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Soft Gingerbread Pryaniki Cookies

These glazed gingerbread cookies are easy to make and stay soft for days! They have deep gingerbread cookie flavor and the glaze is perfect for decorating! | natashaskitchen.com

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These soft gingerbread pryaniki cookies are a Ukrainian cookie that is easy to make, stay soft for days and are cute as can be! Guess What?! They don’t require any oil or butter – seriously!! They have deep gingerbread flavor and the glaze makes a perfect canvas for decorating these beautiful Christmas cookies with sprinkles and pretty designs. You can easily change them up for any holiday really but there’s just something about gingerbread and Christmas that feels right :).

My nieces and nephews attacked these just as soon as I finished photographing and gave them the go-ahead (ha ha!! See the photo evidence below) and of course they gave rave reviews!

This is the Christmas adaptation of my Mom’s famous mint-glazed pryaniki that everyone in our family is crazy about. They are definitely worth discovering! 

These glazed gingerbread cookies are easy to make and stay soft for days! They have deep gingerbread cookie flavor and the glaze is perfect for decorating! | natashaskitchen.com

Ingredients for Soft Gingerbread Cookies (Pryaniki):

1 large egg yolk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 /2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract – try our homemade recipe!
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour *measured correctly

*Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure correctly

Ingredients for the glaze:

2 large egg whites
2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Decor/Toppings:

Food coloring gels as desired.
Crystal Sprinkles or any sprinkles really

These glazed gingerbread cookies are easy to make and stay soft for days! They have deep gingerbread cookie flavor and the glaze is perfect for decorating! | natashaskitchen.com

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies:

1. In a stand mixer, whisk together 1 egg yolk and 1 cup brown sugar until blended then whisk in 1 cup sour cream.

Three photos of a mixing bowl with batter for soft gingerbread cookies

2. Put 1/2 tsp baking soda in a large spoon ramekin and stir in 1/2 tsp white vinegar. It will foam, then pour into the mixing bowl and stir into the batter.

Two photos one of baking soda and vinegar in a bowl and one of it being added to the batter

3. Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 1/2 tsp ginger, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, and whisk until well blended. Now using paddle attachment, add flour 1/2 cup at a time letting it incorporate before adding more. Dough will be very sticky.

Three photos of batter for soft gingerbread cookies in mixer bowl

4. Scoop 1 heaping tsp dough into well-floured hands and roll into 1” balls. Space balls evenly on a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350˚F for 20- 25 minutes (I baked for 22 min) or until barely beginning to golden. Remove immediately.

Two photos one of cookie batter being scooped with an ice cream scooper and one of it being shaped in someone\'s hands

Two photos of baking trays with soft gingerbread cookies

How to Make the Glaze (do this while cookies are baking):

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites on high speed with whisk attachment until foamy and tripled in volume (2-3 min). Reduce speed to low and add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla, mixing until well blended, scraping down the bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium and beat another 2 minutes or until creamy and smooth (do not over-beat).

Four photos of a mixing bowl with a glaze being mixed in it for soft gingerbread cookies

How to Glaze and Decorate:

1. Once cookies are out of the oven, right away, dip each one in the vanilla glaze, coating only the top of the cookie then set on a wire rack and let rest until glaze is dry and firm. If you want to use crystal sugar or sprinkles, apply right after the cookies are glazed so the sprinkles stick to cookies.

A soft gingerbread cookie being dipped into glaze in a bowl

These glazed gingerbread cookies are easy to make and stay soft for days! They have deep gingerbread cookie flavor and the glaze is perfect for decorating! | natashaskitchen.com

2. If using color, divide remaining glaze between as many ramekins and you want different colors. I used green, red and blue to keep it festive. Stir in gel food coloring and transfer colored glaze to individual ziploc bags and snip off the very tip of the bag. Once the glaze on the cookies is set, pipe on desired designs.

These glazed gingerbread cookies are easy to make and stay soft for days! They have deep gingerbread cookie flavor and the glaze is perfect for decorating! | natashaskitchen.com

These glazed gingerbread cookies are easy to make and stay soft for days! They have deep gingerbread cookie flavor and the glaze is perfect for decorating! | natashaskitchen.com

These make me want Christmas all year long!

A soft gingerbread cookie in someone\'s hand with a bite taken out

Print Friendly Recipe for Gingerbread Cookies:

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Soft Gingerbread Pryaniki Cookies

4.94 from 31 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
These glazed gingerbread cookies are easy to make and stay soft for days! They have deep gingerbread cookie flavor and the glaze is perfect for decorating!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 25 -26 cookies

For the Vanilla Glaze:

Decor/Toppings:

  • Food coloring gels as desired.
  • Crystal Sprinkles or any sprinkles really

Instructions

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies:

  • In a stand mixer, whisk 1 egg yolk and 1 cup brown sugar until blended then whisk in 1 cup sour cream.
  • Put 1/2 tsp baking soda in a large spoon ramekin and stir in 1/2 tsp white vinegar. It will foam, then pour into the mixing bowl and stir into batter.
  • Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 1/2 tsp ginger, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, and whisk until well blended. Now using paddle attachment, add flour 1/2 cup at a time letting it incorporate before adding more. Dough will be very sticky.
  • Scoop a rounded teaspoon of dough into well-floured hands and roll into 1” balls. Space balls evenly on a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350˚F for 20- 25 minutes (I baked for 22 min) or until barely golden. Remove immediately.

How to Make the Glaze (do this while cookies are baking):

  • In the bowl of a mixer, beat egg whites on high speed with whisk attachment until foamy and tripled in volume (2-3 min). Reduce speed to low and add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla, mixing until well blended, scraping down the bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium and beat another 2 minutes or until creamy and smooth (do not over-beat).

How to Glaze and Decorate:

  • Once cookies are out of the oven and still warm, dip each one in the vanilla glaze, coating only the top of the cookie then set on a wire rack and let rest until glaze is dry. If you want to use crystal sugar or sprinkles, apply right after the glaze so the sprinkles stick to cookies.
  • If using color, divide remaining glaze between ramekins and add desired colors. I used green, red and blue. Transfer colored glaze to individual ziploc bags and snip off the very tip of the bag. Once the glaze on the cookies is set, pipe on desired designs.

Notes

**To measure flour: stir to fluff it up, spoon into dry ingredients measuring cup and scrape off excess flour on top for a level, even measurement.
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Gingerbread Cookies
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $5-$7

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

These glazed gingerbread cookies are easy to make and stay soft for days! They have deep gingerbread cookie flavor and the glaze is perfect for decorating! | natashaskitchen.com

A group of children reaching for a plate of soft gingerbread cookies

These glazed gingerbread cookies are easy to make and stay soft for days! They have deep gingerbread cookie flavor and the glaze is perfect for decorating! | natashaskitchen.com

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Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Read comments/reviewsAdd comment/review

  • Nora
    March 12, 2022

    Natasha I have made these a few times; though I do not know how to make pretty decorations like you do. I did make the glaze though. These cookies are a real hit and delicious.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 12, 2022

      I’m so happy to hear they were a hit, Nora! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Rebecca A Hasse
    December 8, 2021

    Yummy! Mine turned out great. I followed the recipe exactly, and they were a bit chewy on the outside and soft on the inside. I also think the spice flavor is just right. I’ll be making another batch of these soon!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 9, 2021

      Hi Rebecca, I’m happy to hear that the recipe was a success! Thank you for the review.

      Reply

  • Samah Dawoud
    December 4, 2021

    Hi Beautiful Natasha. Merry Christmas and Thank you for all your recipes. I’ve tried ALMOST all your Christmas recipes. They are all so so so delicious But my Royal icing always have strong egg smell, do you have any advice to avoid this?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 4, 2021

      Hi Samah! Merry Christmas to you also! That’s interesting to hear, I haven’t had that experience, but now that I’m doing a google search, I’m seeing people make comments about royal icing specifically. This is basically royal icing, and if you are concerned, you can use a different glaze, and the cookies will turn out great.

      Reply

  • Rose
    November 14, 2021

    Do you think one to one gluten free flour would work for this recipe?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 14, 2021

      Hi Rose, I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.

      Reply

  • CaroLine
    December 24, 2020

    Blessed and Merry Christmas to you and your family, Natasha!

    Thank you for hosting my favorite cooking site.

    Christmas Love,
    🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄
    CaroLine Kirkpatrick

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 24, 2020

      Hi Caroline, Thank you so much for this thoughtful comment! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

      Reply

  • nancy
    December 22, 2020

    Hi Natasha,
    I love your recipes!
    But these cookies were like little hockey pucks! So, I baked a batch for 10 min instead.
    I was excited to bake these but they were disappointing.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 23, 2020

      HI Nancy, they should be soft inside and not firm. Did you make sure to use baking soda and not baking powder and also be sure to bake them on conventional oven bake mode and not convection mode.

      Reply

  • Michelle
    December 9, 2020

    Can I use a cookie stamp for these cookies?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 9, 2020

      Hi Michelle, I haven’t actually tried that yet to advise. It would be a great idea if you can! If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.

      Reply

  • Mary
    December 9, 2020

    Just to be sure, we are using raw egg whites in the glaze? Are the cookies warm enough to cook the egg whites?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 10, 2020

      Hi Mary, yes that is correct. You could go with royal icing instead if you prefer.

      Reply

  • Rosie
    December 6, 2020

    Hi Natasha, First I want to thank you for inspiring me to cook more and for all these amazing recipes with your tutorials.
    In the glaze can I substitute raw egg white with anything else. I am not a big fan of raw eggs.
    Love all your recipes and thx for sharing with us!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 6, 2020

      Hi Rosie, you are most welcome. Thank you for trying out my recipes and I’m happy that you’re enjoying them. I don’t really have a substitute for raw eggs but you could try the glaze from my danish braid, but you will probably have to at least triple the recipe. Enjoy!

      Reply

  • Glenda
    December 4, 2020

    I don’t have a stand mixer. Is this recipe ok with just a regular hand mixer?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 4, 2020

      Hi Glenda, I have only made this with a stand mixer. If your hand mixer is strong enough, it may work, but I worry it may not work out. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.

      Reply

  • Adri
    December 1, 2020

    Just wondering, can you substitute an electric mixer for a stand mixer? 🙂

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 1, 2020

      Hi Adri, I have only made this with a stand mixer. If your hand mixer is strong enough it may work but I worry it may not work out. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe

      Reply

  • Adri
    December 1, 2020

    Hello Natasha!!!! I just wanted to say thank you for all your great recipes (I just tried the chocolate chip one) it was great! They were gone fast! My best friend Sophie introduced me to this website-I think she commented on one of your recipes. Hi from her!! And happy late Thanksgiving!!

    Reply

  • Adri
    November 30, 2020

    Hi Natasha!!! I love your website, and all the recipes, and I just used the chocolate chip cookies one!!! They were AMAZING! My best friend Sophie introduced me to this website, and to baking!!! I think she commented on one of your recipe pages. Hi from her!!! (and happy late Thanksgiving)

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 30, 2020

      Hi Adri, I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying my blog! Thank you for sharing that with us 🙂

      Reply

      • Adri
        December 1, 2020

        whoops, I commented twice. My other comment wasn’t showing up. Sorry!! 🙂

        Reply

  • Nadia
    November 20, 2020

    Can you make a gingerbread man from this dough?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      November 20, 2020

      Hi Nadya, I haven’t tried that but I suspect it would rise too much to keep a good gingerbread man shape.

      Reply

  • Emily
    March 4, 2020

    Hi Natasha I’ve made these cookies nearly every Christmas for the last couple of years because they are SO good!!! And so much better than the store-bought Pryaniki. I have only made this with a stand-mixer in the past, but could a hand-mixer be used, or is the dough too thick for a hand-mixer to handle?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 5, 2020

      Hi Emily, I have only made this with a stand mixer. If your hand mixer is strong enough it may work but I worry it may not work out. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe

      Reply

  • Aline
    December 17, 2019

    These are amazing. I follow the directions word for word step by step and they always turn out perfect. They remind me of a bread I used to eat around the holidays growing up in Switzerland, and therefore have become a staple in our home during the holidays. Thank you for always having such delicious easy to follow recipes!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 17, 2019

      You’re welcome, Aline! I’m so glad this reminded you of home!

      Reply

  • Anna
    April 22, 2019

    These turned out so good , I love them. Thanks Natasha. You have the best recipes

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 22, 2019

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that Anna! Thank you for sharing that with me!

      Reply

  • Jessie
    November 29, 2018

    tried the recipe yesterday and it was delicious! though the glaze didn’t really stick to the cookies so they turned out half white half transparent. any idea how I could solve that? thanks natasha!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      November 29, 2018

      Hi Jessie, that could happen if the glaze is too thin (possibly from not adding enough powdered sugar or from using extra large egg whites). I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • Fatima
    November 12, 2018

    what to do if you don’t have a paddle attachment to mixer?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 13, 2018

      A wooden spoon may be the best option. A wisk attachment wouldn’t really work since the dough will be too sticky for that.

      Reply

  • Emily
    January 19, 2018

    When I lived in Russia, we would always buy the chocolate pryaniki in big bags at the kiosks by our apartment. They were my favorite! Do you happen to have a recipe for the chocolate ones? I can’t wait to try these gingerbread pryaniki!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 20, 2018

      Hi Emily, I don’t have a chocolate pryaniki recipe but it sounds like a great idea! I imagine you would substitute some of the flour with unsweetened cocoa powder, but I could only speculate on the amounts.

      Reply

  • Alisa
    January 18, 2017

    My 10-year-old daughter is doing a presentation in school tomorrow about Ukraine. She was invited to bring a food from the country to share. We just made your Soft Gingerbread Pryaniki together. We love them! And her classmates will, too! Thank you.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 19, 2017

      You’re very welcome Alisa! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! 🙂

      Reply

  • Lana
    January 12, 2017

    I want to try making them, but do you have different recipe for glaze my child is alergic to raw eggs.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 12, 2017

      Hi Lana, you could try the glaze from my danish braid, but you will probably have to at least triple the recipe. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply

      • Justina
        December 23, 2017

        Thank you 🙂

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          December 23, 2017

          You’re welcome Justina!

          Reply

  • Sveta
    December 30, 2016

    Can I use fresh ginger root?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 30, 2016

      To be honest, I have not tried that so I’m not sure how it would affect the recipe. I’ve only tried it with dried ginger. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!

      Reply

  • Rachel
    December 29, 2016

    How do you roll the cookies without them sticking to your hands? I managed to roll one of them before the dough turned into superglue and I just started dropping them onto the cookie sheet. They’re still delicious, but not nearly as pretty as yours were.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 29, 2016

      Hi Rachel, if you have well floured hands, the dough should not stick to your hands. I hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply

    • Teresa
      November 18, 2022

      My solution was to have about two tablespoon flour on a dish. Drop spoonful of batter. Kick a little over the top. Grab the blob,shake and roll. Hardly picked up any flour and worked perfectly.

      Reply

  • Lana
    December 25, 2016

    Just finished baking these, but was a little disappointed in the results. They were a little dry…. (maybe a little butter would have helped?) Also, the ginger was a little too strong for us. : ( They look pretty though! Maybe, next time I will use less ginger and think of something to add to make them less dry.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 25, 2016

      Hi Lana, did you possibly overbake them? That’s usually the primary reason why they might turn out dry.

      Reply

      • Lana
        December 27, 2016

        That might be what happened! I put them in for 22 minutes. Probably should of done 20 min instead.

        Reply

  • Alina RN
    December 24, 2016

    I only have “golden” brown sugar, will this work or will it change the flavor? Also I will not be doing any icing on top as my kids don’t like icing, should I add more sugar to the recipe or do you think they will be fine? We don’t like overly sweet cookies. Thanks!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 24, 2016

      If you don’t like overly sweet cookies, these will be just fine without any additional sugar in the recipe. Golden brown sugar should work fine. 🙂 I should say though that the icing helps to keep the cookies soft longer. It forms a barrier over the cookie and prevents them from getting dry.

      Reply

      • Carlie
        December 10, 2019

        I am going to make these for a cookie exchange party! Is it okay to chill the dough overnight?

        Reply

        • Natasha
          December 11, 2019

          Hi Carlie, I honestly haven’t tried chilling it overnight so I can’t say for sure. They do keep well though for the next day if you made them a day ahead.

          Reply

  • Sara @ Last Night's Feast
    December 24, 2016

    These look delicious! Thanks for sharing! Merry Christmas =)

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 24, 2016

      Thank you Sara! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas as well!

      Reply

  • Tanya
    December 24, 2016

    I’m a little hesitant about using raw egg whites. Aren’t you afraid of catching salmonella?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 24, 2016

      No, I’m not concerned about that :). Please see my reply to a similar question above. This is basically royal icing and if you are concerned, you can use a different glaze and the cookies will turn out great 🙂

      Reply

  • Sveta
    December 23, 2016

    So the egg whites are not technically cooked right? I was wondering about this on a different recipie as well. How safe is this to eat for pregnant ladies and little kids?:) thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 23, 2016

      Yes that is correct. It is safe to consume for most people but if you are concerned about pregnancy you can make a glaze with powdered sugar and milk like the one I have on my Danish recipe. Raw egg whites are generally not recommended for babies as they may irritate their skin, especially in children sensitive to egg. The large quantity of sugar also preserves, hardens and dries it onto the cookie. Keep in mind, this is basically royal icing which is typically used to decorate sugar cookies and gingerbread houses.

      Reply

  • D
    December 22, 2016

    Beautiful! I love the mint glazed ones also! they are so yummy! Thank you for all you&your husband do and God bless you for all your hard work now and forever! Merry Christmas!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 22, 2016

      Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! I hope you have a beautiful and blessed Christmas as well!

      Reply

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