Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche

Delicate buckwheat pancakes topped with luxurious crème fraîche, smoked salmon, and fresh dill. These traditional Russian-inspired blinis make an elegant appetizer or brunch dish.

6 servings

2 hr 17 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•½ cup all purpose flour
•⅓ cup buckwheat flour
•4 teaspoons sugar
•1¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
•¼ teaspoon salt
•1 cup whole milk
•3 tablespoons butter
•2 large eggs
•2 tablespoons melted butter
•½ cup crème fraîche
•4 ounces smoked salmon
•2 tablespoons salmon roe
•¼ cup fresh dill

Cooking Instructions

1.
Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.
2 min
2.
Place milk and butter in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until butter melts and thermometer registers 110°F (if mixture gets too warm, cool until temperature returns to 110°F). Pour warm milk mixture into flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
90 min
3.
Whisk buckwheat batter to deflate; then whisk in eggs. Do ahead Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Transfer to large bowl. Cover; chill (may increase in volume; rewhisk before using).
5 min
4.
Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush lightly with melted butter. Working in batches, pour 2 tablespoons batter for each blini onto griddle, spacing apart. Cook until bubbles form on top and begin to pop, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn blinis; cook until golden brown on bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet. Tent with foil and place in oven to keep warm while cooking remaining blinis. Do ahead Blinis can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Brush blinis lightly with melted butter and rewarm on baking sheet in 350°F oven 5 minutes.
30 min
5.
Arrange warm blinis on platter. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon crème fraîche atop each. Top with smoked salmon. Garnish with salmon roe and dill sprigs and serve.
10 min

Ingredients

•½ cup all purpose flour

•⅓ cup buckwheat flour

•4 teaspoons sugar

•1¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

•¼ teaspoon salt

•1 cup whole milk

•3 tablespoons butter

•2 large eggs

•2 tablespoons melted butter

•½ cup crème fraîche

•4 ounces smoked salmon

•2 tablespoons salmon roe

•¼ cup fresh dill

Cooking Instructions

Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.

2 min

Place milk and butter in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until butter melts and thermometer registers 110°F (if mixture gets too warm, cool until temperature returns to 110°F). Pour warm milk mixture into flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

90 min

Whisk buckwheat batter to deflate; then whisk in eggs. Do ahead Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Transfer to large bowl. Cover; chill (may increase in volume; rewhisk before using).

5 min

Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush lightly with melted butter. Working in batches, pour 2 tablespoons batter for each blini onto griddle, spacing apart. Cook until bubbles form on top and begin to pop, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn blinis; cook until golden brown on bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet. Tent with foil and place in oven to keep warm while cooking remaining blinis. Do ahead Blinis can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Brush blinis lightly with melted butter and rewarm on baking sheet in 350°F oven 5 minutes.

30 min

Arrange warm blinis on platter. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon crème fraîche atop each. Top with smoked salmon. Garnish with salmon roe and dill sprigs and serve.

10 min