Smoked Salmon Blini with Creme Fraiche and Caviar (Easy)
Deborah Harris
Salmon Blini
Elegant bite-size blini with smoked salmon, creme fraiche and a crown of caviar.
Nutrition (per serving)
These smoked salmon blini are one of my favorite easy-but-impressive bites to serve when friends arrive. Light, pillowy blini provide the perfect base for a tangy spoonful of crème fraîche, silky smoked salmon and the luxurious pop of caviar—each mouthful feels celebratory without fuss.
The batter comes together quickly and rests briefly while you prepare toppings; cook small blini in a hot skillet, then assemble just before serving so the caviar stays cool and vibrant. This recipe is perfect for holiday parties, cocktail hours, or any time you want a little indulgence in small packages.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour:1 cup
- Buckwheat flour:½ cup
- Milk:1 cup
- Egg:1 pieces
- Unsalted butter, melted + more for pan:2 tbsp
- Baking powder:1 tsp
- Salt:½ tsp
- Smoked salmon, sliced into ribbons:6 oz
- Creme fraiche:½ cup
- Caviar:2 oz
- Fresh lemon (zest and wedges):1 pieces
- Fresh chives, finely chopped:2 tbsp
- Fresh dill, chopped (optional):1 tbsp
- Freshly cracked black pepper:¼ tsp
Instructions
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In a medium bowl whisk together flours, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl whisk egg, milk and melted butter until combined.
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Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined; let batter rest 10–15 minutes while you prep toppings.
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Heat a nonstick skillet over medium and lightly brush with butter. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls to form small 2–2½ inch blini; cook until bubbles form and edges set, 1–2 minutes, then flip and cook 30–45 seconds more. Transfer to a warm plate.
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Keep cooked blini warm in a low oven (200°F) while you finish the batch. Reheat skillet as needed and add a touch more butter between batches.
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To assemble, spread a teaspoon of creme fraiche on each blini, top with a small ribbon of smoked salmon, a pinch of chopped chives, a few tiny cracks of black pepper and finish with about ¼ tsp caviar per blini (adjust to taste).
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Arrange blini on a platter with lemon wedges and serve immediately so the caviar stays cool and glossy.
Tips & Notes
- For the lightest blini, don't overmix the batter—a few small lumps are fine.
- Keep the caviar chilled until the last moment and spoon it on gently to preserve the texture and flavor.
- If you want extra flavor, fold a little lemon zest into the crème fraîche before assembling.
- Make the blini ahead and rewarm briefly in a low oven just before assembling to keep them tender.
