12 Sweet & Savory Rugelach Recipes You’ll Want to Make Immediately

Cinnamon bun rugelach! Spicy pizza rugelach! And all the classics, too.

Here at The Nosher, we have a particular weakness for rugelach. We love the classic American cream cheese dough version (obvs), filled with cinnamon, raisins and nuts; we love the Israeli yeasted dough version, under-baked and gooey; and we love a creative, modern twist — like s’mores rugelach or, even, a savory filling (don’t knock it ’till you try it).

We’ve rounded up our 12 favorite recipes for your enjoyment — think of it as the best kind of to-do list.

Keepin’ It Classic

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1. Start by mastering the classic cream cheese dough rugelach beloved throughout North America.

2. Joan Nathan’s recipe, which incorporates ground almonds for extra-soft cookies, is always a winner, too.

Sweet and Sticky

Photo credit: Food Network

3. Once you’ve mastered that, you can start to experiment with fillings. Like strawberry and cream rugelach, with a dollop of sour cream added to the dough for extra tenderness.

4. If it’s been, as my mom would say, “One of Those Days” and you’re in desperate need of a sugary fix, these s’mores rugelach will hit the spot. Gooey, melty, with a graham cracker crunch, they may even be better than the original.

5. Or seriously up the ante with sticky cinnamon bun rugelach. Caramelized nuts and raisins! Caramel sauce! Cinnamon streusel topping! Vanilla frosting! We rest our case.

6. For a slightly more tempered sweetness, look no further than Molly Yeh’s chocolate sea salt rugelach. Opt for dark chocolate for a deeper, more intense flavor. 

Switch It Up

Photo credit Lior Mashiach

7. If you ever find yourself in the situation where you need rugelach IMMEDIATELY, this two-ingredient rugelach recipe requiring only a sheet of puff pastry and a filling (likely, in this scenario, to be Nutella) is a godsend.

8. When you can’t pinpoint exactly what dessert you’re craving, turn to this bread pudding-rugelach-cheesecake. Deliciously stodgy with a cream cheese tang to lighten things up, it’s sure to brighten the darkest of days. Bonus: You can make it with store-bought rugelach.

9. Why make single rugelach when you can make a rugelach cake? Using layers of Israeli-style rugelach (yeasted dough, gooey, chewy) to create a monkey bread-like pull-apart cake, it is the ultimate treat. There’s a reason it’s trending on Instagram.

Savor the Savory

Photo credit Samantha Ferraro

10. We can never resist a pizza mash-up, and these spicy pizza rugelach manage to seamlessly fuse your grandmother’s kitchen with a New York slice. Magic.

11. If the caramelized jam sneaking out the edges of the rugelach is your favorite bit, you’ll love this savory twist: onion jam rugelach topped with everything-bagel seasoning

12. … add these cheese and herb rugelach and you’ve got yourself a delightful mix of canapés for your next dinner party. Mixing the umami saltiness of parmesan with creamy ricotta for a perfect cheesy combo, they’re dangerously snackable.

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