Gluten-Free Blintzes with Cheese and Fruit Filling

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5 from 1 vote

Gluten-Free Blintzes with Cheese and Fruit Filling

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Total Time1 20

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Jewish

Keyword: blintzes, crepes

Servings: blintzes

Calories: 266kcal

Author: Jenny Levine Finke

Equipment

10" Non-stick pan
1 heat-proof silicone spatula
2 Mixing bowls

Ingredients

For the crepes:

2 cups gluten-free flour tested with Bob’s Red Mill’s 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour and also with equal parts by volume, ½ cup each, of brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch
2 cups milk I used whole milk
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon salt
Cooking spray to grease the pan or vegetable oil

For the cheese filling:

1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
1 large egg
¼ cup white granulated sugar

For the fruit filling:

1 can of cherry pie filling or your favorite gluten-free canned pie filling

For frying the blintzes:

⅓ cup butter

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the crepe ingredients until smooth. Set the mixture aside and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. The batter will be very thin and will have the consistency of heavy cream.
Heat a non-stick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles and dances across the surface. This is how you know the pan is hot. Lightly spray the hot surface with non-stick cooking spray or add only enough oil to coat the surface. Wipe off any excess oil with a paper towel.
Moving quickly, pour ¼-⅓ cup of the crepe batter into the center of the pan, then swirl and tip the pan in a circular motion to help the batter evenly spread in a thin layer that coats the entire surface of the 10" pan.
Once the crepe is dry around the edges and barely golden, about 2-3 minutes, carefully flip it using a heat-proof silicone spatula. Cook the second side for an additional 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside each finished crepe to cool while you finish making the rest of the batter. You'll have enough batter to make 10-12 crepes. Set aside the crepes until you're ready to assemble the blintzes.
If making cheese blintzes, mix all the ingredients for the cheese filling in a small bowl until well combined. If making fruit blintzes, prepare your can of cherry pie filling.
Fill each crepe by spooning 2-3 tablespoons of the filling (cheese or fruit) into the middle of the lower third of the crepe. Fold in the sides towards the center and then roll it up starting from the bottom. Repeat until all the crepes are filled with the chosen filling.
Heat the skillet pan over medium heat and add 2-3 tablespoons of butter into the hot pan to melt and bubble. Add the filled blintzes seam-side down and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on the first side, then flip it to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on the other side.
If desired, serve fruit-filled blintzes with a dusting of powdered sugar or top with more fruit filling. You can also add the fruit filling on top of the cheese blintzes. The flavor combination is lovely. Blintzes are best enjoyed warm.

Notes

Nutrition details are estimated. They were calculated with the cheese filling (not the pie filling). Details may vary.

Leftover blintzes can be stored in an airtight sealed container in the fridge for 2-4 days. Reheat before serving.

Flour: You can use any 1-to-1 gluten-free blend of choice; however, ensure it contains xanthan gum. Xanthan gum will help hold the crepe together when gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, is missing.

No Egg Wash? Some blintze recipes instruct you to seal the seam edge of your blintzes by brushing the edge with an egg wash before you roll it up. I didn’t think it was necessary. Just be sure to fill the blintzes (do not overfill them) lightly, and they will seal just fine. If you still want to seal your blintzes with an egg wash, whisk one whole egg and brush it on the seam edge before you roll it up.

Alternative Fillings: Cheese and fruit-filled blintzes are popular, but some blintzes are made with a savory mashed potato filling. If you want to make potato blintzes, you can use the potato filling found in my gluten-free potato knish recipe.

What Jewish Holidays Would You Serve Blintzes? Blintzes are not native to one Jewish holiday in particular, but they are often enjoyed for Shavuot, where it's a tradition to eat dairy vs. meat meals. I also think blintzes are perfect for breaking a long Yom Kippur fast and on Purim when Jews eat hidden foods, like hamantaschen cookies, because there are many "hidden" themes in the megillah.

Nutrition