Rugelach Cookies are a classic bite-size pastry filled with apricot jam and chopped walnuts. This recipe is so easy to make and will be a great treat to celebrate Christmas and the holiday season!
Apricot Rugelach are my favorite treats that I make all-year round! They have a tender pastry like dough, made with butter and cream cheese, then rolled with delicious apricot jam and finely chopped walnuts. So, you get a great combo of soft and chewy dough and crunchy nutty filling.
What are Rugelach?
Rugelach (pronounced rug-a-lah) are bite-size cookies, made with butter and cream cheese pastry dough and rolled with filling of your choice. While many people associate them with classic American Christmas treats, they originated in the Jewish community in Poland.
How to make it
In a large bowl, using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream together 1 cup softened butter and 8 oz softened cream cheese for a few minutes. The mixture should become light and airy.
Then add ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract and beat again for a few minutes.
Add 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ tsp salt and mix again until everything combines. Don’t overmix this step.
Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, wrap each in plastic wrap, flatten into a dish, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, take the dough out of refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before baking and let it sit on the counter.
Preheat the oven to 350°F, line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll out each piece of dough in a rectangular shape. Add about ¼ cup apricot jam and spread it in a thin layer. Then sprinkle over about ⅓ cup finely chopped walnuts.
Roll the dough in a log, like you would do it for Overnight Cinnamon Rolls. Then cut the log into about 1-1 ½-inch pieces.
Place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Brush them over with egg wash and sprinkle some course sugar on top.
Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes or until golden/brown.
Tips for best results
- When mixing dry ingredients with wet, it’s important not to overmix the dough or it will be tough.
- I found that rolling the dough into a log and slicing it helps the filling stay inside the cookies. While if you make it in crescent roll shapes, more filling will leak while baking.
- It’s also important not to use too much jam in the filling. The layer should be very thin. If you put too much, the jam will simply leak and burn.
- Brushing the cookies with egg wash and sprinkling with course sugar is optional. This step helps to give more color and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can keep them in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week.
There are a few ways you can freeze them:
Freeze the dough. After you divide the dough and flatten it into disks, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
Freeze unbaked cookies. You can assemble the cookies with the filling and cut them in pieces. Then put them on a baking sheet and put in the freezer for about 2 hours to freeze completely. Then transfer to a zip-lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on a baking sheet with parchment paper at room temperature before baking.
Freeze baked cookies. After they are cooled off completely, transfer them to an air-tight container or a zip-lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
While my favorite filling is apricot jam and chopped walnuts, there are so many other flavor variations for these cookies. Here are a few:
Nutella
Brown sugar/cinnamon mixture
Dried fruits and nuts
Marzipan
Poppyseed filling
Chocolate chips
Hungry for more Cookies?
- Danish Butter Cookies Recipe
- Brownie Cookies
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Best Cut Out Sugar Cookies Recipe
Apricot Rugelach
Ingredients
Ingredients for Dough:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Ingredients for Filling:
- 1 cup apricot jam
- 1 â…“ cups walnuts finely chopped
Ingredients for topping:
- 1 egg for egg wash
- ¼ cup course sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream together 1 cup softened butter and 8 oz softened cream cheese for a few minutes. The mixture should become light and airy.
- Then add ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract and beat again for a few minutes.
- Add 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ tsp salt and mix again until everything combines. Don’t overmix this step.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, wrap each in plastic wrap, flatten into a dish, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, take the dough out of refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before baking and let it sit on the counter.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll out each piece of dough in a rectangular shape. Add about ¼ cup apricot jam and spread it in a thin layer. Then sprinkle over about ⅓ cup finely chopped walnuts.
- Roll the dough in a log, then cut the log into about 1-1 ½-inch pieces.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Brush them over with egg wash and sprinkle some course sugar on top.
- Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes or until golden/brown.
Video
Notes
- When mixing dry ingredients with wet, it’s important not to overmix the dough or it will be tough.
- I found that rolling the dough into a log and slicing it helps the filling stay inside the cookies. While if you make it in crescent roll shapes, more filling will leak while baking.
- It’s also important not to use too much jam in the filling. The layer should be very thin. If you put too much, the jam will simply leak and burn.
- Brushing the cookies with egg wash and sprinkling with course sugar is optional. This step helps to give more color and texture.
- Freeze the dough. After you divide the dough and flatten it into disks, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
- Freeze unbaked cookies. You can assemble the cookies with the filling and cut them in pieces. Then put them on a baking sheet and put in the freezer for about 2 hours to freeze completely. Then transfer to a zip-lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on a baking sheet with parchment paper at room temperature before baking.
- Freeze baked cookies. After they are cooled off completely, transfer them to an air-tight container or a zip-lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Update Notes:Â This post was originally published in 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and FAQs in December of 2020.
Hello
Can I prep for baking then refrigerate?
I believe this works out the same.
Thanks
-Lynn
The dough is eay to make and roll out. Can use a different jam for each log. Bakes beautifully.