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Kolaczki Cookies (Polish Cream Cheese Cookies)

Sarah Pyle

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A classic Polish dessert, Kolaczki (or Kolachy) cookies are tender cream cheese pastry dough cookies with fruit filling. A light dusting of powder sugar adds just enough sweetness.

They’re a great option for cookie swaps or even just served with tea for a treat. And you can even use the dough to make these Homemade Toaster Pastries (Homemade Pop-Tarts), too!!

kolaczki cookies on platter with title text

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If you’ve only experienced store-bought Kolaczki cookies, you are seriously missing out. Made from scratch, you really taste the hint of tang from the cream cheese and it makes for such a tender pastry dough that is still easy to work with. Choose your favorite fruit filling and you’re set! (I’m partial to apricot, strawberry and even tangy lemon curd!)

The tender cream cheese dough and fruit filling make for a perfectly light cookie that is delicious on its own or tossed in powdered sugar. I love them with a cup of hot tea, like this elderflower tea. Additionally, they freeze beautifully so you can enjoy them all year!

Ingredients

ingredients for Kolaczki cookies: flour, butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, fruit filling and powdered sugar

Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter when baking so that you can control the amount of salt that is added. If you only have salted butter, leave out the added salt in the ingredient list.

Cream Cheese: This is another instance where you can use what you have on hand, but I recommend using full-fat cream cheese rather than the Neufchatel (reduced-fat) variety.

Flour: Use All-Purpose Flour here. Bonus Tip: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level it with a butter knife or flat edge. This way you don’t pack in too much flour.

Vanilla Extract and Salt: The vanilla extract is optional, but I really like to add any flavor I can to the dough. And as mentioned above, add 1/4 teaspoon salt if you are using unsalted butter.

Fruit Filling: This is the only ingredient where you really need to be brand specific. My stepmom and many others will tell you that you MUST use Solo Brand Cake and Pastry Filling. Standard jams will spread or thin when baking. This is the best filling for holding its shape for Kolaczki cookies.

Equipment

How to Make Kolaczki Cookies

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking pans with parchment paper, if desired.
  2. Beat Butter and Cream Cheese in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until well combined and smooth.
  3. Add Vanilla Extract and mix to combine.
  4. Add Flour and Salt and gently mix until just combined.
  5. Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
  6. Knead dough into a ball and split into two equal portions.
  7. Flatten each portion into a round disc. Wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
  8. Remove one disc from the fridge and unwrap.
  9. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is 1/4″ to 1/8″ thick. Add additional flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to your surface.
  10. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into 2-inch squares.
  11. Fill each square with 1 tsp of fruit filling.
  12. Fold two opposite edges into the center and pinch to seal. You can dip your finger in water or egg wash to help seal.
  13. Bake for 12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. The dough will puff. You can pinch together any edges that come apart during baking.
  14. Repeat process with second disc of dough while first batch is baking.
  15. Once finished baking, toss the Kolazcki cookies in powdered sugar while still warm. Repeat when they have cooled completely.

Recipe Tips

Once you’ve mixed your dough, it is important to wrap it up and let it chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. This will make it easier to handle and when cold pastry dough is baked, the butter melts making a perfectly tender and flaky cookie.

If you find that the cookies aren’t staying sealed, dip your finger in a bit of water and brush it on the bottom layer of dough. You can even roll and crimp the seam to help make sure it stays sealed.

overhead view of Kolaczki cookies on platter with spoon and cans of fruit filling

If you’re looking for more impressive desserts to serve this holiday season, try this recipe for homemade Macarons.

frequently asked questions

Can you freeze these cookies?

Absolutely! To freeze your Kolaczki Cookies, you can freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan until frozen and then store in a freezer bag or you can stack them in a sealed container between sheets of parchment paper.

They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, if they last that long. 😉 We bake these cookies every Christmas and we’re lucky to have a few left by Valentine’s day.

Can I use any jam for the filling?

I have gotten some feedback from readers that they have been able to use regular jam or curds for their filling. Just make sure that the filling is really thick. I recommend and still stand by Solo Fruit Filling. It doesn’t spread at all and one can of filling can make 48 cookies. My favorite flavors are apricot, raspberry, and cherry.

prepared Kolaczki cookies on plate with can of fruit filling in background

polish kolaczki cookies recipe

Yield: 48 cookies

Kolaczki Cookies (Polish Jam-Filled Cookies)

square image of Kolaczki cookies on beige platter

These traditional Polish cookies are made with cream cheese dough and filled with fruit filling or jam. Deliciously tender, these little morsels practically melt in your mouth.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 12 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Butter (2 sticks), room temperature
  • 8 ounces Cream Cheese, room temperature
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 (12 ounce) Can Solo Apricot Filling
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking pans with parchment paper, if desired.
  2. Beat Butter and Cream Cheese in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until well combined and smooth.
  3. Add Vanilla Extract and mix to combine.
  4. Add Flour and Salt and gently mix until just combined.
  5. Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
  6. Knead dough into a ball and split into two equal portions.
  7. Flatten each portion into a round disc. Wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
  8. Remove one disc from the fridge and unwrap.
  9. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is 1/4" to 1/8" thick. Add additional flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to your surface.
  10. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into 2-inch squares.
  11. Fill each square with 1 tsp of fruit filling.
  12. Fold two opposite edges into the center and pinch to seal. You can dip your finger in water or egg wash to help seal.
  13. Bake for 12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. The dough will puff. You can pinch together any edges that come apart during baking.
  14. Repeat process with second disc of dough while first batch is baking.
  15. Once finished baking, toss the Kolazcki cookies in powdered sugar while still warm. Repeat when they have cooled completely.

Notes

You can use any flavor filling you like. We have enjoyed Apricot, Raspberry, Cherry, and even Plum. The most important tip is to make sure you use Solo Cake and Pastry Filling.

These cookies freeze beautifully so you can enjoy them all year. I have some family members who love to eat them frozen, or you can just let them thaw to room temperature. No reheating is required.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

48

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 81Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g

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By on October 29th, 2023

About Sarah Pyle

Hi, I'm Sarah. The voice behind Feast for a Fraction. I've been a penny-pincher all my life, but still have a taste for nice things. I'm here to show you that you can eat (and live) well on a budget. From recipes and DIY tips to ways to make extra money, we'll be in control of our budgets together!

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19 thoughts on “Kolaczki Cookies (Polish Cream Cheese Cookies)”

  1. I suggest you make your own apricot filling. Solo is nowhere near as good as it used to be and it’s so easy to cook dried apricots!

    Reply
  2. While looking for something different to make for Christmas, I saw these. I am not a pie filling from a can kind of girl and thought I would try my homemade lemon curd, instead, as we all love lemon anything in this house…and I wanted something simpler….this is not a difficult assembly either…they turned out AMAZING!!!!!! And the lemon curd held up perfect…it didn’t run out of the cookie at all….this recipe is a keeper, for sure!!!

    Reply
  3. I’ve had these cookies many years ago and my favorite were the cream cheese kolachies, would you know how I would make the cream cheese mixture to put inside the cookie instead of the fruit filling?

    Reply
  4. I’m going to try these today. I learned a trick from my mother in law on using the Solo filling. Sometimes it runs a little thin when heated, she would add a little bit of flour, a couple of teaspoons, to the can and stir it in before putting it in the cookie. It helped it to set up and not leak out. It didn’t change the taste. Works great.

    Reply
    • Hi, Nancy. I’m sorry you’re unable to find Solo. A thick jam or curd will work (don’t use jelly), but you may see some spreading of the filling. They will still taste great!

      Reply
    • Hi, Linda. The dough is more the texture of pie crust, flaky and tender. You could try rolling them, but make sure to press before you bake so that it holds the correct shape.

      Reply
  5. Growing up in a Polish home, these were a Christmas and Easter tradition. They freeze well. The only difference between this recipe and the one we made is, we used lard for the pastry.

    Reply

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