These easy to make Kolaczki are 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!
My rich, flaky, and fruit-filled Kolaczki are sure to make you and your family smile!
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 with your favorite fruit pastry or pie filling. Bake, sprinkle with powdered sugar – and you’re done! How easy is that?
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❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!
It’s Simple! My Kolaczki recipe uses just 5 ingredients, so you can bake up 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.
🥘 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!
- 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 – 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 a European butter for the best flavor.
- All-purpose Flour – You can use your favorite brand of all-purpose flour!
- Pie or Pastry filling – You want to use 2 different flavors, and at least 8 ounces of each. (See Tips & Recipe Notes)
- 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 – 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 recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
Unsure what to use for the fruit filling? You can absolutely make your own but try pre-made pastry or pie filling!
Using pre-made pastry or pie filling helps cut extra time while making the cookies. Try Strawberry, Blueberry, Cherry, or Peach!
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 dough at a time and 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.
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
My scrumptious Kolaczki take almost no time to prepare! Make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened to help make this recipe as easy as possible.
- Mix butter and cream cheese. In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and 1 1/12 cups of softened butter (3 sticks). Beat until thoroughly combined and light and fluffy.
- 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 slightly into a disc so that it chills quickly. Chill for an hour before rolling out.
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 with confectioner’s sugar.
These buttery, jammy Kolaczki cookies are perfect just as they are, but they’re also amazing served with coffee or hot tea! Enjoy!
🥡 Storing
Storing Kolaczki
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 to 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 filled, but unbaked cookies and freeze 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!
❓ FAQ
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!
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.
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!
📋 Recipe
Kolaczki
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).
Notes
Nutrition
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!
Audrey says
Very easy to work the dough with confectionery sugar. We made 8 dozen from the recipe. Hope they last till Christmas.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
You're awesome! Hope they last until Christmas for you, they wouldn't last long here! Happy holidays!!
Lisa Early says
Why is my dough sticky? Help
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
The can be a little sticky, that's OK. Use your confectioners' sugar generously while rolling out the dough.