Thin, Lacy Pancakes Just Like Grandma's: An Easy Recipe for Beginners

It's time to stock up on perfect pancake recipes for Maslenitsa, the festival before Lent. In 2026, the pancake week starts early, on 16 February.

Feb 1, 2026

This simple recipe yields delicate, thin pancakes perfect for rolling with various fillings.
Source:
Oleg Fyodorov / CHITA.RU

In 2026, Maslenitsa will be early, and the pancake week starts on 16 February. Save this classic, tried-and-true recipe for thin pancakes (blini) that turn out lacy, tender, and are perfect for both sweet and savory fillings. In short, they are just the thing to dip in sour cream or spread with caviar!

Thin Pancakes with Milk

This recipe is a golden classic. The pancakes turn out elastic, come off the pan easily, and can be rolled into a tube.

Ingredients:

Flour — 200 g (approximately 1.5 cups of 250 ml, but it«s better to weigh it)
Milk — 500 ml
Eggs — 3 (large, or 4 small)
Sugar — 1-2 tablespoons (to taste, for sweet pancakes you can use more)
Salt — ½ teaspoon
Vegetable oil — 2-3 tablespoons (for the batter) + for greasing the pan
Butter — 50 g (optional, for greasing the finished pancakes)

Step-by-Step Preparation:

1. Making the batter (without lumps!)

In a deep bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, and salt. Whisk until smooth and slightly frothy.
Add about 150-200 ml of milk (about a third of the total amount) and mix well again.
Gradually add the sifted flour, stirring constantly with a whisk. You will get a fairly thick, smooth batter, the consistency of thick sour cream.
Now gradually pour in the remaining milk, stirring constantly. The batter will become thin and smooth.
Add the vegetable oil and mix. It is needed so that the pancakes don«t stick to the pan and are more elastic. The batter should resemble heavy cream in consistency.
Let the batter rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature. During this time, the gluten in the flour will «relax,» and the pancakes won»t tear.

2. Baking the pancakes

Take a good frying pan with a thick bottom and non-stick coating (ideally, a special pancake pan). Heat it well over medium heat.
Grease the pan with oil BEFORE THE FIRST pancake. For this, literally drip 3-5 drops of vegetable oil and spread it over the entire surface with a paper towel. Subsequent pancakes can be baked on a dry pan because there is oil in the batter.
Pour a portion of the batter into the center of the pan with a ladle or large spoon and quickly spread it in a circular motion over the entire surface. You don«t need much batter — the thinner the layer, the lacier the pancake.
Bake over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and pull away from the sides, and the surface becomes matte.
Loosen the edge of the pancake with a spatula. If the bottom is golden, carefully flip the pancake and bake on the other side for another 30-60 seconds.
You can brush the finished pancake with a piece of butter — they will become softer and more fragrant.

Several Secrets for Perfect Thin Pancakes:

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Take the milk and eggs out of the refrigerator in advance.
Be sure to let the batter rest. This is a key point for elasticity.
If the batter becomes too thick after resting (this can happen due to different flour humidity), just thin it with a small amount of milk or water.
The pan must be well heated before the first pancake. The first pancake often turns out lumpy precisely because of insufficient temperature.
Don«t bake over high heat — the pancake will burn and not cook through. Medium or slightly above medium is optimal.

May all your pancakes be perfect!