Pierniczki are classic Polish gingerbread cookies, full of warm spices and a hint of honey. They’re easy to make and perfect for the holidays – they will look beautiful on your cookie platter, decorated with icing or chocolate glaze.
Polish Pierniczki
Polish pierniczki are traditional spiced gingerbread cookies deeply rooted in Polish culture, especially during the festive season. These cookies come in many forms—plain, glazed, coated in chocolate, stuffed, or decorated with intricate icing patterns—and are often associated with the city of Toruń, renowned for its centuries-old gingerbread-making tradition.
I actually visited Toruń two months ago, and these are the pierniczki cookies I bought (see photo below). In the bottom left corner, you can see traditional “Katarzynki” cookies, which are pierniczki coated in chocolate. Above them are crispy pierniczki, called “ciastka korzenne,” which are more like shortbread cookies but seasoned with a gingerbread spice mix. In the first row, in the middle, you can see gingerbread cookies made with ground nuts, and to the right are crispy gingerbread cookies with an icing glaze. In the center are the very popular stuffed pierniczki, most often filled with plum preserves—this is actually my favorite kind of pierniczki! These are also coated in chocolate. At the bottom right, you’ll find traditional “pierniczki toruńskie,” the pierniczki of Toruń, which are rather dense and dry but authentically traditional.
As you can see, Poland has many types of gingerbread cookies! The recipe below will give you a more traditional gingerbread cookie—soft, but rather chewy and not crispy. I personally love them most stuffed and coated in chocolate!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:
This recipe uses a gingerbread spice mix, which is readily available in grocery stores across Poland year-round. If you can’t find it where you live, don’t worry—you can easily make your own! Homemade spice mix is not only simple to prepare but also far more aromatic than the store-bought version.
You’ll find the ingredients listed in the recipe card or at the link above (for a larger batch). This versatile spice mix can be used for all your gingerbread recipes, including German/Austrian recipes, such as these Lebkuchen squares.
How to make Polish gingerbread cookies step-by-step
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
STEP 1: In a medium pot, combine the honey, sugar, butter, gingerbread spice mix, vanilla, cocoa powder, and salt.
(3 tablespoons (60g) honey, 1/3 cup (65g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (60g) butter, cold or warm, 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice mix (see below), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, any kind, 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt)
For a homemade gingerbread spice mix you will need: 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander (optional), pinch of ground black pepper.
STEP 2: Heat over medium-low heat until everything is melted, well-combined, and the sugar is almost dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool for about 10 minutes. The mixture can be warm but it should not be hot.
Once the mixture has cooled, whisk in one large egg.
STEP 3: Whisk in 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda.
STEP 4: Add the flour and stir with a spoon until roughly combined.
(2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled, not scooped)
How to correctly measure flour: I’m using the “spoon and level method” so 1 cup of flour in my recipes weighs 125g. Fluff the flour by stirring it in the bag/flour container with a spoon. Spoon the flour and sprinkle it into your measuring cup. Sweep off the excess flour with the back of a knife. I recommend using a digital scale for perfect and consistent results.
STEP 5: Transfer the mixture to a counter or rolling mat and knead until a dough forms.
The dough shouldn’t be sticky and should be ready to roll out. If it’s too sticky, press the dough into a disc, wrap it in cling foil, and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
STEP 6: Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/3 inches (3/4 cm). Cut out shapes and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gather the scraps, roll out the dough again, and repeat until all the dough is used.
STEP 7+8: To make stuffed cookies (a popular option in Poland, especially store-bought): roll the dough out thinner and cut out shapes. Place 1–2 teaspoons of plum preserves on one shape, then cover it with another. Press the edges together to seal, and bake as you would the unstuffed cookies.
STEP 9+10: Bake for 8–10 minutes. The cookies should be soft and not browned (in photo 10 they are a little bit too dark, they should look like in photo 11). If the cookies are thinner, they may bake faster and will be crunchier than soft. Dark baking sheets may require 7–8 minutes, while lighter baking sheets may take closer to 9 minutes. Consider baking a test batch to determine the ideal time for your oven.
STEP 11: Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
STEP 12: Decorate as desired, either with icing or by dipping them in melted chocolate.
For the icing: Whisk all the ingredients together, then dip the cookies into the icing.
(1 cup (120g) powdered sugar + 2 teaspoons water + 2 teaspoons lemon juice)
For the chocolate glaze: Melt the chocolate with the oil or butter, then coat the cookies. Set them aside to allow the chocolate glaze to harden.
(1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips + 2 teaspoons coconut oil/butter)
Storage: Please note that pierniczki cookies naturally become harder over time—this is their typical characteristic due to the honey. It is common practice to store pierniczki in a cookie tin with small pieces of apple to help soften them (ensure the apple skin, not the flesh, touches the cookies). Remember to replace the apple pieces every 2–3 days to prevent mold. Stored this way, the cookies will last for several weeks and stay nice and soft, thanks to the apple trick.
More Polish Christmas Recipes
See all our Polish Christmas Recipes.
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Pierniczki (Polish Gingerbread Cookies)
Ingredients
for the cookie dough:
- 3 tablespoons (60g) honey
- 1/3 cup (65g) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter cold or warm
- 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice mix see notes for a simple recipe
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder any kind
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour scooped and leveled, not scooped
additionally (optional):
- plum preserves if making stuffed cookies
- 1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips + 2 teaspoons coconut oil/butter if dipping the cookies in chocolate
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar + 2 teaspoons water + 2 teaspoons lemon juice if planing to decorate the cookies with icing
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a medium pot, combine the honey, sugar, butter, gingerbread spice mix, vanilla, cocoa powder, and salt. Heat over medium-low heat until everything is melted, well-combined, and the sugar is almost dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool for about 10 minutes. The mixture can be warm but it should not be hot.3 tablespoons (60g) honey, 1/3 cup (65g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (60g) butter, 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice mix, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Once the mixture has cooled, whisk in the egg, followed by the baking soda.1 large egg, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Add the flour and stir with a spoon until roughly combined. Transfer the mixture to a counter or rolling mat and knead until a dough forms.2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- The dough shouldn’t be sticky and should be ready to roll out. If it’s too sticky, press the dough into a disc, wrap it in cling foil, and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/3 inches (3/4 cm). Cut out shapes and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gather the scraps, roll out the dough again, and repeat until all the dough is used.
- To make stuffed cookies (a popular option in Poland, especially store-bought): roll the dough out thinner and cut out shapes. Place 1–2 teaspoons of plum preserves on one shape, then cover it with another. Press the edges together to seal, and bake as you would the unstuffed cookies.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes. The cookies should be soft and not browned. If the cookies are thinner, they may bake faster and will be crunchier than soft. Dark baking sheets may require 7–8 minutes, while lighter baking sheets may take closer to 9 minutes. Consider baking a test batch to determine the ideal time for your oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Decorate as desired, either with icing or by dipping them in melted chocolate.
- For the icing: Whisk all the ingredients together, then dip the cookies into the icing.
- For the chocolate glaze: Melt the chocolate with the oil or butter, then coat the cookies. Set them aside to allow the chocolate glaze to harden.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Please note that pierniczki cookies naturally become harder over time—this is their typical characteristic due to the honey. It is common practice to store pierniczki in a cookie tin with small pieces of apple to help soften them (ensure the apple skin, not the flesh, touches the cookies). Remember to replace the apple pieces every 2–3 days to prevent mold. Stored this way, the cookies will last for several weeks and stay nice and soft, thanks to the apple trick.
- The amounts of the icing and chocolate glaze are for the whole batch of cookies which is about 33 cookies.
- For a homemade gingerbread spice mix you will need: 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander (optional), pinch of ground black pepper. You can use this spice mix for all gingerbread recipes.
- How to correctly measure flour: I’m using the “spoon and level method” so 1 cup of flour in my recipes weighs 125g. Fluff the flour by stirring it in the bag/flour container with a spoon. Spoon the flour and sprinkle it into your measuring cup. Sweep off the excess flour with the back of a knife. I recommend using a digital scale for perfect and consistent results.
- Calories = 1 cookie (about 1/33 of the recipe, without the glaze/icing). This is only an estimate!
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