Blinchiki with Lemon Custard — Thin Russian Pancakes

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Welcome to a delightful journey into the world of Eastern European comfort food! Today, we're making Blinchiki with Lemon Custard, a classic treat that's beloved for its delicate texture and bright, sunny flavor. Blinchiki are thin, crêpe-like pancakes that can be filled with anything from sweet jams to savory meats. In this recipe, we're pairing them with a luscious, homemade lemon custard that strikes the perfect balance between sweet and tangy. This elegant dessert is surprisingly simple to prepare and is perfect for a special weekend breakfast, a lovely brunch, or a sophisticated dessert to end any meal. Get ready to create a dish that feels both comforting and incredibly special!

A stack of rolled blinchiki, or thin pancakes, filled with lemon custard and garnished with powdered sugar on a white plate.

Blinchiki with Lemon Custard

Cooking: 1 hour
Quantity: 5 Servings
Per serving
Calories: 374 kcal
Proteins: 9 g
Fats: 16 g
Carbohydrates: 49 g

Ingredients for the Pancake Batter

  • 150 g all-purpose flour
  • 200 ml milk
  • 200 ml water
  • 15 g vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 5 g sugar
  • 3 g salt
  • pinch of baking soda
  • zest of half a lemon

Ingredients for the Lemon Custard

  • 250 ml milk
  • 20 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 lemon
  • 80 g sugar
  • 50 g butter

How to Make Blinchiki with Lemon Custard

An immersion blender mixing pancake batter in a tall container with ingredients like egg, flour, and milk.

Mixing the batter for thin blinchiki in a blender.

A thin, golden-brown pancake being cooked in a black frying pan.

Frying the blinchiki on both sides until golden brown.

A neat stack of freshly cooked, thin golden pancakes on a plate.

Stacking the cooked blinchiki on top of each other.


Mix the batter for the thin blinchiki (thin, crêpe-like pancakes) in a blender. Crack a large chicken egg into a tall container, add the all-purpose flour and a pinch of baking soda. Add salt and sugar. Pour in the milk and warm water. Add 1-2 teaspoons of grated lemon zest. Using an immersion blender, blend the batter for a few minutes until it becomes smooth. This is a very simple way to prepare pancake batter in just 5 minutes. Let the finished batter rest for half an hour at room temperature.

Fry the blinchiki. Heat a skillet and grease it with refined vegetable oil or fat. Pour about 50 g (3-4 tablespoons) of batter into the center of the skillet. Fry the blinchiki on both sides until golden brown.

Stack the finished blinchiki on top of each other. You can separate them with parchment paper, pack them in a bag, and freeze them to have a quick and tasty meal option on hand.

Ingredients for lemon custard, including milk, sugar, and lemon zest, in a saucepan.

Making the lemon custard.

Prepare the lemon custard. Scald a lemon with boiling water, then finely grate the thin yellow layer of zest. In a saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, 200 ml of milk, and 2 teaspoons of lemon zest.
Set the saucepan aside and prepare the next mixture.

A cracked egg and a pile of flour in a white bowl, the first step for the custard.

Cracking a chicken egg into a bowl or pot and adding all-purpose flour.

A whisk mixing egg and flour into a smooth, thick paste in a white bowl.

Whisking the flour and egg until smooth.

Pouring a small amount of milk into the egg and flour mixture in a bowl.

Once the flour and egg are mixed until smooth, pour in 50 ml of milk.


Crack a chicken egg into a bowl or pot and add the all-purpose flour. This mixture doesn’t need to be heated, so you can mix it in a bowl.

Whisk the flour and egg together until smooth. Mix thoroughly; the ingredients combine easily at this stage.

Once the flour and egg are smoothly combined, pour in 50 ml of milk.

A saucepan on a stove with a milk and sugar mixture coming to a boil.

Heating the mixture to a boil and cooking for 2 minutes.

Place the saucepan with the milk and sugar on the stove. Heat the mixture to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

Pouring the egg and flour mixture into a saucepan of hot milk while whisking.

Pouring the second mixture into the boiling milk in a thin stream.

Adding a pat of softened butter to the cooled lemon custard in a saucepan.

Cooling the custard to room temperature and adding softened butter.

Spreading lemon custard onto a thin pancake before rolling it up.

Placing about 20 g of custard on the edge of a blin and rolling it into a tube.


Pour the second mixture into the boiling milk in a thin stream. Stir and heat the cream until it thickens. Do not boil, as this will cook the egg.

Cool the custard to room temperature and add the softened butter. Whisk the cream with a spatula until it reaches a creamy consistency. Tip: If the custard has lumps, blend it with an immersion blender or pass it through a fine-mesh sieve.

Place about 20 g of custard on the edge of a blin and roll it into a tube. Prepare the remaining blinchiki in the same way.

Sifting powdered sugar over a plate of rolled, custard-filled blinchiki.

Dusting with powdered sugar through a sieve before serving.

Serve warm. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar through a sieve.

And there you have it – beautiful, delicate blinchiki filled with a creamy, zesty lemon custard! This dessert is a wonderful way to bring a touch of sunshine to your table, no matter the season. For an extra touch of elegance, serve them warm with a side of fresh berries, a dollop of whipped cream, or a drizzle of honey. These blinchiki also store well in the refrigerator for a day or two, making them a great make-ahead treat. We hope you enjoy every bite of this classic dish and share the warmth and joy it brings with your friends and family. Happy cooking!