Apricot Cookies
This recipe for Apricot Cookies brings together sweet apricot jam, coconut, and toasted walnuts for a rich, flavorful filling tucked inside a tender, buttery cookie. They’re a wonderful choice for spring gatherings, afternoon tea, or adding something a little special to your holiday baking tray.
Easy Apricot Cookies Recipe
There’s just something special about spending time in the kitchen making cookies for my family. The sound of the mixer running usually bring them running to the kitchen for that first warm batch coming out of the oven. These apricot cookies or kolacky (sometimes spelled kolaczki or kolachky) are believed to have polish roots, and feature a tender, cream cheese–based cookie dough. filled with fruit, and folded into little envelopes or pinwheels.
Apricot is a longtime favorite filling, but you’ll also see raspberry, prune, or poppy seed. The magic is in that balance: a lightly sweet, buttery dough wrapped around a bright, jammy center. And of course, a dusting of powdered sugar on top never hurts.
These apricot cookies are quick and cozy. Kolacky are the kind of cookies that show up at Christmas, weddings, church potlucks, and family reunions, often made from recipes scribbled on worn index cards. They take a little time, especially when you’re folding each one by hand, but that’s part of their charm. They’re not just cookies; they’re tradition, shared one small, sweet bite at a time.
Key ingredients to make cream cheese Apricot Cookies (Kolaches): (Scroll down for the full printable recipe card.)
- Flour – All purpose flour has just the right amount of gluten to make a tender cookie dough.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar for sweetness. (white sugar) Powdered sugar for dusting the cookies before serving.
- Nuts – Toasted walnuts for crunch.
- Salt – Salt enhances the flavor.
- Butter – Unsalted butter gives the pastry its buttery taste.
- Cream Cheese – Soft room temperature cream cheese adds a creamy element to the dough.
- Flavorings – Vanilla extract and almond extract add flavor.
- Apricot Jam Filling – Apricot preserves work best, not jelly. Also sweetened flaked coconut for texture.
How to Make the Best Apricot Cookies Recipe
- Toast Walnuts – Spread nuts on a baking sheet. Place into a preheated 350°F oven and toast just until fragrant.
- Soft the Dry Ingredients – Whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.
- Creamed Ingredients – Cream together butter and cream cheese with vanilla extract and almond extracts until light and fluffy.
- Combine – Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients mixing to combine.
- Divide Dough – Form into discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat Oven and Prepare Pan – Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Make the Apricot Filling Mix together apricot preserves, coconut and walnuts; set aside.
- Roll the Dough – Roll one disc of dough into a rectangle. Cut into 2-inch squares.
- Assemble – Spread each square with apricot mixture, bring opposite corners together slightly overlapping; press lightly to seal. Transfer to pan 2-inches apart.
- Oven – Bake per the recipe just until edges are golden brown.
- Serve – Cool on a wire rack, and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Kitchen Equipment to Make Apricot Cookies
- Baking sheet pans or cookie sheets.
- Large bowl and medium bowl.
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
- Pastry brush.
- Pizza cutter, pastry wheel or knife.
- Stand mixer or hand mixer.
- Wire rack.
Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions
- Jam– You can adapt the filling using flavor of fruit jam. Make raspberry cookies, strawberry cookies or peach cookies.
- Nuts – You could use chopped pistachios, pecans or almonds in place of walnuts.
- Chocolate – This light and flaky cream cheese dough is delicious filled with chocolate bar sections or chocolate chips. Sprinkle a teaspoon of nuts into the mix for crunch.
- Brown Sugar – You could also fill the cookies with a brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon mixture for spice.
- Citrus Fillings – Lemon curd or lime curd.
- Glaze – You can drizzle the top with a simple vanilla cram glaze in place of powder sugar.
- Chill the Dough – It’s important to chill the dough thoroughly which make these cookies perfect for make-ahead preparation. It’s important, don’t skip it.
Storage and Leftovers
- Leftovers – You can store Apricot Kolacky in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Once chilled, the powdered sugar will melt so dust them again with powdered sugar before serving.
- Freezer – You can fully assemble these cookies and freeze them on a sheet pan overnight. Once frozen, package them in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and bake them per the recipe just before serving.
More Cookie Recipes to Make
- Soft Peanut Butter Cookies are a fan favorite!
- Kitchen Sink Cookies are loaded with flavor.
- Peanut Butter Cowboy Cookies never last long in your cookie jar.
- Treat yourself to classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and a tall glass of milk.
- Funfetti Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies are like a party in your mouth.
- These Carrot Cake Pudding Cookies hit all of the same flavor points as carrot cake.
- Powder sugar coated Snowball Cookies are a holiday must make.
- Glazed Lemon Cookies for a burst of citrus in every bite.
- Lofthouse Cookies from Food Network.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Apricot Cookies
Ingredients
- Pastry:
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts toasted
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 8 oz block cream cheese softened
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- Filling:
- 1 cup apricot preserves (not jelly)
- 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Toast Walnuts: Spread nuts on a baking sheet. Place into a preheated 350°F oven and toast for 6-8 minutes or just until fragrant. Cool.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric hand mixer in a medium size mixing bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese with vanilla and almond extracts. Beat until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in sifted flour mixture just until fully blended.
- Divide dough into fourths, form into discs about 3/4 inch thick and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with no-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Make the Filling: In a small mixing bowl, mix together apricot preserves, coconut and walnuts; set aside.
- Assemble: On a lightly floured surface, roll one fourth of dough at a time into an 8 x 10-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut rolled dough into 2-inch squares.
- Spread each square with 1 teaspoon apricot mixture, leaving edges of dough uncovered. Moisten one corner of dough with water. Beginning at opposite corner, bring together slightly overlapping; press lightly to seal. (If you have an issue getting the edges to stick, use a beaten egg with a little water to moisten the corners.) Place onto pan at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or just until edges begin to lightly brown. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar and serve.
- Store leftover cookies chilled or at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
My mother-in-law used to make something like this. Was never sure what they were called, but I
always enjoyed them. I never had the recipe, but I’m not sure she did either. She was German, and made wonderful cookies at Christmas. She also made something called Dedikeithla (sp?) that’s what it sounded like when she said what they were. They were a twisted, tangled cookie that she deep fried in oil and dusted with powder sugar. Loved those also. They tasted like wafles at a festival.
Thanks so much for the cookie recipe. I will certainly make these and my husband will enjoy them too. He still talks about his mom’s Christmas cookies.
Thank you for sharing your family memory. These kind of sweet filled cookies do have European roots and were no doubt brought to the US by the immigrants who settled here. The other cookie sounds AMAZING too!