14 Traditional Russian Desserts

Looking for authentic Russian desserts? From cakes to fudge to crepes, these easy recipes will end your meal with a Russian twist.

You might not believe it, but Russian desserts are wonderfully varied. 

Need something adorable and colorful? Try out a waffle cake. 

What about something creamy and light? Bird’s milk cake is for you!

Even though they have an enormous love for sour cream, Russians also love their sweet treats!

Try these 14 traditional Russian desserts for something that’s different from the norm and a lot more fun.

1. Russian Chocolate Salami

As far as no-bake treats go, this has to be one of my favorites. 

I have a deep love for a good cheese board with a variety of meats and cheeses. 

And then I discovered the sweets board. How had I not thought of it before?

The recipe for chocolate salami is as easy as it is genius. 

Made with cookie crumbs and chunks mixed with nuts, butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa, when sliced, it looks just like a piece of salami. 

Now picture it on a pretty wooden board with sweet crackers, fruits, and maybe even a chocolate chip dip!

2. Bird’s Milk Cake

Using sour cream as the main ingredient had me a little skeptical, but this cake is delicious.

With a light, thin, sweet milk-soaked cake as a base, the sour cream filling is smooth with just the right amount of sweet and sour. 

When you whip up the sour cream, it will need about 15 minutes to almost double in size. 

This mousse is stabilized with gelatin, so no need to worry about it losing its height. 

It gets topped with a chocolate ganache for a richness that pairs perfectly with the sweetened sour cream tang.

3. Russian Fudge

There aren’t too many steps for this five-ingredient fudge.

You’ll need a large microwave-safe bowl and some oven-mitts close by.

Mix the sugar, butter, golden syrup, and condensed milk and microwave for two minutes. 

Carefully remove the bowl and stir everything together again. 

Repeat these steps until the mix has been in the microwave for eight minutes. 

At this point, you’ll need to check the temperature. An easy way to test without a thermometer is to drop a little into a glass of water. If the mix forms a small ball, it’s ready to use.

The last step is to beat the mixture with the vanilla for five minutes. It will be hard going, but I believe in you!

4. Kartoshka

Kartoshka are essentially Russian cake pops. 

Made using cookie crumbs and condensed milk, they’re so simple yet so delicious.

This recipe also uses butter, cocoa, and a little cognac, along with some chopped nuts for added flavor. 

The beauty is that you can change these up so easily. Try using vanilla cookies, lime zest, and tequila, with a sprinkle of sea salt for a tropical change. 

5. Russian Apple Cake

You might think that five ingredients aren’t enough to make a wonderfully moist and flavorful cake.

This recipe proves us all wrong. 

Incorporating thick and fluffy eggs whipped with sugar, the flour and baking powder simply needs to be folded through. 

Before you have the flour completely mixed in, add the chopped apples and gently mix to combine. 

When baked, this is a lighter-than-air, sweet cake, dotted with tart apple pieces for great moisture and pops of flavor. 

6. Russian Tea Cakes

In the U.K., tea cakes are soft sweet buns, often spiced and dotted with dried fruit. 

In Russia, they’re baked shortbread balls that get rolled in powdered sugar.

These would be the cutest addition to your Christmas cookie plate.

This recipe uses chopped nuts inside of a simple buttery shortbread-like cookie. But you can add anything, including cinnamon and candied citrus peel.

7. Russian Royal Cake

As the name would suggest, this cake is both elegant and regal looking.

Royal cake has layers of sour cream sponge cakes. It’s flavored with poppy seeds, chopped nuts, chocolate, cherry, and chocolate chips. 

That makes four distinct sponge layers, made using one single sour cream-based recipe. 

As if all those amazing flavors aren’t enough, there are layers of dulce de leche buttercream between each cake!

8. Russian Tea

During the winter months, I crave hot drinks. Just looking outside gives me the chills. 

But there’s only so much coffee my nerves can handle.

This warm, slightly fruity spiced tea is the perfect winter warmer.

When left to cook in the slow cooker, your entire house will be brimming with festive spice!

If you’re not a fan of pineapple, maybe try orange juice in its place.

Just be careful not to steep the tea bags for too long, as it can become bitter.

9. Russian Blini (Crepes)

A crepe by any other name still tastes just as sweet.

To be honest, there’s isn’t much difference between this recipe and a traditional crepe. In some cases, they are made using yeast, but this recipe doesn’t use any.

In Russia, they’re a little smaller and served with a dollop of sour cream. 

If you like your crepes savory, cut back on the sugar and serve with mature cheddar and smoked ham.

10. Waffle Cake

If you’ve never seen a Russian palace, they’re over-the-top, colorful, and full of bling. 

In a cold climate like they have, it’s no wonder they like to add color wherever they can. And this recipe certainty qualifies!

You’ll need to find the colored wafers to make this as fun as possible! I found a great source online that delivers worldwide. 

These get layered with an amazing dulce de leche cream cheese mixture.

After letting it sit for a few hours, you can slice into fun shapes. 

11. Russian Rugelach

It’s almost dangerous how easy these little bites are to make.

It’s a yeast-based dough, but there’s no need to worry about temperatures and proofing. 

Once the simple dough is mixed, you can roll it out and form into mini croissant-like bundles.

The only waiting you have is before you bake. Give them time to rise before baking to golden. 

Cover them in powdered sugar and serve with hot coffee. 

12. Salted Caramel White Russian

Things I may or may not be obsessed with include salted caramel, white chocolate, and a good cocktail. 

So naturally, this is one of my faves!

Other than whipped cream vodka, salted caramel is probably the next best thing!

This boozy babe is an irresistible mixture of vodka, Kahlua, and cream. 

Coat your glass with caramel like you would a sundae, and enjoy this sweet, sinful treat.

13. Cherry Soup

Most of the fruit soups I’ve had are served cold. 

Although Kissel can be served cold, it’s best served while still warm. 

The sweet and tart cherry soup gets thickened with a touch of potato starch for a super simple Russian dessert. 

14. Russian Honey Cake

Though this looks impressive, it is actually just seven ingredients!

The key to this honey cake is the ultra-thin layers. The cake layers need to be baked on a tray and cut to size.

For the frosting, it’s as simple as whisking Cool Whip with sour cream. (Have you noticed the Russians’ love of sour cream?)

Let it sit overnight to set so that you can get a good slice and see all the layers.