Clătite are the Romanian member of the great European crepe family — thin pancakes rolled around sweet cheese, jam or chocolate, or savoury fillings. A fixture of home kitchens, they are the everyday treat of childhood.
Lacy-thin and barely sweet, the crepe is all about its filling: a warm smear of tart sour-cherry jam that bleeds into the soft folds. Light enough to eat three of, finished with a snowfall of powdered sugar.
A thin, well-rested batter spreads into a delicate sheet, and resting lets the flour fully hydrate so the crepes turn flexible rather than rubbery. A splash of sparkling water lightens the texture, while high heat sets each side fast before it toughens.
Variations
Sweet cheese-and-raisin filling baked au gratin; chocolate-hazelnut or jam fillings; savory versions exist filled with mushrooms or ham, though Romanians eat them sweet by default.
On the Palate
Where Clătite (Romanian) sits in the Romanian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 10 min
- 14 min
Whisk eggs with milk, a little sparkling water, sugar and a pinch of salt.
- 24 min
Beat in flour gradually until you have a smooth, thin, lump-free batter.
- 320 min
Let the batter rest about 20 minutes so the flour hydrates.
Watch outDon't skip the rest — batter used straight away fries up rubbery; after 20 minutes it flows off the ladle smooth and the crepes turn flexible.
- 43 min
Heat a lightly oiled non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- 52 min
Pour in a small ladle of batter and swirl the pan to coat it in a thin even layer.
Watch outPour then immediately swirl while the batter is still liquid — wait a second and it sets before it can coat the pan thin and even.
- 63 min
Cook until the edges lift, flip, and cook the second side briefly.
Watch outFlip when the edges dry and lift on their own — that's the underside set; the second side needs only a few seconds.
- 75 min
Stack the finished crepes and fill each with jam, sweet cheese or chocolate spread.
- 82 min
Roll or fold and dust with powdered sugar to serve.
