Russian Pryaniki (Honey Spice Cookies)

Recipe ingredients

Pryaniki ingredients

• Granulated sugar: The base of our caramel mixture includes just sugar and water.
• Light corn syrup: Corn syrup is optional, but makes preparing the caramel easier as it prevents crystallization.
• Honey: Honey is added to the caramel for a sweet finish and flavor boost.
• Unsalted butter: Butter is also added to the caramel for richness and a creamier texture.
• Spices: I used cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, but feel free to play around with your spice mixture.
• Egg: You’ll need just one egg for this pryaniki recipe.
• Baking powder: Baking powder helps the cookies rise and gives them a soft and tender texture.
• All purpose flour: The base of the cookies is all purpose flour.

Glaze ingredients

Step by step instructions and photos

Step 1: Combine the sugar, water and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium heat and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Once the mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring to prevent the sugar from crystallizing.

Step 2: Cook the sugar mixture until it turns a deep amber color. This generally takes about 15 minutes. If your caramel looks like it might be cooking unevenly, you can swirl the pan occasionally. Keep an eye on the mixture as it thickens and bubbles, as the caramel can go from light brown to burnt extremely quickly! 

Step 3: Remove from heat and add butter. Be very careful during this step and take care to keep your hands away from the saucepan as the caramel may bubble and steam when adding the butter.

Step 4: Stir in the honey. Once the butter has completely melted, stir in the honey until fully incorporated.

Step 5: Pour the caramel mixture into a heatproof bowl. Let the mixture sit until the bowl is just slightly warm to the touch (about 20-30 minutes).

Step 6: Make the pryaniki dough. Once the caramel has cooled, add the remaining dough ingredients and mix until the dough is smooth.

Step 7: Cover the dough and transfer to the refrigerator. Refrigerate until the dough has firmed up a bit, but is still soft and easy to work with (about 1 hour).

Step 8: Portion the dough into small balls and bake. Use about 1 tablespoon of dough (25 grams) for each cookie. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake and allow to cool completely before adding the glaze.

Step 9: Whisk together the glaze ingredients. Start with less milk than you think you’ll need and add more as necessary. The glaze should be quite thick.

Step 10: Glaze the pryaniki. Dip the cooled cookies in the glaze and place on a wire rack until the glaze is set. Enjoy!

Storage and freezing

Once cooled completely, these Russian pryaniki can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

This pryaniki recipe can also be frozen for up to three months. If freezing, I recommend leaving off the glaze. To thaw, let the cookies come to room temperature and then add the glaze if desired.

Expert tips and tricks

• Have your caramel ingredients prepped before you begin. Caramel can be a bit tricky and you need to work quickly once it’s the right color. Make sure your butter and honey are measured and ready to go before you begin making the caramel.
• Keep an eye on the caramel. The sugar mixture will take a bit of time before it starts to turn colors. But once it turns golden it can go quickly to burnt, so don’t walk away from the pot.
• Pay attention to the consistency of the dough. The amount of flour needed may be a bit more or less than noted, depending on your caramel. The dough should be smooth and pliable, but not overly sticky. If your dough feels like it’s getting to stiff, you can leave out a bit of flour.
• Measure flour by weight. Measuring flour with a kitchen scale is the easiest way to ensure you don’t end up with cookies with a tough texture. If you have to use cups, make sure to use the spoon and level method. Gently spoon flour into a measuring cup and level off the excess with the back of a knife. This prevents packing and helps ensure a more accurate measurement.

Recipe variations

• Switch up the spices. Other warming spices, such as cloves and cardamom, would be excellent in these cookies.
• Mix orange zest into the cookie dough. Orange zest adds a fresh, citrusy flavor to these Russian pryaniki!
• Add flavor to the glaze. Instead of milk, use orange juice or coffee for two delicious takes on pryaniki. Or opt for a chocolate liqueur glaze, like we use in our Soft Gingerbread Cookies recipe.

And if you’re loving this Russian Pryaniki Recipe, make sure to check out our other favorite Russian and Ukrainian fare:

• Russian Honey Cake Medovik
• Sharlotka Apple Cake
• Beef Borscht Recipe
• Pampushky – Ukrainian Garlic Rolls
• Russian Pelmeni (Meat Dumplings)

Russian Pryaniki Recipe

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Brit Kapustina
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 32
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Russian

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Ingredients

Pryaniki

• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (120 ml) water
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (optional)
• ½ cup (170 grams) honey
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• ½ tablespoon baking powder
• 2 ¾ cups (345 grams) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled*

Glaze

• 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2–3 tablespoons milk
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Instructions

Pryaniki

1. Add the sugar, water and corn syrup (if using) to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and place on the stove over medium heat. Make sure the honey and butter are measured and ready to go. You’ll need to work quickly in the next steps.
2. Stir the mixture until the sugar is mostly dissolved and evenly distributed. Once the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil, avoid stirring, as this can cause the mixture to crystallize. Decrease the heat if necessary and swirl the pan occasionally if needed.
3. When the mixture turns a deep amber, remove from heat. Add the butter and stir vigorously. Be very careful, as the caramel will bubble!
4. Stir in the honey until incorporated and then pour into a heatproof bowl. Let cool for 20-30 minutes or until the bowl is just slightly warm to the touch.
5. Stir in the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
6. Add the egg and mix until combined.
7. Stir in the baking powder.
8. Add the flour one cup at a time and mix until the dough is smooth and pliable. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until the dough has firmed up a bit.
9. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
10. Shape the dough into balls using about one tablespoon (25 grams) of dough for each cookie. Place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch (2.5 cm) between each cookie.
11. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze

1. Add the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract to a bowl.
2. Whisk in milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Once the pryaniki have cooled, dip each cookie in the glaze and place on a baking rack to dry.

Notes

Measuring Flour: We highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure flour. If measuring by volume, use the spoon and level method to avoid over-measuring the flour. Lightly spoon flour into the measuring cup until it’s completely full. Then run the back of a knife over the cup to gently scrape off any excess.

Storage: Pryaniki can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or frozen for up to 3 months.