A facile synthetic route is described to cyanogenic glycosides (R)-prunasin, linamarin and (S)-heterodendrin from O-(2, 3, 4, 6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-d-glucopyranosyl) trichloroace-timidate and the corresponding α-hydroxyamides by a 3-step reaction of glycosylation, cyanohydrin formation by dehydration of carboxamides, and deprotection.