Lietiniai Blynai are Lithuania's thin crepe-like pancakes — made with a simple batter of flour, milk, eggs, and a little oil, fried thin and golden, then folded or rolled with sweet or savory fillings. The sweet version with curd cheese and jam, or the savory with mushrooms, makes them the Lithuanian equivalent of French crêpes but with distinctly Baltic fillings.
Lietiniai Blynai (literally 'poured pancakes,' from the verb lieti — to pour) are the Lithuanian version of thin pancakes, related to Russian blini and Polish naleśniki. They are made with a simple flour-milk-egg batter (no yeast, unlike Russian blini), fried thin in a pan, and filled with either sweet fillings (curd cheese with sugar, jam, or poppy seeds) or savory (mushrooms, meat). The sweet version uses varškė (Lithuanian curd cheese) mixed with sugar and egg yolk — a distinctly Lithuanian filling. They are the Sunday breakfast or dessert of every Lithuanian household.
A thin, golden, soft pancake, folded around a creamy, slightly sweet curd cheese filling, or rolled with a savory mushroom mix. The pancake is tender and slightly crisp at the edges; the filling is soft and comforting. Drizzle with sour cream for the sweet version. It is the simplest, most comforting Lithuanian breakfast.
The batter must be thin (pourable, like crêpe batter) and rested 15 minutes so the flour hydrates. The pan must be hot and lightly oiled; the batter is poured in a thin layer and cooked only 30-60 seconds per side. The fillings are prepared separately: the sweet curd filling is varškė (curd cheese) mixed with egg yolk and sugar; the mushroom filling is sautéed mushrooms with onion and sour cream. The pancakes are filled and folded (or rolled) and often briefly reheated.
Variations
Some fill with meat; some with jam only; some with poppy seeds; some serve with sour cream and dill for savory versions.
On the Palate
Where Lietiniai Blynai sits in the Lithuanian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 30 min active + 15 min waiting
- 118 min
Make batter: blend 2 eggs, 300 ml milk, 150 g flour, 1 tbsp oil, and a pinch of salt to a smooth thin batter; rest 15 minutes.
Watch outThe batter should pour thin like crêpe batter — rest it 15 minutes so the flour hydrates and the pancakes turn out tender, not rubbery.
- 25 min
Make sweet filling: mix 250 g curd cheese (varškė), 1 egg yolk, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla.
- 31 min
Heat a lightly oiled pan; pour a thin layer of batter; cook 45 seconds; flip; cook 30 seconds.
Watch outHot pan, thin layer, barely a minute a side — swirl the batter thin and pull the pancake the moment the edges lift; these cook fast.
- 48 min
Repeat to make 8 pancakes.
- 55 min
Place 2 tbsp filling on each pancake; fold into quarters or roll up.
- 63 min
Optional: briefly pan-fry the filled pancakes in butter until golden.
- 71 min
Serve with sour cream and jam (sweet) or dill (savory).
- 81 min
Serve hot with sour cream.
