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Mom’s Pryaniki Cookies (Video Tutorial)

A close up of Mom\'s pryaniki cookies with a bite taken out of one of them

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It’s been months since I’ve posted a video. :-O. Bad, bad v-logger. I felt a little rusty but I’m so happy to finally share another video with y’all. This recipe is special to me. My Mama made this for us as kids and still makes these cookies. They are always a treat.

I first posted this recipe 4 1/2 years ago and my picture (singular, as in only one) was pretty shabby and the instructions needed fine tuning. I’ve had several requests over the years to make a video for this recipe, so here it is.

I hope you enjoy love these as much as we do. They’re kind of irresistible… About 10 of them mysteriously disappeared before the filming was over?? Weeeird!

Click here to print the recipe for pryaniki. 

Watch How To Make Mom’s Pryaniki:

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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.

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Read comments/reviewsAdd comment/review

  • Ranuth Wijesinghe
    December 19, 2021

    Hi Natasha I’d love to try this out but i don’t have sour cream here can i use buttermilk because for some of your cakes i used it and it tuned out wonderful.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 20, 2021

      Hi Ranuth, I havne’t tried without sour cream, but here’s what one of our readers wrote: “I only had 8oz of sour cream so I added 8oz of cottage cheese to the recipe! Turned out the same.. maybe even better 🙂 thanks for the great recipe! 🙂” I hope this helps.

      Reply

  • Anna
    November 22, 2019

    Hi Nnatasha, can you make this cookie dough the night before and chill it in the fridge before baking the next day??

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 22, 2019

      Hi Anna, I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment please let me know how you like the recipe.

      Reply

  • Irina
    November 15, 2018

    Love these cookies…About to be making some for like the 10th time. My family loves them. Thank you for the recipe 🙂

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 15, 2018

      That’s so great! That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!

      Reply

  • Tzivia
    July 16, 2018

    Hi there natasha darlin hope that you are having a really great summer so far made these cookies yesterday special to kick off the 9 days and wow they are a really big hit even my mom was in heaven and mind you she’s so not a major mint fan and also my dad and I really liked them I even had second one was almost gonna go for a third but it was really late @ night and had to stop myself these are just really yummy delish and so very addictive too I gave a small ziploc baggie to my great aunt shirley who loves most of my homemade goodies thanx so much for the video tutorial that was really super helpful will definitely be making these again for another occasion btw I have an extra bag in the freezer again thanx so much for all your fun cool awesome wholesome recipes girlfriend can’t wait for more have a really great super cool day and week ahead cheers

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 16, 2018

      What an amazing review! Thanks for following and taking the time to leave such thoughtful comments, Tzivia! Thank you for sharing this with us.

      Reply

    • Oksana
      November 20, 2023

      I can just picture myself coming home from school as a kid and these would be in the kitchen waiting for us ❤️ now I will be making them for my kids! Thank you

      Reply

      • NatashasKitchen.com
        November 20, 2023

        What a sweet memory! I hope your family loves this recipe.

        Reply

  • Yelena Lepekhin
    July 10, 2018

    I recently made these for a wedding and they turned out great and delicious! The only thing I added was silver sugar sprinkles since that was the wedding color. So I glazed the bottom first and then the tops and immediately after glazing the tops and before they dried I sprinkled them! Turned out gorgeous

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 10, 2018

      That sounds so fancy!

      Reply

  • Laura
    June 19, 2018

    Their’re really good and this recipe is so easy and simple,but at the same time so delicious. I’m making this recipe for an school activity and I think they will love it😍❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️
    Thank you for this incredible recipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 19, 2018

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

      Reply

  • Sana
    March 1, 2016

    These turned out so good. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. You are so talented and I’m looking forward to making some of your other recipes.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 2, 2016

      Thank you for the great review! I hope you find many new favorites!

      Reply

  • tanya
    January 27, 2016

    these were my first attempt at making pryaniki and this recipe was so easy to follow, they turned out to be everything you had promised and taste so good that we only have 6 left from yesterday. my 3 year old frosted them and loved being the helper. we don’t have a russian store where i live so this was a treat!! i love recipes that have simple ingredients that are already in my pantry and these were a spur of a moment thing so thank you for making my family happy. God bless you my friend.

    Reply

    • tanya
      January 27, 2016

      i didn’t have peppermint extract so i added a little bit of orange extract and they were amazing!

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        January 27, 2016

        I LOVE that idea. I think I’ll try that next time I make these cookies! 🙂

        Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 27, 2016

      Thank you Tanya, you’re so sweet. God bless you too! I’m so happy you loved the recipe. I can just imagine you making these with your little helper. 🙂

      Reply

  • inessa
    October 10, 2015

    I have been looking for praniki recipe for a long time. As soon as I saw your recipe I had to give it a try. And Once again….You did it!! Thank you, Very good cookies. Kids loved making them, frosting them and of course eating them. Thank you for the video, and detailed directions. I will defiantly make these again.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 10, 2015

      Awww that’s so awesome! I’m smiling big. Thank you Inessa 🙂

      Reply

  • Oksana
    October 30, 2014

    These pryaniki are amazing. And they taste even better the next day. It is hard to keep them until the next day though. Thank you so much for this recipe. Can’t wait to make them again. Next on my list is Apple Crumb Cake

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 30, 2014

      I know what you mean, especially if I invite my sisters over. The cookies are gone in no time! 😉 I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂

      Reply

  • Veronica
    September 30, 2014

    when it comes to the dough part, why is it crumblyish instead of sticky???

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 30, 2014

      What kind of flour did you use? It definitely shouldn’t be crumbly, but sticky. If it is crumbly, there is probably way too much flour. Did you measure flour the recommended way? Did you watch the video? Is there anything else you could have done differently? I hope we can figure it out 🙂

      Reply

      • Veronica
        September 30, 2014

        yea i put about 3-4 cups of flour.. i used regular white enriched bleached flour.

        Reply

  • Inna
    September 23, 2014

    One question PLZ!!!! So can i just omit the peppermint extract??? I never actually tried pryaniki with peppermint!! Can you really taste it in these pryaniki??thanks!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 24, 2014

      It gives a nice flavor to the glaze so you can definitely taste it when you take a bite. You can omit it or use a different extract; the possibilities are many 🙂

      Reply

  • Laura (Tutti Dolci)
    September 18, 2014

    These cookies look wonderful, family recipes are the best!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 18, 2014

      Aren’t they? I’m so happy to be able to learn from my Mama 🙂

      Reply

  • Polina
    September 13, 2014

    These turned out great and the video was helpful especially with regards to spreading on the glaze. Having only ever eaten store-bought priyaniki (honestly never considered you could make them at home), I was amazed at how soft these were, even the next day. My family said, “как в кондитерской!”

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 13, 2014

      Polina, thank you very much for a great feedback :), your comment is music to my ears.

      Reply

  • Ira
    September 12, 2014

    Natasha I made these today and these are wonderful everytime I make your recipes I know they will turn out amazing, these are so simple yet so delicious. Thanks for the video tutorial!! I loved these pryaniki they are delicious!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 12, 2014

      Ira, thank you very much for a great review, I’m glad that you enjoyed them and you are welcome :).

      Reply

  • Marina | Let the Baking Begin!
    September 12, 2014

    Of course you could use a brush to spread the glaze, but what fun would that be? I bet kids would like to get dirty glazing these 😀

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 13, 2014

      Yeah except they might be eating the glaze more than spreading it! 😉

      Reply

  • Mariam
    September 12, 2014

    You are so nice Natasha:) Really appreciate your time for this perfect video:)) I can now make this for my father:) I am a big fun of yours. This weekend I am going to make Tres leches for my family and next weekend I will definitely try this because my daughter loves pryaniki too. Thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 12, 2014

      That’s awesome! Thank you for your sweet and encouraging comment. This was a tough video to shoot; I felt so out of practice. My patient husband deserves a medal. Lol

      Reply

  • Tatyana
    September 12, 2014

    Those people who don’t like peppermint, can add mint flavor instead. It’s very good! The bottle that mint extract come in, use it’s little cap to measure out how much to add into the pryaniki.:) My recipe is exactly like yours Natasha and I have been making it for 24 years. Whenever I make it, everyone asks for recipe. My family loves them so much that when it’s their Birthday, they don’t want a cake, they just ask me to make pryaniki.:)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 12, 2014

      It must be an old Ukrainian recipe. My mom had it hand-written in her cookbook that she’s had for ages! 🙂 I love these cookies!

      Reply

  • Olga G.
    September 12, 2014

    Great job on the video. The cookies looks delicious as all your recipes do! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 12, 2014

      Thank you Olga for the great feedback :).

      Reply

  • Olena
    September 11, 2014

    These are Ukrainian doughnuts 😉

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 11, 2014

      And they aren’t fried. Score! 🙂

      Reply

  • nina
    September 10, 2014

    Thanks For the great recipe ! could you add other flavor to the glaze instead of the peppermint?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 11, 2014

      Yes you can use pretty much any extract you like; lemon, orange, coffee,… so many possibilities! 🙂

      Reply

  • zowie
    September 10, 2014

    I only had 8oz of sour cream so I added 8oz of cottage cheese to the recipe! Turned out the same.. maybe even better 🙂 thanks for the great recipe! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 11, 2014

      That’s great to know next time I’m low on sour cream! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂 Did you mash up the cottage cheese or leave the curds in there?

      Reply

  • Vika
    September 10, 2014

    I’ve never made pryaniki at home. Thank you for this great video and recipe! I will have to try it sometime. Thank you, Natasha!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 11, 2014

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the video and I hope you love these cookies! They aren’t complicated but they are a nice treat at home 🙂

      Reply

  • Aksana
    September 10, 2014

    I add more flour into the batter, until I can roll the dough and use cookie cutters. I also like to make them without the frosting, and freeze half the batch. You take ’em out, and they taste as if you just made them. Great for road trips, as they don’t crumble like normal cookies do. For those who are not used to pryaniki, they are a more dense (but soft!) cookie, kind of like shortbread… VERY delicious 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 11, 2014

      Do you still form them like pryaniki with that much flour? Do they still rise ok?

      Reply

      • Aksana
        September 26, 2014

        Yes, they rise perfectly. You need to make the dough the right consistency. Sticky still, but firm just enough to roll out and use cookie cutters. Not too sticky, not too firm.

        Reply

  • Tanya
    September 10, 2014

    Thank you very much for a wonderfull food and cookie and recipe. My daughter love your web page. She love to cook and bake. Every time she’s baking and it’s perfect.
    Thank you and May God Bless you and your family.
    Any chance you know how to bake a пироженное картошка?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 11, 2014

      That’s so awesome! Thanks for sharing that with me; it’s music to my ears 🙂 I don’t have a recipe for пироженное картошка yet but I will be on the lookout for a good one. Thanks for the suggestion 🙂

      Reply

  • Vicky
    September 10, 2014

    My son was asking me last night to make him cookies when he would get home today. When I saw the post I knew I had to run to the store to grab a few ingredients that I didn’t have at home. The one thing I would omit is the peppermint extract. It’s a little to strong for my taste buds so I had to add fresh lemon zest and vanilla extract to balance out the flavor. Other than that, it turned out really good!
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 10, 2014

      I’m so glad you liked the cookies!! 🙂 thanks for a great review!

      Reply

  • Andi C.
    September 10, 2014

    Love this video! You really make it look so easy that I want to try to make them – thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 10, 2014

      Thanks Andi 🙂 I’m always hoping that I don’t complicate things 🙂

      Reply

  • Julia | JuliasAlbum.com
    September 10, 2014

    I’ve never had homemade pryaniki – we always bought them at the store. Yours look so refined, love how perfect the glaze is. Thanks for reminding me about one more food I almost forgot about. 🙁

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 10, 2014

      They really were pretty easy and so nice when they are fresh and homemade. Our cultures culinary background is so diverse, it’s so easy to forget certain things. Pretty often, my readers ask about Russian/Ukrainian dishes I’ve never even heard of! 🙂

      Reply

  • Mariya
    September 9, 2014

    Great Video!!! You make it look so quick and simply. Love those- will be trying out the recipe as soon as I get all the ingredients. Thank you for your blog- I check it almost everyday to see new posts or to read your older ones.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 10, 2014

      You’re so sweet Mariya and I’m so happy to hear that you are enjoying the blog and recipes! 🙂

      Reply

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