Deliciously fluffy and tender, these Sirniki are pancakes made with farmer's cheese and perfect for breakfast or dessert. Top with fresh fruit, jam, or sweetened sour cream for an amazing combination.
Sirniki are a beloved staple in the Slavic kitchen, cherished by generations for their simple yet irresistible flavor. These pancakes, made with farmer's cheese, are the perfect balance of crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. When you take a bite, the golden-brown crust offers a delightful browned butter flavor, while the soft, tender center is just pure comfort. It’s no wonder these little bites have stood the test of time—they’re not only delicious but also a great example of how simple ingredients can come together to create something magical.
What I absolutely love about Sirniki is how versatile they are. They make the most wonderful breakfast to kickstart your day or can easily be served as a delightful dessert. You can enjoy them with a variety of toppings, depending on what you’re in the mood for. Fresh fruit brings a light, refreshing contrast to the richness of the pancakes, while a dollop of jam adds a sweet and fruity layer. But my personal favorite is to pair them with sour cream. You can go the classic route with plain sour cream for a tangy, creamy finish or sweeten it up with a touch of sugar, maple syrup, or honey for a healthier twist. A splash of vanilla in the sweetened sour cream adds a fragrant touch that takes this treat to the next level.
There’s something truly magical about how just a few humble ingredients—farmer’s cheese, eggs, flour, and a bit of sugar—can come together to create such a comforting, delicious dish. Whether you’re making them for breakfast, dessert, or just a special treat, these Sirniki are bound to become a favorite in your kitchen.
Ingredients:
14-15 oz farmer's cheese (2-2 ½ cups)
2 eggs
¼ - ⅓ cup sugar
2 Tablespoon sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup flour, plus ½ cup more for dredging the Sirniki
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓-1/2 cup raisins, optional
butter or oil for pan frying the Sirniki
How To Make Sirniki
Place the farmer's cheese into a food processor, along with the eggs, sugar, sour cream and vanilla. You can also use ricotta or cottage cheese instead of the farmer's cheese, just make sure to drain all the excess liquid and maybe even squeeze it out with a cheesecloth.
Pulse about 10 times until it's well combined. 
In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt and then add the dry ingredients to the food processor. 
Pulse a few more times to combine. Add the raisins and mix them in with a spoon or spatula.
You can hand mix the Sirniki batter very easily, but you will first have to break up the farmer's cheese with a fork until the texture is even and fine. Proceed by adding the rest of the ingredients. It's much simpler for me to use the food processor, but the advantage of mixing the batter by hand is that it will be slightly stiffer and easier to handle. The batter made in the food processor needs to be handled quite delicately, but I have a trick for that too.
Heat 1 Tablespoon of of butter or oil in a nonstick skillet on medium low heat. Make sure that the oil is hot enough before adding the Sirniki, otherwise they will soak up the oil and be very greasy.
Place the remaining ½ cup flour into a shallow plate. I use a handy scoop to portion out this very delicate batter. It makes it MUCH easier to handle. 
Dredge each Sirnik in flour, shaping each into a round patty. 
You want to dredge the Sirniki and place them immediately into the skillet. Cook the Sirniki on medium low heat until they are golden on both sides. 
Serve warm with sour cream, jam, fruit, condensed milk or honey.
Sirniki (Farmer's Cheese Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 14-15 oz farmer's cheese 2-2 ½ cups
- 2 eggs
- ¼ - ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoon sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup flour plus ½ cup more for dredging the Sirniki
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓-1/2 cup raisins optional
- butter or oil for pan frying the Sirniki
Instructions
- Place the farmer's cheese into a food processor and pulse about 10 times until it's very fine. You can also use ricotta or cottage cheese instead of the farmer's cheese, just make sure to drain all the excess liquid and maybe even squeeze it out with a cheesecloth.
- Add the eggs, sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Pulse a few more times to combine.
- In a small bowl, mix ½ cup flour, baking powder and salt and then add the dry ingredients to the food processor. Pulse a few more times to combine.
- Add the raisins and mix them in with a spoon or spatula.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of of butter or oil in a nonstick skillet on medium low heat. Make sure that the oil is hot enough before adding the Sirniki, otherwise they will soak up the oil and be very greasy.
- Place the remaining ½ cup flour into a shallow plate. I use a handy scoop to portion out this very delicate batter. It makes it MUCH easier to handle.
- Dredge each Sirnik in flour. You want to dredge the Sirniki and place them immediately into the skillet.
- Cook the Sirniki on medium low heat until they are golden on both sides.
- Serve warm with sour cream, jam, fruit, condensed milk or honey.
Notes
Do you know by any chance what's the best oven setting for these if I try baking them instead of frying?
I've never made them in the oven, Olya, so I can't tell you for sure. Generally, 350 degrees Fahrenheit is a good temperature for most things.
I just made these, and they were so delicious!!! I didn't have raisins so I used dried cranberries, and it was yummy! My kids also really enjoyed these sirniki! Thanks Olga, God bless!
That's awesome, Oksana! I'm so happy to hear that. I'm sure dried cranberries were just as delicious.
This is so delicious. I love this food. I want to eat this every evening.
they look yummy!
What is the different between Farmer's Cheese and творог? The Middle-Easter Market I go to have both kinds.
They have Tvarog of 5% & 7% milk fat. They are VERY dry (consistency similar to a scone dough).
And the Farmer's Cheese has much more liquid in it (consistency is more like dip).
Oh, Olga! These look and sound really good! I can't wait to make these, first I have to make tvorog, since I live in a state that doesn't sell tvorog. Anyway, I will be making these really, really soon. Also, thank you for sharing a great story behind this recipe! Your recipes that I tried, are all keeper. Thank you,
Tanya
Enjoy!
I'm glad you enjoyed the story:).
I love them, turn out perfect every time !!
I love sirniki :), they are one of my favorite breakfast food.
Yep, they are a big hit for breakfast at our house as well:).
Hello Olga I just made them sooooooooooooo good . Thank you!=)
Yay! That's awesome!
These look incredible! 🙂 I can't wait to make them! 🙂 I had these when I taught English in Ukraine and I have been looking for a great recipe. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I am so happy you enjoyed the Sirniki:). Thanks for taking the time to write and let me know, Marjorie.
I'm so making them for breakfast tomorrow!!! (If I can wait that long, might break out the skillet before everyone's up 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Yes, sirniki is one of the best dishes out there!! I always drool just hearing about them. They are lovely. Thank you for a beautiful recipe:)
I feel like you were reading my mind today. I just finished making a batch of tvorog in the crock-pot and was looking for a recipe for syrniki, then I saw your post in my rss reader.
So, I made them just now. I have to say, it was messy! LOL I don't have a scooper like you do, and my other ice scream scooper didn't work for this dough at all. I had to constantly coat my hands with flour.
In the end, I ended up with PERFECT syrniki! My kids just LOVED them with maple syrup.
Thank you for another great recipe!
Ksenya, how do you make tvorog in crock-pot?
Hi ksenya! How do you make tvorog in a crock pot? I would love to know! 🙂
I completely forgot about sirniki! They used to be one of my favorite treats for breakfast when I was little. Thank you for posting this recipe. Now I just might have to make a trip to the grocery store for some farmers cheese! Thank You Olga!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe!! This is one of my family's favorites and having an exact recipe to reference always makes life easier 🙂 You do an amazing job with all of your blog posts- I can only hope that someday I'll be a master chef like you in the kitchen someday! Thanks again and God bless 🙂
Why can't I copy and paste this? I don't want to print out pictures.