These gluten-free rugelach cookies have a soft, creamy dough that rolls easily and bakes up flaky, not dry or crumbly. The cream cheese-based dough holds fillings beautifully, whether you use a classic with cinnamon and nuts or try chocolate or jam. If you have missed traditional rugelach since going gluten-free, this recipe delivers the texture and flavor you expect.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
The Quick Bite: This gluten-free rugelach dough rolls cleanly, holds fillings, and bakes without spreading or cracking. The dough is chilled, rolled into wedges, and shaped into classic crescents, making it a reliable gluten-free version of traditional rugelach.
Mr. Fearless Dining’s grandmother used to make rugelach, and the combination of flaky, buttery dough and sweet, flavorful filling makes it a special treat. We are cookie fanatics here at Fearless Dining, and this recipe is one of my family’s favorites.
Rugelach is a traditional Jewish pastry often made for Hanukkah and the winter holidays, and this version keeps the spirit of the original while making it accessible to gluten-free bakers. If you have struggled making rolled cookies in the past, I have tested this recipe multiple times, so you get reliable results without guesswork.
If you are looking for cookies, you will want to check out all of my best gluten-free cookie recipes.
Love this recipe! I actually used vegan cream cheese and vegan butter because I’m allergic to dairy, and it worked out great. I also added a tablespoon of pure pectin to help flexibility- anyway, everyone thought they were delish and couldn’t believe they were gf!”
mary, blog comment
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure, Bob’s Red Mill 1:1, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend. Other blends will work, but you may need to tweak the moisture level by adding more flour or butter to get the right dough consistency.
- Sugar – Sugar sweetens the cookie dough and helps it get golden.
- Binder – If your gluten free blend does not include a binder, you must add one teaspoon of xanthan gum. Read Why Binders are Important in Gluten-Free Baking to learn more. See the Substitutions section below for a gum-free option.
- Cream Cheese – Adds fat and moisture, improving flexibility and helping prevent the dough from cracking when the dough is rolled. Use full-fat cream cheese at room temperature for the best texture and rollability.
- Butter – Butter adds flavor and flakiness. Use unsalted butter, softened to room temperature so it blends smoothly with the cream cheese. If the butter is too cold, the dough can become uneven and harder to roll.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract.
- Mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, and dried fruits.
Substitutions:
- To make this recipe gum-free, use my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend. It uses psyllium husk instead of xanthan or guar gum.
- Dairy-free note: Some readers have reported success using plant-based butter, but results may vary since I have not tested all dairy-free brands.
How to Make Gluten-Free Rugelach (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Add the softened cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and any remaining wet ingredients. Mix until a soft, cohesive dough forms. You can mix by hand or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Step 2: The dough should feel pliable, not sticky, and hold together easily when rolled.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the batter’s moisture. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquid.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 3: Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes. Chilling the dough firms it and makes it easier to roll without sticking or cracking.
Step 4: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on wax paper. Add another piece of wax paper on top, then roll it out to 1/4-inch thickness using a rolling pin. Rolling between wax paper prevents sticking and eliminates the need for extra flour, which can dry out gluten-free dough.
Step 5: Prepare your filling by finely chopping nuts, chocolate, or other mix-ins.
Step 6: Sprinkle the filling evenly over the rolled dough, gently pressing it in so it adheres.
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Step 7: Cut the pastry dough with a sharp knife or a pizza wheel. You want to make the wedges into equal-sized pieces. See what I mean by the rugelach dough looking like a pizza?
Step 8: Starting at the wide edge of each wedge, gently roll the dough toward the point to form a crescent shape. Place each cookie seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Place each cookie on a parchment paper-lined
👀 Sandi Says: I recommend using a metal baking sheet and not a glass 9×13 dish. The cookies will be baked more evenly.
Step 9: This picture shows the rugelach on the
Step 10: Bake at 350º F for 9-10 minutes, depending on the size of your rolls. Your rugelach will be golden brown when they are ready. Here is a picture of my baked rugelach, ready to eat!
With a little effort, these delicious cookies will be gobbled up by your whole family! Dust with powdered sugar for a pretty effect.
What kind of fillings can you use?
Rugelach fillings can be traditional or creative. Popular options include:
- Spread Nutella and chopped nuts on the dough.
- Chopped nuts – pecans and walnuts are the most popular.
- Chocolate – gluten free chocolate chip rugelach is one of my favorites!
- Cinnamon sugar – these taste like cinnamon rolls.
- Strawberry or other fruity jams – I love to make strawberry white chocolate rugelach! I have also made this homemade rugelach with apricot preserves and orange marmalade.
Why are my cookies flat, aka spread too much?
This is one of the most common questions I get from my readers. There are several reasons for flat cookies, including:
- Check to see how long you chilled your cookie dough. If you use partially melted or softened butter, you must chill it to prevent spreading.
- How did you measure your flour? Measuring your flour accurately is important. I don’t often weigh my ingredients because every flour blend has a different weight, and my readers all use different gluten-free flour blends. I recommend using either the Spoon Method by using a spoon to add flour to the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour. Leveling Method: Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill it with flour. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour.
- Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. This can affect the moisture levels in your cookie dough, resulting in flatter cookies. In this situation, you would need to add more flour.
Why do my gluten-free cookies taste gritty?
This grit you experience is from the rice flour in the gluten-free flour blend. Not all companies mill their flour extra fine. To eliminate the grit, I recommend letting the cookie dough rest for 15 minutes. This extra time will allow the rice flour to soften, eliminating the grit.
For more cookie troubleshooting, read my Gluten-Free Cookie Troubleshooting Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Cracking typically means the dough is too cold or slightly dry. Let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling, and gently pinch cracks together as you roll. Cream cheese dough is forgiving and will seal easily with light pressure.
These cookies will last up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Yes. Freeze baked rugelach in a sealed freezer bag or airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes:
We are cookie-holics here at Fearless Dining. If baking cookies is your favorite, here are some more delicious gluten-free cookie recipes to try.
- Gluten Free Rum Raisin Cookies
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Israeli Honey Cookies
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten-Free Rugelach (Cream Cheese Dough That Rolls Easily!)
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- dash salt
- ¼ cup +2-3 tablespoons water (add extra tablespoons gradually until you can shape your dough as shown in the photo
Filling
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 3/4 cup gluten free flour blend, and dash salt and whisk to blend.
- In a small bowl, add softened 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup +2-3 tablespoons water, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Mix well with an electric mixer. (Do not add extra tablespoons of water yet.)
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix well. Add extra tablespoons of water one at a time until you get a good dough consistency like shown in my picture above. Refrigerate the dough for 45 minutes.
- Divide the dough in half. Lay out a piece of wax paper. Put the one of the dough balls in the middle of the wax paper and shape into a ball. Place another piece of wax paper on top.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough, keeping it in a circle shape until it is 1/4 inch thick.
- Spread on your mix-in. I like to 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 cup cane sugar. You can also use chocolate chips.
- Spread the mix-in to cover the dough evenly.
- Use a pizza cutting wheel to slice it into thin wedges as shown above in the picture.
- Gently pull a wedge out and roll as shown. Pinch the dough to fix any cracks that happen.
- Place rolled rugelach onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough ball.
- Bake for 10 minutes until your cookies are golden like shown above.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, and Authentic Foods Multi-Blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- If you notice your dough cracking as you roll the rugelach, carefully pinch the cracks back together.
- These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
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SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
I made it now, the dough was easy to work with, I make it with Nutella. I had to add water. But for some reason the baking didn’t work out. Ten minutes was completely raw, after 5 more min the bottom was brown. The upper part was raw. I added more time. Eventually it baked but became dry. The dough was quite thin . The cookies were different in size .
PS
I do have modern / new GE oven.
Hi Sofia, I would need a little more info to help troubleshoot. What flour blend did you use, what position in the oven was your rack? If the bottom browned like that, I suspect your rack was towards the bottom of the oven instead of the middle.
I used non dairy cream cheese and dairy free butter. I subbed coconut sugar for both the inside and dough. No issues. I used Redmill 1 to 1 gf flour. For the filling I did fresh roasted/chopped hazelnuts, cinnamon, cocoa powder. Really delicious. I rolled them out on top of tapioca starch dusted parchment for ease of rolling. I did need to cook these longer than 10 minutes though. Could be because of some of my changes. Closer to 15 minutes. Happy Hanukkah.
Hi Emily, I am glad you loved this rugelach recipe. It is fine you needed to bake them longer, baking time really depends on the size of the cookies.
How much raspberry jam would recommend per piece? thank you
Hi, I would spread it over the dough before cutting it with a pizza cutter. I think my jam was 1-2 cm thick.
Thank you for another great cookie ! Merry Christmas to you and your family. You have been a true inspiration with my GF baking efforts, this challenge came with 2 adult daughters becoming gluten intolerant (not me)!
Thank you so much, Linda. I am so glad you were able to make something yummy for your daughters. Happy holidays!
I would appreciate the measurements for the cinnamon, brown sugar, and walnut mix-ins for the gluten free rugelach. Would it be possible to add raisins as well?
Hi Patricia, I would recommend 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 to 1/3 cup of brown sugar.
Love this recipe! I actually used vegan cream cheese and vegan butter because I’m allergic to dairy, and it worked out great. I also added a tablespoon of pure pectin to help flexibility- anyway, everyone thought they were delish and couldn’t believe they were gf !
I am so glad you tried it dairy-free. Thank you for letting us know you enjoyed them :-).