Raspberry Cheesecake Blintzes with Raspberry Sauce

June 9, 2022

If blintzes are on the menu for brunch, I’ll almost always order them. Why? Because you can’t beat cheesy filled crepes! These raspberry cheesecake blintzes are a delicious take on the classic, and smothered in a sweet raspberry sauce.

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Blintzes are one of my absolute favorite breakfast dishes of all time. But somehow, this is the first time I’m sharing a recipe for them here. So what are they? Essentially, blintzes are thin pancakes, like crepes, traditionally filled with cheese and sometimes raisins, and cooked twice. This version is a bit of a twist on the classic.

Normally I use a sweetened ricotta filling for blintzes, so it was an easy jump to use a creamy cheesecake filling instead. Add in a combination of both fresh and frozen raspberries, and this breakfast is screaming summer.

What You Need to Get Started

You can easily find all of the ingredients for these raspberry cheesecake blintzes at your grocery store:

Pantry: Flour, Sugar, Salt, Apple cider vinegar, Vanilla extract, Powdered sugar (optional)
Fridge: Butter, Milk, Eggs, Cream cheese
Produce: Raspberries, fresh and frozen
Equipment: Mixing bowl, Stand mixer or hand mixer, Frying pan and saucepan

Let’s Make Raspberry Cheesecake Blintzes

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: if you can make crepes, you can make blintzes. And both are easier than you might think. There are a few steps that are different, such as frying up the blintzes for a second time. But trust me, you can make blintzes.

Make the Crepes

To get started, you’ll be making a fairly typical crepe batter. I use the exact same recipe that I do when making standard crepes. No need to mess with a classic, if it works for you.

Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. This is mostly flour, a little bit of sugar, and just a pinch of salt. The filling and topping for these blintzes will be plenty sweet, so this small amount of sugar ends up being just right.

You might notice that the crepe batter doesn’t include any leaveners, like baking soda or baking powder, because you want these pancakes to be super thin, as opposed to fluffy.

However, it does include plenty of liquids, to make for a batter that’s a bit thinner than your typical buttermilk pancakes. Combine the milk, butter, eggs, vanilla, vinegar, and water. I like to warm my milk up a little bit along with the butter to help it mix in with the colder ingredients.

Whisk everything together thoroughly, until the eggs are completely beaten, and it’s all combined. Then pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour. Whisk this really well also. There’s not really the risk of over-mixing, since there’s no baking soda here, so you can get this super smooth.

Cover the bowl, and place it in the fridge to chill for about twenty minutes. If needed, you can store the crepe batter in a sealed container in the fridge for a couple days. It can be used directly from the fridge. At this point, it’s a good time to start making the cheesecake filling and the raspberry sauce. Then we’ll jump back to the crepes.

Make the Raspberry Cheesecake Filling

This filling is super simple, and it will come together pretty quickly. So that twenty minutes of chilling time can be put to good use making the raspberry topping as well. To get started, you’ll want to get your stand mixer fitted with the standard paddle attachment. You can also use a hand mixer with beaters, but I prefer a stand mixer when working with cream cheese.

Add the cream cheese and sugar into the mixing bowl. Then, mix these together on a medium-low setting until the cream cheese is softened and fluffy, and the sugar has been incorporated.

Add the fresh raspberries into the bowl, but don’t use your mixer to incorporate them. You’ll end up squishing the fragile berries. Instead, use a flexible spatula to fold the raspberries into the fluffy cream cheese mixture.

If you want to limit the amount of fresh raspberries you’re using for this recipe, here’s a place you can make a substitution. Instead of using fresh berries, you can use frozen berries that have been thawed and drained, or your favorite raspberry jam.

If needed, you can make this filling in advance, and store it in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days. If it solidifies more than you can work with, let it sit at room temperature for about twenty minutes to soften up.

Make the Raspberry Topping

Set the filling aside, and now you can put together the raspberry sauce which will smother the finished blintzes. Use a small saucepan for this, adding the frozen raspberries, water, and sugar into it.

I like to use frozen berries when making a sauce like this, because once the berries are cooked, there isn’t much difference in the flavor. However, if you have an abundance of raspberries, first, I’m a little jealous, and also, you can definitely use those here instead.

Stir to combine everything together. Then cover the pan, and allow the berries to soften over medium heat for a couple minutes.

Once softened slightly, uncover the pot and continue cooking the raspberry sauce for another five minutes or so. Stir frequently, and use a wooden spoon or other sturdy utensil to smash the berries against the sides and bottom of the pot.

Once the berries have been mashed as much as you desire, and the sauce is slightly thickened, you can remove it from the heat. If you’d like to keep it warm while you prepare the blintzes, keep it covered or over a very low heat. Add a splash of water if it starts to thicken.

If you’re making it in advance, store the raspberry topping in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days. Be sure to reheat it in either the microwave or on the stovetop until it’s warmed through. You may need to add more water when reheating.

Fry the Blintzes the First Time

By now, your crepe batter should be fully chilled, so we can start making the blintzes! Warm up a medium-size nonstick frying pan over medium heat, and spray it or grease it if needed. We really don’t want these to stick, as they might tear.

Use a quarter- to scant third-cup measure to scoop the crepe batter out of the mixing bowl. Lift the warm pan a few inches off the heat, and pour the crepe batter into the center of it, tilting the pan to allow the batter to spread into a thin, circular layer on the bottom of the pan.

Cook each crepe for about two or three minutes on the first side. You’ll know it’s ready when the edges look dry and begin to pull away from the pan. The center should also appear dried out, and it will be easy to get a thin, sturdy spatula underneath the crepe. If it’s stubborn, it likely needs a little more time.

Do not flip to cook the second side. Instead, simply transfer the partially cooked crepe to a plate, with the cooked side facing up. Repeat this process to cook one side of the remaining crepes. You will likely end up with about eight to twelve total.

If you are making these in advance, allow unfilled crepes to fully cool to room temperature, then stack them, separated by a paper towel or sheet of parchment paper. Place the stack in a sealed container and refrigerate for a few days. Reheat each one in a nonstick pan or the microwave until they are pliable.

How to Fill and Finish Blintzes

Grab that bowl of raspberry cheesecake filling you set aside before, and your stack of freshly cooked crepes. It’s time to transform these into blintzes. Add a large spoonful of the cheesecake filling in a dollop in the middle of the cooked side of the first crepe.

Fold in one side, then the top and bottom. Then fold in the final side. This makes an envelope- or burrito-like packet that will hold the cheesecake filling inside. If you notice that the crepe has a small tear, you may be able to fold it to cover the tear with another piece.

Repeat this with the rest of the crepes, using up the remaining filling. If you have extra cheesecake filling, add dollops on top when serving or eat it with a spoon. It’s delicious on its own as well!

To cook the blintzes the second time, heat the same nonstick frying pan over medium heat, and spray or grease with butter. Carefully place the blintzes to the pan, with the seam side down. You will likely need to work in batches, since your pan will probably only hold a few blintzes comfortably.

Cook the blintzes for a few minutes on the first side, until they have browned up nicely, and the heat has helped to seal the seam. Then flip and cook the top for just a minute or so more. This second side has only a single layer of crepe, so it will cook much faster.

If your blintzes break, either while you are filling them or cooking, it’s okay! You can still fry them in the pan, just arrange the blintz so the open crack doesn’t directly touch the pan. This might mean that you simply don’t flip the blintz to cook the second side.

Pile the cooked blintzes onto plates to serve. Generally, two or three per person is good if you are having side dishes as well. To make this into a meal on its own, you’ll probably want to have four or five each, so this recipe would serve only two people.

The cooked blintzes taste best the day they are prepared, but they can be stored if needed, such as in the case of leftovers. I wouldn’t recommend planning to make these in advance.

Store the blintzes without sauce, in the fridge for a couple days if needed. Then, reheat them in the microwave or a nonstick pan until they are warmed through.

Just before serving the blintzes, spoon the raspberry topping over the piles, or over individual blintzes. Feel free to spread this around as much as you’d like, or leave it at a light drizzle.

Garnish the blintzes with fresh raspberries and a sprinkling of powdered sugar or some freshly whipped cream if desired. The fresh raspberries on top definitely add some extra brightness, so I wouldn’t suggest skipping those or trying to replace them with frozen berries.

Raspberry lovers, this breakfast is for you! Try these raspberry cheesecake blintzes, stuffed with creamy filling and smothered in a sweet raspberry sauce.

How to Serve Raspberry Cheesecake Blintzes

Center your summer brunch menu around these babies, and everyone is sure to leave stuffed and satisfied! You can pair them with something seasonal and eggy, like a tomato and avocado omelet or some colorful beet and goat cheese latkes. You can also simply serve a side of vegan lentil-pecan breakfast sausage.

To keep with a raspberry theme throughout, try including some fun cocktails. A raspberry margarita on the rocks is a perfect choice, or try raspberry white hot chocolate for something cozier. It can be made with or without alcohol, to please all your guests. If you’re serving a crowd, make up a whole pitcher of raspberry dragon fruit sangria.

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