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Soft, wholesome, with a smidge of sweetness, our nalesniki recipe can be filled or topped with so many delicious ingredients, and are so easy to make. If you’ve got plenty of dinner guests to feed, stack these crepes high and let them help themselves!
Nalesniki Recipe
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If you’ve always wanted to bring more than a little taste of Central and Eastern Europe into your home kitchen, nalesniki is such a great way to do it. These Ukrainian, Polish, and Eastern European crepes can be made in no time at all and can be enjoyed in so many different ways.
What is Nalesniki?
In a nutshell, nalesniki are crepes popular in Ukrainian cuisine, Polish cuisine, and many other Eastern European cuisines. Made with simple ingredients, once cooked, nalesniki can be filled with a wide range of both sweet and savory fillings.
In Ukraine, for example, you can find them filled with various types of meat, pate, and even caviar! In Polish, Ukrainian, and many other Eastern Europe versions, a hugely popular filling is farmer’s cheese, making for a creamy savory dessert you can top with so many foods or sweet treats.
Our nalesniki recipe keeps things simple, and we’ve opted to fill them with strawberry jam for a sweet treat. However, feel free to get as creative as you like!
Ingredients
To make nalesniki, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Milk – 600 ml (2 ½ cups)
- Flour – 250g (2 cups)
- Sugar – 2 tbsp
- Butter – 50 grams (3 ½ tbsp)
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- Sunflower Oil – 3 tbsp
- Eggs – 4 medium eggs
- Vanilla – 1 tsp
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – With a hand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. If you don’t have a hand mixer, you can use a whisk.
Step 2 – Add the room-temperature or warm milk and mix.
Note: To bring the cold milk to room temperature, heat it in the microwave in a heatproof bowl for about 30-45 seconds.
Step 3 – Add the sifted flour in stages while mixing to incorporate well.
Step 4 – Add the oil and melted butter and mix.
Step 5 – Once the crepe batter is ready, cover it and set it aside to rest for about 30 minutes.
Step 6 – Set a pan over medium heat, grease it with a bit of melted butter, and ladle in crepe batter, swirling it around to form a thin layer.
Note: We used a 9.5 inch (24 cm) pan and got 22 crepes, ladling just under 1/4 cup of the batter for each crepe.
Step 7 – Once the crepe is golden on the bottom (about 40-45 seconds), flip the crepe and cook on the other side until golden-brown (about 15-20 seconds).
Step 8 – Once cooked, stacked them on a plate, ready to be served.
Step 9 – If you’re planning to fill them, you can roll them, as shown below.
What to Serve with Nalesniki
Sour Cherry Jam – This is my choice of filling for this recipe, as you can see in the pictures. This is a delicious jam, typical of many Eastern European cuisines.
Fruit Jams and Preserves – Other types of jam, such as apricot or peach, all make for great fillings for these crepes.
Cheese – White cheeses, such as farmer’s cheese, are a typical filling for nalesniki.
Savory Fillings – The likes of sauteed mushrooms, vegetables, and grilled meat are all popular fillings for savory nalesniki.
Toppings – Go for ice cream, whipped cream, sugar, or melted chocolate for sweet nalesniki. If you’re serving savory, serve with sour cream or a sauce, such as a tomato-based sauce.
Get your knives, forks, and hands in there, and enjoy this super simple Polish, Ukrainian, and Eastern European variation of crepes.
Nalesniki Recipe Card
Yield: 20-22 crepes
Nalesniki
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Ingredients
- 600 ml (2 ½ cups) milk
- 250g (2 cups) plain, all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 50 grams (3 ½ tbsp) butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- With a hand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. If you don’t have a hand mixer, you can use a whisk.
- Add the room-temperature or warm milk and mix. To bring the cold milk to room temperature, heat it in the microwave in a heatproof bowl for about 30-45 seconds.
- Add the sifted flour in stages while mixing to incorporate well.
- Add the oil and melted butter and mix.
- Once the crepe batter is ready, cover it and set it aside to rest for about 30 minutes.
- Set a pan over medium heat, grease it with a bit of melted butter, and ladle in crepe batter, swirling it around to form a thin layer.
- Once the crepe is golden on the bottom (about 40-45 seconds), flip the crepe and cook on the other side until golden-brown (about 15-20 seconds).
- Once cooked, stacked them on a plate, ready to be served.
- If you’re planning to fill them, you can roll them, as shown below.
You Might Also Like to Read
- Indulgent Walnut-Stuffed Prunes Recipe You Need to Try
- Homemade Farmer’s Cheese Recipe (Tvorog) You Can Use in so Many Dishes
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Contributor: Efimia is a passionate home chef and retired teacher, who has been feeding loved ones, friends, and family for over forty years with delicious and tasty Eastern European dishes.
Nomad Paradise Hey there! We are Dale and Doina, the founders of Nomad Paradise. We traveled full-time for over three years, and while we now have a home base in the U.K., continue to take trips abroad to visit new places and try new cuisines and foods. Our food guides are curated with the guidance of local foodies, and their contribution is indicated under each article. We also cook the foods we try abroad, and you can discover how to make them in our 'recipes from around the world' category. View all posts
