• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Josh Is Baking
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Blondies
    • Cookies
    • Donuts
    • Loafs
    • Muffins
    • Pastries
    • Pop Tarts
    • Scones
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

Honey Apple Rugelach

April 26, 2022 by joshisbaking 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

These cinnamon-spiced apple rugelach hit all the cozy feels and are made all the sweeter when brushed with honey hot from the oven. I’ve made sure to break down all the steps in great detail, to really walk you through the process. While it can seem daunting with all the steps, these tasty little treats are well worth the effort! You got this.

Let’s bake, friends!

This post is sponsored by Yes! Apples.

apple rugelach
apple rugelach

Some Materials You’ll Need:

  • Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
  • Measuring cups/spoons
  • Peeler & Box Grater
  • Rolling Pin
  • Parchment paper
  • Plastic Wrap
  • 1-2 large baking sheets
  • Pastry brush for egg wash + cutter (pizza cutter works too)
apple rugelach

What are Rugelach?

These honey apple rugelach came into being because my husband is Jewish in our almost decade of being together I’d never made any Jewish desserts! Terrible partner, I know! So I sought to fix that with making these sweet little treats and so happy I did because YUM.

Rugelach are sweet little cookies, often filled with jam and/or nuts. The dough typically contains cream cheese or sour cream, and is rolled out and up into a crescent-like shape before baking. They originated in Eastern Europe, conceptualized and popular in the jewish communities of Poland, initially made with a yeasted dough.

I love how unique this cookie is! For one, it’s almost hard to call it a cookie with how the dough comes together and feels (can be very flaky). It’s much more reminiscent of pie dough or other pastry. If you’re out searching for rugelach, you might see both “pastry” and “cookie” associated with them for that reason.

Here’s a great article that breaks down rugelach and it’s history even more, if you’re curious!

Making the Dough for these Apple Rugelach

You’ll notice that for the cream cheese and butter it says “softened” instead of cold or room temperature. Typically cookies will call for room temperature ingredients, but since this dough leans a little into the pastry side of things, you still want to maintain some of that cold. This makes your apple rugelach cookies a little flaky (I mean, yes please).

Just leave both out on the counter for about 15 minutes—they’ll soften up a bit, but still be a little cold.

I’d recommend cutting up both into smaller pieces (as noted in the recipe). This will help them cream together much easier/quicker. Also, be sure to scrape down the bottom and sides of your mixing bowl a few times throughout, especially before adding in the flour.

Lastly, try not to overwork the dough! Much like a pie, the less you work the dough, the flakier it’ll be. Just make sure there are no streaks of flour.

Assembling Rugelach Cookies

These apple rugelach can seem daunting, but once you read through the instructions, you’ll see it’s fairly straightforward. They can also be a bit messy when you go to roll them up, but that’s totally normal and to be expected with some apple butter and juicy shredded apples.

Do your best to get the dough into a perfect circle (10-12 inches is best, mine was 10) after rolling it out. This is what will you give that classic, signature look—much like a crescent roll or croissant. I turned a 10 inch pie dish upside down and cut around that to get a perfectly even edge!

See the images above to show the assembly process and how it looks. You got this!

Say HELLO to Yes! Apples

So happy to be partnering up with my buddies over at Yes! Apples for these apple rugelach cookies! I used their EverCrisp (honestly my favorite apple variety ever) for these babies. The subtle crunch and sweetness they lend to the bake is divine. I recently used them in my Easy Apple Loaf recipe (with crunch pecans and warm spices)—another one you don’t want to miss!

Learn more about their EverCrisp variety on their website here, friends. You’ll be hooked from that first bite like me, I promise you!

Grab $10 off plus a FREE hat (while supplies last) with your first order using promo code “JOSHISBAKING” at checkout! Head here to find some delicious apples and get baking.

Tag me (@joshisbaking) over on Instagram if you make these tasty honey apple rugelach, friends!

Happy baking!


Check out some of my most recent recipes:

  • Everything Bagel Pastries with Cream Cheese
  • Apple and Goat Cheese Tart with Fig Jam
  • Strawberry Almond Snacking Cake
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Honey Apple Rugelach

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: joshisbaking
  • Prep Time: 1 Hour
  • Chill/Rest Time: 2 Hours. 30 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 Minutes
  • Total Time: ~4 Hours
  • Yield: 16 Rugelach Cookies 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

These cinnamon-spiced apple rugelach hit all the cozy feels and are made all the sweeter when brushed with honey hot from the oven.


Ingredients

Units Scale

Rugelach Dough

  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 oz. cream cheese (full fat), softened
  • 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, not scooped)

Filling & Topping

  • 6 tablespoons store-bought apple butter, divided
  • 2 large EverCrisp apples (peeled, grated, patted dry—see instructions)
    • Grab some from Yes! Apples here
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
  • 1 large egg, lightly whisked for an egg wash
  • Honey to brush on after bake (I used clover)

Instructions

Making the Dough

  1. First, set your cold butter and cream cheese out on the counter for about 15 minutes so that they’re still somewhat cold, but have softened up a little. Cut your butter into tablespoon-sized pieces (15g) and your cream cheese into quarters. Then cream your butter, cream cheese, and kosher salt in stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, beat for one more minute, then scrape the bowl again.
  2. Turn the mixer on low, then gradually add in your flour until it’s just incorporated and no streaks remain (you may have to stop one or twice to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get some of the crumbly bits that don’t want to mix in). Divide the dough into two equal portions, flatten each into a rough disc, wrap them both tightly in plastic, and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

Prep Your Apples + Baking Sheets

  1. When you have about 15 minutes left of your chill time, prep your apples. Peel and grate them (using the largest grate on a box grater) in a strainer set over a bowl or the sink. Once grated, either using your hands or a kitchen towel, squeeze out as much of their juices as you can (it can be a lot, so just keep working until it’s mostly dry). Set aside.
  2. Also prep one or two large baking sheets with parchment and set aside (I have a rather large baking sheet so I was able to fit them all on one, but you may need two).

Assembly & Bake

  1. Take your chilled discs of dough out of the fridge and let them rest on the counter for 10 minutes (makes them easier to roll out). Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll each disc out into large circles, roughly 10-12 inches in diameter. Cut around the edges to create a perfect disc—I turned a 10 inch pie dish upside down and cut around the outside edge. Place one disc back in the fridge to keep cold while you work with the other.
  2. Evenly spread 3 tablespoons of apple butter around the disc, leaving a good 1 inch border around the outside. Sprinkle half of your grated apples overtop the apple butter (it won’t fully cover the surface, just try to evenly distribute them). Then sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon over the apples.
  3. Using a pastry or pizza cutter, cut your disc into 8 evenly-sized triangles (cut it into quarters and then cut each quarter in half). Rolling from the outside in, roll each triangle inwards like you would a crescent roll or croissant, making sure the pointy tip stays tucked underneath. Place on your prepared baking sheet(s), spaced a couple inches apart. Place these finished pieces in the fridge to chill while you assemble the next disc.
  4. Once all of your rugelach are assembled, chill then in fridge for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 375°F. Once chilled, generously brush the tops with an egg wash (one egg, lightly whisked) and bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes, until nice and dark/golden on top. Once out of the oven, immediately brush the tops with honey—they’ll have a wonderful shine. Let cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.

Best enjoyed same-day, but will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container.

 


Did you make this recipe?

Tag @joshisbaking on Instagram and hashtag it #joshisbaking

Check out my other recipes with Yes! Apples:

  • Apple Biscoff Cheesecake Bars
  • German Apple Cake with Golden Figs
  • Fresh Apple Oatmeal Cookies
  • Apple and Almond Cream Galette

Looking for something else to bake?

  • Bars
  • Blondies
  • Brownies
  • Cake
  • Cookies
  • Donuts
  • Loafs
  • Muffins
  • Pastries
  • Pop Tarts
  • Scones
  • Uncategorized

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Filed Under: Cookies Tagged With: apple, apple butter, apples, cookie, cookie recipe, cookie recipes, cookies, fall, fall recipes, honey, honey apple rugelach, rugelach recipe, yes apples

Previous Post: « Figgy Cornbread Cake with Honey Whipped Ricotta
Next Post: Ginger Cinnamon Turmeric Sugar Cookies »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joanne

    May 26, 2022 at 8:29 pm

    recipe is very clear and easy to follow. my rugelach turned out delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • joshisbaking

      May 27, 2022 at 2:30 pm

      Love hearing this Joanne! Thank you so much!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Hey There!

Josh here, nice to meet you!

As a self-taught baker, I’m always tackling new bakes and sharing recipes along the way. I hope you stick around and can find at least one thing here to brighten up your day.

Welcome and happy baking!

Categories

  • Bars
  • Blondies
  • Brownies
  • Cake
  • Cookies
  • Donuts
  • Loafs
  • Muffins
  • Pastries
  • Pop Tarts
  • Scones
  • Uncategorized

New Recipes, Straight to Your Inbox!

No spam, just goodies.

Everything Bagel Pastries with Cream Cheese

apple and goat cheese tart

Apple and Goat Cheese Tart with Fig Jam

strawberry cake

Strawberry Almond Snacking Cake

baked brie

Baked Brie with Marmalade & Spiced Pecans

Apple Pastry Rings with a Vanilla Bean Glaze

coffee buttercream

Coffee Buttercream

Cinnamon Sugar Pie Bites with a Cream Cheese Frosting Dip

Chocolate Cardamom Pocket Pies

Footer

  • 2022, what a YEAR. 🥹 So many milestones and things to celebrate this year…

✨Made my television debut on @thegooddishtv and WON the dish-off segment with my cornbread cake! @gailsimmonseats tried a recipe of mine, LIKED it, said my name—wowowow (let me know if you want to see the whole segment).

✨ Attended #AdobeMAX with my new @adobeexpress fam! Made lots of new friends and was just the creative boost I needed to move this little platform of mine forward.

✨ Featured in a COOKBOOK. Excuse me?? So honored to be in @thebakefeed’s “Holiday Cookies” cookbook alongside other bakers I admire so much. Let it be the first of many!

✨Published 20 new recipes to @joshisbaking—most of which are my favorites to date. More to come and expect lots more pastry in 2023!

2022 had its lows too (thankful to have @woodsomc when those lows hit), but it was a year of growth and one I won’t soon forget.

Signing off for my start of the year mental break, friends (highly recommend)—see you all in 2023 and the next chapter. 👋🏻❤️
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#bakers #adobe #adobeexpress #cookbooks #bakerslife #homebaker #selftaughtbaker #foodblogs #creators #cincinnati #bakingblogger #f52community #gaybaker #bakinglove #dessertlife #pastrychefs #thebakefeed #bakefromscratch
  • Some of my favorite shots from this year. Funny enough—they’re all dark, moody, and full of chocolate! Not mad about that! 👋🏻 Something about the texture/depth of these that stuck with me…

Fluffy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (on my blog, for @eschocolate) > Chocolate sweet pastry dough AKA chocolate galaxy > scoops of dough for my Big Chocolate Chip Cookies (also on the blog)!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#foodphotographer #foodphotographyandstyling #bakingblog #dessertblogger #dessertlover #chocolate #chocolatelove #foodstylist #foodphotography #chocolatebuttercream #buttercream #chocolatechipcookies #cookiedough #chocolatedessert #pastrylovers #pastrypassion #foodblogfeed #foodph #cincy #cincinnati
  • The top 3 most popular recipes on my blog this year (in reverse order):

3️⃣ Salted Honey Buttermilk Biscuits
2️⃣ Chocolate Orange Slice and Bake Shortbread Cookies
1️⃣ Cinnamon Sugar Pie Bites with a Cream Cheese Frosting Dip

Interestingly enough, only one of these was actually published this year (the pie bites)—goes to show that some things need a little more time to shine!

If you made any of my recipes this year: THANK YOU. 🥹 I see you (said the Na’vi) and I appreciate you! Getting tagged in your bakes makes my week.

Don’t forget to leave a review on any recipes pages if you did—those help me rank better on google and in turn helps even more folks find my recipes.

More recipes to come in 2023, friends! ❤️
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#bakingblog #recipeshare #recipeblog #bakingrecipes #bakeandshare #buttermilk #buttermilkbiscuits #biscuits #shortbread #shortbreadcookies #cookie #cookielover #cinnamonsugar #piecrust #pastrylover #pastries #foodblogs #homebakers #cincy
More Goodies on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 Josh Is Baking on the Foodie Pro Theme