A simple hand rolled, crescent shaped cookie, filled and topped with lots of cinnamon and sugar becomes eggless and nut free rugelach butterhorn cookies. With an almost pastry-like cookie dough, this cookie goes by many names depending on your background!
Eggless and nut free Rugelach Butterhorn cookiesā¦ a long name to cover all bases.
The title is meant to bring clarity to a cookie that I really do not know what to call. Growing up with Italian family members meant I was the recipient of Italian Butterhorn Cookies every Christmas. OR so I was told thatās what theyāre called.
However, after trying for YEARS to find a recipe most similar to my Nonnaās (Italian word for Grandma), I came up short. Fast forward to me this year reading a food magazine and seeing what they called āRugelachā cookies, looking oh so similar to my Italian Butterhorns, I had to try it.
After some research, making the cookies egg free and nut free, I Frankensteined my way to a new cookie, which I am calling both a butterhorn and rugelach cookie. Because why the heck not at this point?!
An Eggless Rugelach Cookie meets a Nut Free Butterhorn Cookie
Whatever you want to call it, it is a hand rolled cookie, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar both inside and out. It is (or can be) shaped like a horse shoe, or a crescent, or for all I know, you can leave it straight.
Unlike the Rugelach and Butterhorn cookies, there are NO EGGS in this recipe. The base consists of butter, cream cheese, sour cream, flour and salt. Nothing fancy.
I even give you my secret recipe for Fake Egg Wash š
Traditional Butterhorns have crushed nuts in them (so please be careful if you have a nut allergy and you encounter a Butterhorn cookie elsewhere.) This recipe of mine has no nuts and in my honest opinion, they donāt need any.
What other filling can I use in Butterhorn Rugelach Cookies
When sampling this recipe, I have tried sprinkling in:
- Rice crispy cereal
- Crushed pretzels
- Finely diced raisins
- Chia seeds
The results? I think the cookie on its own worked better than adding in anything to replace the nuts. The best options are either raisins (which Iām not a fan of in general so do what you will with that information) and crushed pretzels. But why make it more complicated?
In any case, you can make these cookies your own!
I am just here to deliver the goods. The goods being this recipe for Eggless and nut free Rugelach Butterhorn cookies, of course.
BY THE WAY – If you enjoy cinnamon and sugar recipes, may I recommend you try vegan cinnamon sugar banana bread, OR Greek Yogurt Bagel Bite Donuts (very popular), or something fancy like a sourdough discard Cinnamon Roll Wreath!
How to make the Best Eggless and nut free Rugelach Butterhorn cookies:
In a medium mixing bowl, add the butter, cream cheese, and sour cream. Whisk with hand mixer until smooth. Add flour and salt, slowly mixing to combine. Shape into a ball.
Weigh the dough ball or eyeball and divide it in half. For each half, flatten into a round disc shape and cover with plastic wrap. You have two options to cool the dough 1- refrigerate for minimum 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Option 2- a quicker option is to place in freezer for 15-20 minutes. Just as long as it gets you a workable dough.
10 minutes before removing from fridge or freezer, start preheating your oven at 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Make the Cinnamon Mixture in a small separate bowl, mixing well to combine sugar and cinnamon.
Roll out the dough between pieces of parchment paper, keeping a circle āļø shape as best as you can, just making it thinner. Try to make it about 1/8th of an inch thick (basically two pennies stacked on top of each other~.) My discs are about 9-10 inches across when measured after rolling out.
Make the Fake Egg Wash in a small bowl, mixing with a pastry brush.
Brush a thin layer over the dough and then sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of the cinnamon mixture.
Cut the disc into 8 triangles, like cutting a pieces of a pie.
Roll up edges from wide end, tucking the little ātailā slightly under and then curve the ends forming a crescent or horse shoe shape.
Place on prepared sheet pan.
Repeat process with second disc of dough.
Lastly, take remaining Fake Egg Wash and brush over the tops of the cookies, and sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar (optional but encouraged.)
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown
Things that helped in the kitchen for this recipe, and can help you too:
Food thermometer (amazon) to check the temperature of basically everything and anything. One of my most used and underrated kitchen tools.
17.25 X 12.25 inch USA half sheet Pan which can be found on amazon or occasionally HomeGoods stores.
A rolling pin, pick your preferred size. I find that the super long ones are more of a nuisance because they donāt fit in drawers properly, and bump everything on the counter as you roll things out.
Pastry Brushā Make your life easier (and feel like a real baker) and just invest in one! I prefer silicone bristles since it is more sanitary IMO.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.Ā This comes at no cost to you, just like a free Disney travel agent. Iām only here to make suggestions that hopefully help youĀ š
Eggless and Nut Free Rugelach Butterhorn cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese softened (half a standard brick)
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Filling
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Fake Egg Wash
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/2 teaspoon avocado oil
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the butter, cream cheese, and sour cream. Whisk with hand mixer until smooth. Add flour and salt, slowly mixing to combine. Shape into a ball.
- Weigh the dough ball or eyeball and divide it in half. For each half, flatten into a round disc shape and cover with plastic wrap. You have two options to cool the dough 1- refrigerate for minimum 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Option 2- a quicker option is to place in freezer for 15-20 minutes. Just as long as it gets you a dough that holds its shape once cut.
- 10 minutes before removing from fridge or freezer, start preheating your oven at 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Make the Cinnamon Mixture in a small separate bowl, mixing well to combine sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll out the dough between pieces of parchment paper, keeping a circle āļø shape as best as you can, just making it thinner. Try to make it about 1/8th of an inch thick (basically two pennies stacked on top of each other~.) My discs are about 9-10 inches across when measured after rolling out.
- Make the Fake Egg Wash in a small bowl, mixing with a pastry brush.
- Brush a thin layer over the dough and then sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of the cinnamon mixture.
- Cut the disc into 8 triangles, like cutting a pieces of a pie.
- Roll up edges from wide end, tucking the little ātailā slightly under and then curve the ends forming a crescent or horse shoe shape.
- Place on prepared sheet pan.
- Repeat process with second disc of dough.
- Lastly, take remaining Fake Egg Wash and brush over the tops of the cookies, and sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar (optional but encouraged.)
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown
Wonderful! I love this recipe. Taste of Italy!!