Gluten-Free Rugelach

Flaky crescent-shaped rugelach made with a rich cream cheese and butter dough, rolled around apricot jam, cinnamon sugar and finely chopped walnuts. A favorite for Hanukkah and holiday cookie trays.

Prep: 40 min Cook: 25 min Total: 220 min Serves: 32

At a glance: This hard baking recipe yields 32 servings in about 3h 40m (40 min prep, 25 min cook). It uses 11 ingredients — including gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, xanthan gum, granulated sugar — and walks through 8 steps. Updated October 24, 2026. Browse more baking recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.

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Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Rugelach: When preparing this baking recipe, chopped nuts are often packed on shared lines with gluten-containing products, so buy walnuts labeled gluten-free if that matters for you. Flour dust travels. Bake this on a day the kitchen is not also handling flour that contains gluten, use clean bowls, beaters and baking sheets, and keep the gluten-free flour blend in its own sealed container.

Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Rugelach: The tender cream cheese pastry is made with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and xanthan gum instead of flour that contains gluten. Use cream cheese, preserves and a flour blend labeled gluten-free.

Scale Recipe:

servings

Ingredient amounts update automatically

Instructions

1 Pulse the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), 1 tbsp sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter and cream cheese and pulse until the dough just starts to clump together.
2 Turn the dough out, divide it into 4 equal pieces and flatten each into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
3 Mix the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, toss the walnuts with half of the cinnamon sugar.
4 Working with one disc at a time, roll it between two sheets of lightly floured parchment into a 9-inch circle. Spread with 2 tbsp apricot preserves and sprinkle with a quarter of the walnut mixture, pressing it in lightly.
5 Cut the circle into 8 wedges with a pizza cutter. Roll each wedge up from the wide end to the point and place it point side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
6 Chill the shaped rugelach for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
7 Brush the rugelach with egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake for 22-26 minutes, until golden brown, rotating the sheets halfway through.
8 Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack. Store airtight for up to 5 days.

Tips & Notes

If a rugelach wedge cracks as you roll it, the dough is too cold. Let the rolled circle sit at room temperature for 2-3 minutes, then try again.
Chop the walnuts very fine, almost like coarse sand. Large pieces tear the thin cream cheese dough when you roll up each wedge.
Some jam always leaks onto the parchment and burns slightly. Move the rugelach to a rack after 5 minutes, before the jam hardens and glues them down.

Common questions

How long does Gluten-Free Rugelach take?

Gluten-Free Rugelach takes about 3 hours 40 minutes, including resting time: 40 minutes to prep and 25 minutes to cook, for 32 servings.

What should I check before making Gluten-Free Rugelach with celiac disease?

Written with gluten-free ingredients. Use products labeled gluten-free, check labels, and ask your clinician about your own needs.

What cross-contamination risk is specific to Gluten-Free Rugelach?

Check gluten-free all-purpose flour blend , plus more for dusting, xanthan gum, granulated sugar before they go into Gluten-Free Rugelach. Chopped nuts are often packed on shared lines with gluten-containing products, so buy walnuts labeled gluten-free if that matters for you. Flour dust travels. Bake this on a day the kitchen is not also handling flour that contains gluten, use clean bowls, beaters and baking sheets, and keep the gluten-free flour blend in its own sealed container.

Which gluten-free swaps does Gluten-Free Rugelach use?

Gluten-Free Rugelach relies on a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, xanthan gum. Keep those gluten-free-labeled products in place of a gluten-containing flour or sauce. If the blend already lists xanthan gum, do not add a second binder unless this recipe says to.

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Gluten Free Recipes team

Gluten-free recipe development since 2026

Recipes include certified gluten-free ingredient guidance and cross-contamination notes. Check every label and use certified gluten-free products. Learn more about us.

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