Rugelach Cookie Recipe {with a Gluten-Free Rugelach Option}

by 39 Comments

Rugelach are crescent-shaped cookies, traditionally served for Hanukkah, but the rich cream cheese dough and variety of possible fillings make this a delicious any-holiday cookie recipe.

Rugelach are crescent-shaped cookies, traditionally served for Hanukkah, but the rich cream cheese dough and variety of possible fillings make this a delicious any-holiday cookie recipe. This post includes a gluten-free rugelach cookie recipe | WhatAGirlEats.com

I found this recipe in Ina Garten’s, Barefoot Contessa Parties!, and decided to bake a gluten-free version and compare it with the regular version. The gluten-free dough is a bit harder to work with, lacking gluten, which gives it that nice elasticity. The GF version wasn’t as pretty,  since it tended to crack while rolling into crescents. But when the family did a taste test, with both cookies side-by-side, no one could tell the difference! I use Jeanne, from The Art of Gluten-Free Baking‘s flour blend. IMG_0966I used the bottom of my 9″ springform pan for a visual, trimmed the overhanging bits and patched where needed. IMG_0968Spread the circle with jam and filling, lightly press filling into dough. I used the bottom of a measuring cup. Cut circle into 12 pieces, starting from the biggest end, roll wedge toward center, tucking under point.

Gluten Free Rugelach Cookie Recipe | WhatAGirlEats.com

Gluten free Rugelach Cookies

I hope you enjoy the rugelach cookie recipe!

4 from 4 votes
Rugelach
Print
Rugelach
Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
 
Cinnamon and walnut filled crescent cookies from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Eastern European
Servings: 48
Author: Cynthia McCloud Woodman
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sugar plus 9 tablespoons
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour or Gluten Free flour mix
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
  • 1 cup walnuts finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup apricot preserves pureed in a food processor
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash
Instructions
  1. Cream the cheese and the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, salt and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined.
  2. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut into quarters, roll each into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. To make filling, combine 6 tablespoons sugar, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and walnuts in a small bowl.
  4. On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons of apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press filling lightly into the dough.
  5. Cut circle into 12 equal wedges. Starting with wide edge, roll up each wedge.
  6. Place cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat. Chill for 30 minutes.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  8. Brush each cookie with egg wash. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies.
  9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

You can freeze the cookies, unbaked, well wrapped. Defrost for 15 minutes on a cookie sheet before baking.

Cinnamon Walnut Rugelach

Cinnamon Walnut Rugelach.

Comments

  14. Cheryl says

    1 star
    I used to make rugelach every holiday season as a kid and really enjoyed the process. Now that I try to eat gluten free as an adult, I was very excited to try this recipe. I’ve cooked and baked my whole life, so I know how to follow a recipe (which I did), but this recipe was extremely sticky and not at all roll-able. 🙁 I was afraid to add enough flour to make the dough come together/roll-able because it would have required a great deal more than the recipe called for and I was concerned it would make the end product too dry. So, against my better judgement, I chilled the dough as it was and hoped it would become more roll-able once chilled thoroughly. After chilling overnight, I placed the dough on the counter for a short while to relax, then tried to roll it out. I placed 1/4 of the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and rolled to a beautiful circle. Yay! However, I could hardly remove the top paper without ripping apart the dough and, once I did accomplish that, I realized the dough was just mushed to the bottom paper. There was no rolling it like a proper rugelach. I was so sad. I’ll see if I can use the dough for some other type of cookie because this just won’t work. 🙁

    Reply

    • Cynthia says

      Hi Cheryl, thanks for taking the time to give me feed back. As I said in my notes that it’s definitely more difficult to work with the gluten free dough than the regular dough. I’m sorry that they did not turn out for you. So many factors can affect baking. I’m wondering what
      kind of gluten free flour you used, and if that could have affected it? I usually use Jeanne’s #GF flour blend, as I find that it most resembles “real” flour. On occasion, I’ve used Bob’s #GF flour, or another blend, and found that my baked goods did not taste nearly as good,
      and the dough was harder to work with. Hope this helps.

      Reply

      • Dayna says

        I had similar results to Cheryl, using cup 4 cup. The dough was nearly impossible to roll and shape. I have ugly Christmas sweater versions of the cookie 😉 but they are scrumptious! Had much more success using 2 layers of dough with filling in the middle, cut into fingers.

        Reply

  16. Andrea says

    OMG!!!!!! Just made these today and they are to die for!!!! First batch were awkward, the rest were beautiful, and the dough is soft and delicious!!! Thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Cynthia says

      No Chrissie, I would put the egg wash on just before you’re ready to bake them. (sorry for the late response, I’ve been out of the country)

      Reply

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