Easy Blini Recipe (Russian Pancake)
, Updated Aug 01, 2025
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Russian Blini – these bite-sized pancakes make perfect appetizers! Top with smoked salmon or caviar to add a touch of luxury to your dinner or festive table. Follow my authentic blini recipe and never go back to store bought again!
You will also love my Mini Pancakes (Silver Dollar)
Blini are a type of pancake made from wheat or sometimes buckwheat flour. Traditionally from Russia and the Ukraine, blini come in a variety of sizes and can be served in different ways.
I used the yeasted bite-sized version for my blini recipe. They take a little longer to prepare but they are incredibly delicious – perfect if you want to impress!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant-worthy without fuss – homemade blini have better texture than store-bought and they’re surprisingly easy. Plus you get bragging rights!
- Versatile base – top with caviar, smoked salmon, crème fraîche, sour cream, or quail eggs to suit the occasion.
- Impress your guests – these bite-sized canapés taste luxurious and look elegant.
- Perfect for entertaining – make the batter ahead, fry just before guests arrive, and wow instantly.
How to make Blini Step-by-Step
Make the batter
- Combine melted butter, whole milk, cream, warm water and an egg yolk in a large bowl. It is best if all the liquid ingredients are at room temperature.
- Sift flour, yeast and sugar over the liquid ingredients and then use a balloon whisk to slowly combine until you have a smooth batter.
- Cover the bowl loosely with a cloth or plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours. The batter will have risen slightly and have bubbles over the surface after this time.
- Whisk the egg white and salt with a hand mixer until soft peaks form and then gently fold into the batter.
Pan fry the blini
- Heat a non-stick frying pan and wipe with a little flavourless oil (you can also use clarified butter instead of oil or a cooking spray). You don’t want the pan to be greasy or full of oil, just enough so that the blini don’t stick.
- Add a tablespoon of batter per pancake and cook over medium heat until bubbles form on top and the surface appears dry.
- Flip over and cook on the other side until nicely colored, this should only take a minute or so.
- Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel while you use up the remaining batter. Do not stack to avoid them getting soggy. The blini can be kept at room temperature for an hour.
Serving Suggestions
I remember the first time I tasted caviar blini so distinctly. It was at a fancy dinner date with my boyfriend (now husband). Our blini was served with ice-cold shots of vodka on the side – one bite and I was totally hooked!
I am quite tickled to finally recreate this sensational little canapé on the blog, several years since that memorable meal. Spoon a small dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche on each blini. Add ¼ tsp of caviar on top—garnish with chives. Serve as a platter with chilled vodka or champagne. Soft-boiled quail eggs or smoked salmon slices elevate this fancy appetizer even further!
Lucy’s Pro Tip
What does caviar taste like?
Caviar refers only to the cured eggs of certain species of sturgeon. While other fish eggs, such as salmon and trout, are often termed as ‘caviar’ they are technically roe.
Caviar has a a delicate taste that’s hard describe. Some people refer to it as ‘fishy’, but this is far from true. It has a subtle fresh sea aroma and a buttery, sweet-briny flavor that fills your mouth as the caviar grains pop.Caviar refers only to the cured eggs of certain species of sturgeon.
HAVE YOU MADE MY BLINI RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Blini Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the blini
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
- ½ cup (120ml) water lukewarm
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk
- ¾ cup (180ml) cream pouring / single
- 1 egg separated
- 1 ⅓ cups + 2 tbsp (200g) flour all purpose / plain
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp yeast rapid rise
- ½ tsp salt
- vegetable oil as needed
To serve
- caviar
- smoked salmon
- sour cream
- chopped fresh chives
- quail eggs (see notes)
Instructions
Make the batter
- Combine melted butter, whole milk, cream, warm water and egg yolk in a large bowl.2 tbsp unsalted butter, ½ cup (120ml) water, ½ cup (120ml) whole milk, ¾ cup (180ml) cream , 1 egg separated
- Sift flour, yeast and sugar over the liquid ingredients and then use a balloon whisk to slowly combine.1 ⅓ cups + 2 tbsp (200g) flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp yeast
- Cover the bowl loosely with a cloth or plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours. The batter will have risen slightly and have bubbles over the surface after this time.
- Whisk the egg white and salt with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.½ tsp salt
- Gently fold into the batter, in batches, trying not to deflate the egg whites.
Cook the blini
- Heat a non-stick frying pan and wipe with a little flavourless oil. Add 1 tbsp of batter per pancake and cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form on top and the surface appears dry.vegetable oil
- Flip over and cook on the other side until nicely coloured, this should only take a minute or so. Set aside while you use up the remaining batter.
To serve
- Add a small dollop of sour cream on each little pancake and carefully top with a little caviar, about 1/4 of a teaspoon or a small piece of smoked salmon. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives and serve immediately. Acaviar, smoked salmon, sour cream, chopped fresh chives, quail eggs (see notes)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
I think if I use gluten free flour I could add xantun gum right?
Hi Sandi, I haven’t tried it but if theory, yes
Do they freeze well!
Yes they do! Try freezing them spread out on a tray first then put them in a bag once frozen solid xx
Thank you!
These look great! I have a tin of caviar that I’m opening for NYE, I just made the base dough (without the egg whites) and put it in the fridge for a slow ferment so I can cook them off tomorrow with no stress (I hope this is fine, I have put things to rise overnight in the fridge and it’s always worked out) They smell amazing, and I’m sure tomorrow they will taste amazing as well! Very easy dough to put together 🙂
I am serving some too 😘 have a happy new year!
Made these for New Year’s Eve and served then with smoked salmon and caviar. They were light and heavenly! I never knew blini were yeasted. Easy recipe. Great results. Thank you!
These look so beautiful! I’ve never had a go at making my own blinis before but will definitely try it next time – you make them look so easy 🙂
I wish I was brave enough to try caviar again because I need make and eat these. I love blinis!
Looks delicious! I love good quality caviar and Attilus looks pretty good. Lovely pics!
Mmmm I love this recipe. It would have been my perfect appetiser. I can not wait to try. Thanks!
Wow, these are one of the best looking appetisers I have seen for a long time. The cavier is very fancy and combined with the blini takes these to a next level, great recipe!
Thanks Adrianne, it is certainly a luxurious treat! We are having a dinner party designed around them soon
I love caviar with sour cream but I alway had it on the cracker… blini sounds waaay more tasty that simple cracker. That’s why I must give this a try. Looks really elegant and beautiful.
On a cracker…. mmmmm YUM! It’s a little more work to make blini but I swear it’s totally worth it