This simple crepe recipe is a childhood favorite in Lithuania, and once you try it, you’ll see why! Delicate, paper-thin crepes are wrapped around a lightly sweetened farmer’s cheese filling, then pan-fried until golden and crispy. These Crepes With Farmer’s Cheese Filling are the perfect balance of crispy, creamy, and comforting—best served warm with a dollop of sour cream and a spoonful of jam!
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Crepes in Lithuanian Cuisine
In Lithuania, homemade crepes (known as Lietiniai Blynai) are a staple, and we fill them with just about anything—mushrooms, mince meat or the best of all, sweet cheese filling. Or try our Lithuanian banana crepes, loved by children!
Whilst traditionally, a breakfast food, in my family, we hardly ever had them in the morning. My mom would serve sweet crepes for lunch or even dinner because, honestly, we all have a serious sweet tooth! I still remember sitting at the kitchen table, impatiently waiting as she fried each one to golden perfection.
Crispy on the outside, soft and creamy inside, and always topped with a big dollop of sour cream—pure comfort on a plate.
I would even take them to school the next day and eat them at room temperature during lunch break!
Ingredients and Substitutes
Here's everything you will need for this sweet farmer's cheese filled crepe recipe:
For Crepes
- eggs: large.
- sugar: optional, but it makes the crepes brown better.
- neutral oil: or melted butter to stir into the batter as well as for greasing the bottom of the skillet.
- milk: dairy milk is typically used.
- all-purpose flour: also known as plain flour.
For The Creamy Cheese Filling
- farmer's cheese: full-fat, ideally. Read more about Lithuanian farmer's cheese below.
- egg: large.
- sugar: granulated white sugar or caster sugar.
- vanilla bean paste: optional.
- oil and/ or unsalted butter: for frying.
- EXTRAS: It is not uncommon to add lemon zest, raisins or a little bit of cinnamon to the sweet cheese filling.
- TO SERVE: serve the crepes with sour cream and jam or berry compote.
Find the ingredient quantities and step-by-step instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
What is Varškė (a.k.a. Lithuanian Farmer's Cheese)?
Varškė, also known as Lithuanian Farmers Cheese, is a traditional dairy product that originates from Lithuania and is popular in other countries in Eastern Europe as well. It's a type of fresh cheese made from curdled milk, similar in texture to cottage cheese or quark. The production process typically involves curdling milk with the use of lactic acid bacteria or rennet, which causes the milk proteins to coagulate and form curds.
Once the curds are formed, they are drained and separated from the whey. The resulting cheese has a mild and slightly tangy flavor, and its consistency can range from creamy to crumbly, depending on the specific recipe and processing methods used.
Varškė can be enjoyed in various ways:
- As a Snack: It can be eaten on its own, sprinkled with sugar or honey for a touch of sweetness (try the traditional Lithuanian Breakfast: Farmer's Cheese & Sour Cream!)
- In Desserts: Varškė is often used as an ingredient in desserts like cheesecakes, Farmer's Cheese Pancakes, and pastries. My personal favourites are Lithuanian Farmer's Cheese Roll Cake (Kuršėnų Vyniotinis) and Lithuanian Farmer Cheese Cake Recipe (Draugystės Pyragas).
- In Savory Dishes: It can also be used in savory dishes, such as filling for Lithuanian Potato Dumplings or in savory pies and baked (like this Buckwheat Casserole).
- As a Spread: Blended with herbs, spices, or other flavorings, it can be used as a spread on bread or crackers.
Head to our dedicated article about recipes using farmer's cheese for more inspiration!
Step-By-Step Method
Step 1: Make Lithuanian Crepes
1. In a jug or a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, oil and half of the milk.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and a pinch of salt.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and, using a balloon whisk or an electric hand mixer, mix vigorously until you have a smooth paste with no dry pockets of flour.
4. Then gradually pour in the rest of the milk, until you have thin crepe batter.
5. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set it aside for 20 minutes in order for the flour to fully hydrate.
6. Check the consistency of the batter. You need thin batter to make thin crepes, so add a splash of milk or cold water if it's looking too thick after hydrating.
7. Heat a large non-stick frying pan or crepe pan over medium heat. Brush the base of the pan with a little oil.
8. Pour a ladleful of the crepe batter into the pan and distribute it across the base in a thin layer by moving the pan in a circular motion.
9. Cook the crepe on the first side for 60-70 seconds, or until the sides of the crepe start coming away from the pan and turn slightly crispy.
10. Using a sharp edged spatula, flip the crepe and cook on the second side for 30–60 seconds. Note that the first crepe is very likely to turn out right!
11. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the cooked crepes on a large plate.
Step 2: Farmer's Cheese Filling
1. Whilst the crepes are cooling, prepare the farmer's cheese filling. Place farmer's cheese in a large bowl, and mash it well with the back of a fork or a potato masher.
2. Add an egg, sugar and vanilla bean paste (optional). Mix everything very well.
Step 3: Assemble and Cook
1. To assemble, place a heaped tablespoon into the centre of the crepe.
2. Fold the left and right sides over the filling, then fold the bottom and the top over, creating a parcel with the filling sealed inside. Repeat with the rest of the crepes and filling.
3. At this point, you can store the crepes covered in the fridge or cook them.
4. Heat a little oil or/and butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Place the filled crepes in the pan and fry for approximately 5 minutes on each side.
TIP: if your parcels are very thick, and you are worried about the filling cooking through, place the lid on the pan for a few minutes to trap in the heat. Your crepes should be dark golden brown on both sides.
5. Serve warm with a generous dollop of sour cream and jam, berry compote or fresh fruit.
Storage
The easiest way to store your rolled cheese crepes is to keep them in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Just place them in an airtight container or on a plate covered with plastic wrap. Back in the day, my family had a much simpler method—we’d just stack them on a plate and cover them with another plate on top. Maybe people weren’t as worried about fridge odors sneaking in back then! Cook them fresh as needed, and they’ll taste just as good as the day you made them.
More Lithuanian Pancake Recipes
I may be biased, but Lithuanians have some great recipes for pancakes. Here are a few for you to try next:
Sweet Crepes With Farmer's Cheese Filling
Ingredients
For Crepes:
- 2 eggs large
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 500 ml (2 cups + 2 tbsp) milk
- 200 g (1⅓) all-purpose flour
For The Filling:
- 200 g (7pz) farmer's cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- oil and/ or butter for frying
To Serve:
- sour cream or creme fraiche
- berry compote or jam
Instructions
Lithuanian Crepes
- In a jug, or a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, oil and half of the milk.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour and a pinch of salt.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and, using a balloon whisk, mix vigorously, until you have a smooth paste with no dry pockets of flour.
- Then gradually pour in the rest of the mik, until you have thin crepe batter.
- Cover the bowl, and set it aside for 20 minutes in order for the flour to fully hydrate.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan or crepe pan over medium heat. Brush the base of the pan with a little oil.
- Pour a ladleful of the crepe batter into the pan and distribute it across the base by moving the pan in a circular motion.
- Cook the crepe on the first side for 60-70 seconds, or until the edges start coming away from the pan and turn slightly crispy.
- Flip the crepe and cook on the second side for 30–60 seconds. Note that the first crepe is very likely to turn out right!
- Repeat with the rest of the batter, stacking the cooked crepes on a plate.
Farmer's Cheese Filling
- Whilst the crepes are cooling, prepare the farmer's cheese filling.
- Place farmer's cheese in a large bowl, and mash it well with the back of a fork or a potato masher.
- Add an egg, sugar and vanilla bean paste (optional). Mix everything very well.
Assemble and Cook
- To assemble, place a heapead tablespoon into the centre of the crepe.
- Fold the left and right sides over the filling, then fold the bottom and the top over, creating a parcel with the filling sealed inside. Repeat with the rest of the crepes and filling.
- At this point, you can store the crepes covered in the fridge or cook them.
- Heat a little oil or/and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Place the your filled crepes in the pan and fry for approximately 4 minutes on each side. TIP: if your parcels are very thick, and you are worried about the filling cooking through, place the lid on the pan for a few minutes to trap in the heat.
- Your crepes should be dark golden brown on both sides.
- Serve warm with a generous dollop of sour cream and ja,m or berry compote.
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