sharing that with us, Leanne! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe.
Sarah L. says:
Absolutely fabulous! All 3 kids loved this recipe. I made exactly as it. Thank you for creating this recipe!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
That’s amazing, Sarah! I’m so happy to hear this recipe was enjoyed.
Gabriel says:
Wow, these are by far the best crepe recipe I’ve made. I really loved it. Thank you!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
That’s awesome, Gabriel! I’m glad you loved the recipe.
Mary Z says:
I have tried these crepes using buckwheat flour and less sugar and they are super amazing. Whole family loved them. We like to fill them with ham and cheese and top it off with an egg. So good.
Olga in the Kitchen says:
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed these. Thank you for sharing that great feedback with us!
Ganu Avi says:
Tried the crepe recipe and as you said, it’s so easy and so delicious warm for breakfast. I added nutella and bananas for kids and blueberries for myself and husband. Love your recipes so much, thank you for sharing them with us!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Great to hear that you’ve enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for your review.
Jaclyn says:
I tried these last week and they were so good that I am making them again tomorrow. Your instruction are so easy to follow, it’s as if I’m cooking with you in your kitchen. Thank you for the wonderful recipes and videos!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thank you, Jaclyn! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your kind words 🙂