Healthy Blintzes Recipe: Lighter Cheese-Filled Crepes for Shavuot

Active time: ~45 minutes | Total time: ~1 hour 20 minutes, plus draining the cheese | Serves: 6 (about 12 blintzes, 2 per serving) | Difficulty: Moderate

---

Quick Overview

1. Drain 2% cottage cheese well for the filling
2. Make a thin batter with half whole wheat flour, low-fat milk and a spoonful of oil
3. Cook the crepes on one side only, then fill and roll them
4. Bake the blintzes with a light brush of oil instead of frying them in butter
5. Serve with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit

---

What This Version Changes — and What It Keeps

The method stays the same as in the traditional blintzes: thin crepes cooked on one side, filled on the browned side, folded and rolled into parcels. So does the sweet cheese filling with vanilla and lemon zest.

What changes is where the fat and sugar sit. The filling uses 2% cottage cheese instead of farmer’s cheese, half the flour is whole wheat, oil replaces the butter in the batter, the sugar is roughly halved, and the blintzes go into the oven instead of a pan of butter. Greek yogurt and fresh fruit go on top in place of sour cream and preserves.

---

Why These Swaps Work

Half the flour in the batter is whole wheat. Refining wheat strips away more than half of its B vitamins, 90 percent of its vitamin E and virtually all of its fiber, according to Harvard’s Nutrition Source.¹ Published blintz recipes use white flour; keeping half of it here, so the crepes stay thin enough to roll, is Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s choice.

The filling uses 2% cottage cheese, which some published blintz recipes use too, well drained.⁸ Per 100g, 2% cottage cheese has about 84 calories, 2.3g of fat and 11g of protein. A registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic points out that full-fat cottage cheese has 1.5g more saturated fat than 2%, and advises against nonfat, which “contains less protein and won’t be as satisfying.”²

The sugar is roughly halved. Harvard’s Nutrition Source suggests cutting the added sugar when baking,³ and published recipes leave plenty of room: sugar in the filling ranges from half a cup to none at all.^6,9

Oil replaces butter in the batter, as it does in one published recipe.¹² Butter is about 60 percent saturated fat and canola oil about 7 percent, and butter and other dairy foods are among the biggest sources of saturated fat in the American diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat, and the American Heart Association no more than 7 percent.⁴

The blintzes are baked instead of fried. Two published recipes bake them, at 175–190°C (350–375°F), in a buttered dish, one with melted butter poured over the top;^7,8 here a tablespoon of oil, brushed on, replaces both that butter and the 3–4 tablespoons the traditional recipe uses for frying.

Greek yogurt replaces sour cream at the table. Cleveland Clinic notes that Greek yogurt has about twice as much protein as traditional yogurt and suggests it in place of some of the sour cream in dips, dressings and soups.⁵ One published blintz recipe uses sour cream and plain Greek yogurt interchangeably.⁶

---

Healthy Blintzes Recipe

This recipe was compiled by Heritage Healthy Kitchen from published recipes and the sources for the swaps, all listed at the end of this article. Figures that are Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s own estimates rather than taken from a published source are marked as such.

The base follows our compiled traditional recipe, whose amounts sit inside the range of published recipes.^6,9,10,11 The baking temperature and time come from published recipes that bake blintzes.^7,8 The split between the two flours, the amount of oil and the reduced sugar are Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s estimates, as is the number of servings.

Ingredients (makes about 12 blintzes, serves 6)

For the crepes

• 60g (½ cup) whole wheat pastry flour
• 65g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 300ml (1¼ cups) low-fat (1%) milk
• 1 tablespoon canola or sunflower oil, plus a little for the pan
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt

For the filling

• 450g (2 cups) low-fat (2%) cottage cheese
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon (optional)

For baking and serving

• 1 tablespoon canola or sunflower oil, for the baking dish and brushing
• Plain Greek yogurt (2% or full-fat), for serving
• Fresh berries or other fresh fruit, for serving

Instructions

1. Drain the cheese. Set the cottage cheese in a fine sieve over a bowl and let it drain, ideally for 1½–2 hours, so the filling isn’t wet.⁸
2. Make the batter. Whisk the eggs and milk together, then the sugar and salt. Whisk in both flours a little at a time until smooth, then the oil. Let the batter rest for 20–30 minutes at room temperature.^9,10
3. Cook the crepes. Heat a lightly oiled 20cm (8-inch) nonstick pan over medium heat. Pour in about 3 tablespoons of batter and swirl it over the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Cook without turning for about 1 minute, until the edges are lightly browned and the center looks dry, then slide the crepe onto a sheet of parchment. Repeat, stacking the crepes with parchment between them.^6,11
4. Make the filling. Mix the drained cottage cheese, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, salt and lemon zest.^9,11
5. Fill and fold. Lay a crepe browned side up and spoon 2–3 tablespoons of filling near the bottom edge. Fold the bottom over the filling, fold in the sides and roll it up into a flat parcel.^6,10,11
6. Bake. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Brush a baking dish with a little of the oil, arrange the blintzes in it seam side down, close together, and brush the tops lightly with the rest. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden and hot through.^7,8
7. Serve. Serve warm, with Greek yogurt and fresh berries.^5,6

---

Kitchen Tips

Draining matters more here than with farmer’s cheese, which needs none. A wet filling soaks the crepe, so give the cottage cheese its full time in the sieve.⁸

Put the filling on the browned side of each crepe. The pale side ends up outside and colors in the oven, and no part of the pancake is cooked twice and turns tough.¹⁰

If a crepe browns underneath before the center has dried, turn it briefly and use a little less batter for the next one.⁶

---

Nutritional Comparison

Per serving (2 blintzes, one of 6 servings), without toppings:

Nutrient	Traditional Blintzes	This Version
Calories	~315–385 kcal	~225–275 kcal
Protein	~13–16g	~13–16g
Total fat	~17–21g	~9–11g
Saturated fat	~9–11g	~2–3g
Carbohydrates	~27–33g	~23–28g
Dietary fiber	under 1g	~1–1.5g
Sodium	~430–530mg	~425–520mg

Nutritional values are estimates based on standard ingredient databases (USDA FoodData Central) and vary with the cheese and the brand. Choosing a low-sodium cottage cheese brings the sodium down in either version.

---

Storage and Reheating

The crepes can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator, stacked with parchment between them, and filled blintzes keep in the refrigerator for up to a day before baking.^6,9

To freeze, lay the filled, unbaked blintzes on a tray until solid, then pack them into a bag or container for up to two months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before baking.⁹ Leftover baked blintzes reheat in a 175°C (350°F) oven in 10–15 minutes.⁹

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 2% cottage cheese work as well as farmer’s cheese?
It works once it is well drained. Some published blintz recipes use cottage cheese in the filling and drain it for 1½–2 hours first.⁸ Choose 2% rather than nonfat, which has less protein.²

Why bake the blintzes instead of frying them?
Baking is a published way to finish blintzes: one recipe bakes them at 190°C (375°F) for 20 minutes, another at 175°C (350°F) for 25–30 minutes.^7,8 Both use butter for the dish, and one pours more over the top; here a light brush of oil takes its place, which is Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s adaptation. It leaves out the butter the blintzes would otherwise take up in the frying pan.

Is this version noticeably less sweet?
A little. The filling has 1½ tablespoons of sugar instead of 3, and the batter a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon. Sugar in the filling varies a great deal among published recipes, and one leaves it out altogether.^6,9 Fresh fruit on top instead of preserves keeps the added sugar down.

Does this version lower the sodium?
Hardly. Most of the sodium in both versions comes from the cheese. Choosing a low-sodium or sodium-free cottage cheese is the way to bring it down.²

---

The Traditional Version

For the full traditional recipe, with farmer’s cheese, butter and pan-frying, and for the history of blintzes and their place at Shavuot and Hanukkah, see our Traditional Blintzes.

---

Further Reading & Sources

The recipe is a compilation based on the published recipes listed here (sources 6–12), with the sources for the swaps (1–5); these links are provided for readers who want to explore further.

1. The Nutrition Source. Whole Grains. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Refining wheat strips away more than half of its B vitamins, 90 percent of the vitamin E and virtually all of the fiber.
2. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. (23 August 2023). 7 Reasons Why Cottage Cheese Is Good for You. Registered dietitian Julia Zumpano: 2% cottage cheese per 100g has about 84 calories, 2.3g fat and 11g protein; full-fat has 1.5g more saturated fat than 2%; nonfat has less protein and is less satisfying; low-sodium or sodium-free cottage cheese.
3. The Nutrition Source. Added Sugar. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. When baking, reduce added sugar by ¼ to ⅓ cup; the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and American Heart Association limits on added sugar.
4. The Nutrition Source. Types of Fat. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Butter about 60 percent and canola oil about 7 percent saturated fat (as a share of total fat); butter and other dairy foods among the biggest sources of saturated fat in the U.S. diet; less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, no more than 7 percent from the American Heart Association.
5. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials. (9 November 2020). Is Yogurt Good for You? Registered dietitian Julia Zumpano: Greek yogurt has about twice as much protein as traditional yogurt; swap it in for some of the sour cream in dips, dressings and soups.
6. Emily Paster. (17 May 2023). Great-Grandma Bessie’s Cheese Blintz Recipe. The Nosher, My Jewish Learning. Published recipe: crepes cooked on one side for 40 seconds to 1 minute in an 8- or 10-inch pan; farmer’s cheese filling with sour cream or Greek yogurt and an egg yolk, no sugar; 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling; fried in butter; making ahead; Shavuot.
7. Shannon Sarna. (9 May 2017). How to Make Cheese Blintzes. The Nosher, My Jewish Learning. Published recipe: blintzes baked at 375°F for 20 minutes with melted butter poured over, or fried; most popular during Shavuot.
8. PJ Hamel. (updated 10 July 2024). Cheese Blintzes. King Arthur Baking. Published recipe: cottage cheese drained for 1½ to 2 hours (not needed with farmer’s cheese); blintzes sautéed in butter or baked in a buttered pan at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Jennifer Segal. (13 April 2026). Cheese Blintzes. Once Upon a Chef. Published recipe: 1 cup flour, 2 eggs, 1⅓ cups milk; batter rests 20 to 30 minutes; 1 lb farmer’s cheese with ½ cup sugar; egg to seal a seam; fried about 2 minutes a side; making ahead, freezing for up to 2 months and reheating.
10. Tina Wasserman. Blintzes. ReformJudaism.org (no date given). Published recipe: 1 cup flour, 2 eggs, milk and water, 12 blintzes; batter rests 30 minutes; farmer cheese and cream cheese with 3 tablespoons sugar; filling on the browned side, so no part of the dough is cooked twice and turns tough.
11. Bonnie S. Benwick. For a dose of comfort and a taste of home, make these classic cheese blintzes. The Washington Post, reprinted by The Peninsula (8 June 2019). Published recipe: about 3 tablespoons of batter in an 8-inch pan, 60 to 75 seconds, not flipped; farmer cheese with yolks, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest; fried 1½ to 2 minutes a side; frozen uncooked for up to 1 month; Shavuot.
12. Saveur (no author named). Cheese Blintzes. Saveur, December 2013 issue. Published recipe with canola oil in the batter and for frying instead of butter.

---

Disclaimer

The information in this article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Heritage Healthy Kitchen makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of any content on this site. Nutritional values are estimates only and will vary depending on the specific ingredients, brands, and measurements used. This content is not intended as dietary, medical, or professional nutritional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any dietary needs or health conditions. Heritage Healthy Kitchen is not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use of recipes or information published on this site.

You Might Also Like

More heritage recipes from our kitchen

Jewish

Traditional Blintzes

Jewish

Healthy Noodle Kugel

Jewish

Healthy Babka

Jewish

Healthy Latkes