This top-rated rugelach recipe is bakery-worthy, but it’s actually quite simple to make in the comfort of your own home.
What Is Rugelach?
Rugelach (pronounced rug-a-lah) are tiny filled pastries that originated in the Jewish communities of Poland. To make rugelach, a cream cheese-sour cream dough is cut into wedges and rolled around a sugary walnut-raisin filling. Rugelach is served year round, but it’s especially popular on Jewish holidays, such as Hanukkah.
Kim
Rugelach Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade rugelach recipe:
- For the pastry: all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and salt
- For the filling: walnuts, raisins, white sugar, and cinnamon
How to Make Rugelach
You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make rugelach from scratch:
- Make the dough and press it into four equal discs.
- Wrap and chill the discs for at least one hour or up to two days.
- Mix the walnuts, raisins, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Roll the discs into rounds and sprinkle with the sugar mixture.
- Cut each round into 12 wedges, then roll each wedge from wide to narrow.
- Place each rugelach and chill for 20 minutes.
- Bake until the pastry is golden brown.
How to Store Rugelach
Store the rugelach in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Can You Freeze Rugelach?
Yes! We recommend freezing the rugelach before baking. After the pastries are shaped, flash freeze them on a baking sheet. When they are frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake according to the recipe.
Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise
“This is the first time I've ever made rugelach--and it will not be the last!!” says Kim. “This recipe is awesome! I am amazed at how the rugelach dough comes out almost like a phyllo dough - it's layered and almost laminated but without all that extra work!”
“Once you figure out what works best for you, it's a breeze,” VALENE says of this rugelach recipe. “If you follow the instructions exactly as stated and use cold ingredients, the dough comes together in about 5 minutes and is very easy to handle.”
“This recipe was great!" raves Olivia I. “Most recipes don't use the sour cream, but it really does add a new depth of flavor to the dough. One of my favorite variations is coconut. Try it with chocolate chips or macadamia nuts. Delicious!"
Editorial contributions by Corey Williams
Ingredients
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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1 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
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1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into cubes
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⅓ cup sour cream
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¼ teaspoon salt
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1 cup finely chopped walnuts
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½ cup raisins, finely chopped
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½ cup white sugar
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1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Directions
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Place butter, cream cheese, sour cream, flour, and salt in a food processor; pulse until crumbly.
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Shape and press crumbly dough mixture into four equal disks. Wrap each pastry disk; chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
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Combine walnuts, raisins, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.
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Roll each pastry disk into a 9-inch round keeping other disks chilled until ready to roll them. Sprinkle round with walnut-raisin mixture; press lightly into dough. Cut each round into 12 wedges with a chefs knife or pizza cutter. Roll wedges from wide to narrow, you will end up with point on outside of cookie. Place on ungreased baking sheets and chill rugelach for 20 minutes before baking.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
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After rugelach are chilled, bake in the preheated oven on center rack until lightly golden, about 22 to 25 minutes; cool on wire racks.
Cook’s Note
Substitute mini chocolate chips for raisins — or use both!
For another variation, spread a thin layer of apricot jam over dough round using a pastry brush, then sprinkle with brown sugar and top with walnut mixture.
Try rolling rugelach in cinnamon sugar before placing them onto the baking sheets for an extra sweet treat.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 102 | Calories |
| 7g | Fat |
| 8g | Carbs |
| 1g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 48 | |
| Calories 102 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 7g | 10% |
| Saturated Fat 4g | 18% |
| Cholesterol 16mg | 5% |
| Sodium 27mg | 1% |
| Total Carbohydrate 8g | 3% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 3g | |
| Protein 1g | 3% |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 13mg | 1% |
| Iron 0mg | 2% |
| Potassium 39mg | 1% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
