Fried varškėčiai have a browned surface and a soft curd centre. AI-generated illustration created for LithuaniaLinks.
What varškėčiai are
Varškėčiai are curd-cheese pancakes rather than flour pancakes with cheese added as a topping. Go Vilnius includes them among the city's familiar foods and notes their place on children's menus.
Choosing the curd cheese
Use fairly dry 9% varškė here. Wet, loose cottage cheese changes the dough.
Fried and boiled versions
Kepti varškėčiai are fried. Virti varškėčiai are boiled curd dumplings, a different preparation. This page gives the fried version.
How to eat them
Sour cream and jam are familiar accompaniments. Keep them separate if you want to taste the curd before adding anything sweet.
Home recipe
Fried varškėčiai with raisins
8 pancakes, about 4 portions
Approx. 440 kcal per serving · 2 pancakes; no toppings
Recipe adapted from: Ieva · Taste of Lithuania.
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- Preparation
- 20 minutes
- Cooking
- 15 minutes
- Total
- 35 minutes
Ingredients
Add only what you need, or add the whole recipe at once.
Pancakes
- 360 g dry curd cheese, about 9% fat
- 50 g raisins or sultanas
- 1 medium-large egg
- 30 g caster sugar
- 140 to 160 g plain flour, plus dusting flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Butter and neutral oil, for frying
To serve
- Sour cream
- Jam
Method
- Cover the raisins with hot water for 5 minutes, then drain well.
- Mash the curd with the egg, sugar and salt. Work in the flour and baking powder, then the raisins, stopping as soon as the dough comes together.
- On a floured surface, form a log and cut eight pieces. Shape each into a thick round.
- Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Fry under a lid for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side, adjusting the heat to prevent burning.
- Serve warm with sour cream and jam.
Ingredient information: Milk; Egg; Wheat. Check the labels of bought ingredients.
Energy estimate
Approx. 440 kcal per serving
Reference servings per batch: 4. 2 pancakes, or 1/4 of the batch, without sour cream or jam.
Calculation details
Uses 9% curd cheese, 150 g flour plus 20 g retained dusting flour, and assumes the batch retains 20 g oil and 10 g butter. Sour cream and jam are excluded.
Calculated from ingredient quantities and the stated reference serving, rounded to the nearest 10 kcal. Brands, portion size and retained frying fat affect the result.
