Israeli Chocolate Rugelach

By
Giora Shimoni
Giora Shimoni
A kosher food enthusiast and home cook with hundreds of published recipes, Giora Shimoni has worked in online publishing for over 20 years.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/20/22
Israeli chocolate rugelach

​The Spruce

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 18 servings
Yield: 36 rugelach
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
270 Calories
18g Fat
24g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories 270
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 11g 56%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 136mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 27mg 2%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 72mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

While many adults prefer rugelach filled with preserves and nuts, kids tend to enjoy the chocolate-filled variety. Americans typically fill their chocolate rugelach with mini-chocolate chips, while Israelis will make their own chocolate filling. This version follows that Israeli tradition, which usually includes a touch of cinnamon.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 7 ounces unsalted butter

  • 8 ounces cream cheese

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Chocolate Filling:

  • 1 tablespoon cocoa

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1/2 cup grated bittersweet chocolate

  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

For the Topping:

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/4 cup sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Gather the ingredients
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  2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar and vanilla, and mix until smooth.

    Mix butter and sugar
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  3. Add flour and mix lightly.

    Add flour
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  4. Refrigerate dough for an hour or more. Preheat oven to 350 F.

    Mix in bowl
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  5. Divide the dough into four balls. On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll 1 ball out into a circle until about 1/8-inch thick.

    Roll out dough
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  6. In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa, cinnamon, sugar, and grated chocolate.

    Mix dry ingredients
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  7. Spread some melted butter on the center of the circle. Sprinkle the chocolate mixture on top.

    Spread chocolate on circle
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  8. Cut the pastry into pie-shaped wedges. For bite-size and nice looking rugelach, the thick end of the wedge should about an 1- to 1 1/2-inch wide.

    Cut the pastry into wedges
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  9. Start at the wide edge of the wedge and roll the dough up toward the point.

    Roll them
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  10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place each pastry, seam-side down, on the paper.

    Line on the sheet
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  11. Brush each pastry with the egg and sugar.

    Brush egg wash on
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  12. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.​

    Bake rugelach
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  13. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Be careful with how much filling you're adding—using too much leads to messy-looking rugelach.
  • If you don't want to use parchment paper, you can spray the cookie sheets with nonstick spray.
  • A pizza cutter makes it easier to cut the dough into pie-shaped wedges.
  • After rolling the dough up and placing on the parchment paper, you can stick them in your freezer. When you need fresh rugelach, take them right from the freezer into the oven and add a few minutes to the baking time.