Chocolate-peppermint rugelach, peanut butter and jelly rugelach, and quick rugelach made with store-bought malawach may sound sacreligious, but the truth is this quintessential Jewish baked good comes in many guises. Flaky North American cookies with a simple cream-cheese-based dough and denser Israeli-style rugelach with a yeasted dough are both takes on the same Central European cookie — and are equally beloved. “Traditional” rugelach taste different to everyone, so do away with that Jewish guilt and have some fun.
1. Strawberry and Cream Rugelach
![rugelach cookies Jewish bakery](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Strawberry-and-cream-rugelach-main.jpg)
Taste like the first day of spring.
2. Cheese and Herb Rugelach
![savoury rugelach cheese and herb cookies Italian jewish](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/SavoryHerbRugelach-3.jpg)
The savory friend your nightly glass of wine has been yearning for.
3. The Best Gluten-Free Rugelach
![](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/glutenfreerugleachheader.png)
Tender, flaky cookies that won’t hurt your stomach.
4. Iced Gingerbread Rugelach
![gingerbread rugelach recipe](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/gingerbreadrugelachheadersanford.png)
All the flavors and sparkle of the holiday season in one squidgy spiral.
5. 4-Ingredient Rugelach
![](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/rugelach-1.jpg)
Store-bought malawach, a flaky Yemenite flatbread, is the secret to these easy, Israeli-style rugelach. Gooey pastries in a fraction of the time.
6. S’mores Rugelach
![](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/smoresrugelach.png)
Bonfire meets your Temple’s kiddush in a sweet, toasty union.
7. Cranberry-Orange Rugelach
![cranberry orange rugelach](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ED-FI-Cranberry-Orange-Rugelach-Photo-credit-Beth-Lee-1600x900.jpg)
Rugelach, but make them Thanksgiving. The leftover cranberry-orange jam is as good with turkey as it is with latkes.
8. 2-Ingredient Rugelach Hack
![two ingredient rugelach](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/easy-two-ingredient-rugelach.jpg)
Bookmark this recipe to whip up rugelach in a hurry whenever the craving hits.
9. Ube-Coconut Rugelach
![](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ube-rugelach2-1600x900.jpg)
Rugelach never looked this good. The tastiest expression of Filipna-Jewish-American identity.
10. Sticky Cinnamon Bun Rugelach
![](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/stickyrugelachheader.png)
Caramel sauce! Caramelized nuts and raisins! Streusel! Icing! This recipe is proof that more is more. Slide on your comfiest pants and let’s get baking.
11. Pull-Apart Rugelach Cake
![israeli rugelach cake](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Israeli-rugelach-cake-1600x900.jpg)
Turn this humble cookie into a show stopping dessert by baking a batch piled atop one another in one cake pan. (Note: This recipe calls for Israeli-style yeasted rugelach, which are squidy and dense.)
12. Guava Rugelach
![guava rugelach](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/orgeguavarugelachheader.png)
Flaky pastry, sweet-sour guava filling, and a touch of the tropics. As one 5-star review said, “I got so many compliments, I’d say my only regret is that I only did one batch and they were gone immediately.”
13. Chocolate Sea Salt Rugelach
![](https://www.myjewishlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Chocolate-Sea-Salt-Rugelach-Credit-Food-Network-ed-1596x900.jpg)
A sophisticated take on classic chocolate rugelach that the whole family will love. Sprinkles optional but encouraged.