This Rugelach Recipe is the only recipe you’ll ever need for rugelach cookies. They have a super buttery, flaky crust and are filled with cherry and pecans, perfect for this holiday season.
There really isn’t a Christmas that goes by without these rugelach cookies on the table. These are one of my mom’s favorite cookies and I always have to double the recipe because they go super fast. There really is no resisting these delicious morsels. They’re buttery, flaky and perfectly sweetened.
WHAT ARE RUGELACH COOKIES
Rugelach cookies, pronounced rug-a-lah, are mini crescent-rolled pastries with a super flakey dough usually made with cream cheese. They resemble a schnecken which is an Eastern European Jewish pastry.
My recipe, or rather my mom’s recipe, doesn’t use cream cheese, but sour cream instead which is what gives the dough its flakiness.
HOW TO MAKE RUGELACH
I always make the cookie dough or rather pastry for the rugelach the same. It’s so simple, it only has flour, butter, salt, sour cream and a bit of vanilla extract. You make it the same way as you would make your pie pastry, using a pastry cutter or two knives.
You could also just make this in a food processor, but I’d rather not have to wash it, so that’s why I just use my trusted pastry cutter. It all comes down to doing dishes, doesn’t it?
I have filled these babies with so many different types of jams and nuts, but this time my jam of choice was a nice cherry jam and some ground pecans. After you bake these, the hardest part is letting them cool a bit, before I sprinkle them with some powdered sugar and then you can finally serve and enjoy.
I love these cookies, they are something I grew up with during the holidays. My mom is not a baker so she never baked a lot while we kids were growing up but these rugelach cookies are one of the few things she did make. She loves plum jam so we’d always fill them with plum jam and then roll them in lots of powdered sugar.
It was such a treat and I loved them so much, I eventually took over making them from my mom.
These cherry pecan rugelach cookies are so light, flaky and I love the fact that there is no sugar in the pastry itself, the only sugar you’re getting here is from the jam and the powdered sugar. Truly one of the best cookies ever and there should be no holiday treat table without them!
LOOKING FOR MORE CHRISTMAS COOKIES? TRY THESE:
- Poppy Seed Rugelach
- Walnut Cookies
- Chocolate Fudge Cherry Cookies
- Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Rumballs
- Christmas Candy Cane Bark
Rugelach Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup butter unsalted, cold
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup cherry jam
- 3/4 cup pecans ground
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place flour in a mixing bowl and with 2 knives or a pastry cutter cut in the butter or margarine till the mixture resembles small peas. Stir in the sour cream and vanilla till the dough holds together. On your floured work surface knead the dough about 10 times. Divide the dough into 3 pieces and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
- Roll one piece of the dough at a time into a 10 inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tbsp of jam, or more if needed. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup of the ground pecans. Using a pizza cutter cut the dough into 12 wedges, like a pizza. Starting at curved edge, roll up each wedge and place point-side down, onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. If only baking one tray at a time, refrigerate the remaining cookies until ready to bake.
- Bake for 20 to 25 min or until light and golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar, you could also roll them through the powdered sugar.
Notes
- To make it easier to spread the jam, microwave for a few seconds it until it softens.
- To make the dough ahead, you can actually freeze the cookie dough for up to three months, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight.
- Shaped unbaked cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months, no thawing necessary, can be baked straight from the freezer, but may need an extra few minutes to bake.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container for about a week.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition
These cookies i’ve been making for a long time, everyone loves them, they are so delicious. I was wondering can you freeze these?
Yes you can for sure!
I’ll have to try these with cherry jam. My mom always made them with apricot preserves and nuts. Delicious! She would also sometimes substitute coconut for the nuts. And I really miss her nut rolls and poppy seed rolls! Thank you for sharing so many wonderful recipes! You are one of my favorite food blogs.
Can these be frozen after baked? Thanks!
Yes they can!
I love your recipes. Thank you for sharing.
Hi! Quick question, Jo-
Have you ever replaced the butter with butter flavored Crisco? Just wondering if rugelach would taste equally as good…thanks for your input.
I have not, I’ve only always made them with butter.
These look yummy! I miss my mom’s poppy seed and nut rolls that she baked every Christmas.
The nut roll recipe is coming today, my mother in law’s recipe! 🙂
Yum! This looks great!