Home > Dessert > Fruit Desserts > Cherry Vareniki (Cherry Pierogi)

Cherry Vareniki (Cherry Pierogi)

These Cherry Pierogies are the ultimate in comfort food. Use fresh or frozen cherries! @natashaskitchen

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Once you make the Basic Vareniky Dough, the cherry vareniki filling is very straightforward. You’ll need about 1lb pitted bing cherries, or whatever cherries you like best.

The best part is; you can use fresh or frozen cherries so they’re not just a summer treat. We have a cherry tree so we’re always freezing cherries for smoothies, pies, eating straight-up, and of course for these cherry pierogies! 

Cherry Vareniki Ingredients:

Vareniky Dough (use the dough mentioned here)
1 lb pitted cherries (fresh, or frozen/partially thawed)
1/2 cup sugar (1/4 tsp per each dough round)
1/2 Tbsp salt (for the water)

How to make Cherry Vareniki:

1. Cut out dough rounds that are 2 to 3″ in diameter. You want to put 1/4 teaspoon sugar in the center of your cut-out dough round. Place cherries on top of the sugar. Fold the sides together and pinch together to make a tight seal.

(or)  To make the cherry pelmeni:

Use 1/8 tsp sugar and 1 cherry. You can also make the dough rounds slightly smaller (about 2 inches). Fold the two sides of the dough together and pinch to make a tight seal. Then fold the two corners together to make a “diaper” shape. Place them on a floured cutting board until ready to cook.

These Cherry Pierogies are the ultimate in comfort food. Use fresh or frozen cherries! @natashaskitchen

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. As you finish the first batch of pierogi, place them in boiling water. After they float to the top, cook about 2 to 3 minutes more, then remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Cherry Vareniki Pierogies

Cherry Vareniki Pierogies-7

3. Sprinkle the pierogi with sugar to keep them from sticking together. Serve right away with sour cream or eat them as is.

Cherry Vareniki Pierogies-2

These Cherry Pierogies are the ultimate in comfort food. Use fresh or frozen cherries! @natashaskitchen

Click Here for the Basic Pierogi Dough Recipe

Cherry Vareniki (Cherry Pierogi)

5 from 14 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Cherry Pierogi have a tender dough filled with sweet juicy cherries. We love serving these with a sprinkle of sugar over the top.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8
  • Vareniky Dough (found here: http://bit.ly/pierogidough
  • 1 lb pitted cherries
  • 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp per each dough round
  • 1/2 Tbsp salt, for the water

Instructions

How to make Cherry Vareniki:

  • Cut out dough rounds that are 2 to 3″ in diameter. You want to put 1/4 teaspoon sugar in the center of your cut-out dough round. Place cherries on top of the sugar. Fold the sides together and pinch together to make a tight seal.

How to make the cherry pelmeni:

  • Use 1/8 tsp sugar and 1 cherry. You can also make the dough rounds slightly smaller (about 2 inches). Fold the two sides of the dough together and pinch to make a tight seal. Then fold the two corners together to make a "diaper" shape.
  • Place them on a floured cutting board until ready to cook.
  • Add 1/2 Tbsp of salt to approximately 4 quarts of water and bring it to a boil. As you finish the first batch of pierogies, place them in boiling water. After they float to the top, cook about 2 to 3 minutes more, then remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
  • Sprinkle the pierogies with sugar to keep them from sticking together. Serve right away with sour cream or eat them as is.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: cherry pierogi
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $6-$7

Final Final Picmonkey Hashtag banner

These Cherry Pierogies are the ultimate in comfort food. Use fresh or frozen cherries! @natashaskitchen

FREE BONUS: 5 Secrets to Be a Better Cook!

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Read comments/reviewsAdd comment/review

  • Sandi
    January 22, 2023

    My Mom’s grandmother made cherry Varenikis… my mom loved them. My family is Jewish from the Ukraine back in the late 1800s/early 1900s. My mom told me that the cherry varenikas were so delicious. Yours look amazing!! Thank you for posting your recipe! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 22, 2023

      You’re so welcome. I hope this becomes your new favorite recipe!

      Reply

  • Susan
    July 12, 2022

    I just made these today and they are incredibly good !!! I can’t wait to try them with different fruit filling !
    Thanks for a great recipe !

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 12, 2022

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Susan!

      Reply

  • Adele Kauffman
    June 13, 2022

    Dear Natasha, I am 83 years old and live in an Independent living facility in Florida. Our latest assignment in our Creative Writing class is to write what we remember when we were 5 years old. I am writing about how my mother used to make cherry vereniki using cherries from a neighbor’s tree. Was delighted to read your blog and your recipe. Wish I was able to taste those goodies once again!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 14, 2022

      Sounds like a good plan, Adele! Thank you for sharing and I hope you can personally try this recipe soon.

      Reply

  • Georgia Thompson
    April 13, 2020

    Can you deep fry the different kinds of pierogi?
    I do this at times w the store bought ones?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 13, 2020

      Hi Georgie! I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.

      Reply

  • Alina
    March 23, 2020

    Can’t wait to try this recipe! Being stuck inside, I now have all the time in the world! I used to make these with my mama using the canned cherries, we’d drain them and use the cherries. Once they were cooked, we’d put a little of the cherry juice on top and sprinkle with sugar! So yummy!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 23, 2020

      That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing that with me, Alina!

      Reply

  • Kathy Allen
    February 19, 2020

    This was great thanks for sharing this recipie!!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 19, 2020

      You’re welcome, Kathy! I’m so glad you enjoyed that.

      Reply

  • Nathalie Savoie
    January 7, 2019

    I’ve had them once in Kyiv and loved them! 🙂 I was curious to know if you can bake them instead of boiling?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 7, 2019

      Hi Nathalie, I haven’t tried baking that so I can’t advise without testing it

      Reply

  • Chantal Sellers
    October 14, 2018

    Thank you Natasha! I love having easy access to the foods of my roots. My Baba and I would make these when I was a kid. I can’t wait to try your recipe!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 14, 2018

      I love that! Thank you for sharing this with me, Chantal!

      Reply

  • Claudia
    January 5, 2018

    Estou amando essas suas sugestões de recheios para o perohê / pierogi. Vi em outras receitas você utilizando frutas vermelhas, aqui no Brasil elas são muito caras 🙁 quase não compramos. Ansiosa por mais variedades de recheios, aqui sempre comi de feijão preto, batata doce com queijo, batata com cebolinha e ricota e recheado com repolho azedo, e os molhos branco ou de tomates.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 5, 2018

      I love your filling ideas also! thanks for sharing! 🙂

      Reply

    • Sharrelyn Nowak
      January 26, 2021

      Is it possible Natasha to translate this to English please?

      Reply

  • Forrest
    November 17, 2017

    My friend at work is from Azerbaijan and grew up eating these as a kid. Hard to find in the USA so I made this recipe for her birthday and she said they taste just like her mom’s. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 17, 2017

      You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear she enjoyed the recipe!! Thanks for sharing your great review!

      Reply

  • Tanya
    February 11, 2017

    Hi Natasha, should the dough be really elastic? I cut out a circle and it gets real small? Too much flour or not enough?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      February 11, 2017

      Hi Tanya, it sounds like maybe too much flour. Did you knead it per the recipe?

      Reply

  • Z-S
    June 23, 2016

    Question for you Natasha,

    have you tried vareniki with cherry using Poltavian vareniki recipe?
    My grandmom used to make them. It is on steam. Did your parents used to make it or not? Or maybe you will try to make it and post recipe?
    thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 23, 2016

      I’m not sure I’ve ever tried those but from a quick search (there really aren’t any recipes easily available online) but they do look good in pictures! If I come across a great recipe, I will be sure to share 🙂

      Reply

      • ZS
        June 28, 2016

        those vareniki on steam they’re delicious especially with strawberry. But the problem is that my grandmother is no longer alive and I do not know who to ask…

        Reply

        • Susan
          July 12, 2022

          Hi !
          I just watched a video on YouTube yesterday where the lady steamed the dumplings instead of boiling them. The channel is called Food Around the World on YouTube. I’d send you the link, but I’m not sure how to do that. Basically you make them as per this recipe, but just steam them in a steamer pot( regular pot with a colander set above the water& covered with a lid, instead of boiling them.

          Reply

  • Marina
    June 14, 2016

    My grma used to make a sauce out of the pits (there’s always some flesh left on them). She’d cook the pits with some sugar and add some starch to make it thicker. Pour over pierogies as a sauce and enjoy the even more pronounced cherry taste 😉

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 14, 2016

      Wow that is very creative and economical! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply

  • Julia
    May 9, 2016

    Hi! How many veriniki does this recipe yield? And how many cherries in each?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 9, 2016

      Hi Julia, it depends on how large your cherries are – I would say 2 to 3 in each. I probably should have counted them but I didn’t! I would say between 50 and 75 vareniki.

      Reply

  • Alina
    November 3, 2015

    Can I use canned cherries?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 3, 2015

      Yes, just be sure to drain the juice or they will be ver difficult to seal.

      Reply

  • Ariel
    October 16, 2015

    Привет Наташа,

    Спасибо – ваши фотографии хорошо!

    From your experience, how do cooked ones keep overnight in the fridge? Or do you only recommend freshly boiled ones for serving?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 16, 2015

      I would definitely recommend freshly boiled ones for serving. The only way I like to eat reheated vareniki is to saute them on a skillet but that really only works for the savory ones. They toughen up in the fridge and they just aren’t the same.

      Reply

  • David
    May 24, 2015

    “pierogies” is not the plural form of its singular form, pieróg. The correct plural for would be “pierogi”. FYI.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 24, 2015

      Thanks David! 🙂

      Reply

  • Christia
    November 10, 2014

    My mother added browned butter and sugar to the vereniki so they wouldn’t stick and served with soft cream too. Try it. She used blueberries too.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 10, 2014

      Thank you for the tip, I will try that next time :).

      Reply

  • Olga
    September 3, 2014

    Here is an awesome recipe I use to make these. They are made on steam. I’ve tries the water method, but find these much softer and fluffier. Tell me how you like them if you will try it. http://www.tvcook.ru/recipes/vareniki/vareniki-na-paru.html

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 3, 2014

      That does sounds really good! What do you use for steam cooking? Is it a special pot?

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        September 4, 2014

        Thank you! 🙂

        Reply

  • Inna
    July 29, 2014

    Mommy these sound so delicious right now! I’ve made these with blueberries.. Love them. But now I have a lot of sour cherries, have you ever tried making vareniki with them?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 29, 2014

      I think they would taste great with sour cherries! Let me know how much you love them 🙂

      Reply

  • Marina | Let the Baking Begin!
    July 20, 2014

    Nothing says summer better than these scrumptious vareniki!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 20, 2014

      Thanks Marina 🙂 I couldn’t agree with you more 🙂

      Reply

  • Petrosha
    April 6, 2014

    Hey there,
    Thanks for keeping traditions. Here’s another idea to all your cherry loving followers out there. Add a bit of grated dark chocolate to the finely diced cherries! Check out my blog…yours looks like a nice complimentary one to mine!
    Thanks! Keep blogging!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 6, 2014

      Mmmmmm that sounds so good. I’m definitely a chocolate/cherry lover! 😉

      Reply

  • Michal Heller
    January 22, 2014

    Hello,
    This is a wonderful blog!
    One question – when not in season, can I use canned cherries?

    thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 22, 2014

      Yes! Make sure to drain them well so you don’t get juice leaking out while your trying to seal them. 🙂

      Reply

      • Michal Heller
        January 22, 2014

        you are best! thank you.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          January 22, 2014

          Anytime my friend 🙂

          Reply

  • Enna
    December 28, 2013

    Hi. I’ve been craving these cherry vareniki for a while now. But I cannot find good kind of “vishni” here in the US. They have Cherris which are “chereshnya” in Ukraine. Anyone has a good kind to share.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 28, 2013

      There are some by the zergut brand that are nice. I have found them at Fred Meyer.

      Reply

    • Alina RN
      December 29, 2013

      I am not sure where you live, but I know in northern CA where I live we do not have Fred Meyer, I have seen the zergut brand sour pitted cherries (probably the the same ones Natasha mentioned) in Costco at one point. Also most Russian/European stores here carry them. 🙂

      Reply

  • Judie
    May 27, 2013

    We’ve made these cherry pierogi in our family for generations! I had no idea that anyone else made them also. Thought they were my Baba’s creation. Love your site, Natasha! My dad passed away 20 years ago and a lot of the family’s Ukrainian recipes went with him. It’s great to search through yours and walk down memory lane! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 27, 2013

      I’m so glad the blog brings back sweet memories for you 🙂

      Reply

  • Lina
    November 8, 2012

    Can this dough be prepared in the bread machine?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 8, 2012

      I have heard that it can but I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t really recommend it. Sorry 🙁

      Reply

      • Lina
        November 8, 2012

        I will try and let you know what happens!

        Reply

  • Jen
    December 12, 2011

    I made a large batch of these — can they be frozen for a couple of days? If so, how do you recommend storing them and freezing? Do you add flour so they do not stick? Thank you again for the fabulous recipe. They are delightful!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 12, 2011

      Hi Jen. I’ve never frozen the cherry ones but I don’t see why not. Yes, dust generously with flour, lay them out on a cutting board and freeze them on the top shelf of your freezer until they are frozen, then transfer them to large ziploc bags and dust with a little more flour. They can be frozen for at least a month. Hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Jen
    December 9, 2011

    Privyet Natasha!

    I have been looking for a Russian/Ukrainian recipe to make for my daughter’s Christmas around the world event next week. These look wonderful. Do you think kids would enjoy them?

    Also, do you think you could substitute sour cherry preserves as a filling?

    Thank you for your beautiful, informative site!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 9, 2011

      To be very honest, they are time consuming and can be messy for kids. It might be a better idea to serve them at home. Yes they are very yummy though! Russian tea cakes are a fun recipe that works well for Christmas. I have those posted a well. Hope that helps. You can substitute, just add a little more sugar.

      Reply

      • Jen
        December 9, 2011

        Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! I really do appreciate it. Perhaps I will try the cake instead for the kids.

        Reply

  • Natalya
    December 6, 2011

    they not suppost to look like PELMENI don’t fold them by round! VARENIKI must have shape as half moon wavy pinched together by the half circle side. That way they bigger and joicy as well… 🙂
    here is pictures how they suppost to look like:
    http://gotovim-doma.ru/view.php?r=166-recept-Vareniki-s-vishnei

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 6, 2011

      I made them both ways. They were easier to make as pelmeni toward the end so that’s what I did. I found they taste just as good, but are easier to make. You can make them either way.

      Reply

  • Olga
    June 2, 2011

    I love these with tvorog/sweet cheese fiiling, do you by any chance have a recipe for a filling like that for varenuki?

    Reply

  • Violeta
    April 29, 2011

    Thank you very much for recipe, very very tasty

    Reply

    • Natasha
      April 29, 2011

      You are very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it. You have an awesome name by the way!

      Reply

  • lizochka
    March 31, 2011

    love this site! 🙂

    Reply

  • Mary Previti (Marusha)
    December 17, 2010

    Natasha,

    Thank You, my mom passed a year ago, and now I am ready to make them myself. I just needed to make sure there wasn’t anything more inside the verenyks i needed. I do remember my mom put 1 t. vanilla topioco pudding inside of them. But for sure, they are soooo yummy.
    Again, thank you and Merry Christmas.

    mary

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 17, 2010

      I usually just add cherries and sugar but tapioca sounds like a very good idea. Thank you!

      Reply

  • Cucee Sprouts
    September 9, 2010

    These look so good. I have to try your recipe. I grew up on vareniki and just recently made my first batch! My kids were all over them. I did healthify the original recipe. If you want to check it out, here is a link. http://cuceesprouts.com/2010/09/vareniki/ Looking forward reading more of your recipes 🙂

    Reply

  • Erica [Irina]
    August 11, 2010

    This brings back memories……..I haven’t had these for such a long time. I think when I was very small and my Baba was around. I’m for sure going to make these soon……..they also were my Mom’s favourite. Thanks you for sharing this recipe. 🙂

    Reply

  • Natasha
    August 7, 2010

    They are very good; best when fresh. I make it with blueberries the same way too, they are just harder to work with because they are small.

    Reply

  • Nella
    August 5, 2010

    YUM! I’ve learned potatoes…now have to try this 🙂 Actually never tried w/ cherries.

    Reply

Add comment/review

Leave a comment

Recipe Rating




As Featured On

FREE BONUS: 5 Secrets to Be a Better Cook!

Never Go "Hangry" Again!

Get weekly updates on new recipes, exclusive giveaways plus behind the scenes photos.