These traditional Polish crescent cookies with walnut filling, also known as kifli, are buttery, delicate, and melt-in-your-mouth favorite Christmas cookies also loved at Easter and Passover.
Whether you call them kiflies, kifli, roszke, kolaczki, kolacky, or kolache, these easy walnut cookies feed the crowd and are the single most famous holiday treat that you can make.
Kifli (also spelled kiflies, kieflies, or kiffles) are the perfect cookies for sharing and gifting because, with just a handful of ingredients, you can have quite an incredible number of cookies.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions. However, there's important stuff to know before you scroll down.
I even cut the original recipe (found in our local newspaper - South Bend Tribune) in half because there were so many cookies! And then, I updated the recipe and cut the ingredients in half again!
📃 Why it Works
- They feed a crowd.
- Easy to make.
- The ingredients are all pantry staples.
- You don't need yeast for the dough.
- It's not Christmas without these popular kiflies.
- They are great for gifting at any time of year.
What are kiflies?
Kiflies are favorite Eastern-European crescent cookies with flaky yeastless dough and heavenly walnut or fruit filling (usually jam, but you can also mix in dried fruit). They are rolled in powdered sugar, but they aren't overly sweet.
Rumor has it kifli originated in Hungary and are sometimes called kolache cookies - depending on the country, you will find them as rolls, roszke, rosky, or rosćići (little horns).
Either way, these delicacies will melt in your mouth, making this Christmas treat an unforgettable experience for everyone who tries one.
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
All of the ingredients for kiflies are common, so you probably already have them on hand.
- You need all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, egg yolks, and sour cream for the dough.
- For the filling, you need egg whites, regular or powdered sugar, and ground walnuts.
See - nothing bizarre! However, add a teaspoon of vanilla to the filling if you like!
🔪 Instructions
Step 1
- Add the cold butter to the flour.
- Using a food processor, a pastry blender, or a fork, blend the butter and flour to create a coarse, crumb-like consistency.
- In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks and sour cream.
- Add the flour mixture. Blend and knead lightly until the mixture is like pie dough.
Step 2
- Shape the dough into 24 walnut-size balls, cover, and refrigerate for an hour.
- Meanwhile, make the filling, beat the egg whites until fluffy, add the sugar and beat until stiff.
- Gently fold in the ground nuts.
Step 3
- In a bowl, mix all-purpose flour and sugar. Remove half of the balls from the refrigerator and roll them into a flour/sugar mixture; roll the balls out into a thin circle.
- Place a heaping teaspoon of filling on each and roll it into a crescent shape. Pinch ends; place seam-side down on a greased cookie sheet.
- Bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes; cool slightly and roll them in confectioners' sugar.
Don't be surprised when you open your tin of cookies and everyone comes running. They're just that irresistible, especially during the holidays.
- Add a teaspoon of rum, vanilla extract, cinnamon, or lemon zest to the filling if you prefer.
- Make sure to roll your dough very thin, or it will puff up and crack.
- For nut allergies, replace the walnut with almonds or use your favorite jam or pastry fruit filling.
- This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. Replace the walnuts with almonds (if you're not allergic to them), or use your favorite jam or pastry fruit filling. Even better if you use homemade jam.
For those who are gluten-intolerant, you'll love this gluten-free kiflie recipe from another South Bender (her Christmas memories also involve grandma baking kiflies).
Stored in an airtight tin or container, they will keep for a week in a cool place.
Yes, freeze the baked cookies for up to 6 months. Just make sure not to roll them into powdered sugar if you decide to freeze them. Do so after they're defrosted for at least two hours and have reached room temperature.
Perhaps you didn't beat the eggs with sugar until stiff (I've made that mistake). It's also possible that your eggs were large or jumbo size. To prevent the thin filling from running out, add more ground walnuts.
I always make meringue cookies (you'll get about 12). Spoon filling (about a tablespoon) on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake (or rather dry) at 200°F for an hour.
What are your Christmas traditions?
If you're from a European household like me, any "crescent cookie" sounds somewhat legendary. After all, these are something only your grandma could execute flawlessly; even then, it took years of practice!
Tell me your favorite Christmas cookie in the comments!
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Liked this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
Polish Christmas Cookies - Kifli
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 stick unsalted cold butter, diced
- 3 egg yolks, from medium size eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
Filling
- 3 egg whites, from medium size eggs
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups walnuts, ground or finely chopped
Coating
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Dough
- Prepare dry ingredients: Using a food processor or a pastry blender, blend the butter into the flour, creating a coarse, crumb-like consistency.
- Prepare wet ingredients: Mix the egg yolks and sour cream in a large bowl.
- Make the Dough: Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Blend and knead lightly until the consistency is like a pie dough. Shape into small, walnut-sized balls, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Filling
- Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until fluffy. Add ⅓ of the sugar at a time and beat until well blended and the mixture is stiff.
- Gently fold in the ground nuts.
Assemble
- Coat the dough balls: Whisk together two tablespoons of all-purpose flour and two tablespoons of sugar in a medium bowl. Take half of the dough balls out of the refrigerator and roll them into the flour/sugar mixture. Keep the rest chilled.
- Roll the dough: Roll the balls out on a small amount of flour/sugar mixture into a thin circle.
- Fill the dough: Place a heaping teaspoon of filling on each dough circle and roll it up into a crescent shape. Pinch the ends tightly - place seam-side down on a parchment paper-lined or greased cookie sheet.
- Repeat the above steps with the rest of the dough and filling.
- Bake the cookies: Bake kiflies in an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly.
- Coat the cookies: Roll the warm cookies in a bowl of confectioners' (powdered) sugar.
Video
Notes
- Add a teaspoon of rum, vanilla extract, cinnamon, or lemon zest to the filling if you prefer.
- Roll the dough into walnut-size or smaller. You can also tear the dough into 24 equal-size pieces and then roll it into balls.
- Make sure to roll your dough very thin, or it will puff up and crack.
- Some filling might come out. No worries, there will still be enough left in the cookies.
- For nut allergies, replace the walnut with almonds or use your favorite jam or pastry fruit filling.
- Bake the cookies on two large cookie sheets on a convection setting or bake in batches.
- This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
- You will have leftover filling. You can try to cut the filling in two-thirds or half. I always use the excess filling to make meringues. See the recipe in the FAQs section of the post above.
- For more helpful tips, see the post above.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in December 2018 and updated in September 2022 with new photos, a video, and recipe tips.
Anna M says
This is the recipe my mom made when I was a child. She made the full batch and we usually had more than 100 cookies....but not for long! 🙂 The recipe card had been lost, and I have been searching for this for 4 years!
Thank you so much!!!!!
Jas says
Awe, I'm so happy this recipe is like your mom's, Anna! I hope you'll be creating new memories with it for years to come! Happy Holidays! 😀
Brenda Oliver Tuttle says
These have been a recipe used in my family since I was a child. It’s not the holidays without them. However, we have a slight alteration to the filling, we add rum to the filling mixture. The alcohol cooks out but gives a wonderful taste. Happy Holidays!
Jas says
I think every family has their own recipe, and I absolutely love yours! I will be adding rum to my next batch for sure! Thanks for sharing and stopping in! Happy holidays! 😀
Linda Hart says
My mom's and mine favorite Christmas cookie! She would add a little bit (teaspoon or so) of consentrated orange juice to the filling. Everyone loved them!
Jas says
I love that, Linda! Orange juice would definitely add a fantastic flavor! Doing it next season! Thanks for sharing and happy holidays! 😀
Jo says
Hi is it 1/2 pound or 1/2 cup of powdered surgar?
Jas says
Hi Jo, it is 1/2 pound. I know it sounds like a lot, but it is correct. Thanks for stopping in! 🙂
Basia Lynn says
You mentioned freezing. Is that before or after baking ? Thanks
Jas says
You can freeze them after baking. Lay them on the counter for 2 hours to thaw and then dust with powdered sugar if desired. 🙂
Dawn Monico says
Are you supposed to cover the dough balls as they sit in the refrigerator overnight?
Jas says
Hi, Dawn! You can cover them lightly with saran (cling) wrap if you prefer. 🙂
Chris says
These turned out exactly how I wanted them too. My Slovak grandma and great aunts made cookies like this but my mom and us kids have struggled trying to get them right. This is the flavor I was after and the recipe was not hard at all. I mostly made them with the walnut filling but I did some with jam for my boyfriend’s family to have for their Christmas party. I doubt if they’ve ever had cookies like these so I am excited and nervous to share them. I am super glad to have found this recipe. Thank you!
Jas says
I'm so happy to read that! Hope they like them as much as we do 😀 Merry Christmas!
Susan says
My ingredients seem to come out the sides and caramelized. I have pinched it. Still doesn't help. Should I lower the oven temp?
Jas says
Oh, no! I wonder if your eggs were the jumbo size and needed more of the nuts to make it thicker? Oven temperatures vary but if I doubt yours was too hot, though.
Kit Anne Hanna says
can this dough be refrigerated overnight
Jas says
Hi, Kit! yes, it is mentioned several times in the post and recipe box that you can refrigerate the dough overnight. Happy baking! 🙂
megha says
very nice its looking good thank you for shearing keep it up.
petitehaus says
Thank you so much for sharing with Thursday Favorite Things! I'll be featuring you tomorrow! Wishing you a Merry Christmas! Angelina @ Petite Haus
eclecticredbarnBeverly says
Jas,
When I was young, we made these all the time. They were my mother's favorite cookie. Funny thing was, I was not all that fond of them and she would make soooo many of these cookies. She doesn't make them any more and this was the first time I have seen them in a long time. Thanks for the memories.
Have a wonderful day.
Hugs,
Bev
Jas says
I'm glad these triggered childhood memories, Bev! Cookies (and food in general) tend to have that power, right? Thank you for the feature! Always an honor. Hugs!
Erlene says
Oh my, these are going on my baking list. I love trying new cookie recipe and this one sounds so delicious!
Jas says
They disappeared quickly, Erlene! 😀 Happy holidays!
Matt says
Question. How long do they keep after baking? Should I freeze or will they keep in a time for a couple weeks in the fridge? BTW so excited to bake these. Exactly what I had at my grandparents as a child.
Jas says
Hi, Matt! Stored in an airtight tin or container, they will keep for weeks in a cool place. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months. Just make sure not to roll them into powdered sugar if you decide to freeze them. Do so after they're defrosted and have reached room temperature. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as we do! Happy Holidays! 🙂
ParsiCuisine.com says
This is such a wonderful one of a kindrecipe. Walnut delight so lovingly wrapped and prepared. Thanks for sharing at FF.
Jas says
Many thanks! Happy holidays!
Di (@ShinyGlitterBug) says
These look delicious! I've actually never heard of them!
Jas says
Then you must try them, Di! 😀
Lydia C. Lee says
Yum!!
Jas says
Thanks, Lydia!
Ron says
Christmas cooking traditions are so wonderful. I have such fond memories of Christmas cookie making with my kids. Now as for your Kiflies, I say bravo to you. I’ve not tasted these but will endeavor to do so.
Jas says
They sure are, Ron! Fill these with a thick jam instead of nuts, since you're a nut-free house, and they will be just as good. 🙂
Ron says
Thanks for the jam idea. We have some nice cloudberry jam that will be perfect for this.
Jas says
Oh, lucky you! I've never had cloudberries before.
Mila says
Hello Jas!
I absolutely love buttery cookies, I wish I could take that plate and enjoy some 🙂 Thanks for sharing with FF party, hope you are having fun 🙂
Jas says
Thank you so much, Mila!
Karren Haller says
I love reading recipes and old family favorite, I have one as well, my Cherry Slice made with maraschino cherries that originally were suppose to have candied cherries, which I dont care for.
Please be sure to stop by and share your recipes on #OMHGFF so I can feature next week!!
Hope you have a lovely weekend, Holiday Greetings!!
xo
Jas says
Mmm, those cherry slices sound delicious. Happy holidays, Karren!
The Red Painted Cottage says
Jas, I make Hungarian Kiflis and I do have the recipe on my blog. There's a number of variations for making it, but this is the one that has floated around our family for generations.
Jas says
Yes, there are many versions, depending on the country. A version of the rolled cookies, like yours, are also popular in my homeland. They're filled with nuts, jam, or poppy seed filling. YUM!
Marissa Zheng | Squirrels of a Feather says
You've got me crying this morning Jas. My grandmother was the daughter of Hungarian immigrants and she made something very similar. No one ever got her recipe and she had dementia for ten years and passed away in 2015. This recipe is very special. Thanks for sharing!
Jas says
Awe, so sorry about your grandmother, Marissa! Hope you find this recipe similar to hers and that it will bring you some comfort and perhaps a new family tradition. Sending you many hugs and blessings.