Dessert Pierogi: 6 Sweet Pierogi Filling Ideas to Try
Ever thought of turning the savory pierogi into a sweet treat?
Join us as we dive into the world of dessert pierogi. From creamy cheese to luscious berries, we’ve whipped up five tasty fillings for you to try.
Whether you’re a pierogi pro or just getting started, this guide promises a delightful culinary journey.
Ready to get started? If so, let’s begin with the first piece of the pierogi-making puzzle: the dough.
Step 1: Knead Pierogi Dough
While there’s a myriad of pierogi dough recipes available, they all revolve around some foundational ingredients: flour, a liquid (usually water), salt, and a fat (this could be oil, eggs, butter, or sour cream).
And though numerous recipes seem to tout their unique dough mix, I recommend using a single dough to accompany various fillings. This way, once you’ve got the hang of the dough, you can shift your attention to perfecting your fillings.
Here’s my preferred pierogi dough recipe. It’s straightforward, requiring all-purpose flour, vegetable oil, salt, and boiling water – ingredients most already have in their pantry.
Simply whip up a batch, which takes roughly 15 minutes, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before you roll it out and stuff the pierogi.
(Check out the linked article for a comprehensive guide on crafting this pierogi dough.)
With your dough prepped, it’s time to jump into the realm of dessert pierogi fillings.
Step 2: Choose a Sweet Filling
Below, I cover five dessert fillings for your pierogi to try. Some are much easier to work with (like farmer’s cheese filling or whole strawberries) than others, so if you’re starting out and not that confident in your pierogi-crafting skills, I suggest you start with those.
Now, how come some are harder to nail than others? It all comes down to texture.
The ideal pierogi filling texture is moldable but firm enough to retain its form. And unfortunately, a cooked blueberry or strawberry sauce that makes a delicious filling isn’t particularly firm.
That means you’ll find it fairly difficult to stuff the pierogi without tearing and spilling, at least initially.
The mentioned farmer’s cheese filling is quite firm and easily stays in place when you pinch together the dough, making it easy to work with. And that’s why it’s the first item on our list.
Farmer’s Cheese
This filling is a beginner’s dream. Preparing it is as simple as mixing farmer’s cheese with an egg, sugar, and some vanilla extract if you have it.
Once you cook farmer’s cheese pierogi, you can top them with sour cream and powdered sugar, whip up a simple berry sauce, or use your favorite sweetener. Or eat them plain.
The downside? Farmer’s cheese isn’t as easily available elsewhere as it is here in Poland. And because of that, I prepared another cheese-based recipe for dessert pierogi, this time using cream cheese. That’s what we’ll cover next.
Sweet Cheese
Sweet cheese pierogi filling is a mix of cream cheese and overcooked rice that you finish with your choice of sweet flavor.
That last component can be as simple as a spoonful (or three) of jam or more complex, like a mashed banana concoction with honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
Those two are the examples I cover in the article, but you’re free to use your sweetener(s) of choice here.
If you’re looking for a filling option that’s easily customizable, give this one a shot.
Apple
Apple pierogi offer a simple yet satisfying treat. You sautee diced apples to intensify the flavor, add some spices to adjust the flavor, and voila, your filling is ready.
To top these, sour cream is my favorite, but some melted butter or perhaps a few pinches of powdered sugar also work perfectly fine.
(Check out our guide to pierogi toppings and sauces for more options.)
Strawberry
There are at least two methods of making strawberry pierogi
- using whole strawberries
- turning the fruit into strawberry sauce
The first one is much easier to pull off, as wrapping whole strawberries in pierogi dough is super simple. Assuming that you’re working with fresh and firm strawberries, of course.
The second method yields better flavor, as you can easily mix in some sugar and lemon juice to adjust the taste to your liking. Plus, you can use frozen strawberries if they aren’t in season.
The only downside is that the cooked strawberry sauce isn’t particularly firm, and working with it is somewhat tricky in the beginning (or at least it was to me).
Blueberry
The blueberry pierogi filling is very similar to the strawberry one. Again, you can choose the more straightforward method of using whole blueberries or the more difficult one and make a blueberry sauce that you can season to taste.
The recipe covers working with both fresh and frozen blueberries, so we’ve got you covered no matter what you have on hand.
And while we’re at it, set aside a small handful of berries to whip up a simple yet delicious berry sauce to top the pierogi. You won’t regret it.
Plum
Plum pierogi is another easy option to try. All you need, besides pierogi dough, is a bunch of plums and some sugar. If you’ve got a bunch of plums to use up, it’s the perfect filling for you!
(You can also make plum dumplings if you’ve got some leftover cooked potatoes.)
Step 3: Assemble Pierogi
The final and most gratifying step involves marrying your dough and filling. I won’t reiterate the method here, as each linked recipe provides a detailed step-by-step guide with photos.
If you’re just dipping your toes into the world of pierogi, read my beginner’s guide to homemade pierogi. It covers everything you need to know about making pierogi and links to other resources.
Happy cooking!
