Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

inside out buns - the filling is outside!

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 2h 5m
Cook Time: 30m
Total Time: 2h 35m
Temp.: 350 °F
Servings: 30
Difficulty: Easy
4.8 (28 Reviews)
Cooking Mode
Prevents your screen from turning off while cooking

Ingredients

Adjust servings:

For the buns;

For the filling;

Nutritional Information

224
Calories
9g
Fat
48mg
Cholesterol
206mg
Sodium
29g
Carbohydrates
7g
Protein
Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

Recipe Description

In my house, we call these Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns “inside out buns”. They get this name because the filling is on the outside rather than hidden away in the center! You can make a slightly sweeter filling by adding raisins. If you add raisins, you need to soak them in hot boiled water before combining with the cheese.

Start by making a dough by combining all of the ingredients in stages. When making the dough, it is important to add oil last, as the texture will turn out better. Once the dough has proved, shape it into 30 equal sized pieces and press a glass on each to make a hollow for the filling. Bake in the oven and serve warm.

To make Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

Recipe Features

No specific features for this recipe

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Combine yeast, milk and sugar

    10 min
    Step 1 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka BunsStep 1 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

    Mix 1½ tablespoons of yeast with 2 cups of warm milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar together in a mixing bowl. Leave to rest for about 10 minutes.

  2. 2

    Add eggs, mayo, salt and sugar

    1 min
    Step 2 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

    Add 3 eggs, 2 tablespoons of mayo, 1 teaspoon of salt and the remaining sugar to the yeast mixture. Whisk well to combine.

  3. 3

    Add flour and oil

    5 min
    Step 3 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka BunsStep 3 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka BunsStep 3 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

    Mix in 5 cups of flour in small portions using a stand mixer or a spatula. Once all the flour is incorporated, add 3 tablespoons of oil to the mixture.

  4. 4

    Knead and prove the dough

    1h 10m
    Step 4 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka BunsStep 4 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

    Using your hands, knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it is elastic. Leave the dough at room temperature to rise for about an hour.

  5. 5

    Heat the oven and line a baking sheet

    5 min
    Step 5 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

    Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  6. 6

    Shape dough into buns

    40 min
    Step 6 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka BunsStep 6 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

    Divide the dough into 30 equal sized pieces. Shape the pieces into flattened balls and place them on the baking sheet with space in between. Cover with a light towel and leave them to rise for about 30 minutes.

  7. 7

    Form a hollow

    3 min
    Step 7 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

    Press the center of each bun with a glass to form a hollow.

  8. 8

    Make filling

    1 min
    Step 8 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka BunsStep 8 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

    Combine 16 ounces of cream cheese, 16 ounces of cottage cheese, 2 eggs and ½ a cup of sugar together. If you wish to add sweetness to your filling, add raisins at this stage.

  9. 9

    Fill hollows

    3 min
    Step 9 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

    Fill each bun hollow with some of the filling.

  10. 10

    Bake

    30 min
    Step 10 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

    Bake the buns in the oven for about 30 minutes until light golden brown.

  11. 11

    Serve

    Step 11 - Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns

    Serve warm and enjoy!

We call these Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns “inside out buns”. You’ll absolutely love them! Try making them soon and make sure you tag any baking photos with #cookmerecipes.

About the author

Lilly Mathuse

Lilly is an enthusiastic and cheerful young mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Lilly's going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8 out of 5 (28 reviews)
Patty
February 16, 2025
Verified

These buns remind me of my grandma's kitchen. We used to make them together every Sunday; her secret ingredient was love. The outside's creaminess makes each bite special. I added raisins, just like she did, and it brought back so many warm memories. Thank you for this exceptional recipe

Ursula Smith
January 17, 2025
Verified

I made these Vatrushka Buns for my kids and they devoured them! They're like little creamy delights. The dough was easy to make. This is definetly a new family favorite!

Katie
October 26, 2024
Verified

Yummy!

Louis
August 6, 2024
Verified

Super easy to make and tastes so good, merci!

Lydia Marshall
April 1, 2024
Verified

These Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns are bloomin' fab. Made them for a family get-together and everyone loved 'em. The dough is so easy to work with, and the filling is just delish. Trust me, you gotta try this recipe

Catherine Miles
January 7, 2024
Verified

OMG, these Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns are to die for! We had a family gathering, and everyone went nuts over them. I added raisins soaked in hot water just like you suggested, and it kicked the flavor up a notch! So easy to make, and the kids loved the ‘inside out’ fun. Totally making these again!

Tina
December 15, 2023
Verified

These buns are super tasty, totally loved making them with the kids.

Catherine
October 26, 2023
Verified

succulent buns delicious

Olga
October 6, 2023
Verified

Superb, delightful bakes!

Rina
November 6, 2021
Verified

Simply tasty buns

Vicky
October 29, 2021
Verified

Vatrushka buns yum!

Derek
May 7, 2021
Verified

Lit! Made those Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns for the fam. Kids called 'em inside out buns and devoured 'em! Super easy and quick to whip up. Added raisins for the extra sweetness, and they turned out bomb! Def gonna make again!

Livia Ambrosio
April 14, 2021
Verified

Simple steps to follow and affordable ingridents, thanks again.

Noa Einerson
April 13, 2021
Verified

Happy to see more and more vegetarian meals coming out and desserts too keep up the good work!

Kailyn Correll
April 9, 2021
Verified

Best cream cheese buns i've ever had.. so tasty.

Taste of the dish
Accuracy of stated difficulty
Instruction accuracy
Would you recommend this recipe to others?
0/1000
Add photos
Upload photos of your result. This will help others see how the dish should look.

Author Information

Email will not be displayed publicly