Home / Dinner / Vareniki

Vareniki

Tender boiled dumplings plump with mashed potato or farmer cheese, glistening with butter and fried onions — the softer, sweeter cousin of pelmeni.

⏱ 1 hrPrep time
🔥 15 minCook time
🍽 6Servings
🏷 DinnerCategory
☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
Vareniki

Vareniki are plump, half-moon dumplings filled with mashed potatoes, farmer’s cheese, or fruit, boiled and glossed with butter. Softer and more generous than pelmeni, they are pure, pillowy comfort.

Sweet or savory, vareniki are served with sour cream, fried onions, or jam, depending on the filling. Families gather to pinch them by the hundred, and they freeze perfectly for future cravings.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Mix the flour, eggs, water, and salt into a soft dough; knead, cover, and rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Stir the fried onion and butter into the mashed potatoes and season well.
  3. Roll the dough thin, cut into 3-inch rounds, and spoon filling onto each; fold and pinch the edges tightly.
  4. Boil in salted water in batches until they float, then cook 2-3 minutes more.
  5. Drain, toss with melted butter, and serve hot with sour cream.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Pinch the edges firmly so the filling stays put. For the classic sweet version, swap the potato filling for pitted cherries and serve with sugar and sour cream.

Rate this recipe

☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
Sign in to rate this recipe.

Recipe details

Prep1 hr
Cook15 min
Servings6
CategoryDinner
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →