Technically speaking, Shavuot is a springtime holiday that marks both the spring harvest and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. In ancient times, the entire Israelite people would celebrate by making a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Sound familiar? If not, keep reading.
Today, Shavuot is more of a niche observance. It doesn’t come with as much fanfare or ritual as bigger-ticket holidays like Passover or Sukkot, but those who do celebrate might attend services or stay up all night studying Torah.
Here at the Nosher, our favorite Shavuot tradition, though, is dairy. Cheesecake, blintzes, kugel — you name it. Even if you’re not heading to temple at midnight, odds are you can get behind a plate of creamy, cheesy comfort food.
Not everyone agrees on the “why” of dairy food on Shavuot. Some say it’s eaten to symbolize “land flowing with milk and honey.” Mystics point out that the Hebrew word halav (milk) has a numerical value of 40, which matches the number of days Moses spent on Mount Sinai receiving the Torah.
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Whatever the reason, we’ll take any excuse to whip up some blintzes, and dug into The Nosher’s archives to discover an abundance of potential, from savory to sweet. Turns out, this classic dish, is more versatile than you might think. Intrigued? Read on…
Chocolate and Cream Cheese Blintzes
These blintzes are the perfect comfort food anytime during the year when you are craving something sweet.
Leftover Brisket Blintzes
If you don’t have leftover brisket, you can use 1 pound of roasted or braised brisket from your local Jewish deli (even better if it comes with gravy).
Grandma’s Perfect Cheesecake Blintz
Creamy, golden cheesecake blintzes — an old-fashioned Jewish recipe perfect for Shavuot or a sweet brunch treat.
Gluten-Free Blintzes
Thank you to Satva for these gluten-free indulgences.
Savory Cheese and Zucchini Blintzes
With a spunky, Balkan-influenced filling, these blintzes are a nice change of pace from the classic sweet version.
Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Blintzes
Of course Italy is also good at blintzes.
Savory Mushroom Blintzes
In Russia and the former Soviet Union, blintzes are made savory just as often as they are made sweet.
Mama Pearl’s Perfect Blueberry Blintzes
Skip the jam on this one, go for hand fulls of blueberries instead!
Great-Grandma Bessie’s Cheese Blintz
This family favorite recipe uses a secret ingredient for the creamy filling.
Blintz Souffle
Blintz souffle is synonymous with easy, classic Ashkenazi-Jewish-American comfort food and just perfect for Shavuot.
Cheese Blintzes
Blintzes are an iconic and beloved Eastern European Jewish food, but sweet cheese blintzes are most popular during Shavuot when dairy dishes are traditionally enjoyed.
This Blintz Recipe Survived the Holocaust
For Florence Tabrys, a Holocaust survivor, blintzes were a lifeline to her former life near Radom, Poland.
