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Chocolate Rugelach
A much-loved Jewish holiday treat, chocolate rugelach are miniature pastries posing as cookies.
A much-loved Jewish holiday treat, rugelach (pronounced rug-a-lah) are miniature pastries posing as cookies. They’re made by rolling a buttery, flaky dough around a sweet filling of fruit, nuts, chocolate, or pretty much anything your heart desires. Yiddish for “little twists,” rugelach can be crescent-shaped, like this classic walnut-raisin version, or rolled into logs, much like a strudel, and cut into slices before baking.
While they look like fancy bakery cookies, they are totally doable at home. The key is to think ahead: the dough needs to be refrigerated for at least an hour before rolling, and then quickly chilled again before slicing and baking.
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Rugelach
How To Make Chocolate Rugelach
Begin by making the dough. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
Pulse a few times to combine.
Add the chunks of butter, cream cheese, and egg yolk.
Process until the dough starts to come together into a well-moistened, crumbly mass, 20 to 30 seconds.
Transfer the dough to a clean work surface.
Gather the crumbly dough into a ball and knead, dusting the work surface and dough lightly with flour as necessary, until it comes together into a smooth ball.
Shape the dough into a rectangle, then cut into 4 equal portions.
Flatten each piece of dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle.
Wrap each section of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 3 days.
Next, make the filling. Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl and melt in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until almost melted. Stir, allowing the residual heat in the bowl to melt the chocolate completely. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a double boiler on the stovetop.)
Add the sugar and salt.
Mix well; the mixture will be grainy.
How To Roll Chocolate Rugelach
When you’re ready to roll the cookies, remove one section of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place it on a lightly floured work surface. (If necessary, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes until it’s pliable enough to roll, but not too soft.) Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour, then use a rolling pin to roll it into an 8 x 11-in rectangle. Don’t make yourself crazy over it, but try to make it as even as possible around the edges; it will make it easier to roll. (Go ahead and trim slightly with a pizza cutter or sharp knife if it’s very uneven.)
Using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, quickly spread 1/4 of the chocolate filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges.
Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a cylinder.
Place the filled rolled dough, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and chocolate filling. Place the rolled dough logs in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
Take the rolled dough out of the refrigerator. Using a serrated knife, slice off the uneven ends of each roll and discard. Then slice the rolls into 1-in-wide pieces.
Place each slice, seam side down, on the prepared sheet.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool the rugelach on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
How To Store and Freeze Chocolate Rugelach
Rugelach are best on the day they are made. Store any extra cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage. The unbaked sliced rugelach can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before freezing, let the sliced rugelach set on a baking sheet in the freezer for approximately 20 minutes, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.)
To freeze after baking: Let the rugelach cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
More Jewish Holiday Desserts You Might Like
- French Apple Cake
- Cinnamon-Raisin Rugelach
- Grandma Annie’s Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread
- Chocolate Toffee Matzo Crack
- Sufganiyot
- Chocolate Babka
Chocolate Rugelach
A much-loved Jewish holiday treat, chocolate rugelach are miniature pastries posing as cookies.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-in chunks
- 6 oz cold cream cheese, cut into 1-in chunks
- 1 egg yolk
For the Filling
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghiradelli, roughly chopped
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make the dough: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the chunks of butter, cream cheese, and egg yolk. Process until the dough starts to come together into a well-moistened, crumbly mass, 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Gather the crumbly dough into a ball and knead, dusting the work surface and dough lightly with flour as necessary, until it comes together into a smooth ball. Shape the dough into a rectangle, then cut into 4 equal portions; flatten each piece of dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap each section of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Make the filling: Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until almost melted. Stir, allowing the residual heat in the bowl to melt the chocolate completely. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a double boiler on the stovetop.) Mix in the sugar and salt. The mixture will be grainy; that's okay.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the cookies: Remove one section of dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place it on a lightly floured work surface. (If necessary, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes until it's pliable enough to roll, but not too soft.) Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour, then use a rolling pin to roll it into an 8 x 11-in rectangle. Don't make yourself crazy over it, but try to make it as even as possible around the edges; it will make it easier to roll. (Go ahead and trim slightly with a pizza cutter or sharp knife if it's very uneven.) Using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, quickly spread ¼ of the chocolate filling (about a ¼ cup) evenly over the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border around the edges.
- Starting from the long side, roll the dough tightly into a cylinder. Place the filled rolled dough, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and chocolate filling. Place the rolled dough logs in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Take the rolled dough out of the refrigerator. Using a serrated knife, slice off the uneven ends of each roll and discard. Then slice the rolls into 1-in-wide pieces. Place each slice, seam side down, on the prepared sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool the rugelach on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Rugelach are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are baked but any extra cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days, or frozen for longer storage.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The unbaked sliced rugelach can be chilled and stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator before baking.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The unbaked sliced rugelach can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before freezing, let the sliced rugelach set on a baking sheet in the freezer for approximately 20 minutes, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze after baking: Let the rugelach cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (36 servings)
- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 144
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 51 mg
- Cholesterol: 23 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Made these today using gluten-free flour (cup 4 cup), and they were amazing! I have had trouble with gf pastries in the past because the dough sticks to parchment, wax paper, countertop…. The trick I learned was to use plastic wrap (place dough on plastic wrap and put another piece of plastic wrap on top). When roll it out, carefully peel off the top piece of plastic wrap and the pick up bottom piece to flip over onto parchment for rolling.
It was a complete success in my family. They said “Much better that the bought ones” and I say “Sooo easy to make” Excellent combination
Amazing recipe! Made it to celebrate Hanukkah with my boyfriend. I’m not Jewish/I’ve never had rugelach before but this is my new favorite dessert. My boyfriend absolutely loved this recipe too!!
I do not know what I did wrong, but in the first batch I was able to spread the chocolate ok since it was still a little warm, then the chocolate hardened on top of the dough (the dough came directly from the fridge), and was impossible to roll…. I think my chocolate unintentionally tempered and thus got hard. any suggestions so this does not happen?
Hi Maria, I’m sorry you had a problem with the chocolate hardening before you were able to roll up the dough. I’ve added a note to the recipe to work quickly so that the cold dough doesn’t cool down the chocolate too much. Also, feel free to put the chocolate back in the microwave for 15 or 20 seconds to warm it back up before spreading it if it’s been sitting for a while. Hope that helps!
Made these rugelach cookies for the holidays and they were delicious. Tasted like they came from a bakery. Used 3 different fillings and they were all yummy. Received rave reviews. Takes some time to make but so worth it. Will definitely be making again!
Jenn- can I freeze the dough prior to filling it or is it better to complete the process and freeze prior to baking?
So glad you like them! Yes, it’s fine to freeze the dough. 🙂
I would love to make the filling have an orange flavor by using a bit of orange extract mixed into dark chocolate. What quantity of extract, an ingredient increases or decreases would you use on the filling in that case to make sure it would be the right consistency?
I have your cookbook out, and it prompted me to come look at other cookie recipes here. I want to complement you not just on your recipes, but your cookbook is an amazing must have. The layout is gorgeous with a perfect font size, margins, spacing and the binding is wonderful. No surprise, your work always has a lovely touch!
Hi Lisa, thanks for your very nice words about the cookbook – so glad you like it! For the rugelach, instead of using orange extract, I would suggest adding a teaspoon of orange zest to the chocolate. I think it will give it a more authentic orange flavor and also won’t throw any liquid ratios off. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I have now made this wonderful recipe 3 times and my husband says they are his very favorite! I have made this recipe using the chocolate filling as written in the recipe and they are delicious. I have also made half the batch with an apricot, raisin, cinnamon sugar and pecan filling. Everyone loves both varieties!! I like to slice and freeze individual pieces and bake just a few at a time when we have the craving!! They are tender, flakey and the perfect little treat for an afternoon pick-me-up!! What could be better!!!
I made this recipe and the chocolate melted in the oven and burned on the baking sheet. Is there any way to prevent this?
Hi Emma, Are you saying that the chocolate oozed out while baking? Did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
Yes! The chocolate oozed out. There was still chocolate in the rugelach but some had oozed out and burned. For the chocolate I used half chocolate chips (the kind used for chocolate chip cookies) and half baking chocolate (the kind in a bar). Could this be the reason why?
Hi Emma, some leakage is normal; it’s just the nature of rugelach. Next time, try rolling them a little tighter.
Everyone loved these little treats! Dough is nice and flaky and not too sweet.
Thanks for the recipe!
The chocolate cooled before all 4 rolls could be rolled. I had to throw out 2 rolls. Perhaps the recipe should be revised with finely chopped chocolate instead of melted chocolate.
Have a gritty taste when eaten. Fell apart when rolling. Not sure what I did wrong
crumbled. awful.
Do you have a fruit filling I could use?
I would like 2 make 2 batches, one with the chocolate filling and one fruit
Thank you
Hi Liz, I don’t have a fruit filling to suggest but you could use jam or preserves of your choosing. I’d make sure that you spread on a very thin layer and keep in mind that some of the jam will likely ooze out while the rugelach are baking. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!
Hi. Does the chocolate filling needed to be cooled before spreading it? To room temperature or cooler? Doesn’t seem right to spread it just out of the microwave?thanks.
Hi Jane, the chocolate will have time to cool while you’re working with the dough. Once you’ve got the dough ready to go the chocolate will be cool enough to spread. Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy!
Have you ever tried baking these with turbinado sugar on top?
Hi Cathy, I haven’t but I think you could!
I tried it on half the batch with an egg wash and a sprinkle on top. It added an extra crunch. They were delicious with and without. I also used parchment paper to help roll out the dough (suggestion from another post), and it worked really well. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is that I like a darker chocolatey taste, but that’s just my preference.
Glad both versions turned out nicely — thanks for reporting back! 🙂
I recommend using a teaspoon or so of cinnamon in the filling to make it taste more like deli rugelach. That was the only thing that I changed about this recipe, and really makes a difference. 😁
Do NOT bake at 375–they will burn. Bake at 325. Flavor is good, but we burned our recipe.
A winner! The chocolate filling was perfect! Much better than mini chips! I rolled out the dough between two layers of parchment so I didn’t need to flour the counter. I learned the hard way that the dough warms up very quickly and stuck to my granite. Two layers of parchment did the trick. My family went crazy for these!
Amazing! I am celiac, so I substituted gluten free flour and they came out perfectly. The only snag was that the chocolate began to harden a bit in between making each roll. Re-warming a little bit in the microwave solved the problem. I will be making these a lot!
Love your recipes! This is my first time making Rugelach (or eating it) and my family thought they were dynamite! I used Lindt hazelnut dark chocolate for the base of my filling (with a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon) and it was delish! My first attempt to roll/spread the filling resulted in melting dough that stuck to my granite counter despite liberal flour (dough chilled for only two hours). I chilled the dough overnight for the next batch and rolled the dough on plastic wrap, chilled for 5 mins in the freezer, before spreading the barely warm filling. This worked beautifully. I can’t wait to make these over and over with different fillings!
I do not have access to a Cuisinart but I’d really like to make this recipe. Is there another way I can make the dough?
Hi Jay, If you have a mixer that would work (bring the butter and cream cheese to room temperature first). The dough won’t be quite as flaky, but they’ll still be good.
Wanted to compare to your cinnamon raisin rugelach recipe and can no longer link to it or your grandmother’s Mandelbrot. Problem with the site? I will check to see if these are in your cookbook before I panic! Do you have a honey cake recipe anywhere? Time for Rosh Hashonah baking! Thanks, Jen. Your recipes are always the best! Plus my mom went between 2-3 recipes when she baked so I have NO clue with her recipes that I have deciphered and saved.
Hi Carol, The mandelbrot recipe is still on the blog. I believe you couldn’t find it because they’re referred to with their American name — mandel bread. Also, I do have a recipe for honey cake if you’d like to give it a try. Hope that helps and you enjoy whatever you make. Happy New Year!
This recipe looks fabulous but I have now gotten into the habit of weighing all of my ingredients and it turns out a much better, consistent product.
Is it possible for you to put both the standard measure and also grams for your ingredients?
I would love it and, like with all ingredients, it is much more accurate.
Hi Susan, Many of my recipes (including this one) do have conversions to weight/metric. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the rugelach! 🙂
I have followed many recipes for Rugelach and this by far is the BEST! This will be my only go-to recipe whenever I want to make a dessert that will surely be a hit.
Excellent recipe, loved by all. Not that hard to make.
These are delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and found the dough less fussy than I imagined. I froze some after baking and they were just as good as fresh- and nice to have as a last minute treat. Will definitely make these again. Thanks Jen!!
Have you tried using half semisweet and half 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate for the filling? I was wondering if that would work.
Hi Lois, That will work fine. Hope you enjoy!
The dough was so loose and sticky. Needs a LOT of flour when kneading and rolling or it falls apart. Once the dough was rolled, adding the warm chocolate made the dough break. I’ll have to try again, I guess. Wasn’t as easy as I would’ve liked.
OMG…these were amazing! It was my first time making rugelach. The pastry was perfect…tender and flakey. I wouldn’t change a thing! I froze half of the batch and will bake them fresh tomorrow and gift to my neighbors!! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
These are incredible! I made the cinnamon and walnut rugelach from this site many times before with excellent results and decided to try these out as well since everyone loved those. I do not add any sugar to the semi-sweet chocolate and I think it is perfectly sweet and the consistency is great. They are so addicting and this is definitely another favorite recipe from Jenn!
Can this dough be frozen?
Sure!
Hi, can I freeze the dough in the freezer and use it later on?
Sure, Salina. Enjoy!
These are amazing. I’ve tried to make rugelach before and they didn’t turn out so well but this one is great. Thank you so much. I made half with nutella and the other half with cinnamon sugar. I may have to make another batch perhaps with other fillings.
These cookies were delicious and loved by my whole family! However, when I rolled the the dough out, it kept sticking onto my work surface even after I dusted it liberally with flour. The chocolate filling also hardened after awhile making it difficult to spread onto the rolled dough. Any solutions to these problems?
Hi Cindy, The dough may have gotten too warm — you can always pop it back in the fridge for a bit if it’s sticking. As for the filling, you can heat it in the microwave in 10-second intervals to soften it if it gets too hard to spread — just don’t let it get too warm or it will heat the dough. 🙂
Just prepared this recipe today, we loved them! Thank you, Jennifer for another great recipe!
This recipe is delicious and easy to make. Only thing about it is, I would melt the sugar with the chocolate because the sugar made the chocolate very grainy. Other than that the recipe turned out well.
My grandson is allergic to eggs. Can the egg yolk be left out of the dough recipe or is there a substitute you can recommend?
Hi Barb, Totally fine to leave out the yolk. Enjoy!
This looks delicious! I don’t have a food processor. How do you recommend mixing the ingredients without one? Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth, If you have a mixer that would work (bring the butter and cream cheese to room temperature first). The dough won’t be quite as flaky, but they’ll still be good.
Hi Jen,
This recipe is just what I was looking for. Looks absolutely delicious 😋 I was wondering if I could sprinkle some sugar on top And would I do this before or after baking?
Warmest regards,
Christina
Definitely, Christina! I’d brush them with a beaten egg, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar right before baking.
Hi Jenn! Can sparkling, rather than turbinado sugar, be used as a decorative touch? Too sweet? I’ve got the rugelach made, sliced and sitting in the fridge, ready to bake for tomorrow night, so hope you’ll be able to answer this before I bake them.
Made a pumpkin cheesecake for our NYE celebration at a friend’s. Everyone’s excited about that, except for her husband, who doesn’t care for pumpkin. Made the rugelach for him.
Thanks for your attention to my questions, which I so appreciate!
Again(as you answered another query earlier & I wished you a good year then!), may 2022 be a FANTASTIC year for you and your loved ones!!!
Sure, Marcie. The sparkling sugar will work well. Happy, healthy New Year to you and yours as well!
Jen, first of all I love your recipes. They are always very dependable and great tasting, so a very big, grateful thank you. My question is what could you do with a 3 pound Hershey’s milk chocolate bar? I was gifted one for a birthday. That is a lot of chocolate for the two of us!
Hi Susan, You could actually use it here in place of half of the bittersweet chocolate – I’ve made these with half milk chocolate with good results. You could also use it in my chocolate chunk cookies or double chocolate cookies. So happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Hi Jen,
I love your recipes and Website.
Is there a good ready-made substitute to melting the chocolate? And would adding walnuts work well? Anything other than chocolate? Store bought rugelach have something brown but I am not sure it is chocolate. Sinamon + something?
Thanks
Hi Ada, You might prefer this recipe with walnuts, raisins and cinnamon. As for a chocolate substitute, you could try a chocolate/nut spread like Nutella but it won’t have the same intense chocolate flavor. Hope that helps!
These sound amazing! Would Nutella work ok as an easy filling?
Hi Danielle, Nutella should definitely work, although I don’t think the chocolate flavor will be as prominent. I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it.
Definitely going to try this; I’d like to make a few with cinnamon and sugar as well instead of chocolate – would the cooking time be different? Thanks!
Hi Janet – I think it’d be about the same. I’d love to know how they turn out!
I made with mix of 1.5c br sugar and 3 TB cinnamon – results were ok, but the cinnamon was a bit overpowering. I want to try again – can you recommend a brown sugar:cinnamon ratio? Thanks
Hi Janet, I’d cut back the cinnamon but a lot – I’d add 1 – 2 tsp. at the most. 🙂
I’ll try that ratio – thanks. While looking up your response I found your “Rugelach” recipe, which is already written for brown sugar and cinnamon – I’ll try that too. Thanks!
This looks wonderful, and thanks to your always beautifully written/photographed presentation, feasible for the rugelach-inept like me! One question: I’m a big fan of always having balls of cookie dough in the freezer that I can bake a few of at a time, when the urge for a freshly baked cookie strikes (in fact, I have a huge bag of your Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookie dough in the freezer right now 🙂 )… do you think it would work to slice each roll, then freeze all the sliced cookies in a Ziploc bag unbaked? Or would you recommend freezing the logs, then taking out the frozen log, letting it defrost enough to slice off a few cookies to bake, then sticking the rest of the (still mostly frozen log) back in the freezer (like with Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies)?
Thank you for yet another wonderful recipe!
Yes, definitely – see the make-ahead/freezing instructions at the end of the recipe (this is a new feature on the site!).
I’m sorry I missed that (I was looking at the recipe on my Kindle & it got cut off) – love this new feature! Is there a difference in consistency (etc.) between freezing them baked vs. unbaked? In other words, do you have a preference?
Thank you!
No worries! For best results, definitely freeze the rugelach unbaked.