• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Balkan Recipes
  • About BLB
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Balkan Lunch Box > Recipes > Main Courses > Balkan Mushroom Crêpes (Palačinke sa Gljivama)

    Balkan Mushroom Crêpes (Palačinke sa Gljivama)

    Published: Jan 4, 2017 · Modified: Feb 20, 2025 by Aida

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This is a recipe for Palačinke, Balkan crepes, stuffed with a mushroom crepe filling, topped with tartar sauce, and baked. (Don’t worry, our crepe batter is super easy!) The result is a hearty entrée oozing with yummy umami flavor mixed with savory tartness. Shall we?

    Eight crepes on a plate, and a hand holding tartar saauce.
    Jump to:
    • Background
    • Why This Mushroom Crepe Recipe Works
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Expert Tips for Perfect Crepe Batter
    • Handling
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Crepe and Mushroom Recipes
    • Thoughts?
    • Balkan Muhroom Crepes (Palačinke sa Gljivama)

    Background

    Let’s be honest, we couldn’t call ourselves a Balkan food blog without at least one stuffed crepes main course! Ok, ok, there are also the Breaded Ham and Cheese Crepes and the Spinach and Cheese Crepe Cake.

    But to make a serious dent in the palačinke universe we needed to share a recipe with a mushroom crepe filling.

    For those who are unfamiliar, palačinke are Central and Southeast Europe’s answer to crepes. In fact, they’re one of the most popular area dishes.

    So popular in fact, that palačinke with sweet and savory fillings are on the menu of almost every regional restaurant, from Bosnia to Slovenia!

    And this mushroom crepes recipe will show you why!

    (Please note that the terms palačinke and crepes/ crêpes are used interchangeably in the text below.)

    Why This Mushroom Crepe Recipe Works

    • First of all, this mushroom stuffing is the best traditional savory crepe filling. Once you make it, you’ll realize why sometimes adding just one ingredient makes all the difference!
    • Isn't it time for palačinke to stop playing second fiddle to Nutella? Here's a great example how adding a tasty crepe filling easily transforms palačinke into a legitimate main course.
    • Mushrooms, whose flavor is best described as umami, taste even more splendidly when coupled and baked with the slightly sour tartar. Go mushroom crepes go!
    • While making crepes can be intimidating, we share expert tips for crepe batter to help you make these thin European pancakes perfectly on your first try.
    • The resulting palačinke dish is so flavorful and visually pleasing it looks like you put a ton of time and effort into it. However, you and I will know it’s easy as 1-2-3.

    Ingredients

    Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make mushroom crepes.

    Twelve ingredients on top of the table.

    Mushrooms: For a more ‘mature’ crepe filling taste, sub with portobello, cremini, shiitake or oyster mushrooms, or a mix of. 
    Butter: Sub with coconut oil.  
    (Optional) Sugar: some palačinke lovers add a teaspoon of sugar to the crepe batter for a touch of sweetness. 
    Tartar sauce:  Sub with equal parts mayo and sour cream mix. 

    Instructions

    Here are the fastest instructions to make mushroom crepes.

    Nine photographs of crepe making.

    Step 1. Cook onion and mushroom crepe filling.
    Step 2. Make crepe batter.
    Step 3. Heat the pan and grease it.
    Step 4. Cook crepes.

    Six photographs of crepes with mushrooms.

    Step 5. Stuff them. Heat up the baking pan and butter. 
    Step 6. Place mushroom crepes in the baking pan. Top with tartar. Bake. 

    Expert Tips for Perfect Crepe Batter

    • Perfect Volume: After much testing we found the best crepes are made in a pan that’s 8-9 inches in diameter (25cm), with ½ cup of crepe batter for each one.
    • Oil: Instead of pouring oil into the pan, it’s best to lightly coat it with a paper towel that’s been dipped in oil. (Watch your fingers!) This way the crepe batter will produce palačinke that are not sticky, nor greasy. Also, it'll be easier to add the crepe filling to palačinke made this way.
    • Perfect Flip: For the perfect crepe flip use a knife to lightly unseal its edges from the pan. Then shake it in the pan a little bit to ensure the rest of it is not glued to the pan. Finally, hold the pan in your hand and do a slight wrist movement up and down. (The greatest mistake in flipping palačinke is thinking you need to make huge movements.)
    • Resting Time: If you can, rest the batter in the fridge for mushroom crepes a bit before frying. Whisk it if it separates, and add a pinch of water.

    Handling

    Here are tips for serving and storing your mushroom crepes (palačinke sa gljivama):

    Serving: Serve mushroom crepes warm, or (optional) with additional tartar sauce. Add a side soup or salad, per taste.

    Storing: Store crepe batter in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to use it, bring the batter to room temperature and whisk it, adding a pinch of water. Meanwhile, store finished crepes in an airtight container in a cooler kitchen for a day or in the fridge for up to two days.

    Recipe FAQs

    What is a crepe and how is it different from a pancake? 

    A crepe is a flattened European pancake. Regionally it goes by different names, like palačinke in the Balkans.

    While in the US pancakes are usually a breakfast or brunch food, crepes are usually a dessert or a main course. The best way to make them into a main course is by stuffing them with a hearty crepe filling.

    Are crepes healthy?

    Crepes (palačinke) aren't unhealthy, but they're not exactly diet food. Think of crepes as pleasure food. If you are trying to eat healthier and have your crepes make sure that you don't overdo it with the crepe filling(s).

    What are crepes often filled with?

    Everything!

    Dessert crepes are often filled with Nutella, honey, walnuts, sugar, lemon, cherries, bananas, vanilla, and chocolate. Meanwhile, savory crepes can be filled with cream cheese, cottage cheese, chicken, ham, spinach, mushrooms, and other vegetables. Additionally, they can be stuffed, baked, and/or fried.

    What goes with crepes for dinner?

    When you find a good recipe for a savory crepe filling you won’t need anything else to make crepes into a dinner that will fill you up. Today’s recipe is an example. However, you can add a side of soup or salad if you’re extra hungry.

    Closeup of a mushroom crepe on a fork.

    More Crepe and Mushroom Recipes

    • Simple Lacy Crepes
    • Ground Beef and Potato Pie
    • Cream of Mushroom
    • Spinach Pie
    • Mushroom Lasagna

    Thoughts?

    If you make today's Mushroom Crepes (Palačinke sa Gljivama) and like them, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5-star) rating. This will help others find the recipe more easily!

    You can also leave a comment, I read EVERY one! Finally, if IG is more your thing, consider tagging us @balkanlunchbox.  

    Prijatno and bon appetit!

    Closeup of a mushroom crepe on a fork.

    Balkan Muhroom Crepes (Palačinke sa Gljivama)

    Aida
    Balkan crepes, stuffed with a mushroom filling, topped with tartar sauce, and baked!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 40 minutes mins
    Cook Time 50 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
    Servings 6
    Calories 461 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    Filling: 

    • 2 tablespoons oil
    • 1 onion peeled, minced
    • 1.5 pounds button mushrooms diced small
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • Pepper to taste

    Crepes: 

    • 10-11 ounces white flour
    • 2 eggs
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups milk
    • 1 cup water plus/minus a little bit
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1-2 ounces oil for crepe pan coating
    • 2 tablespoons butter cubed, for regular pan coating

    Topping:

    • 10 ounces tartar sauce store-bought or homemade

    Instructions
     

    • Filling: In a large skillet heat up oil over high. Lower temperature to medium and add onion. Cook until translucent (3-5 min). Raise temperature to high again and add mushrooms and salt. Saute, and frequently stir mushrooms until they’re tender and the liquid they expel has mostly evaporated (15-20 min). Set mushroom crepe filling aside.
    • Crepes (palačinke): (Making palačinke can be done parallel to making the crepe mushroom filling.) In a large bowl combine flour, eggs, salt, milk and baking powder. Mix batter with a hand mixer. Slowly add water to batter as you mix. Pause mixing once or twice and scrape batter from the sides of the bowl.  Crepe batter is ready when it’s smooth, crumb-free, and has the consistency of heavy cream. (You may have to add a little bit more or a little bit less water.)
    • Take a piece of paper towel, wrinkle it up in your palm, and dip it in oil. Use this to carefully coat the crepe pan. Heat the coated pan up on highest until the oil is really hot (2-3 min). The oil may get slightly smokey. 
    • Grab crepe batter with a ladle (or another tool with a volume of approximately ½ cup) and transfer to a crepe pan (sized approximately 8-9 inches in diameter). Lift the pan and watching that the batter doesn’t leave the pan, swirl it around until it coats the pan bottom evenly and there are no ‘holes.’ Return to the stove and cook the crepe 60-90 seconds on one side. Flip to the other side and cook another 60 seconds. Transfer the finished crepe onto a plate. 
    • Repeat step 4 until you run out of crepe batter. You should have 15-16 crepes, and it’ll take about 30-40 min to cook them. Halfway through cooking the crepes (palačinke) heat oven to 350°f (175°c). Then place butter cubes into a 10x15 inch baking pan and heat it up in the oven for 3 min, or until butter melts.
    • Assembly: (Assembling/ stuffing the crepes with mushroom filling can be done parallel to making the crepes.) Fill each crepe with a heaping tablespoon of mushroom crepe filling. Roll them up and place them in the hot pan. Repeat until you run out of crepes and filling. Pour and spread tartar sauce evenly over the crepes. Bake (15-20 min), until crepes and tartar sauce congeal and get a blush a little bit.  
    • Serve crepes warm with (optional) additional tartar sauce. Keep in the fridge for up to a day. They can be consumed cold or warm. 

    Video

    Notes

    Be careful not to burn your fingers while coating the crepe pan with oil. Cooking crepes on highest is a suggestion. Adjust temperature based on how hot your stove runs. 
    You can mix the batter manually (with a spatula), or in a blender also. 
    To flip a crepe first take a knife and circle around the crepe's edge, slightly lifting it on all sides. Then shake the pan in a left-right motion to ensure the crepe isn't glued to the bottom. (You can also use the knife and underneath the entire crepe before flipping it.) At this point, flip the crepe. Flipping is easily done by holding the crepe pan in your hand while doing a slight wrist movement up and down. (Alternatively, use the dull side of the knife to flip the crepe.) 
    Expect that the first couple of crepes to be ‘uglier’ and harder to make. This happens almost always as it takes a little while for the crepe pan to achieve the right temperature, and also for you to get a hang of ‘swirling’ the batter.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1of 6Calories: 461kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 14gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 1002mgPotassium: 606mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 298IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 154mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Santa's Sugar Cookies
    Walnut Cookies (Orašnice) »


    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michelle Galic says

      August 16, 2017 at 9:05 pm

      What is tartar sauce? The sauce we dip fish in, mayo and relish?

      Reply
      • Aida says

        August 17, 2017 at 10:56 am

        Yes

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Aida and Aleksandra of Balkan Lunch Box, standing together.

    Welcome! I'm Aida, creator of Balkan Lunch Box, food blog about traditional and contemporary Balkan cuisine. My sister Aleksandra helps me.

    Learn more about me →

    As seen on

    Popular

    • Three biscuits on a gray background, one being halved with a fork.
      Čupavci: Balkan Lamingtons [One Hour]
    • Closeup of four wafers.
      Balkan No Bake Wafer Cake (Oblatne, Oblande)
    • Old Fashioned Goulash with Beef and Mushrooms
    • Stewed apple in a clear bowl, on the table.
      Stewed Stuffed Apples in Syrup (Tufahije)
    • Soup in a silver bowl with a lid, a kitchen cloth, two slices of bread, a lemon wedge and a spoon.
      Okra Soup: Creamy Chicken Soup with Okra (Bosnian Bey's Soup, Begova Čorba)
    • ajvar, chutney, pepper chutney, eggplant chutney, balkan spread, balkan dip ajvar, red pepper and eggplant dip, pepper dip | balkanlunchbox.com
      Ajvar
    • Moussaka in a pan.
      EASY Serbian Ground Beef Potato Moussaka Casserole
    • Closeup of a stuffed pepper.
      Best Classic Baked Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice (Punjene Paprike)
    • Quarter of a burek pie on a plate on gray background.
      Burek
    • Rice and chicken in a sheet pan, overhead.
      Easy Baked Chicken Over Rice Casserole (Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks) [4 Ingredients, 1 Pan]

    Favorite Salads

    • Russian Salad or Salad Olivier
    • Bowl with carrots and apple, and carrot and apple and a spoon on a table.
      Grated Apple and Carrot Salad [Two Ingredients, Ten Minutes]
    • A bowl of carrot and beet salad, a beet, carrots and fork on the side.
      Grated Beet and Carrot Salad [Five Ingredients, Ten Minutes]
    • Shopska Salad

    Latest & Greatest

    • A ladle holding bean soup above the blue bowl, on an orange background.
      High Protein Balkan Bean Soup (Visokoproteinski Grah/ Visokoproteinski Pasulj)
    • A glass bowl full of stuffed peppers.
      21+ Pepper Recipes
    • A hand holdling a fork with scallion salad above a black bowl filled with salad on an orange background.
      Scallion Salad with Sour Cream (Lukmira) [2 Ingredients, 5 minutes]
    • Four photographs of different stews in one pin.
      14+ Best Stew Recipes





    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2014 - 2025 Balkan Lunch Box

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.