After living with Russian parents for 17 years (who, may I add, refused to let me eat “всякое гадость,” aka unhealthy American cereals such as Trix and Froot Loops), I’ve grown to love a variety of iconic Eastern European breakfast recipes. Now, as I prepare to leave for college in the fall, I’ve been reflecting on how much I will miss my home-cooked Russian breakfast (and the number of instant noodles and granola bars I’m going to have to pack to survive on). So here’s a guide on how to create the best Russian breakfasts of all time. 

Disclaimer: No vodka is included in these recipes 

Syrniki (сырники)

A syrnik (plural syrniki) is a sweet, soft, farmer-cheese-based pancake and one of the most popular Eastern European breakfast dishes. (Fun fact: The word “syrnik” is actually derived from the Russian word “syr,” which means cheese.) These yummy treats may look similar to the basic American pancake, but they have an extraordinarily unique and delicious taste. 

Ingredients: 

• 3 ¾ cups farmers cheese 
• ½ cup flour 
• ¼ cup sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

If you do not have any farmer cheese, it may be substituted with cottage cheese.

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl. The resulting dough should be dry, soft and malleable so that you’re able to shape with your hands.
2. Take about 2 tablespoons worth of dough, and shape the syrnik by rolling it into a ball. Then pat it down into a pancake.
3. Fry your syrniki in a well-oiled frying pan for about 1 minute on each side or until properly roasted. The syrnik should be golden-brown on both sides.

You can serve syrniki with just about anything you like, from a variety of syrups to different kinds of berries. My favorite toppings include honey drizzle and sour cream, jams (sour cherry, strawberry, raspberry) or simply sprinkled with powdered sugar. 

Oladushki, or “oladi” for short (оладушки)

Unlike the cheesy syrniki, oladushki are basically the Russian version of American pancakes. They are wheat-based and typically served in small, thick, circular shapes. Oladi are meant to be soft, warm and fluffy. They are typically not too sweet by themselves and are usually served with different kinds of toppings or add-ons. 

Ingredients:

•  ⅔ teaspoon sugar
• 1 egg 
• 1 cup kefir 
• 1 cup flour 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• ⅔ teaspoon baking soda 

Directions:

1. Beat the eggs and sugar together. 
2. Add the salt and kefir, and stir together. Then, add the flour and baking soda, and mix until well-combined. 
3. Pour circles of dough into the hot, greased frying pan with a tablespoon. 
4. Fry each “oladi” for 1 minute on one side and 30 seconds on the other.
5. You can serve these with condensed milk, maple syrup or drizzled with honey, with sour cream for dipping. 

Blin (Блин)

Time for my personal favorite — the blin. Blins are essentially the Eastern European version of the traditional French crepe. There are two different kinds of “blin”: the blin and the blinchik. A traditional Russian blin is thick, fluffy and made with yeast. Meanwhile, a blinchik is much more similar to a crepe as it is thinner, crispier and unyeasted. Outside of these small differences, the two dishes are still pretty similar and equally delicious. Here, we will be providing the recipe for blinchik.

Ingredients: 

• 3 eggs 
• 2 cups milk 
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Directions:

1. Beat together the eggs, milk, sugar, salt and oil.
2. Slowly add flour to the mixture, and continue to mix until the batter has a smooth, creamy texture.
3. Pour the batter into a lightly greased, already hot (heat over medium high heat) frying pan.
4. Cook for about 2 minutes until the blinchik has a golden-brown shade. Flip it over, and cook the other side for 2 more minutes. 
5. Place your stack of blinchiks on a plate, and cover them with another plate to keep them warm and prevent them from sticking to one another. 
6. Serve your blinchiks powdered with sugar and squeezed lemon juice, rolled with meat and melted cheese or with nutella and whipped cream.

I hope you enjoyed this list of Russian breakfast recipes! Stay tuned for Russian lunch, dinner and dessert recipes too! If you decide to try making one of these dishes, feel free to post a picture on Instagram and tag the Daily Clog @thedailyclog_.