🇫🇷French-Style Blini: Small Blini Perfect for Apéritif

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Atsuko
French blini caviar dill glasses of champage candle
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Atsuko

Founder of @Umami Sans Frontières

Unlike the Russian-style blini I previously introduced, this recipe features French-style blini, which are commonly enjoyed in France as part of an apéro (apéritif). While Russian blini are often made larger and served as a meal or festive dish, French blini are typically smaller, designed to be enjoyed as one bite among other apéritif dishes. In France, crème fraîche is often used instead of sour cream, and the blini are served with toppings such as caviar, salmon roe, or shrimp. Light, fluffy, and gently sweet, these French-style blini are perfect for apéro or entertaining. If you like, I hope you’ll give this recipe a try 😊
Expense
💵
Preparation
20 mins
Baking time
20 mins
Rest Time
60 mins

Ingredients

Cooking time: About 1 hour 40 minutes
Ingredients:

For 4-6 people:

  • 120 g of All-Purpose Flour
  • 5 g of Baking Powder
  • A Pinch of Salt
  • 2 Tbsp of Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 150 ml of Milk
  • Butter, as needed

For Topping & Garnish

  • Fresh Herbs (such as Parsley or Chives), for garnish
  • Crème Fraîche
  • Caviar
  • Salmon
  • Salad Shrimp or Cooked Shrimp
How to make it:

1/ Mix the Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl until evenly mixed.

flour baking powder sugar

2/ Warm the Milk: Gently warm the milk in the microwave until it reaches approximately body temperature.

3/ Separate the Eggs: Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks, placing them in two separate bowls.

4/ Whip the Egg Whites: Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whip until stiff peaks form.

White egg whipped

5/ Combine the Egg Yolks and Milk: In another bowl, mix the egg yolks with the warmed milk until well combined.

egg york and milk

egg york milk

6/ Prepare the Batter: Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients. Gradually add the egg yolk and milk mixture, stirring until smooth.

flour milk egg York

7/ Fold in the Egg Whites: Add the whipped egg whites in several additions, folding gently to maintain a light texture.batter white egg

8/ Rest the Batter: Cover the bowl with a cloth and allow the batter to rest at room temperature for about 1 hour.

batter

9/ Cook the Blini: Heat a frying pan with butter or oil. Spoon the batter into the pan, shaping it into small rounds, and cook on both sides until lightly golden.
For smaller blini, use a teaspoon; for larger ones, use a soup spoon.

Blini

Blini baked

10/ Finish and Serve: Allow the blini to cool slightly, then spread with crème fraîche. Top with caviar, salmon roe, shrimp, salmon, or other toppings of your choice.

Blini cavier

🌟 Tips for Enjoying French-Style Blini 🌟

⭐️ Reheat Gently for a Fluffy Texture: If the blini have cooled, gently reheat them in the microwave before serving. This helps bring back their soft, fluffy texture and makes them even more enjoyable.

⭐️ A Gentle Sweetness That Highlights the Toppings: These blini are characterized by their light, airy texture and a subtle sweetness.Because the batter is not overly sweet, it pairs beautifully with savory toppings such as caviar, salmon roe, or shrimp. Adding crème fraîche helps bring everything together, creating a well-balanced bite.

⭐️ How Blini Became a Holiday Favorite in Our Family: I first tried blini when I was invited to a friend’s home in Paris.
The combination of small, light blini with savory toppings felt fresh and memorable.
As it turns out, my husband had always loved blini as well, they were a must-have apéritif for him at Christmas🎄
Naturally, they became part of our own holiday tradition. We used to buy blini ready-made, but they are not easy to find in Germany. When they were sold out even at French grocery stores, I decided to start making them myself. After trying several versions, this batter is the one I now return to again and again😊

French blini Christmas decoration

 

Umami Sans Frontières – Copyrights 2026
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Written byAtsuko

Founder of @Umami Sans Frontières

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