This rough puff rugelach recipe is sweet, tender, flaky, and easy to make with my reliable rough-puff pastry that only needs to be turned twice. Named for the Yiddish word for “little twists”, my take on these classic twisted pastry cookies is filled with jam (my favorite is cardamom fig) and optional nuts and chocolate. I’ll share plenty of flavor combinations for you to try!

This treat is a beloved and traditional Jewish baked good, with origins in Polish-Jewish communities. They have a special place in my heart beside my classic challah recipe and my coconut macaroons. Often called mini-croissants or baby babkas, it’s hard to have just one of these exceptional cookie-pastry crosses!

Flaky pastry rolls will jam stacked in a pyramid.

😋 The two different types of rugelach pastry

If you’ve tried lots of different rugelach versions, you may have noticed a subtle difference in the pastry used by different recipes. One rugelach pastry version has equal parts cream cheese and butter, which combine to form a very pillowy and tender dough.

The second rugelach pastry version uses a rough puff pastry, a less intense version of puff pastry. Puff pastry is laminated, which means it has alternating layers of butter and dough. This produces a rise in the rugelach dough when it bakes, giving a flaky and crispy result. Think croissants or pain au chocolate, with less puff because this recipe uses fewer turns of the pastry dough.

When recipe testing, I wanted the taste and texture of the rough puff without it tasting like a croissant. I turned the dough 2 times to give it the perfect puffy rise– not too much and not too little. It produced an ideal rough puff rugelach to eat year-round of make for the holidays.

🌟 Why You’ll Love My Rugelach

  • Foolproof rough puff pastry with fewer turns: Most people don’t have time to make a full puff pastry from scratch, so my rough-puff pastry is the perfect solution. The dough comes together really easily. Plus, we only fold this dough twice, so it’s straightforward to keep track of and produces a successful result every time.
  • Unique and tasty rugelach filling options: One of the BEST things about this rugelach recipe is how versatile it is when it comes to the filling. You can use any jam you have on hand, as long as it’s spreadable. I love using raspberry or fig jam— they add just the right balance of sweet and tart. For extra wow factor, once you’ve spread your jam of choice, you can sprinkle it with a dusting of cinnamon sugar. You could also try something a little more unique with cardamom sugar. This gives your rugelach a warm, fragrant bite with just the right amount of spice to complement the fruity filling.
  • Flaky, soft texture without the super-puff: I like that my rough puff rugelach are fluffy and flaky, but not too puffed up because then they would feel more like French pastries. These rugelach are tender and flaky with the perfect amount of crunch.

🧾 Ingredients in This Recipe

Three sticks of butter next to a square container of flour, an egg, ice water, salt, and other baking ingredients.
  • All-purpose flour – This adds stability to the rough-puff dough.
  • Cornstarch or arrowroot powder – These are starches that absorb moisture and reduce the gluten formation in the all-purpose flour, which gives a more tender pastry dough. This compensates for not using cake flour in this recipe.
  • Unsalted butter – Do not use salted butter.
  • Jam of choice – Almost any jam will work as a rugelach filling, you just need to made sure it has a thick consistency and a uniform texture. I blend more chunky jams with an immersion blender to get a smooth texture. Do not use jelly and do not use
  • Egg – The egg wash gives the rugelach a golden brown shine when baked.
  • Sea salt – The measurements in the recipe consider the use of sea salt.
  • Ice water – This helps bring the rough puff together. It need to be cold so it doesn’t melt the butter in the pastry.
  • Chocolate (optional) – If you want to make this addition, you can use semi-sweet to dark chocolate. I advise using a chocolate bar and shaving it using a grater, or use mini-chocolate chips. Do not use full-size chocolate chips, chunks, or baking chips as they won’t melt enough when baked.
  • Nuts, finely chopped (optional) – Nuts are a great match for rugelach. This recipe works with any nut variety, but I’ve found that walnuts and pistachios work best. Make sure to chop up the nuts until they are fine and uniform in size. You can do this by gently pulsing them in a food processor or with a knife on a large cutting board.

⭐️ Do not use puff pastry ⭐️

Puff pastry will puff up too much and yield more of a mini-croissant. Also delcious, but not rugelach. This rough puff pastry is only turned twice (instead of the classic 4 times) and doesn’t rise as much, but is still flaky.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳How to Make These Rugelach

Make the Rough Puff Pastry

This pastry can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Flour and chunks of butter in the metal bowl of a stand mixer.
  • In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, cornstarch (or arrowroot powder), salt, and cold butter. Mix on the stir setting for about 30 seconds—you’re just coating the flour with butter, not fully mixing it in. The butter should still be in chunks.
Hand holding a chunk of pastry dough that was squished in the hand over a metal bowl with the rest of the dough.
  • Slowly add ice water to the flour while mixing. Once the dough starts to come together, test it by squeezing a handful. If it sticks, it’s ready. If it’s still crumbly, add a bit more ice water.
Chunky pastry square pile on a countertop.
  • Press the dough into a square using a bench scraper to avoid warming the butter. It should look a bit rough, and that’s fine.
Pastry folded into thirds like a letter.
  • Lightly flour the pastry dough and roll it out into a 12″x16″ rectangle. Brush off any excess flour, and fold the dough like an envelope—fold one side 1/3 of the way up, then fold the other 1/3 over the top. If the dough gets too soft, chill it for 20 minutes before continuing.
Pastry rectangle next to a clear ruler.
  • Turn the dough 90 degrees, lightly flour the top, and roll it out again into a 12″x16″ rectangle. Repeat the envelope fold method.
  • Divide the dough into two 12″x8″ rectangles, then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 days.

Form the Rugelach

  • Stack two baking sheets and cover them with a layer of parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat. Roll out one sheet of the rough-puff pastry to 12″x16″ in size.
Pastry rectangle cut into 8 strips.
  • Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 8 rectangles 2″ wide x 12″ long, then cut each in half so you have 16 rectangles 2″ wide x 6″ long.
Knife cutting pastry covered in red jam.
  • Cover the surface of the dough with your chosen jam and cardamom sugar (or cinnamon sugar). Sprinkle nuts in and shave/grate the chocolate if using either or both of these optional additions.
Twelve rolls of pastry dough arranged on a silicone baking mat.
  • Roll up the dough for each rugelach cookie and place it seam-side down on the baking sheet. Cookies will need to be at least 2 inches apart. I will bake them 10-12 per half baking sheet.
Twelve rolls of pastry dough and red jam arranged on a silicone baking mat.
  • Freeze the rugelach for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425℉ / 220℃ with the rack in the middle of the oven. You can work on the second sheet of pastry if you’re making all of it the same day.

⭐️ Freezer Pro Tip ⭐️

You can freeze them on a baking sheet then transfer them to a sealable container to store in the freezer for up to one month.

Twelve rolls of pastry dough arranged on a silicone baking mat brushed with gett wash.
  • Brush the frozen cookies with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar or more of the cardamom sugar (or cinnamon sugar).
Flaky pastry roll on a baking sheet.
  • Bake for 22-26 minutes until golden brown. Cool them on the baking sheet before enjoying!

These cookies are even more delicious on the second day because the pastry becomes less flaky and more chewy. It’s my preference for these rugelach.

🥗 Rugelach Filling Ideas

A classic rugelach filling is usually a raspberry or fig jam, but I’ve had some incredible inventive and delicious rugelach fillings over the years. A Portland bakery I love, Baker & Spice, does a chocolate cherry cardamom rugelach that’s to die for! Here are some other ideas:

  • Cardamom fig jam (or fig jam with the sprinkle of cardamom sugar)
  • Chocolate cherry cardamom (had this from a local bakery, Baker & Spice, and it was fantastic)
  • Apricot or raspberry jam (these are the traditional choices)
  • Poppyseed walnut
  • Chocolate spread or Nutella with chopped hazelnuts
  • Cinnamon or cinnamon raisin
  • Cardamom quince jam

⭐️ Cardamom Sugar ⭐️

For the sugar, cinnamon sugar is a classic, but I encourage you to try experimenting with cardamom sugar for some added spice variety. Both cinnamon sugar and cardamom sugar are made by mixing granulated sugar and ground cardamom or cinnamon at a 4:1 ratio, 4 parts sugar and 1 part cardamom or cinnamon.

🏆 Tips for The Best Rugelach Every Time

  • Stack the baking sheets: Stacking two baking sheets for the oven helps keep the bottom of the rugelach from browning or burning.
  • Chill the rough-puff dough and freeze the cookies: Don’t skip these steps! After mixing the pastry dough, chill it thoroughly before rolling it out. This ensures the dough maintains those beautiful layers by helping keep the butter from melting into the rest of the pastry.
  • Don’t overfill the rugelach: We all want rugelach with a healthy amount of filling, but too much will ooze out. They are known to ooze and that part is delicious, but you don’t want too much of it or it will burn.
Flaky pastry rolls will jam stacked in a pyramid.

🥖 More Jewish Baked Treats

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Flaky pastry rolls will jam stacked in a pyramid.
Author: Candice Walker

Rough Puff Rugelach

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This rough puff rugelach recipe is sweet, tender, flaky, and easy to make with my reliable rough-puff pastry that only needs to be turned twice. These classic twisted pastry cookies is filled with jam (my favorite is cardamom fig) and optional nuts and chocolate.
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Resting Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Jewish
Diet: Kosher, Vegetarian
Servings: 32 cookies
Calories: 122kcal

Ingredients

  • 310 grams all-purpose flour 1-3/4 cups plus 1 tbsp
  • 10 grams cornstarch or arrowroot powder, 1 tbsp
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1.5 cups unsalted butter cold, 339 grams, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
  • 1/2 cup ice water less 1 tbsp, 100 mL
  • 1/4 cup jam use one that has a thick consistency and uniform in texture
  • chocolate optional, see notes*
  • nuts finely chopped, see notes**
  • 1 egg for the egg wash, beaten
  • 1 tbsp cardamom sugar 1:4 ratio of ground cardamom to granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Add the flour, cornstarch/arrowroot powder, salt, and cold butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Run on the stir setting for 30 seconds until the flour is coated with butter. You are not incorporating the butter, and it will still be in chunks at this point.
  • Slowly add in the ice water while the mixer is stirring. Once the flour is incorporated, test the dough by squeezing a handful. If it sticks together, it is ready. If it is crumbly and dry, add a little more water.
  • Press the dough into a square. You can use a bench scraper to help you so you don't get the butter too warm. It will look rough, and that is OK.
  • Lightly flour the top of the dough and roll it out into a 12"x16" rectangle. Brush off any excess flour and fold the 12" side toward the center 1/3 of the way up. Fold the other 1/3 over the top like you would a piece of paper going into an envelope. If the dough is getting too soft, refrigerate for 20 minutes, then continue.
  • Turn the dough 90-degrees, lightly flour the top of the dough and again roll it out into a 12"x16" rectangle. Brush off any excess flour and fold the 12" side toward the center 1/3 of the way up. Fold the other 1/3 over the top like you would a piece of paper going into an envelope. Split into two rectangles 12"x8" Refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes and up to 2 days.
  • Stack two baking sheets*** and top with a layer of parchment or a silicone baking mat. Roll out one sheet of the pastry to 12"x16".
  • Cover the surface of the dough with the jam and cardamom sugar (or cinnamon sugar). Sprinkle nuts and shave/grate the chocolate if using either or both of these.
  • Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 8 rectangles 2" wide x 12" long, then cut each in half so you have 16 rectangles 2" wide x 6" long.
  • Roll up the dough for each cookie and place it seam-side down on the baking sheet. Cookies will need to be at least 2 inches apart. Freeze for 20 minutes**** while you preheat the oven to 425℉ / 220℃ with the rack in the middle of the oven and work on the second sheet of pastry if you're making all of it the same day.
  • Brush the frozen cookies with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar or more of the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 22-26 minutes until golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet.

Notes

Do not use puff pastry. Puff pastry will puff up too much and yield more of a mini-croissant. Also delcious, but not rugelach. This rough puff pastry is only turned twice (instead of the classic 4 times) and doesn’t rise as much, but is still flaky.
* Use semi-sweet to dark chocolate. You can use a bar and shave it using a grater or mini-chocolate chips. Do not use full-size chocolate chips, chunks, or baking chips.
** This recipe works great with any nuts, but I’ve found walnuts and pistachios work best. Make sure to uniformly chop them finely. You can do this (gently) by pulsing in a food processor.
*** Stacking two baking sheets helps keep the bottom from browning/burning.
**** You can freeze them on a baking sheet them transfer them to a sealable container to store in the freezer for up to one month.
These cookies are even more delicious on the second day because the pastry becomes less flaky and more chewy. It’s my preference for these rugelach.
Nutrition has been calculated without the use of chocolate or nuts.

Nutrition

Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 273IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

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