This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Yana wrote in with her mother Vera’s recipe for Ptichye Moloko; a classic and famous Russian desert. What I love about this recipe is the texture; a mousse-like creamy base and a thin velvety layer of coco loveliness.
Everyone in my family really enjoyed it. Ptichye Moloko is an adult jello, but you can also make a quick, kid friendly version, by using a flavored Jell-O instead of the chocolate (just make sure the jello is room temp before pouring it over the cream).
Thank you Yana and Vera for sharing this amazing family recipe with us.
Ingredients for the Ptichye Moloko cream base:
2 packets (14 grams) unflavored gelatin
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
16 oz tub of sour cream
16 oz tub of cool whip, refrigerated (not frozen)
Ingredients for the Ptichye Moloko Chocolate topping:
5 Tbsp Cocoa powder, unsweetened
5 Tbsp sugar
1 packet (7 grams) unflavored gelatin
5 Tbsp milk
1 cup cold water
How to make the cream base:
1. In a small sauce pan, combine 2 packets unflavored gelatin with 1 cup milk. Whisk together over medium heat. Continue whisking until it just begins to steam, remove from heat (DO NOT BOIL). Set aside to cool.
2. Spray an 11×13 glass baking dish with cooking spray (this prevents the jello from sticking to the dish).
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed whisk together 1 cup sugar, 16 oz tub of sour cream and a 16 oz tub of cool whip until well blended.
4. With the mixer on, slowly add the warm milk mixture.
5. Immediately pour into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top as evenly as possible since the chocolate layer is thin. Cover and refrigerate to cool. Now start working on the chocolate topping.
How to make chocolate topping:
1. In a small sauce pan, combine 5 Tbsp coco powder, 5 Tbsp sugar, 1 packet unflavored gelatin. Next, whisk in 1 cup cold water and 5 Tbsp milk.
2. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil while mixing continuously. If you don’t continue whisking, the chocolate may lump and you have to start over (don’t walk away from the mix). The mix should be smooth and well blended. Set the chocolate mix aside and let it cool for 1 hour.
3. Slowly pour the chocolate portion onto the cream base. Chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours.
Ptichye Moloko Recipe (Bird's Milk)
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cream base:
- 2 packets, 14 grams unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 16 oz tub of sour cream
- 16 oz tub of cool whip, refrigerated (not frozen)
Ingredients for the Chocolate topping:
- 5 Tbsp Coco powder, unsweetened
- 5 Tbsp sugar
- 1 packet, 7 grams unflavored gelatin
- 5 Tbsp milk
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, combine 2 packets unflavored gelatin with 1 cup milk.
- Whisk together over medium heat. Continue whisking until it just begins to steam, remove from heat (DO NOT BOIL).Set aside to cool.
- Spray an 11 x 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray (this prevents the jello from sticking to the dish).
- In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed whisk together 1 cup sugar, 16 oz tub of sour cream and a 16 oz tub of cool whip until well blended.
- With the mixer on, slowly add the warm milk mixture.
- Immediately pour into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top as evenly as possible since the chocolate layer is thin. Cover and refrigerate to cool. Now start working on the chocolate topping.
How to make chocolate topping:
- In a small sauce pan, combine 5 Tbsp coco powder, 5 Tbsp sugar, 1 packet unflavored gelatin.
- Whisk in 1 cup cold water and 5 Tbsp milk.
- Place over medium heat and bring to a boil while mixing continuously. If you don't continue whisking, the chocolate may lump and you have to start over (don't walk away from the mix). The mix should be smooth and well blended.
- Set the chocolate mix aside and let it cool for 1 hour.
- Slowly pour the chocolate portion onto the cream base. Chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Delicious …always my go to recipe for bird milk
So glad you’re loving this recipe.
I had a friend from Moldova bring Bird’s Milk dessert to me and I fell in love with the unique flafour. This recipe is perfect and so easy. Thank you.
So glad you loved it!
Hello Natasha. Love your recipe! Is it possible to make this recipe dairy free ?
Hi Mira, I have not tried a dairy free substitute to advise if its possible.
I like to use heavy cream, unflavored gelatin and real good dark chocolate melted over steam bath as the top layer instead of cocoa.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but after the cake chills, how do you get it out of the glass dish if you wanted to display it? I’m afraid it may break the chocolate layer. Any suggestions?
Hi Hannah, the cooking spray prevents the jello from sticking to the dish, don’t skip that step. I like to cut the cake into cubes and then use a spatula to take them out. Often people like to serve it in the glass dish too. I hope that helps.
I could not find anyone in the comments trying this recipe whipped heavy whipping cream, so I decided to try it with a 1/4 batch.I mixed the gelatin with milk as directed, then let it cool to almost to room temperature (I also added some instant coffee to the milk mixture because I like my birds milk coffee flavored) , . Meanwhile I whipped 4oz with a couple tablespoons of powder sugar till almost stiff peak, then added the 4 oz sour cream, whip if a couple more rounds, and then added the milk mixture. Again, mix everything together and refrigerate. It does work. The texture was slightly different then the original, but my husband said he actually preferred this. Obviously if you were making the full recipe you would beat 16 oz heavy cream.
Thanks for sharing, Olga. Great to hear that you were able to make it work!
I’ve made this recipe twice with heavy cream that I whipped, instead of cool whip, and it came out delicious!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Loved the Ptichye Moloko Recipe (Bird’s Milk). Was easy to make and a new change for dessert. Nice change from rich, heavy desserts.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Terri!
Hello Natalie. For this recipe, how many servings is in this recipe?
Hi Christina, this recipe makes about 12 servings.
Hello Natasha. I need to make bird’s milk recipe into the cups to the party. How munch 12 serving is?
Like 1 block of jello is 12 serving?
Hi Christina! I have not made this into individual servings. I made this in a 11 x 13 glass baking dish and then cut it into 12 even servings.
I made this again this weekend on a whim. My daughter wanted strawberries in it, so we added a layer of diced strawberries between the layers. Diced the strawberries and then patted them dry before pressing them into the cream layer before the first chilling. Then we did 1.5x the chocolate topping to get a fuller coverage. It was amazing. I highly recommend it. Thank you for the inspiration.
Sounds delicious! I’m happy that you loved the results!
It’s really easy to make and delicious. My sister made this for me during her cooking phase and I loved it, now its one of my favorite dishes. Thank you!
You’re very welcome. Serena!
I am from Moscow and grew up with this but it always had narrow cake layer at the bottom? I am sure there are many different recipes though!
Will try this one but still add cake layer 🙂
I want to make this with diabetes people in mind, can I use sugar substitutes and non dairy milk? Do I need a mixer, or can I do everything by hand?
Hi Amber, I have not tried those substitutes but maybe others can share them with us here.
Love this cake. Made it a few times and it was delicious . Thank you Natasha for this recipe.
You’re very welcome!
Great Recipe! Favorite dessert! Never turns out clumpy if mixed very well with whisk. People always ask me for this recipe. “Cost to make” needs to be updated (or removed). Cost is double now.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi, Natasha!
Can I substitute cool whip with whipped cream (if it will be bitten like a cream?)?
Hi there, I haven’t tested anything else, to be honest. I have it on my to-do list to try with whipped cream but without trying something else, I can’t really recommend anything. There is a product called “truwhip” which is a more natural variation of cool whip which you might try. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha!
Love this recipe. Is there anyway I can make the topping “milk chockolate” testing like, not dark chocolate, as is in this recipe? Please please advise!
So thankful for all your recipes:)
Hello Alisha, that might work but have I haven’t really tested that yet to advise. If you do an experiment please share with us how it goes!
Awesome. We just made this dessert for our Ukranian/Russian themed Christmas lunch and it was fantastic. We are still enjoying it post-Christmas so it is the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you so much, Natasha from Ipswich, Australia.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Sean!
Hi Sean,
It was very delightful, pleasant to learn that you do such a great idea Christmas lunches. I think, I will do that too. Choosing any Country and learning about their food and than cooking it! I can do it with my daughter 🙂 By the way, this recipe is my favorite from childhood! Ptichye Moloko. I am originally from Moscow, Russia but living in the USA for the last 20 years.
Anna D.