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    Home » Recipes » Cookies & Bars

    Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com · 10 Comments

    Kolaczki

    Jump to Recipe
    Kolaczki pin with text header.

    These Kolaczki are easy-to-make Polish fruit-filled cookies that are the perfect sweet treat for holidays or any day! It takes just 5 ingredients to make these incredibly delicious cookies, so they’re guaranteed to become a part of your cookie rotation! They make a stunning addition to your Christmas cookie gift baskets too!

    Polish Kolaczki Cookie Recipes

    Kolaczki are an amazing fruit-filled cookie that’s traditional in Poland and the Czech Republic, though they’re most associated with being a Polish recipe. They’re also popular in Russia, Austria, Denmark, and the rest of central and eastern Europe – especially during the holidays!

    These buttery cookies are one of my favorites to make because they’re so simple! You make the easy, 3-ingredient dough, then fill it with your favorite fruit pastry or pie filling. Bake, sprinkle with powdered sugar – and you’re done! How easy is that?

    Kolaczki cookies on a glass plate.
    Easy kolaczki cookies are the perfect combination of fruit filling wrapped in cream cheese cookie!
    Jump to:
    • Polish Kolaczki Cookie Recipes
    • ❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!
    • 🥘 Kolaczki Ingredients
    • 🔪 How To Make Kolaczki
    • 💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
    • 🥡 Storing
    • ❓ FAQ
    • 🎄 More Christmas Cookies
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    If baking gets you in the Christmas spirit, be sure to check out all of my holiday baking recipes! There are cookies, cakes, pies, fudge, candy, and so much more to try!

    ❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!

    It’s Simple! My Kolaczki recipe uses just 5 ingredients, so you can bake these sweet little cookies in no time!

    It’s Flavorful! A delicious dough and sweet fruit filling combine to make a cookie that’s incredibly addictive! You can use your favorite store-bought pastry/pie filling or make your own!

    It’s a Family Favorite! These buttery and jammy little bites are definitely going to become your family’s new favorite. Make them for the holidays, birthdays, or any time you or your loved ones are craving something sweet.

    🥘 Kolaczki Ingredients

    My simple and delicious Kolaczki recipe has just 5 ingredients! It calls for fruit pastry or pie filling – buy your favorite store-bought or make your own!

    Kolaczki cookie ingredients.
    • Cream Cheese – 8 ounces of cream cheese. You want to make sure this is softened by leaving it out for 30 mins to 1 hour before using. Cream cheese makes the pastry base of the cookie super tender and rich.
    • Butter – 1½ cups of butter. You also want to make sure the butter is softened, which you can easily do by leaving it out of the fridge for a few hours or overnight before using. Use your favorite butter brand, but I recommend using European butter for the best flavor.
    • All-purpose Flour – You can use your favorite brand of all-purpose flour!
    • Pie or Pastry filling – 16 ounces of pie or pastry filling. You want to use 2 different flavors and at least 8 ounces of each.
    • Water – A little bit of water helps to seal the overlapped dough before baking. You can also use egg white if you prefer.
    • Confectioner’s Sugar – ½ cup of confectioners' sugar. Dusting the finished, cooled cookies with powdered sugar helps give them that beautiful bakery look. Confectioner’s sugar will also be used with a little granulated sugar to help roll out the dough.

    *Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

    🔪 How To Make Kolaczki

    My scrumptious Kolaczki takes almost no time to prepare! Make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened to help make this recipe as easy as possible.

    Perfect for a crowd, this recipe will make about 60 cookies!

    Kolaczki photo gallery of process.

    Prepare The Dough

    1. Mix butter and cream cheese. In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and 1½ cups of softened butter (3 sticks). Beat until thoroughly combined and light and fluffy.
    2. Finish the dough. Add 3 cups of all-purpose flour into the creamed butter mixture 1 cup at a time, until it is fully incorporated into the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic cling film and flatten it slightly into a disc so that it chills quickly. Chill for an hour before rolling out.

    Prep and Bake

    1. Prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Then, line your baking trays with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, if you have it.
    2. Roll out the dough. Dust your work surface with an equal combination of sugar and confectioner’s sugar. Then, roll out the cream cheese dough until it is ¼ inch in thickness. (*I use a quarter portion of dough at a time. Meanwhile, it’s important that the remaining dough is returned to the refrigerator and kept chilled.)
    3. Fill the dough circles. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares or rounds, then place ½ to 1 teaspoon of your pie or pastry filling into the center-line of each cut square or round of the dough. Overlap the opposite corners or sides and brush the bottom corner with a little water or egg white to seal the dough. Pinch or press the dough together to seal securely.
    4. Bake the Kolaczki. Place each filled cookie (*try using a spatula to help transfer to the pan) onto your prepared baking sheets and bake them at 350°F (175°C) for 12-15 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are a light golden color.
    5. Cool. Remove the finished Kolaczki from the oven and allow to them cool, about 5 minutes. Next, transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. When your cookies are completely cooled, or just before serving, dust them with confectioner’s sugar.

    These buttery, jammy Kolaczki cookies are perfect just as they are, but they’re also amazing when served with coffee or hot tea! Enjoy!

    💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes

    • Unsure what to use for the fruit filling? You can absolutely make your own or try pre-made pastry or pie filling! Try my raspberry, cherry, pineapple, blackberry, or apple pie fillings!
    • It isn’t recommended to use jam, as it typically does not use starch as a thickener and can seep into your cookies.
    • When cutting out the circles or squares for the Kolaczki, try using a cookie cutter! You can use a sharp paring knife or bench cutter to cut the dough, but a cookie cutter is an easy way to cut those rounds or squares out quickly and evenly!
    • The dough for the cookies can easily become sticky and hard to work with, so it’s best to keep it refrigerated.
    • You should chill the dough for at least 1 hour before handling it to make rolling and shaping easier! I also recommend only using a quarter portion of the dough at a time and then keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator.
    • When filling and folding the dough, try to work quickly so the filling doesn’t soak through or spill out of the cookie.
    Kolaczki cookies on a glass plate.

    🥡 Storing

    These tasty little cookies are likely to disappear quickly! Any extras will keep best at room temperature in an airtight container, layered with sheets of parchment paper. These Kolaczki keep for 3-5 days before they get soggy.

    It's best to hold off on dusting with the confectioners' sugar until ready to serve your cookies.

    Freezing Kolaczki

    Kolaczki also freeze very well! Make the filling, but unbaked cookies and freeze them on a lined baking tray. When completely frozen, transfer to an airtight container, separating the layers by sheets of parchment.

    They’ll keep for 3 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to have delicious cookies, follow the above baking instructions, and enjoy!

    >>>>See all of my recipes HERE<<<<

    ❓ FAQ

    Is Kolaczki the same as Kolache?

    Yes! Kolaczki are popular all over Europe, so there are variations on spelling! You may see kolachky, kolache, kolachy, or kolacky. But they’re all the same delicious dessert!

    What are some traditional Kolaczki fillings?

    I love fruit fillings for these little cookies, but more traditional flavors include apricot, prune, almond, and poppy seed! You may be able to find some of these traditional fillings at an eastern European grocery store.

    Why do you roll out with sugar instead of flour?

    For these Kolaczki, rolling out with powdered sugar adds a little extra sweetness to the dough (note, it doesn’t have sugar!) but it also helps to prevent the dough from sticking without drying it out like flour might!

    🎄 More Christmas Cookies

    Kolaczki cookies on a glass plate.
    • Christmas Cowboy Cookies - These tasty cookies are jam-packed with a ton of yummy mix-ins!
    • Chocolate Peppermint Cookies - A dark chocolate cookie is topped with crushed candy canes and a chocolate drizzle!
    • Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms - Top a chocolate cookie base with a peppermint Hershey's kiss for this tasty cookie!
    • Polar Bear Paw Print Cookies - Chocolate cookies are topped with frosting, shredded coconut, and M&Ms!
    • Italian Ricotta Cookies - These classic Italian Christmas cookies use ricotta to make the cookies extra tender!
    • Eggnog Sugar Cookies - Eggnog is featured in the dough of these cookies and then they are topped with nutmeg frosting!

    Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📋 Recipe

    Kolaczki cookies on a glass plate.
    Print Recipe Leave A Comment
    Love This Recipe?Click On A Star To Rate It!
    5 from 46 reviews

    Kolaczki

    These Kolaczki are easy-to-make Polish fruit-filled cookies that are the perfect sweet treat for holidays or any day! It takes just 5 ingredients to make these incredibly delicious cookies, so they’re guaranteed to become a part of your cookie rotation! They make a stunning addition to your Christmas cookie gift baskets too!
    Author | Angela
    Servings: 60 cookies
    Calories: 89kcal
    Prep 5 minutes
    Cooking 12 minutes
    Chilling Time 1 hour
    Total Time 1 hour 17 minutes
    Pin Recipe Share on Facebook

    Ingredients
     

    • 8 oz cream cheese (1 brick, softened)
    • 1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks, softened)
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 16 oz pie or pastry filling (2 flavors, at least 8 ounces of each flavor)
    • water (or egg white - for sealing the overlapped dough)
    • ½ cup confectioners' sugar

    Instructions

    • In a large mixing bowl combine the softened cream cheese and butter. Beat until thoroughly combined, light and fluffy.
      8 oz cream cheese, 1 ½ cups butter
    • Add the flour into the creamed butter mixture 1 cup at a time until your dough is fully mixed. Wrap the dough in cling film and flatten slightly so that it chills quickly. Chill for an hour.
      3 cups all-purpose flour
    • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
    • Dust your working surface with an equal combination of sugar and confectioners' sugar, then roll out the cream cheese dough until it is ¼-inch in thickness. *I use a quarter portion of the dough at a time, meanwhile, it is important that the remaining dough is returned to the refrigerator and kept chilled.
    • Cut the dough into 2-inch squares or rounds then place ½ to 1 teaspoon of your pastry filling into the centerline of each cut square or round of the dough.
      16 oz pie or pastry filling
    • Overlap the opposite corners or sides and brush the bottom corner with water or egg white to seal the dough. Pinch or press the dough together to seal securely.
      water
    • Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookie bottoms just begin to show a light golden color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
    • Once your cookies are completely cooled, dust with confectioners' sugar (or just before serving).

    Equipment You May Need

    Baking Sheet
    Mixing Bowl
    Silicone Spatula Set

    Notes

    • Unsure what to use for the fruit filling? You can absolutely make your own or try pre-made pastry or pie filling! Try my raspberry, cherry, pineapple, blackberry, or apple pie fillings!
    • It isn’t recommended to use jam, as it typically does not use starch as a thickener and can seep into your cookies.
    • When cutting out the circles or squares for the Kolaczki, try using a cookie cutter! You can use a sharp paring knife or bench cutter to cut the dough, but a cookie cutter is an easy way to cut those rounds or squares out quickly and evenly!
    • The dough for the cookies can easily become sticky and hard to work with, so it’s best to keep it refrigerated.
    • You should chill the dough for at least 1 hour before handling it to make rolling and shaping easier! I also recommend only using a quarter portion of the dough at a time and then keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator.
    • When filling and folding the dough, try to work quickly so the filling doesn’t soak through or spill out of the cookie.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 89kcal (4%) | Carbohydrates: 8g (3%) | Protein: 1g (2%) | Fat: 6g (9%) | Saturated Fat: 4g (25%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg (5%) | Sodium: 54mg (2%) | Potassium: 21mg (1%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 1g (1%) | Vitamin A: 208IU (4%) | Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) | Calcium: 7mg (1%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
    Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!
    chilled cookies, kolache, Kolaczki
    Course Christmas Cookies, cookies, Cookies & Bars Recipes
    Cuisine Polish
    author profile photo
    Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com

    Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!

    bakeitwithlove.com/about/
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    Comments

    1. Carol Quinlan says

      December 20, 2022 at 1:02 pm

      Had a problem with this recipe. They came undone! I used egg white for the corners and they opened up. Do you know how this happens?

      Reply
      • Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says

        December 21, 2022 at 2:56 pm

        It's hard to get a good amount of pressure for sealing them, but if you see them popping open in the oven simply press them back into place. I may have one or two that does this, and I just close them again (either while baking or just out of the oven). Thanks for asking!

        Reply
    2. Kabeer Munjal says

      December 18, 2022 at 8:55 pm

      The bottom is golden, but the center feels very soft. How to know the cookies are entirely baked and safe to consume

      Reply
      • Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says

        December 19, 2022 at 7:58 am

        These are super tender cookies when baked. Trust your baking time once the edges look slightly golden and then leave the cookies on your baking sheet for that 5 minutes or more after removing them from the oven. They will continue to bake during this time. Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Ginny says

      December 02, 2022 at 3:24 pm

      I have made similar cookies like this but I cannot keep the jelly from spilling out or the dough from coming apart once I pinch the two ends to close. What am I doing wrong? tky

      Reply
      • Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says

        December 02, 2022 at 6:44 pm

        Hi Ginny, sorry you haven't had much luck with keeping these tasty cookies closed. Have you tried using water or an egg wash to seal the ends together? Once you get the ends to stay in place, everything else should work fine too. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Audrey says

      December 23, 2021 at 8:06 pm

      Very easy to work the dough with confectionery sugar. We made 8 dozen from the recipe. Hope they last till Christmas.

      Reply
      • Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says

        December 23, 2021 at 9:15 pm

        You're awesome! Hope they last until Christmas for you, they wouldn't last long here! Happy holidays!!

        Reply
    5. Lisa Early says

      December 19, 2021 at 5:49 pm

      Why is my dough sticky? Help

      Reply
      • Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says

        December 20, 2021 at 7:27 am

        The can be a little sticky, that's OK. Use your confectioners' sugar generously while rolling out the dough.

        Reply

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