People can't get enough of fluffy interior and crispy edges of these "Oladi" pancakes. Cozy, sweet and so delicious, these homemade Ukrainian/Russian pancakes are a staple on a weekend breakfast menu. The recipe is so easy to make and it will sure become a family's favorite.
Also, try my Ukrainian Cottage Cheese Pancakes and Cassava Pancakes.
It just doesn't get any better than waking up on a Sunday morning to a sweet aroma of crispy apple Oladi sizzling in a pan.
That's my idea of the cozy weekend breakfast - simple, delicious and preferably hassle-free.
Because unlike the busy weekdays, when we hardly even have time for breakfast, on weekend you finally get to eat your breakfast slowly and you definitely want it to be a good one.
That's where Oladi come in - traditional Russian pancakes made with kefir or buttermilk and with the addition of apple.
Jump to:
Oladi have quite a unique taste and texture. They are pillowy soft, sweet and so delicious.
Unlike most American pancakes, these Oladi are fried in oil. That's what gives them the luscious crispy edges that everyone loves.
Just like in Russia, Oladi are so popular in Ukraine too and I grew up eating ton of those. This is the kind of food that pleases everyone and disappears fast.
Because when you sit at the breakfast table in front of a stack of freshly made Kefir Russian Pancakes, you can't help but dig right into them.
Oladi are delicious and make you feel cozy and and satisfied.
Sometimes you'll these Russian pancakes under different names. Some call them blini, some - oladushki or oladki. Many people even make yeast based Oladi.
However one fact is for sure, whatever you call them, these thick pancakes are sure to impress.
👩🏻🍳 Here Is Why This Oladyi Recipe Works
- Oladi are fluffy, soft and crispy on the edges - and who doesn't like that?
- oladyi can be stuffed with a variety of different fruits or berries; just use whatever you have in your fridge
- oladi that are made with kefir or buttermilk are healthy and quick to make
- approved by picky eaters and it's always a plus
The process of making Oladi is quite similar to making regula pancakes and is easy as a pie.
I'm going to walk you through all steps to ensure you prepare the best Oladi ever.
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
I love that these Oladi are made with simple ingredients. You probably already have them in your pantry.
- Kefir - highly popular dairy-based beverage in Eastern European countries. You can find Kefir in most grocery stores. Otherwise, see my substitution tips below
- Egg - for binding the ingredients
- Flour - I've always made Oladi with all-purpose flour, however Whole Wheat Pastry Flour will work here as well. If you want to use Whole Wheat Flour, I recommend 1:1 ratio meaning 1 part of Whole Wheat Flour and 1 part of All purpose flour.
- Baking soda - to help the batter rise
- Apples - crispy and not too sweet types of apples work best. Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Daisy variety will all work well in this Oladi recipe
- Sugar - Oladi are usually made with a regular cane sugar. However you can use brown sugar or coconut sugar. Keep in mind though, that if you use darker sugar varieties, these Russian pancakes will be darker in color.
- Neutral Oil - for cooking. I recommend to use avocado oil or coconut oil without a smell
🔪 Instructions
- Make a batter for Oladi
In a small bowl combine Kefir and water and microwave for 30 seconds. In another large mixing bowl combine together egg, salt and sugar. Add warmed kefir and mix everything until combined.
- Add flour.
Gradually start adding 2 cups of flour mixing the batter with a hand whisk until it's smooth and without lumps. The batter should resemble a dense sour cream. If it's too thin, add a few more tablespoons of flour, one at a time.
- Add in baking soda and mix everything once again.
- Add apple. Meanwhile, peel, core and dice apples. Add them to a bowl with Oladi batter and mix everything nicely.
- Fry the Oladi pancakes
Melt 2 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Drop about a heaping tablespoon of batter in a skillet and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden-brown on the bottom.
Flip a pancake with a spatula and fry for another minute. Cook Oladi in batches. You can cook 5-6 Russian pancakes at a time. Make sure the skillet has enough oil for Oladi not to stick.
Transfer fried pancakes on a plate, add more oil if needed and continue frying the remaining batter.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Oladi can be prepared ahead of time. They'll keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat them in a microwave until warm.
Yes. Stick to the same rule as if using yogurt - 3 parts of sour cream to 1 part of milk.
Absolutely. Oladi can totally be made with vegan. I recommend replacing an egg with ½ mashed banana or ½ c applesauce.
Since these Oladi are made with Kefir, it's recommended not to freeze them. Otherwise, the texture of pancakes might change once they're thawed.
🥞 Serving suggestions
You can serve Russian Oladi with any sweet condiments that you have in your fridge. Here are some of my favorite topping ideas:
- sour cream
- honey
- maple syrup
- cherry spread or jam (varenye)
- fresh berries like blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
Just like Russian Cottage Cheese Pancakes, Oladi can be served for breakfast, dessert or even dinner. They are delicious, healthy and filling.
📖 Recipe Substituitions
Oftentimes, Oladi are made with Kefir, which is a fermented milk drink. It gives pancakes a fluffier texture.
Kefir is available in practically any grocery store. But if you can't find it, here are some other alternatives to use in place of Kefir:
- Greek yogurt with milk - stick to 3:1 ratio. For example, if you need 1 cup of Kefir, mix ¾ cup of whole fat yogurt with ¼ cup of milk;
- Buttermilk - use 1 part of Buttermilk for 1 part of Kefir.
In addition, when you fry Oladi, feel free to add some chocolate chips on top. Hu Chocolate Gems are the only chocolate chips that I recommend, because they're made with clean and healthy ingredients. You can even snack on them.
Special offer to my readers - use code IRYNA15 to get 15% on all Hu Kitchen products.
🥯 Similar Recipes
If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
For a quick overview of the recipe, please check out Oladi web-story.
Recipe
Fluffy Oladi (Ukrainian/Russian Pancakes)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 c Kefir
- ¼ c water
- 1 egg
- 2 c all purpose flour you might need to add 2-3 more tablespoons of flour
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 apples peeled, cored, and diced
- 5-6 tablespoon neutral oil for cooking coconut oil or avocado oil
Instructions
Make a batter for Oladi
- In a small bowl combine Kefir and water and microwave for 30 seconds. In another large mixing bowl combine together egg, salt and sugar. Add warmed kefir and mix everything until combined.
Add flour
- Gradually add in 2 cups of flour mixing the batter until it's smooth and without lumps. The batter should resemble a dense sour cream. If it's too thin, add a few more tablespoons of flour.
- Add in baking soda and mix everything once again.
- Add diced apples and carefully give everything a stir.
Fry the pancakes
- Melt 2 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Drop about a heaping tablespoon of batter in a skillet and fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden-brown. Flip and fry for another minute. You can cook 5-6 Oladi at a time.
- Transfer fried pancakes on a plate, add more oil if needed and continue frying the remaining batter.
- Serve with your favorite jam, honey or sour cream.
Notes
- Greek yogurt with milk - stick to 3:1 ratio. If you need 1 cup of Kefir, mix ¾ cup of whole fat yogurt with ¼ cup of milk;
- Buttermilk - use 1 part of Buttermilk for 1 part of Kefir.
Nutrition
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Genevieve says
These were even more flavorful and delightful than I expected. However the batter turned out very tacky and thick so I had to add milk but the dough was already a sticky consistency so it didn't fix the issue of the pancakes being thick and raw in the middle. I ended up breaking the fritters length ways and cooking them middle side down. they didnt look pretty but still tasted good.
Iryna Bychkiv says
Genevieve, sorry you had issues with the batter! The tackiness can be caused by high protein content in the flour (which varies by manufacturer), combined with overmixing that leads to excessive gluten development.
To make the batter more pourable, you are right to add more liquid! Next time, yes, incrementally add more milk or kefir until you reach the desired consistency. I'm truly glad you enjoyed the flavor anyway!
widad mahdjoub says
Ohhh hace a bunch of apples from my land, gonna try this straight away for my daughter. Thanks
Sandra says
delicious!!! they came out so perfect!!
Nima says
These were very good, however, two cups of flour to one cup of kefir was way too much flour! I ended up with a very thick batter. Fortunately, adding more kefir until it reached the right consistency worked.
Iryna Bychkiv says
Nima, thank you for your comment! Sometimes, depending on the flour brand, the recipe might need more or less flour. I'm glad you were able to reach the desired consistency and that the oladi turned out delicious.
CB says
I'm envisioning these as tasting somewhat like a Funnel Cake and I'm absolutely interested. Also, I wonder if a little Cinnamon added to the apples would be good. Can't wait to try this recipe!
Iryna Bychkiv says
CB, I don't think they taste similar to Funnel cake, since Oladi are only sightly crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. Adding cinnamon sounds like a great idea. I hope you'll give this recipe a try, it's delicious:)
Silvy says
I love these pancakes but find that 2 cups flour is way too much. I use only about 1 1/4 cup and leave the batter to rest about 20 min as it thickens up.I love the taste. This is my favourite oladi recipe.
Andy Sand says
Oops! Check you math re: substitutions. A 3:1 sub for 1 c of Kefir is
2/3 c yogurt and 1/3 c milk. Or as suggested 2/3 c sour cream and 1/3 c milk.
They look delicious
CB says
2/3 to 1/3 is only a 2:1 ratio of Yogurt to milk. 3:1 is correctly 3/4 cup Yogurt to 1/4 milk as written by the author.
Kathy says
1 small correction for Apple enthusiasts: Granny Smith is not a sweet apple. It is tart.
Newer varieties that are sweet (and not on ur list) are Honeycrisp, Evercrisp, Cosmic Crisp, Opal, Sweetango, & Pinata. A few of these are seasonal only.
Hello says
This needs a rough retype. You repeat the instructions twice. Could be confusing to new people.
Iryna says
Thank you for pointing that out! It's obviously a mistake and I've already fixed it.
Chris says
Fantastic! Just like my Grandma's!
Iryna says
Chris, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm happy you liked this recipe!
Amanda says
Made these with organic whole wheat flour, organic homemade kefir… even topped it with our own maple syrup from this past winter and some butter. WOW! Absolutely amazing! Great for breakfast and even dessert. These would go well with some vanilla ice cream I’m sure.
Ira says
5/5 insanely good and i am not a good cooker or baker. The only thing with the recipe is the order of the ingredients. It lists "egg, flour, sugar, salt" but then the first ingredients you mix are egg, sugar, salt, and THEN the flour. Normally ingredients are listed in the order used and that threw me off.
Iryna says
Hi Ira! Thank you so much for your comment and the 5 star rating! I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe! And thank you for the heads up regarding the order of the ingredients, will fix it soon.
Jessica says
Hi Iryna, ..could you made them without fruits?
Iryna says
Hi Jessica! Yes, you can make Oladi without any fruit.
Linda says
Can you use a different flour? We are on Whole30
Iryna says
Hi Linda! I haven't tried making this recipe with other types of flour, but you can try it with Almond flour. I'm not sure if the same proportions would work. I would probably start with 1 3/4 c of flour and then add more if the batter in not thick enough. The batter should be a consistency of a sour cream.
Beverly says
Thank you! My Latvian father talked about pancakes his mother had made with apples in them. I will make these in their honor.
Iryna says
Hi Beverly! Yes, this is a popular recipe across all post-Soviet countries. I hope you'll enjoy these pancakes!