Sugarless Dough Rogaliki (rugelach) Dessert

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Rogaliki are easy-to-make, easier-to-devour cookies that are flaky, buttery, and absolutely delicious. They go perfectly with coffee or make the ultimate party dessert. With so many tasty filling options, this Russian treat is always fun.

Raspberry and Cherry Rogaliki. My goodness, they are so good. If you could smell my kitchen right now, you’d know exactly what I was talking about.

Rogaliki are prepared during so many occasions – holiday parties, family dinners, community potlucks, and literally just because – because why not? You haven’t even heard the best part yet. This recipe is sugarless. So those watching their sugar intake, rejoice. I’ve got the perfect dessert for you. For anyone, actually, because they’re so darn good.

Table of Contents

What makes sugarless Rogaliki so great?

The flour. Canadian flour to be exact. That’s the secret here. It takes these cookies to a whole new level of soft. Thanks, Canada.

Sour cream. Moisture and cookies always go well together and sour cream helps add so much moisture to the cookie dough. The end result? A very fine crumb.

The filling. This is the fun part. These cookies can be filled with almost any sort of filling you like! You could even make a few different fillings and have a variety of flavors on your table. I’m a fruity jam kind of girl, so a cherry and raspberry jam mixture hit the perfect spot for me. Here are a few fun flavor combos:

If this is your first time hearing about Rogaliki (Rugelach), you may be wondering what it is. It’s a flaky, soft, and perfect little pastry that is as delicious as croissants or maybe even more scrumptious. There are different variations of these little cookies all over Eastern Europe.

They are made with a buttery dough and filled with different kind of preserves and other tasty fillings so you’ll never get bored with this treat. Rugelach dough is very similar to puff pastry dough. It can be refrigerated for a couple of days, or you can freeze it for up to two months.

My favorite is the Raspberry and Cherry Rogaliki. My goodness, they are so good. If you could smell my kitchen right now, you’d know exactly what I was talking about. Rogaliki are prepared during so many occasions – holiday parties, family dinners, community potlucks, and literally just because – because why not?

You haven’t even heard the best part yet. This recipe is sugarless. So those watching their sugar intake, rejoice. I’ve got the perfect dessert for you. For anyone, actually, because they’re so darn good.

What makes Sugarless Rogaliki so great?

The flour: Canadian flour to be exact. That’s the secret here. It takes these crescent cookies to a whole new level of softness. A big thanks to Canada!
Sour cream: Moisture and cookies always go well together and sour cream helps add so much moisture to the cookie dough. The end result? A very fine crumb.
The tasty filling: This is the fun part. The rugelach cookies can be filled with almost any sort of filling you like! You could even make a few different fillings and have a variety of flavors on your table.

I’m a fruity jam kind of girl, so a cherry and raspberry jam mixture hit the perfect spot for me. Other fun flavor combos are honey, cinnamon, and nuts – it’ll give you all the baklava vibes or apples and Nutella – for kids, and those that are kids at heart. You can also try strawberries and cream cheese or poppy seed filling.

Perfect for sharing: The Polish cookies are a unique and delicious dessert for big events, family dinners, holidays, church potlucks, parties, or any day of the week.
Simple and stunning: The crescent shape makes these little cookies elegant and festive pastries all made in your oven.
Easy to make: They use simple pantry ingredients and the step-by-step instructions make them easy to prepare.
Short preparation time: The pastry does not need to be refrigerated which shortens preparation time.
Kid-friendly: They’re fun to make even with kids and these soft and flaky treats are made in a small bite-size which is great for kids.

Key Ingredients to Make Sugarless Rogaliki

sugarless dough rogaliki ingredients- butter, egg, lemon, baking powder, sour cream, vanilla, flour, and jam.

Canadian Flour: It’s the secret that makes these cookies soft instead of cookie-like.
Egg: Reserve the egg white for coating the tops of the delicious cookies.
Unsalted butter: Unsalted butter provides a better texture for the rogaliki. It also allows you to have complete control of the overall flavor of your recipe.
Sour cream: Gives the rogaliki that melt-in-your-mouth extra soft and flaky texture.
Baking soda: Makes the dough rise and helps the rugelach to brown better.
Lemon: The acidity of the lemon juice will combine with the baking soda to make the dough rise.
Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract enhances all the other flavors in the recipe. Without it, the Polish rogaliki tends to taste flat and bland.
Jam: I use raspberry and cherry but you can use any kind that you like.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

How to Make Rogaliki

Step 1: Melt butter

Melt butter in the microwave and ensure it’s warm, not hot.]

Step 2: Make the butter mixture

In a medium bowl, add the egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Beat with a hand mixer or whisk together then add sour cream.

dough-for-rogaliki-process-in-a-white-bowl-with-a-hand-mixer

Step 3: Mix raising agents

In a separate shallow plate, add baking soda and squeeze juice from the lemon. It will foam. Mix together and add to the rest of the ingredients.

bowl-with-a-spoon-and-baking-soda-and-a-lemon-wedge

Step 4: Prepare the pastry dough

Gently fold in the flour and mix it until it is an even consistency and no longer sticking to the walls of the bowl, scraping down the bowl as necessary. The flour mixture should form into a soft ball of dough.

dough-for-rogaliki-process-in-a-white-bowl

Step 5: Prepare the oven and cut the dough

Preheat the oven to 350F then cut the ball of dough into four equal parts.

Step 6: Roll the rugelach dough

Transfer the dough onto a clean, lightly floured work surface to make it easier, and knead it for several minutes until dough is uniform and gains elasticity. Then using a rolling pin, roll out each portion of the dough into a circle.

Step 7: Cut dough into pizza shapes

With a pizza cutter, cut the dough into pizza slice shapes.

dough-for-rogaliki-rolled-out-and-cut-into-triangles-with-a-pizza-cutter

Step 8: Fill and roll the dough into a crescent shape

Put a teaspoon of preferred jam on each slice and roll it in so the jam stays inside and the tip is showing, like a croissant.

dough-round-with-jam-spots-and-a-jar-of-jam-with-a-spoon-on-the-side-

Step 9: Place the dough on the baking sheet and bake

Place the rogaliki in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Space the rogaliki about 1/2 – inches apart and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed.

raw-rogaliki-on-parchment-paper-on-a-baking-tray-with-egg-wash-and-a-baster-on-the-side-with-a-bowl-of-sugar

Step 10: Cool then serve

Let the rogaliki cookies cool so that they harden. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. (optional)

rogaliki-on-parchment-paper-on-a-baking-tray

How to Store leftover Polish Rogaliki

Store leftover baked rugelach in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days and up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
You can freeze them in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to eat again, thaw them for 24 hours then bake and enjoy.

Expert Tips

Work the dough as little as possible because the less kneading you do, the more tender the result.
You can cut the crescent cookies into 8 or 6 triangles.
The jam needs to be thick so it doesn’t melt in the oven and leak out. Aim for a pea-sized amount on each triangle.
When cutting the dough, remember to start rolling from the widest side of the triangle.
Seal the corners with egg wash to prevent the dough from unrolling.
You can either brush the top of the dough with 1 whisked egg and sprinkle on some sugar before placing it into the preheated oven.
The fold should be underneath the cookie rather than on top or on a side.
The pastry should be rolled out to about 2-3 mm of thickness.
Bake the rogaliki until they are nice and browned. If they still look pale, bake them a little longer so that they are not undercooked inside.
Bake in the center of the until nicely browned.
The dough should be soft and mustn’t stick to your hands.
Do not let the dough rise – make the cookies right away.
As you are working in batches, divide the dough into even portions and cover them loosely on the counter with some plastic wrap until you are ready to use them.

Recipe FAQs

What are the filling options for rugelach?

There are different kind of preserves you can add to the rugelach such as raspberry, blueberry, or apricot preserves, or fresh or canned cherries that are chopped. Then there’s apple butter or apple jam, apricot jam, Nutella, chocolate and sugar, and canned poppy seeds. You can also use icing sugar, sugar glaze, or chocolate glaze to decorate the rogaliki.

Honey, cinnamon, and walnuts are also a popular filling. Place walnuts in the bowl of a food processor to grind up into crunchy bits then mix them with cinnamon. Spread some warm honey on your dough, then top it with the nut mixture.

How to freeze the dough?

You can make the rugelach dough 3-4 days in advance and freeze it. Gently fold it and place parchment paper between the layers so they don’t stick. You can also wrap it with saran wrap, cling wrap, or plastic wrap and freeze it then thaw it in the refrigerator for 24 hours when you’re ready to bake the rogaliki.

Check out these sweet treats recipes

Vanilla Cookies with an Easy Glaze (Pryaniki) are delicious, versatile and the the perfect addition to your holiday spread
These Simple and Delicate Puff Pastry Cones with Cream (Cream Horns) are pleasantly soft and airy with a velvety delicious cream filling.
The Classic Eclair Recipe with Cream and Chocolate Glaze is easy to make, soft, perfectly textured, and filled with a delectable cream
The Easy Cherry Danish with Sweet Cream Cheese is sweet, flaky, creamy, and slightly tart and makes for a perfect quick and sweet breakfast.

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