Kolaczki Polish Cookies are the perfect Christmas treat and make a lovely addition to any holiday cookie plate. These little pastries, made with a rich and tender cream cheese dough wrapped around a gooey jam filling, are truly epic in flavor—just as tasty as they are beautiful!
These buttery cookies are one of my favorites to make because they’re so simple! This Kolaczki dough recipe is made with just three ingredients: cream cheese, butter, and flour. A delicious dough and sweet fruit filling come together to create an incredibly addictive cookie. Each cookie is filled with fruit spread and, after baking, lightly sprinkled with vanilla powdered sugar.
These adorable bite-sized cookies make the perfect holiday treat, especially when paired with a cup of tea. Plus, they’re so small you can enjoy more than one without feeling guilty. They also freeze beautifully, so you can savor them all year round!
Looking for more easy to make cookies? Make sure to try my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and these Raspberry Coconut Linzer Cookies!
Making Kolaczki cookies is a holiday tradition in my house. I started making these over 20 years ago and have perfected my technique over the years, and since I am Polish, it makes me happy enjoying something from my heritage. These cookies have become a staple in my traditional Polish Christmas celebration, and they’re adored by my family. My daughter, in particular, can’t imagine having a Christmas without them!
This is the go-to cookie during the holidays! Add this easy Kolaczki cookie recipe to your list for this year’s baking. Fill these delicate treats with your favorite fruit preserves and start your own tradition!
WHAT ARE KOLACZKI COOKIES?
Kolaczki cookies are made from a simple pastry made from cream cheese, butter, flour, then folded over a little jam filling and lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Interestingly, I’ve discovered various spellings for these delicious cookies, including Kolache, Kolachkes, Kolachky. Additionally, I’ve seen Kolaczki referred to as ‘Polish cream cheese cookies,’ also spelled ‘Kołaczki’ in Polish.
Kolaczki are Eastern European cookies and are popular in Poland as well as in Czech Republic, Austria, Denmark and probably more places during the holidays! They can be made in a wide variety of shapes, including round, square or diamond-shaped, and the dough can be flaky or yeast-risen.
WHY THIS KOLACZKI COOKIE RECIPE IS BEST
- The dough requires very few ingredients.
- The recipe is simple, quick to make, and you can use all flavors of filling.
INGREDIENTS FOR EASY KOLACZKI COOKIES
Here’s what you need to make these traditional Polish cookies:
- Flour – This recipe used unbleached All-Purpose flour.
- Butter – Softened to room temperature. Make sure to use unsalted butter to keep the Kolaczki cookies from tasting salty. These cookies have a rich, buttery taste, so I recommend using good-quality butter.
- Cream Cheese – Be sure to use regular cream cheese, not low-fat, as it provides the best texture. Allow it to come to room temperature before using.
- Filling for Kolaczki: You can use any fruit filling you wish, but the consistency should be firm, not runny. I’m using two different types of filling: Plum Butter (Powidla Śliwkowe) and Solo Apricot Cake & Pastry Filling. Standard jams may spread or thin out when baking. Look for products labeled ‘cake and pastry filling’ in the baking aisle at the grocery store. For convenience, opt for Solo brand canned fillings – their thick consistency ensures a clean, spill-free baking experience.
- Powdered Sugar & Vanilla sugar – To dust the baked, cooled kolachkes cookies.
You can find the exact amounts you’ll need for all the ingredients on the printable recipe card below.
HOW TO MAKE KOLACZKI COOKIES
1. Place the sifted flour, cream cheese, and butter in a large bowl. Begin mixing the ingredients with a pastry cutter or fork. Once the dough has come together into a consistent mass, knead it smooth with your hands. The dough will be soft and sticky.
2. Once the dough is well-mixed, divide it into 2 equal-sized pieces and flatten each slightly into a disk. Wrap them separately in plastic wrap and let them rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour to firm up.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Remove one dough disk from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface.
5. Roll out the dough on a silicone mat, sprinkling a little flour to prevent sticking. Roll the dough into a square or rectangle, about ⅛ inch thick.
6. Using a fluted pastry cutter or pizza cutter, trim the edges of the dough and cut it into 2-inch squares. Place about ½ teaspoon of your chosen filling in the center of each square.
7. To shape the kolaczki, dab a bit of water on one corner to help seal the opposite point. Fold one corner over to the center of the square, then fold the opposite corner over. Press gently to seal, making sure the cookies don’t pop open in the oven.
8. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, this recipe make about 90 cookies.
9. Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
10. Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Then, sprinkle with vanilla powdered sugar and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You may need to dust with powdered sugar again before serving. Enjoy! Smacznego!
TRADITIONAL FILLING FOR KOLACZKI COOKIES – Plum Butter filling – My favorite is Plum Butter – in polish “Powidła Śliwkowe”
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BEST KOLACZKI COOKIES
Below, find a couple of tips and tricks to help you make the best KOLACZKI.
- Use softened butter and cream cheese, as it makes it much easier to incorporate them into the dough. To soften, take them out of the fridge about 2 hours before you begin.
- Lightly dust the work surface with flour to prevent the dough from sticking to it.
- Don’t skip the chilling step. Plan ahead a little, as you’ll need to refrigerate the dough for an hour before rolling it out, adding the topping, and baking.
- Let the cookies cool completely. You’ll want to the cookies to be fully cooled before you dust them with powdered sugar. To do this, use a fine mesh strainer: place a spoonful of sugar in the strainer and gently shake or tap it to evenly dust the cookies.
STORING TIPS
Once baked: These kolaczki cookies can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you need to stack them, place parchment paper or wax paper in between the layers to prevent sticking.
To freeze: Bake and cool cookies, do not dust with powdered sugar. Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze them. Once they’re completely frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container separated by sheets of parchment paper. You can freeze baked Kolaczki cookies for up to 3 months. Dust with powdered sugar after the cookies have fully thawed.
EQUIPMENT
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheet
- Mixing Bowl
- Pizza cutter or Fluted Pastry Cutter
- Plastic Wrap
- Parchment Paper
FAQ
How to store kolaczki ? – These cookies tend to become soggy after several days, so store them in the refrigerator tightly covered without the powdered sugar. Dust with powdered sugar just prior to serving.
Can You freeze kolaczki cookies? – Yes, you can freeze these cookies. Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze them. Once they’re completely frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container separated by sheets of parchment paper.
Can You freeze kolaczki dough? – Yes, you can freeze a batch of dough up to 3 months before using. Just wrap it well or store in a freezer ziplock bag. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight before you plan to use it and roll it out the next day.
Do I have to chill the dough? – Yes, you have to chill the dough, to prevent the dough from spreading too much. Also, because this dough has a high ratio of butter and cream cheese, you do need to chill it to make it easier to roll out.
My cookies are still soft, should I cook them longer? – No, cookies are always soft when they’re just out of the oven. Once they cool down, they will toughen up to the right degree.
How do I keep my Kolaczki closed? – When assembling kolaczki, moisten one corner of the cookie before pinching it to the other. Pinch to press the dough together to seal securely. There will always be some rebels that pop open, but I just claim those for myself. 😉
MORE DELICIOUS COOKIE RECIPES
- Orange Sugar Cookies
- Citrus Curd Linzer Cookies
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies
- Almond Sand Dollar Cookies
KEEP IN TOUCH!
I hope you enjoy this Kolaczki Cookies recipe as much as I do! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turns out. Comment on the post if you have questions, other ideas for the recipe, or if you just enjoyed reading—I’d be happy to see your feedback! ❤️
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Happy Baking! -A
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*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
This post was originally published in April 2022, republished in December 2024.
KOLACZKI POLISH COOKIES
Equipment
- Baking Cookie Sheets
- Measuring cups
- Pizza Cutter
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment paper
- Plastic Wrap
Ingredients
For the Pastry Dough:
- 8 ounces (250 g) cream cheese at room temperature
- 250 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour sifted, plus more for rolling
- water to seal pastry dough
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar for dusting finished cookies
- 9 g vanilla sugar for dusting finished cookies/optional
Filling:
- 1-1½ cups pastry fruit filling plum, apricot pastry filling
Instructions
- Place the sifted flour, cream cheese, and butter in a large bowl. Begin mixing the ingredients with a pastry cutter or fork. Once the dough has come together into a consistent mass, knead it smooth with your hands. The dough will be soft and sticky.
- Once the dough is well-mixed, divide it into 2 equal-sized pieces and flatten each slightly into a disk. Wrap them separately in plastic wrap and let them rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour to firm up. When ready to bake, work with one disc of dough at a time.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Remove one dough disk from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. After chilling, let the dough sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before rolling.
- Roll out the dough on a silicone mat or clean surface, sprinkling a little flour to prevent sticking. Roll the dough into a square or rectangle, about ⅛ inch thick.
- Using a fluted pastry cutter or pizza cutter, trim the edges of the dough and cut it into 2-inch squares.
- Place about ½ teaspoon of your chosen filling in the center of each square. Don’t overfill, or the filling will spill out during baking.
- To shape the kolaczki, dab a bit of water on one corner to help seal the opposite point. Fold one corner over to the center of the square, then fold the opposite corner over. Press gently to seal, making sure the cookies don’t pop open in the oven (It’s easier to pick up the square, fill it in your hand, and then seal it).
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Then, sprinkle with vanilla powdered sugar and serve.
- In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar with vanilla sugar. Dust the cooled cookies with the vanilla powdered sugar, then serve. Enjoy! Smacznego!
Notes
- Be certain to allow the dough to fully chill before rolling it out.
- To dust the cookies with powdered sugar, use a fine mesh strainer, then place a spoonful of the sugar in the strainer and shake it or tap it lightly.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You may need to dust them with powdered sugar again before serving.
Kołaczko are not popular in Poland. Practically unknown. Even the word “kołaczki” is not a proper Polish noun.
Thank you for sharing your perspective! It’s interesting how culinary traditions can vary across regions. While it’s true that the popularity of dishes can differ, kołaczki are indeed known and enjoyed in certain parts of Poland, particularly in the context of regional variations. The term ‘kołaczki’ might not be universally recognized, and there could be local names or variations. Culinary diversity is one of the things that makes exploring different regions so fascinating.