Bliny with Tvorog and Pumpkin — Thin Pancakes with Farmer’s Cheese

- 1060

Welcome to a recipe that combines tradition with a touch of autumn comfort! Bliny, the beloved thin pancakes of Eastern Europe, are incredibly versatile, but this version with a creamy pumpkin and tvorog (a fresh farmer's cheese) filling is truly special. What makes this recipe even more unique is the batter, which uses the whey left over from making your own homemade tvorog. It's a wonderful, no-waste approach that results in incredibly tender and flavorful pancakes. Get ready to create a cozy and delicious breakfast or dessert that will warm your heart.

A plate of golden-brown bliny filled with tvorog and pumpkin, ready to be served.

Bliny with tvorog and pumpkin

Preparation: 1 day
Cooking: 45 minutes
Quantity: 5 Servings
Per serving
Calories: 288 kcal
Proteins: 15 g
Fats: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 34 g

Ingredients for Tvorog and Whey

  • 1 L of kefir (a fermented milk drink; buttermilk can be a substitute)
  • 1 L of milk

Ingredients for the Bliny Batter

  • 1 chicken egg
  • 350 g of whey (from making tvorog)
  • 145 g of all-purpose wheat flour
  • 15 g of vegetable oil
  • Salt, baking soda, sugar
  • Oil for frying

Ingredients for the Filling

  • 200 g of peeled pumpkin
  • 300 g of tvorog (farmer's cheese)
  • 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
  • Nutmeg
  • Butter for frying

How to Make Bliny with Tvorog and Pumpkin

Kefir being poured into a pot of warm milk to begin the process of making homemade tvorog.

Heat the milk to 60-70 degrees, pour in the kefir, and stir quickly.

Homemade tvorog wrapped in a white cloth, placed in a colander over a bowl to drain excess whey.

Place the tvorog in a cloth in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to drain the whey.

A clear bowl filled with yellowish whey, a byproduct of making tvorog, ready to be used or stored.

The whey can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator for several days.


Let’s make the tvorog. Heat the milk to 60-70°C (140-158°F), pour in the kefir (a fermented milk drink similar to a thin yogurt), and stir quickly. Leave it in a warm place for 18-20 hours, or up to a day.

Line a colander with a linen cloth or cheesecloth, pour in the cheese curds, and let the whey drain. Place the tvorog (a fresh, soft farmer’s cheese), still in the cloth, in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to drain the remaining whey.

The result is 450-475 g of dry homemade tvorog (lump-free, moderately fatty, and very tasty) and about 1 1/2 liters of tvorozhnaya syvorotka (whey). The whey can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator for several days.

A single raw egg cracked into a tall transparent cup for an immersion blender.

Crack a chicken egg into a tall blender cup.

Now, let’s make the bliny batter. Crack a chicken egg into a tall blender cup.

All-purpose wheat flour being added to the blender cup with the egg.

Add the all-purpose wheat flour.

Adding salt, sugar, and baking soda to the flour and egg mixture in the blender cup.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda.

Pouring whey into the blender cup with other ingredients for the bliny batter.

Pour in the whey.


Add the all-purpose wheat flour.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda.

Pour in the whey. For the best results, ensure all ingredients are at room temperature.

Pouring vegetable oil into the blender cup to complete the bliny batter mixture.

Pour in the vegetable oil (refined, odorless).

Pour in the vegetable oil (refined, odorless).

Using an immersion blender to mix the bliny batter ingredients in a cup until smooth and creamy.

Mix the ingredients with an immersion blender for 3 minutes.

Finely chopped raw pumpkin pieces seasoned with salt in a bowl.

Finely chop the pumpkin pulp and sprinkle with salt.

A bowl of fresh, crumbly homemade tvorog, the base for the bliny filling.

Place the homemade tvorog in a bowl.


Using an immersion blender, mix the ingredients for 3 minutes or until the batter is creamy and smooth. Let the finished batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Let’s prepare the filling. Finely chop the pumpkin pulp and sprinkle with salt. Sauté in vegetable oil over medium heat for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the homemade tvorog. Add the powdered sugar. Add the cooled, sautéed pumpkin. Grate in a small pinch of nutmeg using a fine grater.

A bowl showing the mixed filling of tvorog, sautéed pumpkin, and spices.

Mix the filling ingredients thoroughly.

Mix the filling ingredients thoroughly.

A thin, round blin cooking in a hot, greased skillet.

Fry the bliny on a well-heated skillet greased with frying oil.

A cooked blin being tightly rolled with the pumpkin and tvorog filling inside.

Roll them up tightly into tubes.

A plate with a stack of about ten thin bliny, rolled and filled.

This recipe yields 10 thin bliny.


Fry the bliny (thin, crêpe-like pancakes) on a well-heated skillet greased with frying oil. Any refined vegetable oil will work.

Place a portion of the pumpkin and tvorog filling on the edge of a blin, fold the sides over the filling, and roll it up tightly into a tube.

This recipe yields 10 thin bliny (using a 25-centimeter or 10-inch skillet). There is also enough filling for this number of bliny.

Filled bliny rolls being fried in a skillet with butter until they are golden brown and crispy.

Fry the bliny on both sides until golden brown.

Before serving, melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet and fry the filled bliny on both sides until golden brown.

And there you have it—beautifully golden bliny filled with a delicate pumpkin and cheese filling! These are wonderful served warm, perhaps with a dollop of smetana (sour cream), a drizzle of honey, or your favorite jam. This dish is perfect for a leisurely weekend breakfast or as a special treat during Maslenitsa (Pancake Week). We hope you enjoy not only the delicious result but also the rewarding process of making your own tvorog and whey. Bon appétit, or as we say in Russian, Priyatnogo appetita!