Easy Rugelach Recipe

Delicious crescent shape buttery pastries filled with nuts, dried fruit, brown sugar, and cinnamon. They are quick to come together and perfect for any special occasion.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword best rugelach recipe, cinnamon regulach recipe, cookies, easy rugelach recipe, hanukkah rugelach recipes, rugelach, rugelach cookie recipe, rugelach pastries, rugelach recipe

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 25

Servings cookies

Calories 109kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese full fat
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sour cream full fat
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

In a food processor, pulse flour, butter, cream cheese, salt, and sour cream; until crumbly. Divide evenly; shape into four discs. Wrap each disc separately in plastic. Chill in the refrigerator; 2 hours to overnight.
In a food processor, pulse together the brown sugar, pecans, raisins, and cinnamon; until finely chopped and mixed.
In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon to make the cinnamon sugar.
Sprinkle a large cutting board and the top of the dough discs with cinnamon sugar. Roll out each disk to a 9-inch circle. Spread the pecan raisin mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch rim around the circle. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough circle into 12 even wedges (like a pizza). Roll each triangle up, starting with the wide end and rolling towards the narrow end.
Place the cookies seam-side down on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper with some space between them.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool the pastries for 10 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool.

Notes

Use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream. It really does make a difference.
For best results, refrigerate for 2 hours up to overnight, as it makes the dough easier to roll out and work with.
You can substitute walnuts or sliced almonds for the pecans.
Substitute dried cranberries, dried apricots, or even chocolate chips for the raisins.
For a change of taste, spread a few tablespoons of preserves or jam over the dough before spreading the pecan raisin mixture. Apricot jam and raspberry jam are our favorites.
Don't get too wrapped in perfection with this recipe. Sometimes the disks roll out perfectly, and other times they might be a little odd-shaped, or their edges are a little frayed. It will all work out.
If you don't want the added sugar and cinnamon on the dough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface and brush it lightly with egg wash before spreading the pecan raisin mixture.
Use parchment paper for baking as inevitably, some of the sticky pecan brown sugar mixture will bubble out, and you do not want them sticking to the baking sheet.
This recipe works better if you work in batches with one disk at a time so the rest of the dough stays chilled.
Always preheat the oven and load the baking sheet on the middle rack in the center of the oven.

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