• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Homebody Eats
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dish
  • Entertaining
  • Kitchen Essentials
  • About
  • Start a Food Blog
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Shop Courses & Cookbooks
  • Italian Cooking Retreat
  • Contact
  • About
ร—
Homebody Eats ยป Recipes ยป Cookies

Chocolate Rugelach Recipe

Published: Jul 22, 2021 ยท Modified: Apr 6, 2022 by Jessica Mode ยท This content may include affiliate links.

95 shares
  • Share
  • Email
  • Print
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Easy chocolate rugelach cookies stuffed with a Nutella filling.

Want to learn how to make rugelach? This homemade rugelach recipe will teach you how to make cookies filled with chocolate Nutella. This dough recipe can also be used and substituted with your own filling of choice! The possibilities are endless for these easy, not overly sweet, chocolate hazelnut cookies.

rugelach with nutella hazelnut filling

Want To Save This Article?

Enter your email below and we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll receive new weekly recipe inspiration.

Save this Article

Jump to:
  • What You'll Learn In This Recipe
  • What Is Rugelach?
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Tools & Equipment
  • Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Cookie Recipes
  • Chocolate Rugelach

My taste lately has shifted over from loving sweet desserts to now enjoying things that have just a hint of sweetness. That's exactly why I love these cookies. They definitely have a hint of sweetness from the Nutella hazelnut chocolate spread, but they're not overly drowning in sugar.

Rugelach is a great holiday or Christmas cookie. I think they offer a little something unique for people to enjoy. If you love cookies as much as I do, you definitely have to check out this recipe!

What You'll Learn In This Recipe

I pride myself on teaching a new skill or some quick kitchen knowledge with every recipe. This chocolate rugelach recipe will teach you:

  • A little history of rugelach, and what makes them a special cookie
  • How to switch up the rugelach fillings to make your own twist on the cookie
  • An easy technique to make homemade rugelach look so elegant
easy chocolate rugelach cookies

What Is Rugelach?

Rugelach (pronounced ROO-gษ™l-ษ™kh) is a mix between a pastry and a cookie. Rugelach originated in Jewish communities and is popular in many places around the world including Poland and Israel.

Rugelach are known for their dough that's made with cream cheese or sour cream. However, there are variants of the recipe made without dairy so they can be kosher. They're also known for their delicious fillings which add a unique flavor to the pastry since the dough tends to have a more neutral taste.

Ingredient Notes

All-Purpose Flour: Make sure you are measuring your flour correctly if you're not using a digital food scale. The proper way to measure flour is:

  1. Fluff up the flour using a spoon.
  2. Scoop the flour into the measuring cup.
  3. Level off the top of the measuring cup with a knife to remove excess flour.

Baking Soda: This is our leavener of choice to give a slight rise to the cookies.

Fine Kosher Salt: Yes, even baked goods need a bit of salt to balance out the sweetness.

Cream Cheese: This is a unique ingredient and part of what makes rugelach special. Be sure the cream cheese has come to room temperature.

Granulated Sugar: You'll notice there is not an overwhelming amount of sugar in this rugelach dough. Most of the sweetness comes from the filling!

Unsalted Butter:  If you need to substitute for salted butter, cut back the amount of added salt according to personal taste and preference.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (aka Nutella): This is the filling of our rugelach. If you want to try substituting for another filling, see the recipes FAQs below.

Egg White: The egg white wash on top of the cookie not only helps the turbinado sugar stick but also gives the top of the cookies a nice shine!

Turbinado Sugar: This, in my opinion, is what makes the homemade rugelach cookies look so beautiful and elegant. You can substitute demerara sugar if turbinado is not available.

rugelach with nutella hazelnut filling

Tools & Equipment

The beauty of rugelach is that they don't require many tools. Here are a few things you'll find useful:

Mixer: It's easiest to make the rugelach dough with a mixer. If you don't have one, a hand mixer is a fairly cheap investment and can be used for so many baking projects. I've also seen people mix this dough in a food processor if you have that available instead of a mixer.

Sheet Pan: Of course you'll need something to bake the rugelach on!

Silicone baking mat: A silicone baking mat will prevent the cookies from sticking to the pan while baking. You can also use parchment paper.

Digital food scale: I prefer to measure my baking ingredients by weight to help get a more accurate measurement.

Bench Scraper: I find it's helpful to have a bench scraper to cut the rugelach. I won't hurt your counters (it's not as sharp as a knife). I especially love this one because it has a ruler on the end!

how to make rugelach cookies

Recipe Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use other fillings besides chocolate hazelnut spread?

Of course! The beauty of this rugelach dough recipe is that you can change up the filling to give the cookie a whole new taste. Oftentimes people spread a layer of jam or fruit preserves, and top that with a layer of dried fruit and/or nuts. The possibilities are endless! You can also try using cinnamon, poppy seeds, or marzipan.

I'm having a hard time rolling out and cutting the rugelach. Do you have any tips?

I personally found it easier to roll the rugelach into a long rectangle, and then cut the smaller triangles. However, some people prefer to roll the dough in a circle shape, then use a pizza cutter to cut the triangles. Try out both ways and see what you would prefer!

No need to stress about all the triangles being the exact same size.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes! Make it up to 4 days ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake!

Can I freeze rugelach to save them for a later?

Yep! Store the fully baked cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

homemade rugelach cookies with chocolate hazelnut spread

More Cookie Recipes

  • chocolate chip cookies in a pan.
    Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (In 9 x 13 Pan)
  • macadamia nut cookies drizzled with white chocolate.
    White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Macadamia Nuts
  • multiple snickerdoodle cookies laying on top of twinkle lights.
    Gluten Free Snickerdoodles
  • chewy M&M sugar cookies on pink background.
    Soft & Thick M&M Sugar Cookies

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star โญโญโญโญโญ rating in the recipe card below. Don't forget to follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest for more recipes.

three chocolate rugelach cookies on a plate.

Chocolate Rugelach

Want to learn how to make rugelach? This homemade rugelach recipe will teach you how to make cookies filled with chocolate Nutella. This dough recipe can also be used and substituted with your own filling of choice! The possibilities are endless for these easy, not overly sweet, chocolate hazelnut cookies.
Author: Jessica Mode
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Active Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 14 minutes mins
Chilling Time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 44 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Jewish
Servings 16 cookies
Calories 227 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 235 grams (1 ยพ cups plus 3 tablespoons) all purpose flour
  • ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
  • ยผ teaspoon fine kosher salt
  • 140 grams (ยฝ cup plus 2 tablespoons) cream cheese room temperature
  • 110 grams (ยฝ cup plus 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
  • 125 grams (ยฝ cup plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter room temperature
  • 150 grams (ยฝ cup) chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella)
  • 1 large egg white
  • 35 grams (3 tablespoons) turbinado sugar

Instructions
 

  • Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • Beat together cream cheese and granulated sugar in a medium bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add in butter. Beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add flour in batches and continue to mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated and a shaggy dough has formed.
  • Roll dough in a log and wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours until it has firmed up.
  • Heat oven to 375ยฐF (190ยฐC).
  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator; divide in half. Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll each piece of dough into a 6 x 12 inch (15 x 30 centimeters) rectangle, about strip 1/32 inch (.79 millimeters) thick. Clean up the edges using a bench scraper or knife. Spread a thin layer of chocolate hazelnut spread on each strip of dough.
  • Cut the dough into a triangle by measuring 2 ยฝ inches (6 centimeters) at the base of the triangle. Roll each piece of dough, starting from the base of the triangle. Place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper spaced out 1 ยฝ inches (4 centimeters) apart. Brush with egg whites, and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of each cookie.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Immediately transfer from baking sheet to a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, cookies can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

To freeze fully baked cookies, store in an air-tight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 107mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 313IUCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
Have you tried this recipe?Tag @homebody.eats on Instagram so we can see your creations!

More Cookie Recipes

  • hands holding hot fudge filled chocolate chip cookies.
    Hot Fudge Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • espresso shortbread cookies topped with flakey sea salt.
    Espresso Shortbread Cookies
  • thumbprint chocolate filled cookies.
    Thumbprint Chocolate Filled Cookies
  • caramelized white chocolate cookies on a sheet tray.
    Caramelized White Chocolate Cookies

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 1 vote

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Mark

    November 13, 2021 at 9:52 am

    5 stars
    These were great! Iโ€™m not a huge Nutella fan, but the flavors were perfect together! I would recommend making these for your Holiday get-togethers!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Jessica! Here, you'll find delicious & fresh recipes that will help you learn to master a new skill in the kitchen!

More about me โ†’

Breakfast Recipe Ideas

  • overnight oats in a mason jar topped with strawberry.
    Chocolate Covered Strawberry Overnight Oats
  • cheesy open faced tuna with avocado.
    California Open Faced Tuna Melt
  • three chorizo tacos topped with an avocado slice laying on wooden cutting board.
    Mexican Breakfast Tacos
  • cherry smoothie topped with chocolate granola.
    Cherry Granola Smoothie

Veggie Side Dishes

  • crispy rosemary baby potatoes in a bowl.
    Crispy Rosemary Baby Potatoes
  • roasted brussel sprouts topped with balsamic glaze and parmesan cheese.
    Brussel Sprouts With Balsamic Glaze (4 Ingredients)
  • blue cheese and almond green beans.
    Almond and Blue Cheese Green Beans
  • garlic cauliflower mash garnished with panko and chives.
    Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Mash

Footer

โ†‘ back to top

About Us

Learn About Us
Privacy Policy
Accessibility Statement
Disclaimer
Terms of Use

Newsletter

Sign Up for weekly emails and updates

Contact

Contact Us
Shop Courses & Products
Work With Us

As an LTK & Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright ยฉ 2025 Homebody Eatsยฎ

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.