Active time: ~30 minutes | Total time: ~45 minutes | Serves: 4 (about 14–16 pancakes) | Difficulty: Easy
Quick Overview
- Grate floury potatoes and an onion finely
- Drain off the liquid and stir the settled starch back in
- Mix in an egg, salt and pepper
- Fry small, thin pancakes in hot oil until golden on both sides
- Serve at once with sour cream or a curd cheese dip
What Bulviniai Blynai Are
Bulviniai blynai are Lithuanian potato pancakes, and the name means exactly that.¹ Raw potato is grated very finely, bound with an egg, often seasoned with onion, and fried until the outside is crisp and the inside soft.¹˒² A cookery programme on LRT, Lithuania’s public broadcaster, calls them a recipe all of Lithuania loves, with every cook making them a little differently.³ They are usually eaten as a main course, salted and topped with sour cream or a curd cheese dip.¹
Two relatives are easy to confuse with them. Kėdainių blynai are grated potato pancakes with a meat filling, and žemaičių blynai (Samogitian pancakes) are made from mashed potato with a ground meat filling.¹ Bulviniai blynai have no filling at all.
History and Cultural Roots
Potatoes were grown in Lithuania long before Lithuanians ate them. The earliest record is a garden in Vilnius, where the magnate Kiszka family grew “bulbos americanos” in 1640 alongside melons and figs. Peasants were wary of the new crop for a long time: some said it caused fever, and in the mainly Catholic countryside it was seen almost as Protestant “sabotage.” Even at the end of the 18th century potatoes took up no more than 0.4 percent of the country’s arable land, and they spread on a large scale only in the middle of the 19th century.⁴
Pancakes of every kind are the food of Užgavėnės, the Shrove Tuesday festival before Lent. It is the last day of the winter meat-eating season, and the old belief is that eating richly and plentifully on that day makes a person strong for the whole year. The traditional pancakes of the day are mostly made of flour,⁵ but grated potato pancakes have always been baked for the festival as well, along with yeast pancakes.⁶ The festival also sees winter off: masked figures act out a fight between fat Lašininis, standing for winter, and lean Kanapinis, standing for spring, and an effigy of winter called Morė is usually burned.⁵
Traditional Bulviniai Blynai Recipe
This recipe was compiled by Heritage Healthy Kitchen from a comparison of published recipes; the sources are 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 published recipes use one egg for 680g to 2kg of potatoes, or two eggs for a kilogram. Most add no flour at all, and some add an onion.¹˒²˒³˒⁷ This version stays in the middle of that range. The number of servings and the number of pancakes per serving are Heritage Healthy Kitchen estimates.
Ingredients
Serves 4 (about 14–16 pancakes)
- 1kg (2.2 lb) starchy, floury potatoes, peeled (in Lithuania, yellow-fleshed varieties such as Laura or Vineta; in North America, Yukon Gold or russet; in the UK, Butter Gold or another floury variety)¹˒²
- 1 medium onion, peeled¹˒²
- 1 large egg, or 2 for a firmer batter¹˒²˒⁷
- 1 tablespoon potato starch or all-purpose flour, only if the batter is loose¹˒⁷
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for serving¹˒³
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper²
- About 6 tablespoons sunflower or rapeseed oil, or ghee (clarified butter), for frying¹˒³
To serve
- Sour cream¹˒²
- Or a curd cheese dip: dry curd cheese (varškė in Lithuania; elsewhere farmer’s cheese, German quark or any other dry, crumbly curd cheese) mixed with sour cream, garlic, dill and chives³
- Smoked or salted salmon, or crisp bacon, for a heartier plate¹˒³
Instructions
- Grate the potatoes and onion. Grate the potatoes on the finest holes of a box grater, or blitz them to a fine paste in a food processor.¹ For crisper edges, grate half of them on the medium holes instead.⁸ Grate the onion finely too, so it blends into the batter.⁸
- Drain and keep the starch. Press the grated potato in a sieve set over a bowl, or spoon off the liquid that pools on top. Let the liquid stand for a few minutes, pour it off and stir the white starch left at the bottom back into the potato.¹˒⁷˒⁸ The batter should stay moist, not dry.¹
- Mix the batter. Stir in the egg, salt and pepper. Add the potato starch or flour only if the batter is still loose.¹˒⁷
- Fry. Heat a generous layer of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Drop in a heaped spoonful of batter for each pancake and flatten it slightly; keep the pancakes small and thin. Fry undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until the base is crisp, then turn and fry 2–3 minutes more, until both sides are golden brown. Add more oil between batches as needed.¹˒⁷˒⁸
- Drain and serve. Lift the pancakes onto paper towels, sprinkle with a little salt and serve straight away.¹˒⁸
Kitchen Tips
Pick starchy potatoes. Potatoes are almost the only ingredient, so the variety matters: starchy ones crisp outside and stay fluffy inside. If yours are watery, drain the grated potato through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and add a tablespoon of potato starch or flour.¹
Work quickly. Grated potato darkens fast. Mix and fry the batter as soon as it is grated; a few drops of lemon juice also keep it pale, as long as you don’t add enough to taste.¹
Get the oil hot first. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the pancakes soak it up and turn greasy instead of crisp. Too high a heat burns the edges before the middle cooks, so keep it at medium once the pan is hot.¹˒⁸
Keep them small. Thick pancakes are hard to cook through and to crisp evenly.⁸ For a big batch, keep the finished pancakes warm in a single layer on a baking sheet in a low oven.¹
For a lighter plate, the pancakes can be baked on a lightly oiled sheet at 220°C (425°F), as published oven recipes for potato pancakes do, and topped with plain Greek yogurt instead of some or all of the sour cream.⁹˒¹⁰˒¹¹
Nutritional Information
Per serving (1 of 4, about 3–4 pancakes), before toppings
- Calories: approximately 290–355 kcal
- Protein: approximately 7–8g
- Total fat: approximately 8–15g
- Saturated fat: approximately 1–2g
- Carbohydrates: approximately 45–54g
- Dietary fiber: approximately 3–4g
- Sodium: approximately 550–675mg
Two tablespoons of sour cream add about 60 kcal and 6g of fat.
Nutritional values are estimates based on standard ingredient databases (USDA FoodData Central). They vary with the potatoes, how much oil the pancakes take up and how much salt leaves with the drained liquid.
Storage and Reheating
Bulviniai blynai are best straight from the pan, and the raw batter does not keep: grated potato darkens within minutes.¹ By Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s estimate, cooked pancakes keep in a closed container in the fridge for up to 2 days, and they come back crisper when reheated in a dry or lightly oiled frying pan or a hot oven than in the microwave.
Traditional Bulviniai Blynai
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 1kg (2.2 lb) starchy, floury potatoes, peeled (in Lithuania, yellow-fleshed varieties such as Laura or Vineta; in North America, Yukon Gold or russet; in the UK, Butter Gold or another floury variety)
- 1 medium onion, peeled
- 1 large egg, or 2 for a firmer batter
- 1 tablespoon potato starch or all-purpose flour, only if the batter is loose
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for serving
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- About 6 tablespoons sunflower or rapeseed oil, or ghee (clarified butter), for frying
To serve
- Sour cream
- Or a curd cheese dip: dry curd cheese (varškė in Lithuania; elsewhere farmer’s cheese, German quark or any other dry, crumbly curd cheese) mixed with sour cream, garlic, dill and chives
- Smoked or salted salmon, or crisp bacon, for a heartier plate
Instructions
- Grate the potatoes on the finest holes of a box grater (half on the medium holes for crisper edges) and grate the onion finely.
- Press the potato in a sieve over a bowl, let the liquid stand, pour it off and stir the settled starch back in.
- Stir in the egg, salt and pepper; add the starch or flour only if the batter is loose.
- Fry heaped spoonfuls, flattened into small thin pancakes, in hot oil over medium heat for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden.
- Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between bulviniai blynai and žemaičių blynai?
Bulviniai blynai are made from raw grated potato and have no filling. Žemaičių blynai, or Samogitian pancakes, are made from mashed potato and filled with ground meat.¹
Can I leave out the onion?
Yes. Some published recipes use only potato, egg and salt, and others add an onion for flavor.¹˒²˒³
Why do my pancakes turn gray or fall apart?
Gray color comes from grated potato standing too long before frying; work quickly, and a few drops of lemon juice help. Pancakes fall apart when the batter is too wet: drain it, put the settled starch back in and, if it is still loose, add a tablespoon of potato starch or flour.¹˒⁷
Are bulviniai blynai the same as latkes or placki ziemniaczane?
They belong to the same family of grated raw potato pancakes bound with egg and fried. For how latkes, placki ziemniaczane and Ukrainian deruny differ from one another, see our comparison of the three.
What do Lithuanians serve with them?
Sour cream or a curd cheese dip; if neither is on hand, a glass of soured milk or kefir. For a heartier plate, bacon or smoked salmon goes on top.¹˒³
Why are pancakes eaten at Užgavėnės?
Užgavėnės is the last day before the Lenten fast, and eating richly that day was believed to bring strength for the year. Pancakes are its traditional food, mostly flour ones, though grated potato pancakes are baked for it too.⁵˒⁶
Further Reading & Sources
The recipe is a compilation based on the published recipes listed here; these links are provided for readers who want to explore further.
- Ieva. “Lithuanian Potato Pancakes (Traditional Bulviniai Blynai).” Taste of Lithuania, January 13, 2025. tasteoflithuania.com
- Ingrida (blog Kviečiu į virtuvę). “Taip kepti bulviniai blynai sužavės nuo pirmo kąsnio” [Potato pancakes fried this way]. tv3.lt, October 19, 2025. tv3.lt
- Zeleniūtė, Neringa, on the LRT Televizija programme Beatos virtuvė. “„Beatos virtuvėje“ – lašiša ir varške pagardinti lietuvių mėgstami bulviniai blynai” [Potato pancakes with salmon and curd cheese]. LRT.lt, January 10, 2020. lrt.lt
- Ragauskas, Aivas. “When did potatoes come to Lithuania?” LRT English, Orbis Lituaniae project, Vilnius University, July 11, 2021. lrt.lt
- “Užgavėnės.” Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia), online edition (no author given). vle.lt
- LRT.lt. “Įvairiausi Užgavėnių blynai: trys receptai ir kelios gudrybės” [All kinds of Užgavėnės pancakes: three recipes and a few tricks]. LRT.lt, February 24, 2020. lrt.lt
- Waverman, Lucy. “Lithuanian Potato Pancakes.” Lucy Waverman’s Kitchen, July 26, 2018. lucywaverman.com
- Česėkaitė, Ditė. “Paprastos traškių bulvių blynų paslaptys” [Simple secrets of crisp potato pancakes]. Alkas.lt, September 7, 2024. alkas.lt
- “Oven-Baked Potato Pancakes.” MyPlate Kitchen, U.S. Department of Agriculture; recipe credited to ChopChop Family. myplate.gov
- The Health News Team, with Lily Padilla-Corona, RDN, CDES. “Oven-baked potato pancakes (recipe).” Sharp HealthCare, December 10, 2025. sharp.com
- Cleveland Clinic, with Julia Zumpano, RD, LD. “Is Yogurt Good for You?” Health Essentials, November 9, 2020. clevelandclinic.org
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.
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