Rugelach is a traditional Jewish treat that features a buttery and flaky crust that is filled with brown sugar, raisins, and walnuts! It is so easy to make that you could even let the kids help out! Simply prepare the dough, add the filling, roll them up, and pop them in the oven!
Easy Homemade Rugelach Recipe
Soft dough that is loaded with a sweet brown sugar filling- what more could you possibly want from a delectable homemade treat? This classic recipe has been passed down for generations, slowly changing over time (the original recipe used yeast!)
Now, the recipe has become even simpler as it uses cream cheese to make a tender and delicious dough! You can stick to the traditional filling or mix it up with your own favorite flavors- either way, it is completely addicting!
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If you want to make more tasty treats like this rugelach, take a look at all of my desserts, candy recipes, and cookies!
🥘 Rugelach Ingredients
The majority of these ingredients are common household staples that you are bound to have if you enjoy baking! Just make sure to grab some raisins, cream cheese, and walnuts if you don't already have some!
Dough
- Cream Cheese - 8 ounces of room temperature cream cheese.
- Butter - ½ pound of unsalted butter (or 2 sticks). You'll want this to be room temperature as well.
- Sugar - ¼ cup of sugar.
- Vanilla - 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- Salt - ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Flour - 2¼ cups of all-purpose flour that is measured using the spoon and level method.
Filling
- Brown Sugar - ¼ cup of light brown sugar, packed.
- Sugar - 6 tablespoons of sugar.
- Cinnamon - ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Raisins - ¾ cup of raisins.
- Walnuts - 1 cup of finely chopped walnuts.
Topping
- Egg - 1 large egg that has been lightly beaten.
- Milk - 1 tablespoon of milk.
- Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Sugar - 3 tablespoons of sugar.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🍴 Equipment Needed To Make Rugelach
You'll want to grab a few things before getting started. First, you'll want your mixer and the paddle attachment for making the dough. Make sure you have some plastic wrap on hand to wrap up the dough for chilling!
Next, you'll need a few mixing bowls for making the filling, the egg wash, and the topping. Once the dough is done chilling, you'll use a rolling pin to roll it out and a pizza cutter (or sharp knife) to cut it into wedges. Finally, grab a baking sheet so that you can pop them in the oven!
🔪 How To Make Rugelach
While there are a couple of steps to making rugelach, none of it is difficult to do! Just follow these easy instructions and you'll have some mouthwatering rugelach in no time!
This recipe will yield 48 delicious pieces of rugelach!
Prepare the Dough
- Cream. Using the paddle attachment, cream together the room-temperature ½ pound of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Combine. Add in ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and then mix until well combined. While the mixer is on the lowest speed, slowly add 2¼ cups of all-purpose flour, only mixing until just combined (you don't want to over-mix the dough).
- Chill. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and roll it into a large ball. Cut the ball into 4 equal-sized balls and wrap each one tightly with plastic wrap. Place the wrapped balls of dough into the fridge for at least 1 hour to chill.
Make the Filling & Assemble
- Make filling. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together ¼ cup of light brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of sugar, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¾ cup of raisins, and 1 cup of chopped walnuts. Set the mixture aside until ready to use. *Alternatively, you could place all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend them to combine.
- Roll. Remove one portion of the dough from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it on your floured work surface (if needed, you can let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make it easier to roll). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 9-inch disk (about ⅛-inch thick).
- Add filling. Sprinkle ½ cup of the prepared filling over top of the dough and use your fingers to lightly press it in. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 equal-sized wedges (cutting it just like you would a pizza).
- Roll up the wedges. Roll up each wedge, starting with the wide end and rolling towards the smaller point. Place the rolls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the points tucked underneath them. Place the sheet into the fridge to chill for an additional 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the balls of dough.
Bake Until Golden
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Make the egg wash. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk to make an egg wash. In a separate bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Add topping. Brush each cookie with the egg wash mixture and then sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar.
- Bake. Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until the outsides have lightly browned, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
- Cool. Remove the rugelach from the oven and transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool.
You can add some rugelach to your edible gift boxes, share them with friends, or save them all for yourself! They are a tasty treat that is perfect for any holiday or occasion. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Rugelach tastes great with a variety of different types of fillings! This recipe is the classic version, but you could also add some apricot preserves (a personal fave), chocolate, or Nutella for a fun and tasty variation!
- You can prepare the dough for your rugelach a day in advance if needed. Simply keep it tightly wrapped in the fridge until you are ready to roll it out and add the filling!
- Make sure to chill your dough for a minimum of 1 hour before rolling it out. Or, you could prepare the dough the night before and let it chill in the fridge all night!
🥡 Storing
Once cool, place your rugelach into a sealed container and keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Freezing Rugelach
Place your baked rugelach into a freezer-safe storage bag (once completely cool) and freeze for up to 2 months. *I recommend flash freezing the fully cooled rugelach on a baking sheet first.
Thaw your frozen rugelach in the fridge overnight before serving, or set them out uncovered at room temperature to thaw quickly.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Imagine a flaky, buttery, and tender croissant with a sweet cinnamon sugar filling. That's exactly what they taste like (although they are much easier to make than croissants!)
Rugelach translates to "little twists" or "rolled things" in Yiddish. Given how these treats are prepared and what they look like, I think it is quite fitting!
Traditionally, rugelach is enjoyed on the Jewish sabbath though you will also see it eaten during Hannukah. However, it makes an easy and delicious treat that is great for any holiday or occasion all year long.
🍪 More Sweet Treats
- Red Velvet Blossoms - Tender red velvet cookies are topped with a chocolate Hershey's kiss!
- Edible Cookie Dough - Go ahead and enjoy this tasty treat straight from the mixing bowl!
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread - Light, citrus shortbread cookies are spotted with cranberries!
- Chocolate Blossom Cookies - Double up the chocolate in these ultra-rich cookies!
- Cosmic Brownies - A classic childhood treat that tastes better than store-bought!
- Pineapple Pie Bars - Sweet pineapple and delicious pie crust make up these crowd-worthy bars!
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📖 Recipe Card
Rugelach
Ingredients
Dough
- 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- ½ lb butter (room temperature, unsalted)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 6 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup raisins
- 1 cup walnuts (finely chopped)
Topping
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoon sugar
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Using the paddle attachment, cream together the room-temperature butter and cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add in the sugar, salt, and vanilla extract, and then mix until well combined. While the mixer is on the lowest speed, slowly add the all-purpose flour, only mixing until just combined (you don't want to over-mix the dough).
- Dump the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and roll it into a large ball. Cut the ball into 4 equal-sized balls and wrap each one tightly with plastic wrap. Place the wrapped balls of dough into the fridge for at least 1 hour to chill.
Make the Filling
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together your light brown sugar, sugar, ground cinnamon, raisins, and walnuts. Set the mixture aside until ready to use. *Alternatively, you could place all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend them to combine.
- Remove one portion of the dough from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it on your floured work surface (if needed, you can let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make it easier to roll). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 9-inch disk (about ⅛-inch thick).
- Sprinkle ½ cup of the prepared filling over top of the dough and use your fingers to lightly press it in. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 equal-sized wedges (cutting it just like you would a pizza).
- Roll up each wedge, starting with the wide end and rolling towards the smaller point. Place the rolls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the points tucked underneath them. Place the sheet into the fridge to chill for an additional 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the balls of dough.
Bake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the egg and milk to make an egg wash. In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar and ground cinnamon.
- Brush each cookie with the egg wash mixture and then sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar.
- Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until the outsides have lightly browned, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
- Remove the rugelach from the oven and transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool.
Notes
- Rugelach tastes great with a variety of different types of fillings! This recipe is the classic version, but you could also add some apricot preserves, chocolate, or Nutella for a fun and tasty variation!
- You can prepare the dough for your rugelach a day in advance if needed. Simply keep it tightly wrapped in the fridge until you are ready to roll it out and add the filling!
- Make sure to chill your dough for a minimum of 1 hour before rolling it out. Or, you could prepare the dough the night before and let it chill in the fridge all night!
- To store: Once cool, place your rugelach into a sealed container and keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- To freeze: Place your baked rugelach into a freezer-safe storage bag (once completely cool) and freeze for up to 2 months. *I recommend flash freezing the fully cooled rugelach on a baking sheet first.
- Thaw your frozen rugelach in the fridge overnight before serving, or set them out uncovered at room temperature to thaw quickly.
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