I usually make these sweet farmer's cheese pancakes as a weekend breakfast surprise for my family. Once the smell of fried pancakes wafts through the house, I'll brew some tea and wake up my loved ones to enjoy breakfast together!
➜ More details on this recipe
Farmer's cheese pancakes are incredibly simple, made from just three ingredients: farmer's cheese, flour, and eggs. The uncomplicated dough is shaped into small pancakes and fried in a pan with a touch of fat. When they are still warm, a dusting of powdered sugar makes them perfect, and they are best served fresh off the stove.
At the heart of this recipe lies Czech Tvaroh cheese, in the US known as farmer's cheese. This cheese is a fresh cow's milk variety with a crumbly texture. Learn how to make Czech Tvaroh cheese at home.
MY TIP: Give another iconic Czech dish a try-Lívance pancakes!
➜ Pronunciation
The Czech name of the farmer's cheese pancakes is Tvarohové placky. Here is the authentic pronunciation of this recipe from a native Czech speaker, straight from the source:
➜ Ingredients
To make Czech farmer's cheese pancakes from scratch, you will need:
- Farmer's cheese; based on my experience, farmer's cheese is typically found in the dairy aisle of major grocery stores. Alternatively, if you have a European deli nearby, you can ask about Twarog (Polish) or Quark (German) as suitable substitutes.
- All-purpose flour; or plain flour in the UK. The equivalent of AP/plain flour in the Czech Republic is Hladká mouka. The exact amount of flour depends on the type of cheese farmer. The softer the cheese, the more flour you will need to add.
- Whole egg
- A pinch of salt; for a balance of flavor
- Frying oil; I used canola, but unsalted butter or sunflower oil will also work well.
- Powdered sugar; for coating the pancakes
✅ See the recipe below with step-by-step photos and many helpful tips. Scroll down for the full printable recipe in both US cups and metric measurements.
Kitchen equipment: frying pan, rolling pin
➜ How to make farmer's cheese pancakes
STEP ⅕: Put the farmer's cheese in a bowl and add the flour, egg, and a little salt. Using a fork, mash the cheese with the egg and flour, then turn out the floury cheese mixture onto a work surface and knead with your hands until you have a firm dough.
A helpful tip: I reserve some flour on my work surface. If the dough is sticky, I gradually incorporate parts of this reserved flour into the dough until it reaches the desired consistency.
STEP ⅖: Shape the dough into a cylinder and then cut it into evenly sized pieces. Working on a floured surface, use a rolling pin to flatten each piece to approximately the thickness of a straw.
Aim for a patty size equivalent to about ⅔ the size of your palm (including fingers), roughly measuring around 5x2.½ inches (12x6 cm).
STEP ⅗: Heat a little fat in a frying pan over medium to high heat. Fry the pancakes in well-heated oil on both sides until golden brown. It takes about 2-3 minutes on each side.
I used an 11-inch (28 cm) diameter stainless steel frying pan, just big enough for four pancakes. I put about a tablespoon of fat per batch-pancakes are not supposed to float in oil!
STEP ⅘: Place the fried pancakes on a paper towel and allow the excess fat to absorb.
STEP 5/5: In a shallow bowl, pour some powdered sugar. While the pancakes are still warm, coat both sides generously in the sugar, pressing them lightly into it for an even coating.
➜ Serving
Serve the farmer's cheese pancakes straight after frying-they're wonderfully soft and simply melt in your mouth. They are my go-to for breakfast at home, especially on those leisurely weekend mornings when I wake up half an hour earlier to whip them up quickly. Trust me, they vanish from the plate in no time!
As the pancakes cool down, they tend to firm up. While they still maintain their taste, in my opinion, they aren't as delectable as when they're freshly made.
Do you like this recipe? Try Beleše, yeast pancakes with plum butter and sweetened poppy seeds!
➜ Useful tips
- I have found that using two forks-one to lift the pancakes gently (without piercing them) and the other to support them-works great for flipping farmer's cheese pancakes in the pan. Alternatively, kitchen tongs are also quite effective for this task.
- The pancake recipe comes from my mother-in-law, who hails from the North Bohemian border region. These farmer's cheese pancakes were a staple in the Sudetenland, often crafted by housewives to make use of leftover Tvaroh cheese they had at home.
- Can you freeze these pancakes? Absolutely! Freeze them fresh, right after they have cooled, before adding the sugar coating. They will stay good in the freezer for at least three months.
More farmer's cheese recipes:
- Cheese filling for sweet pastries (tvarohová náplň)
- Puff pastry with cheese filling (tvarohový závin z listového těsta)
- Farmer's cheese spread (tvarohová pomzánka rozhuda)
Tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Farmer's Cheese Pancakes (Czech Tvarohové Placky)
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 9 ounces farmers cheese (or Czech Tvaroh cheese)
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour or more
- 1 egg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons canola oil (or sunflower oil)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar for coating
Instructions
- Put 9 ounces farmers cheese in a bowl and add 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 egg, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Using a fork, mash the cheese with the egg and flour, then turn out the floury cheese mixture onto a work surface and knead with your hands until you have a firm dough.
- Shape the dough into a cylinder, and then cut it into evenly sized pieces. Working on a floured surface, use a rolling pin to flatten each piece to approximately the thickness of a straw. Aim for a patty size equivalent to about ⅔ the size of your palm (including fingers), roughly measuring around 5x2.½ inches (12x6 cm).
- Heat a little fat in a frying pan over medium to high heat. Fry the pancakes in well-heated oil on both sides until golden brown. It takes about 2-3 minutes on each side. If you follow the basic recipe for these pancakes, you will use about 3 Tablespoons canola oil.
- Place the fried pancakes on a paper towel and allow the excess fat to absorb.
- In a shallow bowl, pour ¾ cup powdered sugar. While the pancakes are still warm, coat both sides generously in the sugar, pressing them lightly into it for an even coating.
Notes
- The basic recipe makes 10-12 pancakes, depending on their side.
- SERVING: Serve the farmer's cheese pancakes straight after frying-they're wonderfully soft and simply melt in your mouth. As the pancakes cool down, they tend to firm up. While they still maintain their taste, in my opinion, they aren't as delectable as when they're freshly made.
- Tip on frying: I used an 11-inch (28 cm) diameter stainless steel frying pan, just big enough for four pancakes. I put about a tablespoon of fat per batch-pancakes are not supposed to float in oil!
- Can you freeze these pancakes? Absolutely! Freeze them fresh, right after they have cooled, before adding the sugar coating. They will stay good in the freezer for at least three months.
Carole says
Are these pancakes served with syrup or jam, or are they eaten like acookie?
Petra Kupská says
The pancakes are served coated in powdered sugar only, and they taste best when enjoyed fresh and warm for a wonderfully soft texture and great flavor. My fav!
Linda Prochaska says
Love your recipes. Thanks for sharing. Linda Prochaska
Petra Kupská says
Thank you, Linda, for your kind words!
Poutnik says
If the tvaroh/farmer cheese is measured in ounces, would not it be better to measure flour and sugar in ounces as well, to have all in same units? Or to add how many ounces are those 1 3/4 cup of flour and 3/4 cup of sugar.
Karl says
Dekuju
Make the Placky this morning. They were very good and even better with our home made blackberry jam.
My dough was rather crumbly. Better after adding a bit of milk.
It didn’t look like yours pictured. I’ll have to practice😊
Petra Kupská says
Homemade blackberry jam sound like the perfect combination.
You will eventually get there, no worries. You are already making modifications that work for you.
Mary says
These look delicious! A new market has opened near me and they carry farmers cheese. They have two types…with salt and without. Which do you use for this recipe?
Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says
Since they’re sweet, I would go with the farmer's cheese without salt. That way, you have better control over the saltiness — the cheese already contains some, and you don’t want it to overpower the flavor.