Russian Blini with Browned Butter

About This Recipe

Blini are thin Russian pancakes, traditionally made with a portion of buckwheat flour that gives them a slightly nutty, earthy flavor and delicate, lace-edged texture compared to a thicker Western pancake. Historically leavened with yeast and left to rise, quicker versions using baking powder are now common in home kitchens, though the buckwheat flour remains the defining ingredient that separates real blini from an ordinary crepe. Browned butter, made by cooking butter until the milk solids turn golden-brown and give off a nutty aroma, is a traditional Russian topping for blini, poured warm over a stack right before serving. The nuttiness of the browned butter echoes and amplifies the buckwheat's own toasty character, creating a simple but deeply flavorful finish that needs little else. Served for breakfast, at Maslenitsa (the pre-Lenten pancake festival), or alongside savory toppings like smoked salmon and sour cream, blini with browned butter represent one of the simplest, most classic ways this beloved Russian dish is enjoyed at home.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 0.75 cupbuckwheat flour
• 0.5 cupall-purpose flour
• 2 tspbaking powder
• 0.5 tspfine sea salt
• 1 tbspgranulated sugar
• 2eggs
• 1.5 cupsmilk
• 2 tbspmelted butter(plus more for the pan)
• 6 tbspunsalted butter(for browning)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the batter

   Whisk buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk and melted butter, then combine with the dry ingredients until smooth.

2. 2

   Rest the batter

   Let the batter rest 10 minutes so the buckwheat flour hydrates fully.

3. 3

   Cook the blini

   Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with butter. Pour a small ladle of batter, swirling gently to spread thin. Cook 1.5 to 2 minutes until bubbles form and the edges lift, then flip and cook 1 more minute.

   Keep the blini thin -- a small ladleful swirled quickly gives the classic lacy, delicate texture rather than a thick pancake.

4. 4

   Brown the butter

   In a light-colored saucepan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Swirl occasionally as it foams, then watch closely as the milk solids turn golden-brown and it smells nutty, 4 to 5 minutes.

5. 5

   Serve

   Stack the warm blini on plates and drizzle generously with the browned butter, serving immediately.

Variations

• •

  Savory blini: skip the sugar and serve with sour cream, smoked salmon and fresh dill instead of browned butter.

• •

  All-buckwheat version: use all buckwheat flour for a more pronounced, traditional earthy flavor, adjusting liquid slightly since buckwheat absorbs more.

• •

  Yeasted blini: for a more traditional lift, use a yeasted batter rested for an hour instead of baking powder.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked blini stacked between parchment up to 2 days; reheat briefly in a dry skillet. Browned butter can be made ahead and gently rewarmed before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions