Discover the irresistible flavor of Pryaniki, Russian honey spice cookies that are soft, flavorful, and perfect for freezing! Try this easy recipe and surprise your friends and family with these homemade treats.
Pryaniki have been a staple in Russian kitchens for centuries. These unassuming honey spice cookies are often glazed and served alongside a warm cup of tea. You’ll find them on every store shelf in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus but don’t be fooled by their simplicity. The store-bought versions are often a little underwhelming—think along the lines of graham crackers or vanilla wafers. They’ll satisfy a sweet craving.... when you're desperate, but they’re not exactly mind-blowing.
Now, if you’ve only ever tasted the packaged Pryaniki, get ready for a treat! Homemade Pryaniki are a whole different experience. When you make them yourself with wholesome, recognizable ingredients, the flavor and texture improve by 100%. Trust me, these cookies will steal the show.
I’ve been making Pryaniki for years, and there’s nothing more fun than watching people try them for the first time. When I offer them these cookies, they don’t seem too excited. In fact, if there are other options on the table, the Pryaniki might get ignored. But once they take that first bite, their expressions always change. They go from curious to surprised, reaching for seconds (or thirds!) and asking for the recipe.
The texture of homemade Pryaniki is so much softer in texture than the store bought variety, which is no small wonder, since who knows how long the latter were on the shelf before you opened up the package. You can actually taste the freshness. And the flavor? It's rich with honey, coffee, and a delightful blend of spices—vanilla, nutmeg, allspice, and a hint of anise. Pure magic.
These cookies also freeze beautifully. I love setting up a cozy baking station, throwing on a movie or my favorite podcast, and making a big batch ahead of time. After baking and glazing, just pop the cookies into a sealed zip-top bag and freeze them for months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply thaw, and they’ll taste as fresh as the day you made them.
Ingredients
(Scroll to the bottom of the page for the printable recipe card with all the measurements.)
Cookies:
- Instant Coffee + Hot Water
- The coffee adds depth and richness to the flavor of the cookies. You'll need about ⅔ cup of very strong, almost syrupy coffee. While I’ve always used instant coffee for this recipe, you could try brewed coffee, though I haven’t personally tested it, so I can't guarantee the same results.
- Butter
- Butter helps create a soft and tender cookie texture and adds a rich, comforting flavor.
- Granulated Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps create the perfect texture for the cookies.
- Honey
- Honey gives Pryaniki their signature rich, floral sweetness and moisture. It also enhances the cookies’ soft texture.
- Vanilla Extract
- Vanilla adds a warm, aromatic backdrop to the spiced flavor of the cookies. You can't go without vanilla in any cookie recipe, right?
- Spices
- The combination of allspice, grated nutmeg, and anise gives the cookies their warm, aromatic flavor. Allspice adds a slight peppery note, nutmeg brings a cozy fragrance, and anise offers a hint of licorice. Tip: Feel free to experiment with other spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, or cloves to make the recipe your own.
- Eggs (Large eggs)
- Baking Soda (dissolved in 1 teaspoon white vinegar)
- This combination helps the cookies rise slightly, giving them a tender and light texture.
- Baking Powder
- A little extra lift to make sure your Pryaniki have the right balance of fluff and chew.
- All-Purpose Flour
- The main structure of the cookies. I haven’t experimented with other flour alternatives or gluten-free options, so I can’t vouch for how they’ll turn out.
Glaze:
- Powdered Sugar
- The glaze is made of powdered sugar, which gives it a smooth, sweet finish that hardens slightly for a nice shine on top of the cookies.
- Milk
- Milk helps thin out the glaze to the perfect consistency. You can adjust it depending on how thick or thin you want the glaze to be.
- Vanilla Extract (for a dash of flavor)
How To Make Pryaniki
- Dissolve the Coffee and Melt the Butter
- In a medium saucepan, dissolve the instant coffee in hot water, then add the butter, sugar, and honey.
- Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The key here is to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar completely so that the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl and let it cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the Spices
- Stir in all your spices—vanilla extract, allspice, nutmeg, and anise.
- Whisk in the Eggs & Leavening
- Now, whisk in the eggs, being sure the mixture has cooled enough so the eggs won’t scramble.
- Then, add the baking soda dissolved in vinegar and baking powder. You’ll notice a little fizzing when you mix the baking soda and vinegar—that’s the magic that helps the cookies have a light, tender texture.
- Add the Flour
- Gradually add the flour and mix it in with a large wooden spoon until fully incorporated. It’ll be thick and a bit sticky.
- Don't worry if it seems a little softer than you expected—it will firm up as it cools.
- Rest/Chill the Dough
- Originally, the recipe calls for letting the dough rest at room temperature for 4 hours, covered. That works great, but my personal preference is to chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or even better, overnight. I love the convenience of chilling the dough overnight—it breaks up the long process of cookie making and makes the dough much easier to work with.
- Preheat the Oven & Prepare the Baking Sheet
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shape and Bake the Cookies
- I like to use a 1 tablespoon measuring scoop to scoop out the dough. Then, roll it into balls with your hands to make sure they’re uniform in size and bake evenly.
- Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between them since they will expand and spread.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Don’t over bake or the cookies won't be as soft.
Olga's Tip:
Be sure to rest & chill the dough before shaping.
Resting the dough is a crucial step to get the best texture for your cookies. You’ll want to let the dough rest for at least 4 hours before shaping the cookies.
This gives the gluten time to hydrate and makes the dough much easier to work with. If you skip this step and try to shape the cookies right away, you’ll find the dough too soft and sticky to handle.
For even better results, chill the dough in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. This makes it even easier to shape and helps create perfectly soft, chewy cookies. Trust me, it’s worth the wait!
Glazing the Pryaniki
Glazing the Pryaniki not only makes them look absolutely irresistible, but it also seals in the moisture, keeping the cookies soft and fresh. Without the glaze, these cookies can dry out quickly and become hard. So, glazing is a key step to ensure they stay tender!
- Before you glaze the cookies, make sure they’re fully cooled—if they’re still warm, the glaze will melt right off and won’t stick.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- If you want to switch things up, you can swap out the vanilla for mint or almond extract, or even add some zest from lemon, lime, or orange for a fresh twist.
- Now, dip each cooled cookie into the glaze, letting the excess drip off.
- Place them on a rack or parchment paper to let the glaze set. Once it’s dry, feel free to flip the cookies over and glaze the other side.
- Traditionally, Pryaniki are glazed on both sides, but I usually just do one for simplicity. (If I want them to last longer, I glaze the bottom as well.
- Quick tip: The glaze can thicken as it dries, so it’s best to work quickly. If it starts to get too thick, just add a tiny splash of milk to loosen it up. And for a smoother, faster process, it’s always fun to coax someone to help you glaze—it’ll go much faster!
Storing the Cookies
Once your Pryaniki are all glazed and ready to go, the best way to store them is in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay soft and delicious for at least a week or two—if they last that long!
The great thing about these cookies is that they’re perfect for making ahead of time. In fact, they store really well, so you can freeze them in an airtight container or zip-top bag for a few months. When you're ready to enjoy them again, just let them thaw at room temperature, and they’ll taste just as fresh as the day you made them. It’s like having a little taste of homemade goodness on hand whenever you need it!
Helpful Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
You can absolutely use a stand mixer to make the dough, but I don’t recommend using a hand mixer. The dough is quite thick and heavy, and it will likely burn out the motor of a hand mixer. If you're set on using a stand mixer, I recommend halving the recipe to make it easier on your equipment. Mixing by hand is also super simple and, honestly, it’s not as much work as it seems! It comes together quite easily.
This recipe yields about 105-110 cookies, which is perfect for holidays or special occasions when you want to share. But if you don't need such a large batch, you can easily halve the recipe! I always make the full batch since I love sharing these cookies with friends and family.
t’s normal for Pryaniki to spread a little while baking, but if they flatten too much, a few things could be at play. The most important factor is chilling the dough. The colder the dough, the less it will spread. For best results, refrigerate the dough overnight!
Another culprit could be imprecise flour measurements. Too little flour might cause the cookies to spread excessively. If you’re still having trouble, try adding 1-2 extra tablespoons of flour to the dough next time. Also, when rolling the dough balls, make them slightly taller instead of perfectly round to help keep the cookies thicker and prevent them from spreading too much.
If your glaze is too thin, simply add more powdered sugar to thicken it up. If it’s too thick, just add a splash more milk to loosen it. It’s all about adjusting until you get that perfect, smooth consistency.
The traditional Pryaniki are mildly spiced, but if you love a little more flavor, feel free to adjust the spices. You can add more of your favorite spices for a bolder punch. Personally, I love adding cinnamon to the mix. You can also experiment with adding other spices like cloves, ginger, or cardamom to play around with the flavor and make the cookies truly your own.
Watch the Pryaniki Video
Pryaniki - Russian Honey Spice Cookies
Discover the irresistible flavor of Pryaniki, Russian honey spice cookies that are soft, flavorful, and perfect for freezing! Try this easy recipe and surprise your friends and family with these homemade treats.
- Prep Time: 120 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 380 minutes
- Yield: 105 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ½ cup instant coffee
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups honey
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon anise (ground or liquid extract)
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda dissolved in 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 6 cups all purpose flour
Glaze:
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, dissolve the instant coffee in the water.
- Add the butter, sugar and honey to the dissolved coffee in the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium heat and cook, stirring, just until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves and the mixture is homogenous. Take off the heat, pour it into a large bowl. and cool for about 10-15 minutes.
- Add all the spices - vanilla, allspice, nutmeg and anise. You can also add cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, mint extract, etc.
- Whisk in the eggs, the baking soda dissolved in vinegar and baking powder. You will notice that the mixture will fizz a little when it's all mixed up.
- Add the flour and mix with a large wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated.
- Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shape the cookie dough into approximately 1 Tablespoon balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some room around each cookie, since they will expand while baking. I use a 1 Tablespoon measuring scoop to get the cookie dough out of the bowl and then roll it around in my hands. This will make sure that all the cookies are the same size and will bake evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Do not over bake, or the cookies will be too hard.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and the milk to make a glaze. You can flavor the glaze by adding some kind of extract to it, like vanilla, mint, almond, etc.
- Dip the cooled cookies into the glaze, letting the excess run off. Set the glazed cookies on a rack or parchment paper to dry. When the glaze is dry, you can flip the cookies over and glaze the other side as well. When glazing the cookies, work fast, since the glaze will be harder to work with when it starts to dry up. You can add a tiny splash more of milk to thin it out if it hardens.
- Store the cookies at room temperature in a sealed container.
Notes
You could probably use a mixer to make the cookie batter, but make sure to use a good quality machine, since this batter will be very thick and heavy and may burn out a model that isn't very strong. The amount of batter is very large, so if you want to use a mixer, I would recommend halving the recipe. This recipe yields 105-110 cookies. Of course, you can halve the recipe and make less cookies, but we usually make Pryaniki around the holidays or special occasions, we always make the full batch, since we give away lots of cookies to others as well as enjoy them for many parties and events.
Storing and Freezing:
Another amazing thing about these cookies is that they are great to make ahead of time. The baked and glazed cookies store very well for at least a week or two in an airtight container and you can freeze them in an airtight container or ziptop bag for a few months. Simply thaw the cookies and they taste just as fresh as the day you made them.
I’ve been wanting to try making these for a while now and they turned out great. I can’t have coffee and substituted it for some roasted dandelion root tea and a touch of cocoa, which worked well for me. Definitely plan on making these again.
Hi Nim,
Thank you for sharing your experience! I’m so glad the pryaniki turned out great for you. What a creative substitution with the roasted dandelion root tea and cocoa—I bet it added a lovely flavor! It’s wonderful to hear that you’re planning to make them again. I hope they bring you just as much joy the next time around!
Happy baking, and thanks again for your kind feedback!
I'd really love to make these, the ones in store have gotten worse lately.. But I have a question about the anise, do you use ground anise seed or star of anise? When I try to find it pre-ground I only find anise seed.. But I can grind a star if that's what you use.. Thanks in advanced!
I usually use anise extract, Terri.
I think I'll try it without coffee next time, it came out with a bit of a bitterness. But otherwise texture and rise was great. I was able to successfully reduce the quantity to a third, and use an all purpose gluten free flour.
Such an interesting recipe. I've never had these cookies before. I did have a problem though - when I baked the cookies, they flattened out completely and ran into each other. I'm not sure why. I did make the dough balls larger than I probably should have, but I don't see how that would make them flatten like pancakes, do you? Do you have any idea what could cause this? I read a comment that said to bring the dough to room temp to keep them from flattening. My dough never went into the refrigerator though, it sat on the counter at room temp for about 4 1/2 hours before I baked them. I'm at a loss. Help!
Thank you for your comment, Jeanie! I’m glad you found the recipe interesting! It’s normal for Pryaniki to spread a bit while baking, but if they flattened out too much, it could be a few things. I usually refrigerate the dough, as chilling it helps prevent spreading. The colder the dough, the less the cookies will over-spread. For this particular recipe, it's nice to refrigerate the dough overnight for the best results.
Another thing to keep in mind is that not measuring the flour correctly can contribute to the cookies spreading too much. If chilling the dough doesn't help, I’d suggest adding an extra 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the dough next time. Also, when rolling the dough balls, try making them a little taller instead of perfectly round—taller balls will give you thicker cookies and prevent them from spreading too much.
I hope these tips help, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have more questions!
Hi Olga! I was wondering if the dough can be made ahead and stored in the freezer and for haw long?
Thank you!
I make these every year and my Russian husband's family love them! I use a Matroska cookie mold and they are so beautiful.
I do have one question. I've never had a problem with this before but all of a sudden, this year my cookies swelled and lost all of their detail. I'm wondering if it is the amount of honey I added. Can you confirm how many ounces it is? Some conversion charts say 12 oz, others say more.
Also, my oven only takes ~15 minutes to bake these to perfection. Longer than that and they become very dry.
I made it a few times and always great. But I was wondering how long can I keep dough in fridge for?
Hi Julia,
I'm so glad you enjoy the recipe. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Olga, thank you so much for sharing this incredible recipe! I made a test batch this weekend, as there's a cookie exchange coming up at work, and I was blown away. The coffee syrup gives these soft, fragrant cookies a subtle richness and beautiful color. You can smell and taste the spices and honey, and it's complex, but comforting, not overwhelming.
Since none of my local stores had anise and I read that some pryaniki recipes include citrus zest, I added more spices plus the fresh zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange to a half recipe. I also used fresh lemon juice instead of milk in the glaze. I think that turned out really well, but I'm planning to track down some anise for the next batch. 🙂 Thanks again!
Hi Claire,
Thank you for taking the time to write. It sounds like the citrus was a perfect addition to the cookies - what a brilliant innovation. I'll have to try it myself too.
These are phenomenal! So easy and incredibly tasty. I put in the fridge overnight and then just put on the counter for an hour in the morning ahead of rolling into balls and baking. Turned out perfect.
So happy to hear that, Jess! Thanks for taking the time to write.
The thin icing was the problem and adding more powdered sugar was the right thing to do. Thank you very much for your quick response.!! Jan
So glad that helped, Janet.
my glaze from your recipe did not duplicate your frosted cookies. What icing recipe did you use? My icing was transparent and just ran off the cookies. Please advise!! Thank you! Jan
Hi Janet.
What a bummer that the icing didn't work out for you. It sounds like you need to add more powdered sugar it was running off the cookies. Hope that helps.