Syrnyk – Ukrainian Cheesecake
Simple and creamy, my family recipe Syrnyk has been part of our Easter menu for many years. A traditional Eastern European Easter cheese made with cottage cheese, it is also known as a Ukrainian cheesecake. This sweet, light, crustless, and naturally gluten free recipe can be enjoyed as a side dish or dessert.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Ukrainian
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Syrnyk is a traditional sweet Ukrainian Easter cheese. It is made from cottage cheese, though it likely was originally made from farmer’s cheese, as I use in my gluten free pierogi. The cottage cheese is blended together with just a few other ingredients and baked until it is set and slightly golden on the edges. When you are ready to enjoy it, you’ll find it has a light texture and sweet vanilla flavor.
In fact, that sweetness leads to many calling it a Ukrainian cheesecake, albeit a crustless (and naturally gluten free!) cheesecake. So it can be served as a dessert. But in my family, we often enjoy it as a side dish alongside our Easter ham and kielbasa, Hrudka (another Eastern European Easter cheese), and Paska (Ukrainian Easter bread).
Syrnyk is the Ukrainian Cheesecake You Must Try
- So simple and delicious. I hope you are inspired to add a little Slovak inspiration to your Easter menu with an easy recipe that has just four ingredients and takes only a few minutes of preparation before you bake it.
- Something new. Whether you are Ukrainian or not, this is a tasty recipe and would be a unique addition to a cheese platter or dessert table.
- Naturally gluten free. While it is much like a cheesecake, there is no crust and no flour. So it’s gluten free without any fuss or special ingredients.
Recipe Ingredients
This Easter cheese recipe has just four simple ingredients and takes just minutes to assemble. Take a look at this overview of what you’ll need, then scroll to the recipe card for the full amounts and instructions.
- Cottage cheese. Use regular cottage cheese, not large curd or whipped. You do not have to drain it.
- Granulated sugar.
- Eggs. These bind the cheese together so it can be cut into squares once baked.
- Vanilla. I recommend pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
How to Make Ukrainian Sweet Cheese
Preparations. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 13×9-inch glass baking pan or coat it with cooking spray.
Combine the ingredients. Add the cottage cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla to a large bowl and blend with a hand mixer until it is light and fluffy.
Bake the cheese. Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared pan and bake it for about an hour. It’ll be lightly browned on the edges and nearly set, though it will still jiggle slightly in the center.
Cool and serve. Let the cheese cool to room temperature then get it nice and cold in the refrigerator before serving. It will keep refrigerated for 3 or 4 days.
HAND MIXER: I use this inexpensive hand mixer all the time and you’ll need one to blend the ingredients.
MIXING BOWLS: The largest one from this set is the perfect size.
SILICONE SPATULAS: Scrape every last bit into the baking pan.
BAKING DISH: A 9×13-inch glass baking dish is what we you for this recipe.
Make it an Easter Meal
We have this recipe as part of our Easter celebration, alongside ham, kielbasa, and our other traditional Ukrainian Easter recipes. But not all of our dishes are from our Eastern European heritage, especially since I have to make sure my holiday meal is gluten free. These are some other favorites:
- Salads. My mom has always made potato salad for Easter, but coleslaw is also a great option.
- Casseroles. Corn Pudding is a holiday staple in my family, but you can’t go wrong with Scalloped Potatoes with your ham.
- Veggie Sides. I like to save space in the oven and make Air Fryer Asparagus, but we also enjoy Honey Roasted Carrots.
- Dessert. Grab a slice of celebration-worthy Gluten Free Coconut Cake and fill those baskets with Peanut Butter Eggs.
Syrnyk – Sweet Ukrainian Easter Cheese
Ingredients
- 32 oz. cottage cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.
- Combine 32 oz. cottage cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar, 4 large eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a large bowl, and beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Pour into the pan and bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges and nearly set (it will still jiggle slightly in the center).
- Cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator before serving.
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I am interested in making this for Easter this year – what kind of cottage cheese did you use?
You can use pretty much any kind of cottage cheese. I’m sure my family has used every brand and everything from full fat to nonfat over the years.
I’m wondering about baking it in GF Graham Cracker pie crusts.
That’s not something we have ever done as it is eaten as a cheese, not a traditional cheesecake. But if you try it, let me know!
This recipe turned out great! My family is Russian/Ukrainian and I wanted to try this for Easter. I did a test run and and It came out tasting wonderful!!! It was not as fluffy as I thought it would be though, a little watery. I used large curd cottage cheese. Any advice on how to make it more fluffy and less watery?
Ours is not watery, but not really fluffy, either. I used regular, not large curd. Not sure if that makes a difference.
Does the pan need to be that big, because I like my syrnik kind of higher, if you understand what I mean 🙂
Besides that, really great recipe!
Bit sweet for me, but yummy. Used up a batch of cottage cheese that I bought and then didn’t have a plan for- this was super easy! I added in some blackberries. Next time I’ll use less sugar!
We like it thin, but I’m sure you could make it thicker as long as you bake it longer.
I’ll have to try your recipe! In Poland it’s called sernik and it’s done from the farmers cheese. I need to admit I don’t really like American cakes (they are too sweet), but I definitely need to try your syrnyk 🙂 Reminds me of my home country which I left almost 2 years ago.
Oh, I hope you like it, and it reminds you of home. I don’t like America cheesecake either.
Beautiful, Brianne! 🙂 You’re the first other blogger I’ve ever seen with a syrnik recipe! 🙂 Mine’s Russian, so it’s understandably not quite the same but it’s got the same major stuff! I’m gonna have to try this one – I’m excited!
Oh that is so cool!!
I have never seen or heard of this one, but it looks/sounds delicious and like something my family would really enjoy … probably with more vanilla. We tend to be heavy-handed when it comes to vanilla. 🙂
Extra vanilla never hurts anything 🙂
Wow…this is really cool! I’ve never heard of it before, but it sounds lovely. I feel the same way about blogging–it’s such a great way to preserve family recipes. Much safer than writing them on a recipe card!
I am so very intrigued by this Sweet Easter Cheese! I might just have to try this. Thank you for sharing this with us. I hope you had a great Easter!
This looks and sounds amazing!