Rugelach (Cream Cheese Cookies)
Flaky cream-cheese crescents with cinnamon walnut filling, baked gold for holiday cookie trays.
Updated: Oct 7, 2026
Why you'll like it
- Ready in about 2 hr.
- Serves 32 — easy to halve or double.
- Medium level — everyday equipment only.
- Storage, freezing and reheating covered below.
Rugelach (Cream Cheese Cookies) takes about 2 hr and serves 32. Rugelach are flaky Eastern European crescents baked across the USA for Christmas and Hanukkah, pairing tender cream-cheese pastry with sweet cinnamon walnut filling.
Helpful guides
Instructions
Blend the flour, salt, and 0.25 cup of the sugar in a food processor, then pulse in the cold butter and cream cheese until a shaggy dough just forms. Cold fat in pea-sized bits steams into flaky layers during baking. Avoid overprocessing into a smooth ball, which melts layers together.
Divide the dough into four equal disks, wrap tightly, and chill at least 1 hour until very firm. Soft dough sticks to the counter and squeezes filling out during rolling. Cold disks roll thin without tearing and hold the wedge shape that defines classic rugelach crescents.
Stir the remaining 0.5 cup sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl for sprinkling. Roll one disk on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch circle about 0.125 inch thick, keeping the others chilled. Thin pastry bakes crisp around the filling instead of doughy and pale.
Spread 2 tablespoons of jam edge to edge over the circle, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and one quarter of the chopped walnuts. Jam glues the filling layers together inside each roll. Leave no bare rim, since uncovered pastry edges bake plain and unroll.
Cut the circle into eight wedges with a pizza wheel, then roll each wedge from the wide end to the point, tucking the tip underneath. Place tip-down 2 inches apart on parchment-lined sheets. Tight rolling keeps the filling sealed; loose rolls open and spill jam.
Brush with egg wash, sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar, and chill the shaped crescents 15 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 24 minutes until puffed and deep gold. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes before moving, since hot flaky layers break if lifted too soon.
Troubleshooting — fixes, not repeats
- If the dough turns sticky while rolling, it warmed up past workable temperature. Chill the disk 15 minutes, flour the surface lightly, and roll quickly. Working with one disk while three stay refrigerated keeps every batch as neat as the first.
- If the filling leaks out, wedges rolled too loosely or jam reached too thick. Roll firmly from wide end to tip, tuck tips under, and spread jam thinly edge to edge. Chilling shaped crescents 15 minutes before baking seals the pastry around the filling.
- If the bottoms burn before tops gold, the oven runs hot or sheets sit too low. Bake on the center rack at 350 degrees on light-colored pans with parchment. Dark sheets absorb extra heat and scorch jam sugars that drip during the bake.
- If the crescents taste bland, cinnamon sugar ran light or jam too thin. Spread a full 2 tablespoons of flavorful jam per circle and sprinkle generously. Toasted walnuts carry most of the flavor, so toast until fragrant and chop while fresh.
Make it your way
- Old Dhaka style: Fill with poppy seed or prune butter for traditional European versions.
- For chocolate rugelach, replace the jam with chocolate hazelnut spread and use mini chocolate chips instead of walnuts, keeping the same rolling and bake time.
- Swap walnuts for pecans or almonds in equal measure for different crunch.
- For a citrus batch, spread orange marmalade and add 1 teaspoon of orange zest to the dough.
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers within 2 hours, then refrigerate in a covered container and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat only the portion you will eat until steaming hot throughout — poultry and reheated rice should reach 165°F (74°C).
Freeze baked crescents up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature 1 hour.
FAQ
Why use cream cheese in the dough?
Cream cheese adds tenderness and rich flavor while keeping the pastry easy to roll thin without cracking. It creates soft flaky layers distinct from pie crust. Keep it cold and cubed so it blends in bits rather than melting into the flour, which would toughen the dough.
Can I make rugelach ahead?
Yes. Chill dough disks up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months, thawing overnight in the refrigerator. Shape, chill, and bake as directed. Baked crescents hold 5 days at room temperature, so bake 1 day before gifting for the freshest flaky texture and brightest filling flavor.
How do I keep the crescents tight?
Roll each wedge firmly from the wide end, stretching slightly as you go, and tuck the point underneath on the sheet. Chilling shaped cookies 15 minutes before baking sets the curl. Loose rolling lets jam escape and flattens the crescent into an open spiral.