Rugelach with Orange and Cranberry

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Rugelach with orange and cranberry combines citrus, tart cranberry and dark chocolate all wrapped in a decadent cream cheese dough! This riff of my chocolate rugelach will delight you and your guests from Thanksgiving to Hanukkah and all year long.

If you love cranberry and orange together, try my cranberry orange jam!

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Cranberry orange rugelach on a white plate decorated with fresh cranberries and orange peel.

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Why you'll love this recipe!

Most importantly, because cranberry and orange is a magical combination in almost any application
One the rare occasions that Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are close together (which they were the year I developed this recipe), it makes a great dessert for both occasions.
You've already made my super popular cranberry jam and you're looking for another way to use it.
You've made my award-winning chocolate rugelach and are looking for a new variation.
My late son and my late Aunt Marilyn both inspired this rugelach flavor so it must be magical!

How this recipe evolved

For a burst of orange flavor, I infused the dough with orange zest and use a swipe of citrus marmalade for topping. For the tangy tart cranberry taste, I replaced our traditional currants with dried cranberries in the filling and used homemade cranberry jam to line the inside of the dough.

Don’t let the cranberry jam scare you off – it is simple to make and will be so welcome on your turkey sandwich leftovers. But a stand-in of raspberry jam, store-bought or try this cranberry raspberry jam recipe from Jenni at the blog pastrychefonline will also work. Or use leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving!

For the citrus marmalade, I splurged on an Italian mixed citrus version but any good-quality orange marmalade will do.

Hand holding one rugelach over a cooling rack full of them.

Let's make cranberry orange rugelach step-by-step!

(Printable recipe card is at the end of the post with ingredients, measurements and step-by-step instructions. This section includes more and larger pictures and high level explanations of the process.)

Make the dough:

Rub the orange zest into the sugar.
Beat the butter and cream cheese until soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in the sour cream and 2 tablespoons of orange-zested sugar until well combined, about 1 minute. Add flour and use the mixer on low speed to carefully mix until just blended. Combine until the flour is just mixed in and the dough can be pulled together into a ball.
Divide the dough into 4 similar-size pieces, wrap the dough pieces in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Make the filling:

In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate, walnuts, cranberries, 4 tablespoons sugar, and orange zest. Set aside at room temperature.

Orange cranberry rugelach filling in a white bowl.

Roll the rugelach:

Get all your tools and ingredients ready to go.
Take one dough ball from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter and ⅛ inch thick.
Brush the dough with jam. Sprinkle the filling mixture evenly over the jam and press down gently.
Cut the dough into 12 triangles using a pizza or dough cutter. Gently but firmly roll up each triangle up starting at the wide end. Place the rugelach, with the pointed side underneath, on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Roll up the remaining triangles in the same manner and arrange them on the sheet, about ½ inch apart.
Brush each rugelach with a dab of the orange or citrus marmalade, then refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes before baking. While in the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350°F.

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Cranberry orange rugelach dough rolled out and ready to fill.

Close up of orange cranberry rugelach with marmalade brushed on top.

Bake the rugelach:

Bake two sheets at a time, switching the sheets after 20 minutes, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges start to brown and filling starts to ooze a bit.
Once out of the oven, transfer the rugelach to a rack to cool for at least an hour. Store in a closed container for several days or the rugelach can be frozen, well wrapped, for 2 to 4 weeks; let return to room temperature before serving.

Orange cranberry rugelach baked on a cooling rack.

Beth's expert tips and shortcut suggestions

I cannot tell a lie - rugelach is not as quick to make as one-bowl brownies. But with a bit of planning, you can prep them in steps and fit in parts of the process when it's convenient for you!

Dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day or two or even frozen.
Filling can be mixed and left covered at room temperature for a day in a cool dry place.
You can freeze unbaked or baked rugelach for later use.
You can bake in partial batches - no need to make all 48 at the same time.
OR, get a helper, make a double batch of dough, set up an assembly line and make a mountain of rugelach in one afternoon.

Rugelach with cranberry and orange cut in half.

Can I freeze rugelach?

Yes! You can freeze the dough, the formed but unbaked rugelach, or the baked rugelach. Just be sure they are wrapped air-tight and they will be fine in the freezer for up to two months.

What can I substitute for the cranberry jam?

Raspberry jam, store-bought or homemade will work or try using some leftover cranberry sauce!

Do I have to use mini chocolate chips?

No! I do because it saves me the step of chopping the chocolate but a chunk of good-quality chocolate is a great choice for this recipe!

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Rugelach with orange and cranberry on a white plate.

Rugelach with Cranberry and Orange

Beth Lee

A rugelach combining an orange-scented dough with dried cranberries, dark chocolate, toasted walnuts, and homemade cranberry jam - it's a burst of Thanksgiving and Hannukah goodness in every bite.

4.72 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 35

Course Dessert

Cuisine Jewish Holiday Baking

Servings servings

Calories 104 kcal

Equipment

1 sheet pan pack of 2

Ingredients

Dough:

2 sticks unsalted butter (8 ounces, at room temperature)
4 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
½ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest (about 1 ½ medium oranges)
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

6 ounces dark chocolate (medium fine chop)
1 cup toasted walnuts (about 4 ounces, medium fine chop)
⅓ cup dried cranberries (about 1 ½ ounces, chopped to about the size of currants)
4 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon orange zest
½ cup cranberry orange jam or use raspberry or leftover cranberry sauce!
2 tablespoons orange or citrus marmalade (my marmalade was quite spreadable – if yours is a bit thick – you can heat it for 10 seconds at a time in the microwave with a bit of water to loosen it up if necessary)

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Instructions

Make the dough:

Put the 2 tablespoons of sugar into a small bowl, add in the zest, and combine with your hands until the sugar is fragrant with the zest. (I learned this technique from Dorie Greenspan – it is a great way to infuse citrus and herb flavors into baked goods.)
In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium high speed until soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in the sour cream and 2 tablespoons of orange-zested sugar until well combined, about 1 minute. Add flour and use mixer on low speed to carefully mix in the flour until well blended. Be careful not to over-mix or knead. Just combine until the flour is mixed in and the dough can be pulled together into a ball.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (eyeball or weigh - it's up to you). I wrap each individually and put them in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour or overnight. You can even leave them for a few days or freeze them.

Make the filling:

In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate, walnuts, cranberries, 4 tablespoons of sugar, and orange zest. Set aside at room temperature. (can prepare ahead of time by a few hours or even a day)

Roll the rugelach:

The key to rugelach making is to get organized. Put your jam(s) into small bowls each with a pastry brush for spreading. Have your flour available for dough preparation. Pizza cutter at the ready. ½ cup measure ready for filling. Cookie sheets lined with silicone mat or parchment nearby. Keep all dough refrigerated except the one you are currently forming.
On a lightly floured surface, form the dough into a ball and flatten it out. Roll the dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter and ⅛ inch thick. Perfection is not the goal. A few cracks on the edges is ok!
Brush 2 tablespoons of the cranberry jam over the dough. Sprinkle a generous ½ cup of the filling mixture evenly over the dough and press down gently. Cut the dough into 12 triangles using a pizza or dough cutter. Gently but firmly roll each triangle up starting at the wide end. Place the rugelach, with the pointed side underneath, on a large cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Roll up the remaining triangles in the same manner and arrange them on the sheet, about ½ inch apart.
Brush each rugelach with a dab of the orange or citrus marmalade, then refrigerate the pan for 15 – 30 minutes before baking. This step seems to help then hold their form when baking. While in the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350°.
Repeat with the remaining dough, preserves and filling mixture; the rugelach will fit on 2 - 3 cookie sheets, depending on how large your sheets are. Do not overcrowd them.

Bake the rugelach:

Bake up to two sheets at a time, switching the sheets after 20 minutes, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges start to brown and filling starts to ooze a bit. I found if I baked one sheet at a time, it took just under 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Once out of the oven, transfer the rugelach to a rack to cool. Store in a closed container for several days or the rugelach can be frozen, well wrapped, for 2-4 weeks; let return to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day or two or even frozen.

Filling can be mixed and left covered at room temperature for a day in a cool dry place.

You can freeze unbaked or baked rugelach for later use.

You can bake in partial batches - no need to make all 48 at the same time.

OR, get a helper, make a double batch of dough, set up an assembly line and make a mountain of rugelach in one afternoon.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcalCarbohydrates: 7gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 12mgPotassium: 46mgSugar: 5gVitamin A: 165IUVitamin C: 0.6mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.5mg

Keyword cranberry, orange, rugelach

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