Сырники — Farmer's Cheese Pancakes

Russian Non Fasting Published April 21, 2026

Non-Fasting Recipe: This dish contains meat, dairy, or eggs and is intended for feast days and non-fasting periods.

Small, thick cheese pancakes made from tvorog (farmer's cheese), eggs, and a little flour — pan-fried
until golden outside and custardy within. Served with sour cream, jam, or honey, сырники are the
Russian Sunday breakfast, a dessert, and a snack all in one. Fast to make and deeply satisfying.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (farmer's cheese, eggs, butter, sour cream)

SERVINGS: 4 (makes about 12 syrniki)
TIME: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
- 500 g dry farmer's cheese (tvorog)
- 2 large eggs
- 4-6 tablespoons all-purpose flour (plus more for rolling)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 50 g raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes (optional)
- 3 tablespoons butter, for frying
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil

For serving:
- Sour cream
- Honey, jam (strawberry, raspberry, or apricot), or condensed milk
- Fresh berries in season

METHOD:
1. Press farmer's cheese through a sieve into a bowl (or mash vigorously with a fork until smooth).
2. Mix in eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add flour a tablespoon at a time — the dough should be soft but hold its shape. Fold in drained raisins if using.
3. Dust a work surface with flour. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, then gently flatten into discs about 2 cm thick and 6 cm across. Dust lightly with more flour.
4. Heat butter and oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Fry syrniki 4-5 minutes per side, covered, until deeply golden and cooked through. (Covering is the trick — it cooks them gently through without burning the outside.)
5. Drain briefly on paper towel. Serve warm with sour cream and your chosen topping.

NOTES:
- The cheese must be dry. Wet tvorog makes syrniki that fall apart or turn into crepes. If yours is wet, wrap it in cheesecloth and drain overnight.
- Medium-low heat is critical. High heat burns the outside before the inside cooks.
- Do not flatten them too much. Syrniki should be puffy and domed, not flat like pancakes.
- Syrniki freeze beautifully. Reheat from frozen in a 180C oven for 10 minutes — a weekday breakfast in advance.

NUTRITION (per 3 syrniki with sour cream, approximate):
Calories: 380 | Protein: 22 g | Carbohydrates: 28 g | Fat: 20 g | Fibre: 1 g