Varškėčiai are Lithuania's curd-cheese pancakes — small, soft patties made from curd cheese (varškė), egg, and a little flour, pan-fried golden and served with sour cream and jam. The simplest Lithuanian dessert or breakfast, they are the food of every childhood — soft, tangy, and comforting.
Varškėčiai (curd cheese pancakes) are a Lithuanian household staple, made wherever there is varškė (the Lithuanian curd cheese that is the country's defining dairy product). The pancakes are simple: curd cheese mixed with egg, a little flour (just enough to bind), and sugar, formed into small patties, and pan-fried. They are served with sour cream and jam, and are eaten as breakfast, dessert, or a child's after-school snack. They are the Lithuanian cousin of Russian syrniki, but the Lithuanian version uses less flour (the curd is the star) and is typically smaller and softer.
A small, golden, soft patty, the texture between a pancake and a cheesecake — soft, slightly tangy, rich with curd. Dip in sour cream, add a spoonful of berry jam. They are the most comforting, most child-friendly thing in Lithuanian cooking.
The curd cheese (varškė) must be fairly dry — wet cheese makes the patties fall apart. It is mixed with egg, a little flour (just enough to bind — too much flour makes them heavy), and sugar. The patties are formed with floured hands (the mixture is sticky) and pan-fried in butter (not oil — butter gives the characteristic golden crust). They cook fast (2-3 minutes per side) and must be eaten warm.
Variations
Some add lemon zest or vanilla; some add raisins; some use more or less flour; the topping varies (sour cream + jam is standard).
On the Palate
Where Varškėčiai sits in the Lithuanian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
6 steps · 20 min active + 10 min waiting
- 15 min
Mix 400 g dry curd cheese (varškė), 1 egg, 2 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla until combined.
Watch outAdd only enough flour to just bind — too much makes the patties heavy, and wet curd makes them fall apart, so the cheese must be fairly dry.
- 25 min
With floured hands, form into 8 small patties.
- 32 min
Heat butter in a pan over medium heat.
- 46 min
Fry the patties 2-3 minutes per side until golden.
Watch outFry in butter to a golden crust, two to three minutes a side — butter, not oil, gives that color and flavor.
- 51 min
Drain briefly on paper.
- 61 min
Serve warm with sour cream and berry jam.
