Vegan Creme Fraiche, Beetroot and Dill Blinis
These Vegan Creme Fraiche, Beetroot and Dill Blinis are the perfect appetiser or canape for your next party. Make them bite size to be enjoyed alongside a cocktail or two. Get the recipe below.
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Elegant appetisers
If you’re planning a get together and you want some delicious canapes to serve as your guests arrive then look no further than these Vegan Creme Fraiche, Beetroot and Dill Blinis. The recipe uses classic flavour combinations like beetroot and dill for small bites that taste delicious.
They also look fantastic too! I love how the beetroot colours the vegan creme fraiche a vibrant shade of pink which contrasts so well with the green of the fresh dill. These blinis are definitely eye-catching which will impress your guests.
I make these blinis quite small so that you can eat them in one bit. This is the perfect canape size. If you want to serve them as an apetiser you can just make them a little bigger.
How to make vegan blinis
Blinis are essentially tiny pancakes so if you’ve mastered pancake making then you’re going to be an absolute pro when it comes to making blinis.
Its a case of whisking wet ingredients into dry ingredients slowly so that you have a batter with no lumps.
Once your batter is prepared you spoon it into a frying pan, just 1 tbsp per blini and cook them until they are golden brown.
It’s important to not have your pan up too high or the blinis might go too brown too quickly. You’ll know when they’re ready to flip as the top of the blini will look dry rather than wet.
They cook really fast so make sure you don’t take your eye off of them!
How to make the beetroot topping
This vibrant pink topping is packed full of punchy flavours, made using cooked beetroot, vegan creme fraiche, horseradish and fresh dill.
You could cook the beetroot yourself (roasting will give you the most intense flavour) but buying pre-cooked beetroot is absolutely fine. Just make sure you don’t get the kind that’s in vinegar, or worse chilli! You need the plain pre-cooked beetroot. It’s often found vacuum packed.
Of course regular creme fraiche isn’t vegan so you’ll need to hunt down a substitute. In the UK, ‘Oatly’ do a fantastic vegan creme fraiche which is perfect for this recipe.
If you really can’t find vegan creme fraiche anywhere then you could use a vegan Greek style yogurt at a push. It’s important you pick one that’s plain in flavour rather than vanilla or coconut. You also want it to have a thick creamy texture, just like Greek yogurt. ‘Alpro’ do a good vegan Greek yogurt which would work here.
Horseradish gives a fiery, peppery taste to the topping. You can buy horseradish in a jar which is ideal for this recipe. You only need a small amount. A little goes a long way.
The recipe
Vegan Creme Fraiche, Beetroot and Dill Blinis
Ingredients
For the blinis
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil or other neutral oil
- 75 grams plain flour
- 0.25 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 125 ml plant milk
For the beetroot topping
- 2 large beetroot cooked
- 250 g vegan creme fraiche
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- pinch sea salt
- Fresh dill
Instructions
To make the blinis
- Place all of the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl then slowly pour in the milk, whisking well until you have a smooth, thick batter.
- Add a little unflavoured oil (e.g. vegetable oil or groundnut oil) to a frying pan and place on a medium heat.
- Once the pan is hot, use either a teaspoon or tablespoon (depending on the size you would like) to spoon the batter into the frying pan.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until small bubbles start to form on the surface, they are then ready to flip.
- Once flipped over, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until golden.
- Remove them from the pan once cooked and allow to cool before topping.
To make the topping
- Finely dice the cooked beetroot and put into a bowl.
- Add the vegan creme fraiche and horseradish along with a pinch of salt and mix well.
- Arrange blinis on a platter and top with the beetroot.
- Finish off with a sprig of dill.
Nutrition
More beetroot recipes
Beetroot is such a versatile ingredient. Why not check out some of these other beetroot recipes.
Enjoy!