These sweet piroshky, or “piroshki”, are deep-fried and filled with a luscious poppy seed filling. A true Russian classic!

These Russian sweet piroshky (also commonly spelled “piroshki”) transport me right back to childhood. In primary school, a friend of mine brought them to class for breakfast and let me have a bite. I was immediately infatuated with the crunchy poppy seed filling! I begged my mom to call her mom for the recipe and the rest is history.
To make this recipe, you’re going to have to whip up a batch of poppy seed filling to stuff the piroshky with. If you’ve never tried sweet poppy seed filling before, it’s to die for. Commonly used in Slavic baking, it’s crunchy, creamy, and the perfect complement to the crispy, deep-fried dough.

What are Piroshky?
Piroshky, or “piroshki”, are popular Slavic dumplings that can be either baked or fried and stuffed with an assortment of sweet and savory fillings. In Russia and Ukraine, they are practically a way of life. You’ll find them served everywhere from fancy restaurants, street stalls, and gas stations. Below, find an overview of the flavor, texture, and cooking time for this sweet, Russian-style piroshky.
- Flavor: Lightly sweet, sour cream-infused dough is contrasted with the sweet nuttiness of the poppy seed filling.
- Texture: The texture consists of pillow-soft fried dough stuffed with crunchy and creamy poppy seed filling.
- Time: From prep to table, this recipe takes about 4 hours to make.

How to Make Russian Sweet Piroshky
Making these sweet piroshky only requires a handful of ingredients. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself having fun stuffing and frying them! Below, find a quick hitter overview of the recipe before you dive in.
- Activate the Yeast: Whisk together warm milk, yeast, and sugar and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Make the Wet Ingredients: Mix eggs with milk sugar, salt, oil, vanilla, and sour cream. Next, mix in the yeast mixture and one cup of flour. Cover with a towel and set aside in a warm place for about an hour.
- Finish the Dough: In thirds, mix in the remaining flour. Knead the dough until it turns elastic. Set aside to rise for an hour at room temperature.
- Roll and Stuff the Dough: With oiled hands, roll even-sized dough balls about the size of the palm of your hand. Then, flatten each dough ball with your fingers and fill it with poppy seed filling. Fold over the sides and pinch the edges to seal the filling inside.
- Deep Fry the Piroshky: Over medium/low heat, fill a deep skillet with canola oil. Drop the dough balls into the oil in batches. Fry until golden brown, flipping them every now and again with a fork. Once finished frying, place piroshky on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve and enjoy!
Stand Mixer Hack: You can always make the dough by hand, but a stand mixer will make the process go so much faster.






Tips for Making the Best Russian Sweet Piroshky
Below, find a collection of tips and tricks to help you make the best Russian sweet piroshky on the planet.
- Oil your hands to make it easier to work with the dough. Lightly oil your hands as you shape and fill the piroshky to prevent it from sticking. However, be mindful not to go too crazy with the oil, as it might make the dough too slick to seal.
- Roll the piroshky into similar-sized balls for even-cooking. A good general rule of thumb for measurement is about the size of the palm of your hand.
- Swap out poppyseed filling for any other sweet filling. If you’re not a poppy seed fan, substitute the filling for jam, Nutella, or sweetened farmer’s cheese.

Storing Piroshky
- Refrigerator: Store leftover piroshky in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep fresh for up to a week.
- Freezer: Freeze leftover piroshki by placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then, pop the entire baking sheet into the freezer. Once completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe plastic bag. Keep on hand for up to 3 months.
Reheating Tip: Reheat frozen piroshky in the oven or microwave until warmed through, or pop them in an air fryer for a couple of minutes until crispy.
FAQ
What’s the difference between pierogi and piroshky?
The difference between pierogi and piroshky lies within the dough. Pierogi tend to come boiled with a gummier dough, while piroshky come baked or deep-fried. Both can be filled with an assortment of sweet and savory fillings.
What does piroshky translate to in English?
In English, piroshky means a “small pie”.
What ethnicity is piroshky?
Piroshky originated from Russia. However, they are also eaten in their many different forms all throughout Eastern Europe.
Can I freeze piroshky?
Yes, you can freeze piroshky. To do so, place piroshky on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then, pop the entire baking sheet into the freezer. Once completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe plastic bag. Keep on hand for up to 3 months.
Other Pastries to Try
- Fruit Piroshki Recipe – Jam-filled piroshki
- Beignets – New Orleans inspired, these are pillowy soft and oh so delicious!
- Potato Piroshki Recipe – Mashed potato-filled piroshki
- Quick Fruit Piroshki (Extra Easy) – Fried piroshki with a shortcut
- Apple Fritters – A classic that is extra easy to make!
- Fluffy Poppy Seed Buns (Piroshki) – Sweet buns stuffed with poppy seed filling
Recipe
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine yeast with half a cup of warm milk and one tablespoon of sugar. Let the ingredients rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
- By hand or using a stand mixer, combine eggs with milk, salt, sugar, oil, vanilla, and sour cream.
- Add yeast mixture and one cup of flour into the egg mixture. Whisk to combine and cover with a towel. Set aside to rest in a warm place for an hour.
- Using your hands or a stand mixer, mix in the remaining flour in by thirds.
- Knead the dough until it turns elastic (at least 10 minutes).
- Let dough rise for an hour.
- With lightly oiled hands, making small balls out of the dough, flatten out a dough ball with your fingers and place a dollop of poppy seed filling inside.
- Fold over the sides and pinch the edges together to seal the dough.
- Fill a deep skillet with 2-3 cups of canola or vegetable oil and set to medium/low heat. Flipping periodically with a fork, fry the piroshky until they turn golden brown all over.
- Lay piroshky on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil. Serve warm and enjoy!
I let the dough rise 2 times (I was away from home 😃) and I think it helped the dough to be very airy and puffy when fries. Very delicious !!! I'll be definitely making it again 😉
Hi Oksana- I'm so glad you enjoyed them, thanks for commenting!
How sticky should the dough be after adding all the flour?
Hi Lidiya - It will be pretty sticky and elastic and will require you to shape it with oiled hands. Hope this helps. 🙂
Can you use traditional yeast
Hey, Linda! Thanks for reaching out. We always use dry yeast for this recipe and activate it ourselves. Hope this helps!
Well this was a fun treat! I'd never had these before and I really enjoyed these! Fun to make, fun to eat! Like donut with a filling I'd not had before! Love this!
I'm so glad you got to try something new, Betsy, and that you loved them!
These are as good as they sound and not to difficult to make. You will not be disappointed.
Thank you very much, Beth 🙂
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again, fam really loves it! Highly recommended!
Hi Allyssa, I'm glad you loved the recipe, thank you for taking the time to comment!
I absolutely love them !!! So delusions with incredible aroma !!! But have a question for the recipe .. my dough was too sticky that’s why I couldn’t not use the filling .. they didn’t turn out as perfect as yours ... maybe 5 cups was not enough flower??? Mine were plain but So delicious 🥰thank you !!!
Hey Liliya, it would depend on the brand of flour. If the dough is extremely sticky, you can add more flour.
So in step 2 it’s 1.5 cups of milk, right?
Yes, the remainder of the milk.
Is the milk added to the eggs also supposed to be warm? Because this isn't mentioned, and mine isn't rising for the first rise. I used cold milk for that portion. It is also still very liquidy, idk if that is affecting it? Don't want to waste all those eggs and milk!
Are you keeping it in a warm place? Even if you used cold milk it's ok, it would warm up in a warm place. It is better to use warm milk, I will add a note. Also, is your yeast fresh?
What is the poppy seed filling? Do you buy it in jars like jam or do you do it yourself?
I usually use this recipe for poppy seeds http://momsdish.com/r307. There are rare situations when I do buy it from European market.
cpasibo , zdelala takie je i uleteli za 2 chasa ves tazik , vcem ponraviloc ,
Thank you Ksusha! It's the best feeling when food is gone so quick, means you done something right! 😉
These sound and look just like my moms...now I need to make these to impress my mom ?
Nadia, I am sure you can impress her. Our Slavic moms can be hard on us because they are so skilled in the kitchen 🙂
Thank you so much for giving me feedback. I would have to agree, I love them 🙂
Great reciepe. This is something my mom always did. And the receipe sound the same to me, but i do them in the oven too and they turn out great too. Thanks Nataliya for awesome receipes!
I did not add salt to this recipe. I haven't tried baking them in the oven. I think the taste would be completely different.
Hi Natalya, I would like to try this recipe and was wondering if you have to add any salt to the dough. Also, can I bake these in the oven?
HELLO can i put different filling in theses
For sure, any jam would work wonderful in them.
how much do i put in the them or can i put pork in them ? would you have a recipe for the pork one please thanks
I have two recipes with meat fillings. See savory piroshky or overnight piroshky. They both have an option for using pork.
You never did say you could bake these, how hot an oven and for how long. And of course the taste would be different, and better if thery are hot, NO.
Alan
Hi, Alan, if you are looking for a baked piroshki recipe you can use this recipe. Enjoy 🙂 https://momsdish.com/recipe/1…