I worked for my friend Carol when I was first married and starting my family. We used to bake rugelach at once or twice a year. She was an amazing boss and an amazing friend. I took my babies to work with me and whenever they would fuss, we would pass them back and forth so we could get our work done. An incredibly progressive idea for today, but back then it was revolutionary.
Every Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we would close the office at noon so that we could bake for the holiday. We always made the same things: apple pies, chocolate chip cookies and rugelach. Those days were filled with love and laughter and will always be some of my fondest memories.
These cookies are also perfect for Hanukkah.
It was in Carol’s kitchen where I perfected my rugelach recipe. We filled our rugelach with prune and apricot preserves, topped with cinnamon sugar and nuts, but the filling options are endless. A pastry in a cookie shape, that is beautiful as well as being delicious, this rugelach will have you coming back again and again.
For more delicious gluten free recipes for all your holiday needs, please visit our recipe page.
| Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20-25 minutes |
| Passive Time | 2 hours, 15 minutes |
| Servings |
dozen
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- 1 Cup butter unsalted, room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour mix with xanthan gum plus more for dusting work surface, see note*
- 1/4 tsp salt kosher
- 1 1/4 cup walnuts finely chopped
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup seedless jam or gluten free pie filling, optional, see note**
- 1 egg for egg wash, optional
- 1 cup turbinado sugar optional
Ingredients
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- Cut butter and cream cheese into small pieces and beat until creamy.
- Add vanilla and 1/3 cup of granulated sugar to bowl and mix until well incorporated.
- Combine gluten free flour mix and salt, whisk until combined.
- With mixer on low, slowly add in flour mix, beating well and scraping bowl after each addition. The dough will be sticky.
- Separate dough into 4 equal pieces. Press dough into a flat disc shape and wrap well in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm and well chilled, about two hours.
- When dough is well chilled, cover your work surface with plastic wrap or parchment paper and lightly flour. Take one of the wrapped pieces of dough out at a time, unwrap and place on your work surface.
- Lightly dust with flour and roll dough out evenly to a 1/8" thick rectangle.
- If desired, cover top of dough with a thin layer of jam or pie filling, leaving a narrow border around the edges. See note below for tips on selecting pie filling.
- Combine remaining sugar with cinnamon. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cinnamon sugar mix on top of jam or filling, or if not using a filling, straight onto dough. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the finely chopped walnuts.
- Starting with a long edge, roll dough into a tight roll, using the plastic wrap or parchment paper to help. Roll and press log down gently so the seam is on the bottom. The ends will be slightly loose - either cut them off or tuck them under and gently press them into the log.
- Cut log into 1" pieces - a pizza cutter or bench knife works well. Brush with beaten egg and gently press top into the turbinado sugar. If egg free, brush lightly with water and press top into the turbinado sugar.
- Place on a silicone mat or parchment paper covered baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Repeat with other chilled dough pieces.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown. Place on a rack to cool completely.
*If your gluten free flour mix does not contain xanthan gum, add 2 teaspoons xanthan gum to your gluten free flour mix.
**Note: If using a pie filling, make sure it is a smooth filling. The rugelach shape does not work well with large chunks of fruit. For that reason, I would not recommend using apple or cherry filling.
This Rugelach recipe is gluten free and vegetarian.
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