Vanilla Cookies with an Easy Glaze (Pryaniki)

Name: Vanilla Cookies with an Easy Glaze (Pryaniki)
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 2 egg yolks, (from large eggs); 1¾ cups sugar; 2 cups sour cream; ½ tsp baking soda; ½ lemon, (juiced); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 3 cups flour, (unbleached); 2 egg whites; 2½ cups powdered sugar

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Moist, delicious vanilla cookies. Doused in an easy-to-make, easier-to-devour glaze. These are the perfect addition to your holiday spread.

a bowl on a wooden board filled with glazed vanilla cookies.

Oh boy, am I excited to share this special recipe with you. Pryaniki! They’re delicious. Nostalgic. Festive. And oh so versatile.

Traditionally, Russian spice cookies are served during special occasions. They are occasionally known as honey bread in some areas.

You may have seen them around the internet, but everyone has their own take on them depending where you are from. I love this recipe the most, just like my mom used to make.

Soft cookies, with a sweet glaze almost like dense cake. It makes a wonderful tea cookie or goes great with milk. They’re one of my favorites, and soon you’ll love them too. They’re that good!

a wire rack with glazed vanilla cookies on it.

Table of Contents

These Russian cookies have a special ingredient!

You’ll find that many of my traditional Russian dough recipes include sour cream. This is because it adds a level of moisture, like these irresistible crumbled jam bars. And this cookie dough is no different. You may have tried butter cookies, so get ready for these sour cream cookies.

When you combine the sour cream with egg yolks, flour, sugar, butter, lemon, and the perfect amount of vanilla, you’ll have a slightly sticky, slightly wet dough. It’s supposed to be like that!

Freeze it for an hour. Grab a drink. Stretch. And imagine yourself savoring one, or twelve, of these cookies. No judgment here. Never ever for cookies.

These glazed cookies are a uniquely Russian treat.

Occasionally these are made with spices or other rich flavors. Sometimes, they’re called Russian gingerbread cookies or honey spice cookies. These tasty cookies can take on so many names and so much flavor.

No other cookie recipes can compare to these Russian pryaniki! The most famous type would probably be this vanilla version of these glazed cookies.

In ancient Russia, these cookies were made with honey, berry juice, and rye flour. The recipe has evolved to include so many unique options, such as a mint glaze.

two cookies on a wooden board one halved to show the baked inside.

On your mark, get set, bake!

Skip the cookie scooper for these. We’re going old school and making these bad boys with our hands. Wet your hands and form the dough into even balls.

Into the oven, these pretty cookies go. No cookie cutters needed, no stand mixer needed! Bake for about 20 minutes. The cookies will bake to light golden perfection.

In the meantime, make your glaze. Two ingredients. Super easy. Super yummy.

Oh, look. The cookies have baked. Now comes the magic. You brush the glaze on all sides of the soft cookies. They should be entirely covered. Drenched.

These Christmas cookies and this glaze are absolutely divine together. Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or bringing a dessert to a potluck, you can’t go wrong with them. Want to kick it up a notch? Serve these with tea. This is a dessert you won’t find at the grocery store, only in your own kitchen at home.

Key Ingredients

vanilla cookies pryaniki ingredients- lemon, sour cream, baking soda, sugar, vanilla extract, egg, and flour.

Just 3 Dry ingredients: white sugar (don’t use brown sugar, it won’t work), baking soda, and all purpose flour.

Wet ingredients: egg yolks, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract for flavor (just a tiny splash goes a long way).

Here’s what you’ll need for the pryaniki glaze:

The glaze requires just two ingredients, but makes all the difference, so don’t skip out on it. You will need egg whites from large eggs and powdered sugar. You’ll be whisking these two ingredients in a small bowl for a creamy, sweet glaze.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

How to make Vanilla Cookies with Glaze (Pryaniki)

Step 1: Separate the eggs

Separate the egg yolks from egg whites.

Step 2: Begin the cookies

Beat egg yolks with sugar.

a glass bowl with an egg sugar mixture and hand mixers.

Step 3: Combine lemon and baking soda

In a little bowl, squeeze out juice from the lemon and mix with baking soda. It will foam. Add to the eggs and sugar.

a used lemon wedge on the side of a glass bowl with combined lemon juice and baking soda in it bubbling.

Step 4: Add sour cream and vanilla

Add sour cream and vanilla to the mix. Beat all together.

Step 5: Add flour

On low speed, mix in the flour.

vanilla cookie batter in a glass bowl with hand mixers on the side.

Step 6: Freeze

The dough will be a bit sticky. Transfer into a bowl, cover, and put in the freezer for 1 hour.

Step 7: Prepare to bake

After an hour take the dough out. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (you can also just spray with oil).

Step 8: Roll the dough

Wet your hands, this will help you roll the batter into balls easily. Make balls and place them on cookie sheets. Leave room between each ball.

measured raw cookie dough separated on parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Step 9: Bake

Bake for 20 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies start to get a brownish color.

Step 10: Make the glaze

While the cookies are baking, make the vanilla glaze recipe: Beat the egg whites for 1 minute with a hand mixer. Then add powdered sugar and beat until well incorporated.

Step 11: Cool, then brush the glaze

When you take out pryaniki from the oven, let them cool down for a few minutes. Brush the glaze all around each cookie. (The glaze will dry fast on the cookies, so brush the tops, let dry, then flip over and glaze the bottoms.)

Step 12: Store

Store either in a Ziploc bag or in a covered dish.

Expert Tips:

You do not need to use a dough hook to mix the dough, a large mixer whisk works well.
Store between sheets of parchment in an airtight container to prevent sticking and keep the glaze intact—perfect for gifting in cookie boxes or making ahead for parties.
Make sure to let the cookie batter sit in the freezer before forming into cookies and baking.
Double dip in the confectioner’s sugar glaze for a thicker, bakery-style coating if you like your pryaniki extra sweet and frosted.
Use a wire rack to cool off the cookies after baking.
Sift your flour along with any spices (a pinch of cinnamon or ground cardamom works wonders) before adding it in. This keeps the dough light and prevents any lumps.

Recipe FAQs

How long do pryaniki last for?

Store either in a Ziploc bag, an airtight container, or in a covered dish for up to a week at room temperature.

Where did Russian pryaniki cookies come from?

Pryaniki are a traditional pastry in Russia, Ukraine. We can also find them in Belarus, Poland and more neighboring countries. You can learn all about the history of pryaniki.

What cookies go best with tea?

These tasty vanilla pryaniki or a recipe of Farmer’s Cheese Cookies are perfect to enjoy with tea.

Enjoy these sweet recipes you can make at home:

Russian Bird’s Milk Cake Recipe with Chocolate Glaze is a classic Slavic dessert you can make right at home!
Granola Breakfast Yogurt Parfait with Fresh Fruit is a great breakfast that gives you energy for your day!

More vanilla-flavored recipes

If you tried these Vanilla Cookies with an Easy Glaze (Pryaniki) or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!