Pryaniki are Honey Cookies (пряники медовые) made with sour cream, butter, flour and lots of honey, based on babushka's recipe. Easy to make, especially popular during the holidays, they're my New Years and Christmas cookies.
This honey cookie recipe uses a whopping ONE AND A HALF CUPS of honey, packing these cookies with flavor! Russians love honey, and it's been part of our food culture for centuries.
Ingredients You'll Need
- honey - try Wildflower Honey or Australian Eucalyptus Honey
- sugar - regular white sugar
- eggs - room temperature
- sour cream - or authentic Smetana
- butter - softened of melted
- flour - all purpose works great
- baking powder
- icing sugar glaze
Are Pryaniki like Gingerbread Cookies?
No, not always! There are many different Pryaniki recipes out there, and some are made them like Gingerbread. Adding ginger and spices are optional, and aren't always made that way. This is Babushka's traditional recipe, made with made with regular honey, without the addition of spices.
Honey Cookies with Spices
Spices in the old days were sometimes hard to find, but honey was always available! If you love spiced honey cookies, try adding these ground spices;
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
How to Make Pryaniki - Honey Cookies
Although it's an easy recipe, you need to plan ahead when making Pryaniki. The honey cookie dough is so incredibly sticky and soft, it needs to firm up overnight in the fridge. I make the dough on a Friday night, refrigerate until Saturday, and spend the morning baking fresh cookies. If you are in a rush, then you can refrigerate the dough for 4-5 hours before using.
You can make this recipe using a whisk and a wooden spoon, however I use a KitchenAid Mixmaster. It's much easier to mix, especially after you add the flour. Hit the easy button!
Whisk and Mix
- In a mixer, whisk together the eggs and the sugar.
- Mix in sour cream, honey and softened butter.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour and baking powder together and mix the flour mixture slowly to the honey mixture until fully incorporated together.
Refrigerate
- Refrigerate overnight to allow the dough to firm up together. If in a rush, refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours.
Roll
- Using a tablespoon, spoon out a tablespoon size piece of dough into your lightly floured hands. Roll each piece into a ball and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and bake for 13-15 minutes.
- Finish baking and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before proceeding to the next step.
Glaze
- In a bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and egg whites together. There are 3 ways to proceed, choose the one method which suits you best!
Pro Tips:
- Depending on the size of the cookie balls, I usually get 12 honey cookies on a large baking sheet.
- When you take them out of the oven, leave them on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. You need these to completely cool before you add the glaze.
Pryaniki Glaze
There are a few different methods to ice these Honey Cookies. The key to a nice, even glaze is to use an electric mixer to make a silky consistency. Icing Sugar is the same thing as Powdered Sugar or Confectioners Sugar, depending on where you live in the world.
The egg whites will whip up beautifully with the icing sugar. When making extra glaze, it's a 1:1 ratio for 1 cup of icing sugar with 1 egg white. After icing them, set on a cooling rack so the extra glaze slides off and they dries neatly.
Dip Method
1. The first method is to fully dip them into the icing sugar mixture. This method uses the most icing glaze, and you might need to double glaze that you prepare. You can also just dip to top of the cookie into the glaze, but traditionally the whole cookie should be covered.
Brush Method
2. The second method is to use a pastry brush to paint each Honey Cookie, allow to dry and paint the underside. This obviously takes the longest, and I don't have that much patience! Sometimes I just paint the top of the cookie, and as it sets, by this time the kids are usually eating the cookies.
Bowl Method
3. Finally, the third method is to place all your cookies in a large bowl, pour the icing mixture over them and mix using your hands. This is the quickest and most practical way (although maybe not as pretty). This is how I remember my babushka making these cookies. She had 13 kids, and it was a fast and economical way to glaze the cookies.
Try all 3 methods to see which works best for you. Make a few 'pretty' Honey Cookies to serve for company. When you have enough and are tired, throw the rest into a bowl to finish quicker. The taste isn't affected in either method. I usually use the first method and dip them into a bowl of icing sugar mixture.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Use Baking Paper - even if you have a non-stick pan. It's very sticky stuff!
- Australian Honey - adds fantastic flavor and depth
- Flour Your Hands - dough is super sticky and floured hands make rolling easier
- KitchenAid Mixmaster - saves time and your mixing muscles
- Cool - completely cool the cookies before cover with icing glaze
- Pasteurized Egg Whites - Don't use raw egg whites, buy pasteurized egg whites. 3 egg whites is about 3.5oz or 100 grams
- Space Them Out - Don't place the cookie balls too close to each other, so they don't touch each other as they bake. They will spread in the heat of the oven.
Can You Freeze Honey Cookies?
Yes. After the cookie glaze has set and dried, place in a Ziploc bag and freeze. Eat within 3-6 months. Alternatively, keep in an airtight container and enjoy in 1-2 weeks.
How to Prevent Dough from Sticking to Cookie Sheet
Line you baking sheet with baking paper or use a silicone baking mat to make it easy to removing cookies.
Desserts You'll Love
- Sugared Cranberries
- Sharlotka Apple Cake
- Spice Cookies
- Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch
- Honey Joys - Cornflake Cupcakes
- Oatmeal Monster Cookies
Pryaniki, the simple rustic Honey Cookies passed down from generation to generation. The hero of this recipe is honey, and the sweet glaze complements the flavor and seals in the freshness of the cookie. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Equipment
- Kitchen Aid Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups honey
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ pound of softened/melted butter (115 grams)
- 6 cups of flour
- 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Icing Sugar Glaze
- 3 cups icing sugar
- 3 egg whites
Instructions
- Whisk together the eggs and the sugar.
- Mix in sour cream, honey and softened butter.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour and baking powder together. Mix in the flour mixture slowly to the honey mixture until fully incorporated together.
- Refrigerate overnight to allow the dough to firm up together. If in a rush, refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours.
- Using a tablespoon, spoon out a tablespoon size piece of dough into your lightly floured hands. Roll each piece into a ball and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and bake for 13-15 minutes.
- Finish baking and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before proceeding to the next step.
- In a bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and egg whites together. There are 3 ways to proceed, choose the one method which suits you best!
Icing Dip Method
- Dip the cookies fully into the glaze and place on a baking rack to drip dry the excess icing sugar until fully dry. You will need extra icing glaze if using this method.
Icing Brush Method
- Using a pastry brush, brush the top side until completely covered in the icing sugar glaze. When it dries, brush the underside of the cookie. I rarely return to ice the underside of the cookies!
Icing Bowl Method
- Place the cookies in a large mixing bowl, then add the icing sugar mixture on top of them. Using your hands, mix it all together coating each cookie. This doesn't look as pretty as the other methods, but very practical and quick.
Video
Notes
©PetersFoodAdventures.com - originally published Sept 2015, updated 2022
CC
I made these with and without the recommended spices - good both ways. Then, made them with zest of 2 large lemons in the dough, and lemon flavoring (2 - 3 tsp) and 1/4 - 1/2 tsp citric acid in the glaze with some yellow coloring. The lemon ones were very popular. Sugar glaze on all surfaces keeps them moist inside. Thanks for the recipe.
Peter Kolesnichenko
Wow, thanks for sharing great tips! Sounds like it was a hit!
Marsha
Do these cookies get sticky after freezing and then thawing?
Peter Kolesnichenko
The icing will be a bit sticky as they defrost but will dry out again - you can freeze the cookies without glaze and after defrosting, glaze again before serving. If using the dip or brush method, the icing is thicker and will be stickier. The quicker bowl method, the icing is thinner. After glazing and after they are fully dry, you can freeze them on a baking sheet, and after they are frozen, place into a Ziploc bag.
Max
Giving these a try now with some local honey I just bought, though I did oversize mine so they needed 3-4 extra minutes in the oven. How long does it typically take one side of icing to dry?
Peter's Food Adventures
Hi Max! Great tip about the size and extra time. With regards to icing, it depends on how thick of a glaze you make. I usually have several baking racks on the counter until they are dry.
Charley Lee
I was just wondering about the saftwy of eating raw egg whites?
Peter's Food Adventures
Good question, if you’re concerned, use pasteurized eggs, or the egg white from pasteurized eggs 😊 If you cant find them in a store, a quick google search will direct how to pasteuriZe eggs at home.
Isabella
Hi! Is it ok if i cut all ingredients this recipe in half in order to have less cookies?
I ask because i know some recipes for some reason cant just be halved down hahah
Peter's Food Adventures
Hi Isabella! Yes that should be just fine to cut it in half. Just don’t skip the refrigeration. 😊
Laura
I would like to try this recipe with my preschool class for our holiday unit. The 1/4 pound of butter melted. Is is a 1/4 pound before it is melted or after it should equal that?
PetersFoodAdventures
Hi Laura! Thanks for reaching out! It’s a quarter pound unmelted, then I melt it and use it!!! Hope your class enjoys them!!!
Halley
Hi! I was planning on making these for a get together- how many cookies does this recipe make?
PetersFoodAdventures
Hi Halley, thanks for checking it out! The amount depends on the size of the balls you roll in your hands, but I think it’s safe to say this makes around 50 cookies
Daniel Etherington
Hi Peter. These look good. I fancy trying them, but can you tell me - is your cup measure 250ml? (As opposed to US 236ml or 240ml cup.) Then I can convert them into metric. Thanks, Dan.
PetersFoodAdventures
Hi Daniel, great question! The cup size that I use is 250ml. Good luck and enjoy!
Moira
Thanks for the like and for introducing me to your site! -Moira
PetersFoodAdventures
You're welcome and thanks for stopping by and checking it out! 🙂
Lauren at Knead to Dough
My friend has just left for her year abroad in Russia 🙂 going to bake these for her when she gets back!
PetersFoodAdventures
Awesome! Let me know how they turn out!