Baked Crepes with Sweet Cheese Filling (Oven-Baked Palatschinken)
These baked crepes with sweet cheese filling (oven-baked palatschinken) feel like an elaborate dessert, but are actually very simple to make. You get tender crepes, a creamy vanilla cheese filling, and a custard-like bake that will impress anyone in its simplicity. If you grew up anywhere in Central Europe, you grandma probably made this almost weekly, and with good reason: everyone likes it, and (although we didn't think about that back in the day) it contains a fair amount of protein so it's quite filling!
You'll need some palatschinken* to make this recipe. They are a traditional Central and Eastern European dish, especially popular in countries like Austria, Hungary, Slovenia (my country!) and Slovakia. They are very similar to French crepes, but often filled and baked or served rolled with sweet or savory fillings.
*If you don't have sourdough starter on hand for palatschinken, you can just skip it and still follow the recipe successfully!
This baked version is especially common for family meals and holidays because it can be made ahead and feeds a crowd easily. There's many variation of it, but this is the one we liked best in my house, and guest always agreed it was one of the best ones!
You can also use my fresh-milled palatschinken recipe if you have a grain mill at home!
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Quick Look
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour (+ about 30 mins to make palatschinken if you don't have them as leftovers)
- Servings: 6
- Difficulty: Easy-Medium
- Baking Method: Oven-baked (casserole style)
- Best For: Breakfast, brunch, dessert, make-ahead comfort food
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- Summarize & Save This Recipe On:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Baked Crepes with Sweet Cheese Filling (Oven-Baked Palatschinken)
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Baked Crepes with Sweet Cheese Filling (Oven-Baked Palatschinken)
- Other Delicious Recipes
- Baked Crepes with Sweet Cheese Filling (Oven-Baked Palatschinken)
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
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- Pumpkin Pie Crisp with Buttery Pecan Oat Topping
Important Ingredients
- Palatschinken are the base of the dish. They hold the filling and become soft and rich when baked.
- Farmer's cheese (or ricotta/quark) gives a creamy, slightly tangy taste.
- Sour cream makes the filling smooth and adds extra creaminess.
- Sugar sweetens the filling and balances the tang from the cheese.
- Eggs help bind everything together and make the filling set like custard when baked.
- Vanilla extract adds a warm, sweet flavor to the dish.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Farmer's cheese: traditionally, this dish is made with farmer's cheese or quark, but ricotta works really well too. It just depends on how rich you want the filling. If you want the closest result to what we call skuta, go for a drier, slightly crumbly cheese rather than a very creamy one.
- Sweetness: Adjust the sweetness to taste or use a natural sweetener instead of sugar.
- Flavor: Add spices, vanilla, citrus zest, or dried fruit to change the flavor.
How to Make Baked Crepes with Sweet Cheese Filling (Oven-Baked Palatschinken)
Step 1: Prepare a batch of palatschinken using my recipe linked above. Set them aside (Image 1).
Step 2: In a bowl, mix together the cheese, sour cream, sugar, and raisins (Image 2).
The mixture should be creamy but still thick enough to spread.
Step 3: Spread a few tablespoons of filling over each palatschinken, then roll them up (Image 3).
Step 4: Place the filled palatschinken into your baking dish closely next to each other (Image 4).
Step 5: In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, egg, and a bit of sugar. Pour this evenly over the palatschinken (Image 5).
Step 6: Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 25-30 minutes, until set and lightly golden on top (Image 6).
Hint: do not overfill the crepes. A thin, even layer works better than a thick one. This keeps the rolls manageable to roll and helps everything bake evenly.
Baking Schedule
If you are making everything fresh, start by preparing your crepes first. Crepes can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days, which makes this recipe much easier to assemble later. I think it should take you no more than 30 minutes to make crepes from start to finish.
Once your crepes are ready, the filling comes together in about 5-10 minutes. After that, assembling the dish takes another 10-15 minutes depending on how many crepes you're filling.
The final bake takes about 25-30 minutes.
💭Crucial Success Tips
The filling should be creamy but not runny. If it is too thin, it will leak out of the crepes and the final dish will feel watery instead of custardy. If needed, you can add an extra spoonful of farmer's cheese to thicken it.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Ricotta is the closest substitute. Farmer's cheese is slightly drier and tangier, while ricotta is creamier. If using ricotta, you can drain it slightly for a thicker filling.
Yes. Assemble the dish, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Bake fresh for best texture.
This usually happens if the ratio of wet ingredients is too high or if it was underbaked. The filling should set like a soft custard. Bake a bit longer if needed.
No. Raisins are traditional but optional. You can skip them or replace them with dried cranberries or leave the filling plain.
How To Store Baked Crepes with Sweet Cheese Filling (Oven-Baked Palatschinken)
Store leftover baked crepes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can also cover the baking dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap.
To reheat, warm in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 10-15 minutes or microwave individual portions until heated through.
For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months. Wrap portions tightly and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Other Delicious Recipes
- Fast Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Hybrid Sourdough Bread (With Yeast)
- 3-Step Sourdough in Under 4 Hours
- Dinkelbrötchen (Sourdough Spelt Rolls)
If you tried these baked crepes with sweet cheese filling (oven-baked palatschinken) or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Baked Crepes with Sweet Cheese Filling (Oven-Baked Palatschinken)
Ingredients
For the filling
- 500 g cheese Farmer's, quark, or ricotta
- 120 g sour cream
- 80 g sugar
- 80 g raisins
For assembling
- 120 g sour cream
- 120 ml milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon sugar optional, for topping
Instructions
- Prepare a batch of crepes using my recipe linked above. Set them aside.
- In a bowl, mix together the cheese, sour cream, sugar, and raisins. The mixture should be creamy but still thick enough to spread.
- Spread a few tablespoons of filling over each crepe, then roll them up.
- Place the filled crepes into your baking dish closely next to each other.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, egg, and a bit of sugar. Pour this evenly over the crepes.
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 25-30 minutes, until set and lightly golden on top.
Notes
- Traditionally, this is made with farmer's cheese or quark, but ricotta works really well too. It just depends on how rich you want the filling.
- If you want the closest result to what we call skuta, go for a drier, slightly crumbly cheese rather than a very creamy one.
- You can adjust the sugar depending on how sweet you like it.
- This reheats really well, so it's a good make-ahead option
