The Hungarian word for “pancake” is palacsinta (pronounced pah-la-cheen-ta). They are not what we generally think of as pancakes in the US, but thin, delicate crêpes that can be made with a variety of fillings, both sweet and savory.
The sweet variety of Hungarian pancakes is most often served as dessert, but they make a fabulous dish for a special occasion brunch as well. A favorite in our family for generations, this recipe is made with a lightly sweetened cottage cheese filling flavored with lemon zest and vanilla and a topping of fresh raspberry sauce.
How to Make Hungarian Crepes (Palacsinta)
- Whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter, and salt.
- Add flour in small increments and whisk until the mixture is free of lumps and thoroughly combined. Refrigerate for an hour to allow the batter to thicken. While the batter is chilling, make the filling and sauce.
- For the filling, combine the cottage cheese, confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- For the sauce, place the raspberries, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Whisk water and cornstarch together in a small bowl, add to the raspberry mixture and continue cooking until the mixture thickens to a syrup-like consistency. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
- To cook the palacsinta (crepes), add some vegetable oil to a 10-inch nonstick pan and rub it over the bottom and sides with a paper towel.
- Heat the pan over medium heat and add some batter to the center. Working quickly, lift the pan from the heat, tilting and rotating it until the batter coats it completely in a thin layer.
- After 20 to 30 seconds, the crepe should appear set and “dry.”
- Flip the crepe over and cook until barely browned, about another 10 to 15 seconds.
- Transfer to cooked palacsinta (crepes) to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter. You should end up with about 1 dozen.
- To serve, place one crepe on a flat surface and spread a little of the filling on one side, about 1 inch in from the edges.
- Gently roll the crêpe to form a tube, making sure the filling is evenly distributed.
- Place the palacsinta seam side down on a serving plate and top with raspberry sauce.
Five Tips for Perfect Hungarian Crêpes
Making crêpes is an inexact science at best and it does take a little practice to get comfortable with the process. Here are a few tips to help you make a successful batch, even if it’s your first time making them.
- Always let the batter rest for at least 1 hour, then whisk again just before cooking to ensure there are no lumps. You can make the batter up to a day ahead if you like.
- Using a true, nonstick pan really helps. We generally use a 10-inch size, but an 8-inch works too. Just reduce the amount of batter you add for each crêpe to 3 tablespoons. You’ll get 4 to 6 more crêpes using the smaller-sized pan.
- The first crêpe you make will help you judge the batter’s consistency. If it is too thick, it will be hard to get the batter to spread to the edges of the pan before it sets. Whisking in an additional 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk should help. If the batter is too thin, the first crêpe will become dry and brittle as it sets. It that’s the case, whisk in a little additional flour (1 or 2 tablespoons at most).
- As soon as the batter begins to dry around the edges and appears set, use a thin spatula to get under the crêpe and flip it quickly. Don’t worry if it doesn’t land perfectly flat after flipping. You should be to straighten it out easily enough.
- You can put a layer of wax paper between the cooked crêpes if you like, but we don’t bother and have never had an issue with them sticking together, even when made ahead and stored overnight.
More Popular Hungarian Recipes
- Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Hungarian Kiffles
- Hungarian Summer Squash with Dill
- Hungarian Noodle Dumplings (Nokedli)
- Hungarian Cabbage Noodles
Hungarian Crêpes: Palacsinta
Perfect to serve for dessert or brunch, this recipe for Hungarian-style crepes (palacsinta) has a sweet, lemony cottage cheese filling and a topping of fresh raspberry sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1-1/4 cups whole milk, plus more if needed
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
For the filling:
- 2 cups cottage cheese (not reduced fat)
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the raspberry sauce:
- 2 cups fresh raspberries, washed and well drained
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and salt. Whisk in the flour 1/4 cup at a time until the mixture is free of lumps and thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the batter to thicken.
- While the batter chills, make the filling and the raspberry sauce. For the filling, combine the cottage cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- To prepare the sauce, place the raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk the water and cornstarch together in a small bowl until well blended, then add to the raspberry mixture. Return to a simmer and continue cooking until the mixture thickens to a syrup-like consistency (do not overcook). Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
- To make the palacsinta, add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to a 10-inch nonstick pan and rub it over the bottom and sides with a paper towel. Heat the pan over medium heat and add 1/4 cup of the batter to the center of the pan. Working quickly, lift the pan from the heat, tilting and rotating until the batter coats it completely in a thin layer.
- As soon as the crêpe appears set and "dry" (20 to 30 seconds), flip it over and cook until barely browned, 10 to 15 seconds longer. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
- Stack the cooked palacsinta (crepes) on a plate. You should end up with about 1 dozen.
- To serve, place one crêpe on a flat surface and spread about 2-1/2 tablespoons of the filling on one side, about 1 inch in from the edges. Gently roll the crêpe to form a tube, making sure the filling is evenly distributed. Place seam side down on a serving plate and top with raspberry sauce.
Recipe Notes
Five Tips for Making Perfect Crêpes (Palacsinta):
Making crêpes is an inexact science at best and it does take a little practice to get comfortable with the process. Here are a few tips to help you make a successful batch, even if it’s your first time making them.- Always let the batter rest for at least 1 hour, then whisk again just before cooking to ensure there are no lumps. You can make the batter up to a day ahead if you like.
- Using a true, nonstick pan really helps. We generally use a 10-inch size, but an 8-inch works too. Just reduce the amount of batter you add for each crêpe to 3 tablespoons. You’ll get 4 to 6 more crêpes using the smaller sized pan.
- The first crêpe you make will help you judge the batter consistency. If it is too thick, it will be hard to get the batter to spread to the edges of the pan before it sets. Whisking in an additional 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk should help. If the batter is too thin, the first crêpe will become dry and brittle as it sets. It that’s the case, whisk in a little additional flour (1 or 2 tablespoons at most).
- As soon as the batter begins to dry around the edges and appears set, use a thin spatula to get under the crêpe and flip it quickly. Don’t worry if it doesn’t land perfectly flat after flipping. You should be to straighten it out easily enough.
- You can put a layer of wax paper between the cooked crêpes if you like, but we don’t bother and have never had an issue with them sticking together, even when made ahead and stored overnight.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Hungarian Crêpes: Palacsinta
Amount per Serving
Calories
288
% Daily Value*
Fat
12
g
18
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
3
g
Cholesterol
121
mg
40
%
Sodium
403
mg
18
%
Carbohydrates
31
g
10
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
11
g
12
%
Protein
14
g
28
%
Trans Fat
1
g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you tried this recipe?Did you add your own special touch? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a rating to share your thoughts with others.
Palacsinta Variations:
Here are a couple of easy, sweet palacsinta filling and topping variations:
- Jam Filled: Spread some of your favorite preserves (apricot, raspberry, strawberry) on the palacsinta, roll and dust with powdered sugar or a combination of powdered sugar and finely ground walnuts.
- Apple Filled: Sauté some thinly sliced apple in butter until tender, fill and roll the palacsinta and dust with powdered sugar.
- Savory Palacsinta: Prepare veal or chicken paprikas and dice the meat into small pieces. Fill and roll the palacsinta, tucking in the ends. Place them in a lightly greased baking dish, top with paprikas gravy and bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
To says
These Hungarian crepe recipe sound delicious can’t wait to try them, my grandmother was Hungarian and I come from a line incredible cooks and bakers !
We would also just squeeze a little fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with sugar that was so delicious too ! I can’t wait to try the cabbage ones they sound fantastic!
Love your website ❤️
Irene Renaud says
Both parents were Hungarian and unfortunately both have passed. Mom used to make a fried cabbage with sour cream in a crepe we call Palachinta. I love them and have made them in the past. Not sure if I have the correct ingredients. I add sugar to the cabbage and fry in a little shortening and butter. It always turns out different. Can anyone enlighten me as to what to put in it? thank you.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Irene,
Thanks for posting your question about cabbage palacsinta. I’ve done a little research in some old cookbooks and found a couple of recipes that include fried cabbage mixed directly into batter and cooked as you would any pancake. That doesn’t sound like what you’re looking for exactly, but I would guess the cabbage prep method could be similar. Both versions recommend finely shredding about 1-1/2 lbs of cabbage, tossing it with some salt and setting it in a colander for at least thirty minutes to draw out excess moisture. When you’re ready to cook it, you want to give each handful a squeeze to get rid of that extra liquid.
The more modern of the two recipes said to fry the cabbage in rendered bacon fat and there was no sugar used. The older, and what I thought was the more authentic recipe called for slowly frying (45 minutes to 1 hour) the cabbage in 4 tablespoons of goose fat and sprinkling it with 1 tablespoon of sugar when it’s very close to being done. I don’t know about you, but goose fat isn’t anything I keep on hand. However, duck fat is pretty readily available for purchase. Also, if you’re not getting rid of the excess moisture in your cabbage before frying, that may account for some difference in flavor. With the moisture gone, the cabbage flavor would be somewhat sweeter and more concentrated. We’ll see if anyone else weighs in here with a family recipe or more information. In the meantime, I hope this info helps.
Marlene Lukacs says
I also am Hungarian by birth. For the filling i use cottage cheese with a little sugar,vanilla and fresh dill chopped finely. Sooo good.
It has been very hard getting authentic Hungarian recipes. My mom passed many years ago. I lost all of her recipes in a fire. So I’m really happy i found this one. Thank you so much.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Marlene,
I’m glad you found the site. I hope to be posting more Hungarian recipes as time goes on. Your palacsinta filling with the fresh dill sounds delicious. My family used to grow dill in season and they used it in a lot of dishes.
Judith Humphrys says
Hi there,
I am Hungarian by birth and I have been making Palacsinta forever. My husband and children love it for Sunday brunch. I always add about 1/2 cup club soda to lighten the batter makes them very light and tender.
I also make my own “Túró” which is Hungarian version of cottage cheese and in my opinion much tastier. I mix it with a little bit of plain Greek yogurt for crepes plus the lemon zest and some vanilla sugar. My husband likes them with my home canned “boozey” peaches.
Túró
2 liters (2 quarts) homogenized milk
1/2 liter (16 ounces) buttermilk
Mix together in a stainless steel pot and let rest covered in a warming place until starting to thicken. In cover and place in 250f oven until a top forms a uniform curd. Drain through cheesecloth and hang the cheesecloth until Túró no longer drains liquid. Put Túró in a container and refrigerate until needed.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Judith,
Thank you so much for sharing the hint about the club soda and the recipe for Túró. I am definitely going to give both a try. Hope you don’t mind, I added the US conversion for liters to ounces/quarts. The home-canned peaches sound wonderful too.
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
Crepes are always perfect for a brunch.
Betty Ann Quirino says
This is a wonderful crepes recipe. I love all the flavors here!
Laura Dembowski says
The filling sounds so interesting. I love the color contrast with the sauce too!
Liz says
My mom would make us crepes for Sunday breakfasts—always a favorite! Yours look amazing, Lynne!
Eileen says
These are absolutely gorgeous!
Lynne Webb says
Thanks Eileen!
Denise Wright says
I love crepes but savory and sweet. These look beautiful and delicious!
Lynne Webb says
Thank you Denise!
Carlee says
Those look absolutely perfect! Maybe I’ll request some for Mother’s Day!
Lynne Webb says
Be sure to get someone else to do the cooking (and the dishes)!
The Finer Cookie/Kim says
Crepes are a big favourite in my family. Sometimes my husband like to make them with lemon juice and brown sugar. He made them for me when the fridge was empty. Your look delicious.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Kim,
Your husband’s lemon and brown sugar combo sounds good!
Wendy says
This looks perfect for a mother’s day brunch!
Lynne Webb says
Hi Wendy,
You’re right – they’re great as a brunch dish and it’s easy to make everything ahead and just assemble them when you’re ready to serve.