Cranberry Apple Piroshki Recipe (video)
One of my favorite Ukrainian desserts! My cranberry apple piroshki are so delicious, with a tart and fruity apple filling wrapped in a fluffy yeast dough! Piroshki are Eastern European hand pies and can be found with just about any type of filling, both sweet and savory! This sweet piroshki recipe is near and dear to my heart – I used to make these with mom every fall! Traditional apple piroshki don’t have cranberries but I think they’re an excellent addition! You can find more piroshki recipes in my Ukrainian cookbook, Beyond Borscht!
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What are Piroshki?
Piroshki are the Eastern European equivalent of hand pies! They are super popular as a snack food and food to go. You’ll find them with both sweet and savory fillings, filled with just about anything! Some popular savory piroshki fillings are ground meat, sausage, fish, cabbage, mashed potatoes or peas, cheese and more! Sweet piroshki can be found with cherries, apples, sweetened farmer’s cheese and berries.
They can also be prepared in several different ways! Most savory piroshki are deep fried and have a crispy outside. You’ll find that most sweet piroshki are baked and have a softer texture. They also come in different shapes and sizes! Whichever one you choose, you’re bound to fall in love with this traditional Eastern European food!
Making the Soft Yeast Dough
These cranberry apple piroshki start with a soft and delicious yeast dough. I use this yeast dough for all my piroshki recipes! It’s made simply with milk, sugar, dry yeast, salt, butter, egg and flour. The most important step in making yeast dough is preparing the yeast. The milk needs to be just lukewarm and no hotter than 130F, otherwise the yeast bacteria will die and the dough will remain flat. Proof the yeast in the milk, then mix in the remaining ingredients. The dough needs to stay very soft and almost sticky. Knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes, until it’s smooth and elastic!
Making the Cranberry Apple Filling
You’ll love the sweet and tart flavor of the cranberry apple filling! Plus, it’s super easy to make!
- You’ll need to core, peel and dice about 4 large apples. I love to use Granny Smith but just about any variety will work.
- Combine the apples together with cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch. The cornstarch will help thicken the filling, so the juices don’t run out.
- Cook the filling over medium heat until the apples are soft, about 15 minutes. Allow the filling to cool before filling the piroshki!
How to Make Apple Piroshki
Once you have the yeast dough ready and proofed and the cranberry apple filling done and cooled to room temperature, it’s time to assemble the piroshki!
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease 2 baking sheets with baking spray or line with parchment paper.
- To assemble the piroshki: roll each piece of dough out into small circle, approximately 6 inches in diameter. Place 3 heaping tablespoons of the filling into the center and bring the edges of the dough up and together, careful not to get any filling on the edges. Pinch the dough together, forming seam on the top. Try to bring the edges up so they do not lay flat on surface and so filling does not leak out.
- Place the shaped piroshki onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart.
- In small bowl, whisk together the egg and water until smooth, about 1 minute. Brush the top of each piroshok with egg wash and let piroshki stand at room temperature until doubled in size, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Bake one baking sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the piroshki are golden brown on top. Remove them from the oven and transfer onto cooling rack. Let the piroshki cool for 10 to 15 minutes before enjoying! They will be extremely hot out of the oven.
More Recipes to Try!
Enjoyed this delicious recipe for piroshki? Check out some of my other Eastern European recipes you’re sure to enjoy!
- Baked Pumpkin Piroshki – pumpkin-shaped pumpkin hand pies with a soft, sweet yeast dough and pumpkin cinnamon filling!
- Ukrainian Easter Bread (Kulich) – the most delicious, rich, buttery and flake sweet bread for Easter, with royal icing!
- Blueberry & Cheese Vatrushka Buns – sweet and buttery pastries filled with cheese and berries. A Ukrainian favorite!
- Nalesniki – these classic crepes filled with cheese can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner! So easy to make and delicious!
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Cranberry Apple Piroshki Recipe (video)
Ingredients
For Yeast Dough:
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
- 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For Apple Filling:
- 6 medium apples, such as granny smith or honeycrisp
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For Egg Wash:
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the dough. In a large bowl, combine the yeast and warm milk and let the yeast dissolve and proof for 5 minutes. Next, whisk in the sugar, salt, egg, butter and oil for a minute, until the egg is well beaten. Gradually begin adding the flour, whisking it in at first, then mixing the dough by hand. Turn the soft dough onto a floured surface and knead 4 to 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover it with a clean towel and let rise in a warm corner of the kitchen until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour. Keep the dough in warm place away from drafts. Once the dough has proofed, knead it again on a lightly floured work surface for about 1 minute, then divide it into 16 equal pieces. Keep it covered when not using.
- While the dough is proofing, prepare the filling. Core and peel the apples then chop them into small pieces and place into a large pot along with the cranberries. In small ramekin, combine the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch. Toss together fruit, berries and sugar mixture, until the fruit is well coated. Bring the filling to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the filling until the cranberries burst open and apples are soft and tender, about 15 minutes. If needed, add a bit of water if the filling gets too thick. Remove the filling from heat and let it cool before using.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease 2 baking sheets with baking spray or line with parchment paper.
- To assemble the piroshki: roll each piece of dough out into small circle, approximately 6 inches in diameter. Place 3 heaping tablespoons of the filling into the center and bring the edges of the dough up and together, careful not to get any filling on the edges. Pinch the dough together, forming seam on the top. Try to bring the edges up so they do not lay flat on surface and so filling does not leak out. Place the shaped piroshki onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart.
- In small bowl, whisk together the egg and water until smooth, about 1 minute. Brush the top of each piroshok with egg wash and let piroshki stand at room temperature until doubled in size, about 30 to 40 minutes. Bake one baking sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the piroshki are golden brown on top. Remove them from the oven and transfer onto cooling rack. Let the piroshki cool for 10 to 15 minutes before enjoying! They will be extremely hot out of the oven.
Thanks for sharing these yummy perashki
Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Are these still yummy to eat cold? I’m making your other piroshki and prefer to have those warm, but I also want to do a sweet one but don’t have time/space to warm up both.
Hi Angelina! Yes, I would keep them at room temperature, not cold out of the fridge. Enjoy! 🙂