Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Walnut Rugelach

Traditional rugelach is usually made with cream cheese, but I like using blended cottage cheese instead.

When you blend the cottage cheese until it is smooth, it mixes right into the dough and makes it wonderfully tender and flaky.

It gives the pastry a light texture that balances out the sweet cinnamon and crunchy walnut filling.

Rolling up these little pastries is simple, and they bake into crisp, golden treats that go great with coffee or tea.

If you want an easy homemade treat, this cottage cheese cinnamon walnut rugelach is definitely worth trying.

Why I Love This Recipe

Incredible Flaky Texture – Blending cottage cheese into the dough creates unbelievably tender, flaky layers that melt in your mouth.

Rich Bakery Flavor – Warm cinnamon, toasted walnuts, and brown sugar deliver classic pastry shop flavor right at home.

Clever Ingredient Swap – Smooth cottage cheese replaces traditional cream cheese to give the pastry dough amazing moisture and richness.

Satisfying Crunchy Finish – The egg wash and cinnamon-sugar topping bake into a wonderfully crisp, golden, and sparkly crust.

The Ingredients

For the Dough

• 1 cup Full Fat Cottage Cheese
• 3/4 cup Cold Unsalted Butter, Cubed
• 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Salt

For the Filling

• 3/4 cup Walnuts, Finely Chopped
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter, Melted

For the Topping

• 1 Large Egg, Beaten
• 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1

Blend the cottage cheese in a food processor until completely smooth, then transfer it to a bowl. Add the flour, sugar and salt to the processor and pulse to combine, then add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the pieces are the size of small peas.

Add the blended cottage cheese and pulse just until the dough comes together in large clumps.

Step 2

Turn the dough out, divide it into 3 equal portions and shape each into a flat disk. Wrap and chill for at least 1 1/2 hours, until firm.

Step 3

In a small bowl, mix the walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 4

Roll one disk on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Brush with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter and sprinkle evenly with one third of the filling, pressing it in gently.

Step 5

Cut the circle into 12 wedges with a pizza cutter. Roll each wedge up tightly from the wide end to the point and place point side down on the baking sheet.

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, then chill the shaped rugelach for 15 minutes so they hold their shape.

Step 6

Brush the tops with the beaten egg. Mix the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle it over each rugelach.

Step 7

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until deep golden and crisp on the outside. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack.

Quick Tips

Blend the Cottage Cheese Until Silky

Make sure you blend the cottage cheese until there are absolutely no visible curds left. You want the texture to look completely smooth, just like sour cream.

Any leftover curds will release extra moisture as the pastries bake. This can create wet pockets in your dough instead of a flaky, crisp crust.

Keep Your Butter as Cold as Possible

I recommend cubing your butter and placing it in the freezer for about 10 minutes right before you pulse it with the flour.

You want tiny, cold pieces of butter scattered all through the flour. These pockets of butter create steam in the hot oven, which gives you those tender pastry layers.

If the butter gets warm and melts into the flour, the baked dough will turn out dense and greasy instead of light.

Chop the Walnuts into Tiny Pieces

You’ll get the best results if you chop your walnuts very finely, almost like coarse sand.

Large nut pieces make it difficult to roll the wedges tightly. They can easily poke through the thin dough and cause it to tear apart.

Small pieces also spread out more evenly across the circle, so every single bite gets plenty of crunch and flavor.

More Favorites

• Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Swirl Bread
• Cottage Cheese Cranberry Orange Scones
• Cottage Cheese Protein Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake Bars
• Cottage Cheese Protein Maple Pecan Cookies
• Cottage Cheese Protein Snickerdoodles

Quick Answers

Do I really need to blend the cottage cheese first?

Yes, blending until completely smooth is essential to mimic the texture of traditional cream cheese dough. It helps the dairy distribute evenly into the flour.

Leaving the curds whole creates wet pockets in the dough, which makes it harder to roll out and prevents the pastry from baking evenly.