Also going by the name of Syrniki, these pancakes are the traditional Russian cakes that are normally fried in butter. I love the fried version but it takes time and patience to watch each batch, plus the results are often unpredictable, especially for a newbie. I started making the oven version to reduce the stove time, and get my house smell cookie-delicious rather than smokey-fried.
I alternate using coconut flour, for a gluten free version, and einkorn wheat flour, preferably sprouted. Einkorn version tastes more familiar to me because that’s all I knew growing up, but the coconut flour is just as good, and gives these pancakes a nice texture. Since I oven bake them instead of frying, I drizzle them with slightly melted butter, ghee or coconut oil, whatever I’m in the mood for at the moment. 
Farmers cheese (tvorog) is very similar to cottage cheese but a bit more dry because it gets pressed to remove more of the whey. Because of the whey removal, it has very little lactose and can be tolerated by folks to have that sensitivity. ISo have some of these cheese pancakes with a glass of homemade kefir, or a coffee with farm fresh cream for a balanced and delicious breakfast.
This amount of dough makes for about 10 pancakes so if you have more than two people to feed you should double the ingredients.
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Pancakes Made with Farmer’s Cheese
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 pancakes 1x
Description
Baked farmer’s cheese cakes are similar to the Russian syrniki, but are made in the oven for an easier morning.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) farmers cheese (it's sold by cream cheeses in most grocery stores, look for the kind without potassium sorbate)
- 2 pastured eggs, slightly beaten
- 1/4 cup sugar, or any sweetener you prefer
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) of all-purpose einkorn flour (I like Jovial) or coconut flour
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) ghee (how to make ghee)
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Equipment
- Mixing spoonMeasuring spoon - 1 tbsp
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl until you get thick cookie dough consistency. The mixture will stay grainy because of the cheese.
- Scoop one tbsp of dough in your hand, shape to the form of a pancake. Continue until all the dough is gone.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, turning the pancakes once half way through, until both sides are nicely brown.
- Brush with melted butter or ghee before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Russian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pancakes
- Calories: 180
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular flour instead of einkorn or coconut flour for these pancakes?
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour if you prefer, but the texture and flavor will differ from the einkorn or coconut flour versions.
What type of farmer’s cheese should I use for the pancakes?
Look for farmer’s cheese (tvorog) that is pressed and slightly dry, as it will provide the right consistency and flavor for the pancakes.
How should I serve these pancakes to complement their flavor?
Drizzle the pancakes with slightly melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil, and pair them with homemade kefir or coffee with farm fresh cream for a balanced breakfast.
What a great idea, and how delicious is this!!
When your instructions say “mix all ingredients” does that include the ghee or is that only to brush on top?