Nut-free, dairy-free Rugelach

Happy Hanukkah! I’ve always wanted to make some nut and dairy-free Rugelach and Hanukkah is the perfect time to come up with a new recipe. Rugelach is a filled pastry originating from the Jewish communities of Poland. They are buttery and flaky with a sweet cinnamon scent.

Normally made with a nutty filling this version replaces the crunch with Demerara sugar spiced up with wonderfully warming cinnamon. Apricot jam would have been a nice addition but I didn’t have any to hand.

I did wonder if the dough would work dairy-free as it’s essentially butter, cream cheese and flour. I’ve never made rugelach before so I’m not familiar with how they are meant to taste but this dairy free version is delightfully crisp, flaky and moreish. Be warned that the dough is very soft and sticky so you have to be sure to chill it well before shaping and be prepared for some stick!

Hopefully someone who is familiar with the usual rugelach can give these a go and let me know if they’re at all authentic? Either way they’re pretty delicious and a great snack for Hanukkah or any other time!

Nut-free and Dairy-free Rugelach

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes 24

110g dairy-free margarine

120g dairy-free ream cheese (I used Violife creamy)

150g plain flour

1 tbsp caster sugar

pinch of salt

zest of 1/2 a lemon

for the filling:

2 tbsp demerara sugar

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

extra demerara sugar and dairy-free milk to finish

1. Cream together the margarine and cream cheese.
2. Add the salt, sugar and plain flour and mix to form a very soft dough. 
3. Split into two and wrap each half in cling film and chill for at least a couple of hours.
4. When fully chilled preheat the oven to 170 degrees Centigrade fan, 180 degrees centigrade non-fan
5. Roll out each half of dough between two sheets of parchment until about 2mm thick. It will be sticky!
6. Sprinkle over half of the filling on each circle and then using a pizza cutter, divide the circle into twelve equal slices.
7. Starting at the wide end, roll up each slice until it looks like a little croissant.
8. Place on a lined baking sheet.
9. Brush with dairy-free milk and sprinkle over a little extra Demerara sugar.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes (turning he baking sheet half way through) until golden.
11. Cool on a wire rack.