Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

Special cookies from cream cheese dough

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 30m
Cook Time: 8h 15m
Total Time: 8h 45m
Temp.: 375°F
Servings: 36
Difficulty: Easy
5.0 (15 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

289
Calories
23g
Fat
41mg
Cholesterol
18g
Carbs
6g
Sugar
4.4g
Protein
Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

Recipe Description

For a different take on a cookie, have a go at these delicate, authentic Hungarian Kiffle Cookies. Kiffles, which you might also see written as kifli, kieflies or kiffels, are traditional baked treats from Hungary. What makes them special is the dough, made from cream cheese, and the filling, which can be whatever you fancy!

I’ve used walnuts for this kiffles recipe, which is pretty authentic to Hungary, but you can also try other types of nuts and jams inside – poppy seeds, apricots, cashews, prunes, dates… you get the idea! To get the right form when you roll the kiffles just try to copy the shapes you can see in my pictures, but don’t worry about making them too perfect, they are homemade after all and will taste just as delicious!

To make Hungarian Kiffle Cookies, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Beat the butter and cream cheese

    2 min
    Step 1 - Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

    Using a standing food mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together until light and smooth.

  2. 2

    Add the flour

    5 min
    Step 2 - Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

    Add 2 cups of the flour a little at a time and beat until the dough becomes to thick for the mixer to work. Remove the bowl from the mixer and combine the remaining flour by hand. Knead the dough until it is no longer sticky.

  3. 3

    Leave to chill

    8h
    Step 3 - Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

    Roll the dough into a ball and place in a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and leave in the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

  4. 4

    Heat the oven and prepare baking trays

    5 min
    Step 4 - Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

    Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

  5. 5

    Make walnut paste

    5 min
    Step 5 - Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

    In a small bowl, mix the sugar and walnuts together. Add the milk and stir until it forms a paste.

  6. 6

    Roll and cut dough

    10 min
    Step 6 - Hungarian Kiffle CookiesStep 6 - Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

    Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Roll it to around 1/8 - 1/6 inch thick and then cut into 2-inch squares.

  7. 7

    Add fillings

    5 min
    Step 7 - Hungarian Kiffle CookiesStep 7 - Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

    Add a teaspoonful of the walnut paste to the center of each square.

  8. 8

    Shape kiffles

    5 min
    Step 8 - Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

    Take one corner of the square, fold over the top of the filling and roll, so that the walnut filling is encased (but will be peeking out from either side). Repeat with all the squares and lay the kiffles on the baking trays.

  9. 9

    Bake kiffles

    15 min
    Step 9 - Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

    Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

  10. 10

    Serving Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

    Step 10 - Hungarian Kiffle Cookies

As cookies go, these Hungarian Kiffle Cookies are rather special, prettier and much more delicate than our chunky US versions! Try something different today and get baking these little delights! I’d love to see how they turn out so if you make them, do tag #cookmerecipes so I can check them out!

About the author

Lilly Mathuse

Lilly is an enthusiastic and cheerful young mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Lilly's going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
5.0 out of 5 (15 reviews)
Emy
April 8, 2025
Verified

Superb cookies, yum!

Caroline Smith
January 27, 2025
Verified

So simple and delicious. My family loved these kiffles. We made them together for a special occasion, and they were a hit.

Brittany
January 11, 2025
Verified

Yummy! I made these kiffle cookies for my kids and they loved them. The dough was easy to work with, and we filled them with apricot jam. Definitely a new favorite in our house!

Emily Johnson
November 22, 2024
Verified

OMG, these Kiffle Cookies are straight-up amazing! My fam went wild for 'em at last week's bake sale. Super fun to make & yummy, like little bites of heaven!

Emma Johnson
April 26, 2024
Verified

Delicious! I baked these kiffles for a family gathering, and everyone loved them. The cream cheese dough made them so flaky and yummy. I can’t wait to try different fillings next time!

Gina
November 23, 2023
Verified

These Kiffle cookies are superb! Made them for my fam, and they were gone in a flash! So easy too!

Xander Smith
October 28, 2023
Verified

Superb Kiffle Cookies!

Fiona
October 11, 2023
Verified

Delicious. I made these kiffle cookies for my kids' bake sale, and they were a hit. The dough was easy to work with, and filling them with walnuts was so fun. I had some help from my little ones, and it turned into a special bonding moment in the kitchen.

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