The Best Syrniki Recipe – Soft and Fluffy – Сырники

To me, Syrniki is one of the best breakfast dishes in the whole entire world! They are perfectly sweet, fluffy and delicious pancakes, that almost taste like mini cheesecakes. And there’s so many toppings to pick from. No other pancake can compete with these, trust me.

Syrniki are very easy to make. However, there’s a few tricks to making them perfect every time. I’ll try my best to share all the tips and tricks with you below. I hope you find this blog post helpful and fun!

What are Syrniki?

Syrniki are these delicious, pillowy-soft, Russian pancakes, made out of farmer’s cheese, also known as tvorog. They are light and fluffy in the center, with a delicate crust on the outside.

Syrniki make a perfect breakfast. While you’re enjoying the most delicious pancakes, you’re also getting a ton of protein. To make it even healthier, top your syrniki with fresh berries or fruit.

You can also treat syrniki as a healthy dessert. Topped with spoonful of sour cream and fruit jam, they can be enjoyed hot or cold.

What are Syrniki made out of?

farmer’s cheese or tvorog

Traditionally, syrniki are made out of tvorog or farmer’s cheese. Tvorog is a fresh cheese, similar to ricotta or cottage cheese.

I also have an alternative recipe for Syrniki , that doesn’t require using tvorog.

However, I find syrniki made out of tvorog taste the best. You can buy tvorog at most European stores, or online. You could also try making your own tvorog at home. It’s pretty easy, actually. Here’s an easy recipe.

egg yolk

Some syrniki recipes call for a whole egg. In my experience, using just the egg yolk will result in a softer and creamier texture of the end product.

If you’re making a big batch of syrniki and are left with lots of egg whites, here’s a great way to use them up.

flour

Add just enough flour to form a workable dough. The beauty of syrniki is in its cheesy flavor and light texture. Adding too much flour will result in dry and plain pancakes.

If your farmer’s cheese seems a little wet and you keep needing to add more flour, check out my tips below.

To make syrniki gluten free, simply use a gluten free flour. Rice flour works best.

sugar

I like my syrniki not too sweet, so I’m using just a touch of sugar. You can always add more sweetness later with your toppings.

Also, to make them sugar-free, feel free to use monkfruit sweetener in place of sugar. It’s my favorite 1:1 sugar replacement.

Honey works too, but it will get you a slightly different texture and color.

Topping ideas for Syrniki

Just like with any pancakes, toppings are the fun part. Here’s some great topping ideas, but always feel free to experiment and use your own favorite combinations.

• Sour Cream and Jam. This one is probably the most common topping combination used for syrniki worldwide. My favorite jams for topping these pancakes are cranberry spread and strawberry preserves.
• Dusted with Powdered Sugar. Like I’ve mentioned before, these cheese pancakes are not overwhelmingly sweet, so you could totally sweeten them up with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
• Fried Bananas. I like to top any of my pancakes with fried bananas. I just fry up a few banana slices in a non-stick pan with a drop of coconut oil. And then I always add a sprinkle of course salt to balance out the sweetness. So good!
• Fresh Berries. To make it a well-balanced breakfast, add a handful of fresh berries. Simple enough.
• Apple Pie Filling. Apples, cinnamon and syrniki are just made for each other. Perfect fall treat. Also, try with cherry pie filling for a cheesecake style dessert.
• Drizzle of Nutella. This might be kids favorite. Instead of Nutella, you could also use a healthier chocolate hazelnut spread. I like this one, since it has better ingredients.
• Maple Syrup or Honey. Classic pancake toppings.
• Yogurt. Another great way to make it a healthy breakfast.
• Pastry Cream. Now, this would bring your syrniki to a whole new level. Adding pastry cream would automatically make them into a fancy dessert, worthy of any special occasion. Here’s an amazing recipe for homemade pastry cream. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

the taste

Just like I’ve mentioned above, syrniki taste best when made out of farmer’s cheese, also known as tvorog.

Make sure to pick tvorog you really enjoy, since that’s where all the flavor comes from. Some brands make it more or less tangy. It all depends on your personal preference.

If you can’t find tvorog or farmer’s cheese, try this Ricotta Fritters recipe instead. Or make homemade farmer’s cheese.

perfectly shaped syrniki

What happens if you your farmer’s cheese comes with extra liquid at the bottom of the container? Normally, I’d say, it is probably too wet for making syrniki. Using a wet farmer’s cheese would result in misshaped pancakes.

However, recently I’ve learned this easy trick! Simply use a piece of cheese cloth or flour sack to squeeze out all the excess liquid. And there you have a perfectly dry cheese for making beautiful syrniki.

mixing the batter

I’ve always been using an immersion blender to combine all the ingredients for syrniki. It’s so quick and easy. And the batter comes out very smooth.

One time, I decided to try mixing my ingredients with a fork instead. And you know what? I actually liked the texture even better. Fork doesn’t mix everything as well as a blender would, creating more of a cheesy texture, which I personally enjoy.

Pick whichever mixing technique you like.

coating in flour

Coating syrniki in flour gives them a fabulous golden crust.

Make sure to cook them right after coating in flour. This way, they won’t stick to the pan.

making syrniki ahead of time

Syrniky are a great make-ahead breakfast idea!

Simply mix all the ingredients the night before and leave in the fridge till morning. In the morning, form syrniki out of the batter, coat in flour and cook immediately.

cooking syrniki

There’s two different ways to cook these syrniki.

Method 1. Cook your syrniki over medium heat for 1 minute per side, or until golden crust is formed. Then transfer them to a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 7-8 minutes. This way, you’ll get the fluffiest cheese pancakes ever.

Method 2. Cook the first side over medium heat for 1-2 minutes in a pan with a little bit of oil. Then flip syrniki, lower the heat to minimum and cook covered for 6-7 minutes, or until cooked through.

More Breakfast Recipes

Cheese Blintzes – Sweet Russian Crepes

Incredible Dutch Baby Pancake with a twist

Healthy Vanilla Protein Breakfast Cake

Homemade Farmer’s Cheese