Chocolate Rugelach Recipe- Made with a buttery cream cheese pastry filled with pecans, chocolate chips, and huckleberry jam then baked with a cinnamon sugar coating!
There’s nothing more I love about running a food blog than sharing beloved recipes from my culture and learning, perfecting, and sharing recipes from others worldwide.
Bulgarian baklava, classic tiramisu, and Russian tea cakes are just a few popular recipes I’ve shared and these chocolate rugelach cookies are the latest that I think you’ll love.
If you’ve never had rugelach cookies before, or have always wanted to learn to make them yourself, I’m excited to share with you my simple, step-by-step recipe. You’re going to love it!
What is Rugelach?
Rugelach is a Jewish treat, especially popular around the Jewish holidays.
They are similar to pastries but because they are mini, they are referred to as cookies. In Yiddish, rugelach means little twists or rolled things.
These mini treats are rich in fat, made with a butter and cream cheese dough with a nutty, chocolaty, and huckleberry jam filling. I don’t know how anyone can stop at just one!
How to Pronounce Rugelach?
Depending on who you ask, some say roo-gah-la while others say rug-ah-la. There are also some Americans who say roo-ga-laak.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a popular Jewish dessert that is easier to make than you think.
- You’ll love the texture of the dough and the delicious filling.
- This recipe can be customized to whatever filling you choose.
- Waiting for the dough to chill is the hardest part!
- Just one batch makes a total of 32-50 rugelach, which is great for cookie platters, dessert tables, and serving crowds on any occasion.
Variations
- Instead of cinnamon sugar on top, you can use just coarse sugar if preferred.
- A dusting of powdered sugar is also great.
- Swap the jam with your favorite flavor. Strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, etc.
- Use hazelnuts instead of pecans. Or, just use Nutella!
- Go the traditional route and use walnuts, raisins, and sugar for your filling.
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Rugelach
- Flour: For best results, measure the flour accurately. You don’t want to end up with dense pastry.
- Sea salt: To bring out the flavor in the dough.
- Unsalted butter and cream cheese: Bring them both out to room temperature ahead of time to soften so they cream easily together.
- Pecans: No need to crush or chop them, they can be added whole into the food processor.
- Chocolate chips: I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can choose to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate if preferred.
- Huckleberry jam: The combination of sweet and tart gives the filling the perfect balance. You can also use whatever jam is your favorite.
- Cinnamon sugar: To be sprinkled over the chocolate rugelach before baking.
- Egg wash: Using a whisked egg and either water or milk to brush over the pastry is the best way to produce a golden finish.
How to Make Chocolate Rugelach
Step 1: In a medium bowl, sift the flour and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Step 2: Using low speed, mix the dry ingredients into the cream cheese mixture until just combined. Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 3: Once the dough comes together, transfer it to a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap it tightly and chill the dough in the fridge for 15-20 minutes until firm.
Step 4: Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough to an even 1-inch thickness. It should be a rectangle that you can fold in thirds like a letter.
Step 5: Wrap it once again and let it chill for at least an hour. If you’re making the dough ahead, you can keep it chilled overnight and then bake it the next day.
Step 6: To make the filling, combine the pecans and chocolate chips in a bowl, and stir in the jam. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 7: On a clean surface, use a pizza cutter, a sharp knife, or a bench scraper to divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each ball into a 10-inch round.
Step 8: Spread ¼ of the jam mixture on each one of the dough rounds. Then, use a pizza cutter to slice each one into 8 wedges (or 12 wedges if you want smaller cookies).
Step 9: Take the wide end of the triangle and roll each one up to the tip. Brush the rugelach with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Step 10: Bake them in batches on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 25-30 minutes until the tops are a light golden brown. Allow them to cool completely before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Chocolate rugelach cookies will keep fresh for up to 5 days at room temperature. You want to keep them covered so they don’t dry out, but uncovering them once in a while will help to prevent them from becoming too moist (i.e. soggy) is a good idea.
Sure you can! Assemble the rugelach to the point of rolling the wedges. Store them unbaked, without an egg wash in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
When you’re ready to bake them, brush them with an egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake straight from frozen, adding 5-7 minutes of extra baking time.
Definitely not! These are fantastic in the morning with a cup of coffee or tea, an afternoon snack, and yes, dessert. These are so good that you’ll be sneaking one in any chance you get.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Easy Honey Cake Recipe "Medovik"
- Incredibly Easy Donut Recipe
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Candied Walnuts Vanilla Bundt Cake Recipe
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
When YOU make this chocolate chip rugelach recipe tag us @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Rugelach Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Rugelach Dough & Filling
- 2 cups all purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup butter room temperature, 2 sticks
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 ½ cup pecans finely chopped
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup huckleberry jam or jam of your choice or Nutella
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon milk or water
Instructions
- Combine the flour and salt in a bowl and set it aside. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for about 2 minutes, scrapping the sides with spatula few times.
- Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed to ensure even blending.
- Wrap the dough tightly and chill in the fridge until firm, for 15-20 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to an even thickness of 1 inch and fold it in thirds, like a letter. Wrap the dough and let it rest for at least 1 hour or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
- For the filling, combine the pecans and chocolate chips in a bowl, and stir in the jam.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F, line baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, roll each into a 10-inch round, spread one-fourth of the filling over each round. Using a pizza cutter slice the dough into 8 wedges.
- Roll the wedges up starting with the wide end. Brush each wedge lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake in batches until the cookies are a light golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of cinnamon sugar, you can use coarse sugar on top if you prefer.
- Powdered sugar dusting is also a great option.
- Substitute the jam with your favorite flavor, such as strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry.
- Replace pecans with hazelnuts, or use Nutella instead!
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