Kolacky Cookies

Kolacky cookies are these wonderfully soft, flaky pillows made from a tender cream cheese dough, filled with sweet fruit preserves, and finished off with a dusting of powdered sugar. They’re simple but oh-so-delicious treats that bring a lot of joy to any table.

These charming kolacky cookies are super versatile—you can fill them with blueberry, cherry, raspberry, apricot, peach, date, or strawberry jam to suit whatever mood strikes you or whatever you have on hand.

Now, I’ve noticed that these cookies go by so many different names! Growing up, my grandma called them Kolasky’s, but I’ve also seen Kolacky, Kolaczki, Kolace, Kolache, Kolachki, and more. The name Kolacky seems to be the one most commonly used, though.

Here’s what I’ve learned—the yeast-raised version of these cookies hails from Czech roots, while the cream cheese version, like the one we’re making, is Polish. Sometimes folks call them cream cheese cookies or apricot cookies, mainly because those ingredients are star players here.

Honestly, I think this is one of the best ways to use canned apricot preserves (it’s my absolute favorite!). Plus, it’s one of the rare cookie recipes that doesn’t use eggs, making it feel more like a light pastry than a traditional cookie.

What do I need to make Kolacky apricot & raspberry cookies?

Let me walk you through the essentials. You’ll want a rolling pin to smooth out your dough, plus a single or two-wheeled fluted pastry cutter to create those pretty, even squares. And of course, your favorite fruit jam or pie filling to stuff them with.

I like to pick fillings from the Solo brand—they’re wonderfully smooth and less chunky than others, which makes them perfect for these delicate cookies.

Ingredients for Kolacky Cookies

• Cream Cheese
• Butter
• All-Purpose Flour
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• And if you want, a light sprinkle of powdered sugar right after baking makes them look as good as they taste.

Kolacky Cookie Fillings

The fun part? There are so many filling options you can try! Whether you prefer apricot, raspberry, blueberry, cherry, strawberry, peach, almond, or date — it’s really up to you.

Just note that it’s best if your filling is smooth, like jelly. If you end up with jam or preserves that have fruit chunks, pop it in a food processor and blend it until smooth.

I’ve done this plenty of times when my jam had bigger pieces than I wanted, and it works like a charm. Because these cookies are small and tender, too much filling or chunky bits can make them open while baking, which we don’t want. Plus, smooth filling keeps everything neat and prevents any sticky messes on your baking sheet.

How to Make Kolacky Apricot & Raspberry Cookies

Make the Dough

• Combine cold butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in your stand mixer. Slowly add in the flour, mixing just until everything comes together. The key is to keep everything cold, so chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour before moving forward.
• I prefer covering the dough with plastic wrap pressed directly onto its surface—that way it won’t dry out while it chills.

How to Roll Kolacky Cookies

• Once the dough is chilled, lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin, then roll the dough out to about ⅛″ thick. If your kitchen is warm, keep unused dough back in the fridge between rolls—it helps keep the dough firm and easier to handle.
• Flour your rolling pin and pastry cutter as well to prevent sticking.
• Cut the dough into equal-sized squares with your pastry cutter. A double-fluted cutter makes about 2″ squares, which is just perfect for these bite-sized treats.

Filling the Pastry

• If your filling has fruit chunks, give it a quick whirl in the food processor until it’s silky smooth.
• Place about ¼ to ½ teaspoon of filling in the center of each square. Gently bring two opposite corners of the dough square towards the center to close the cookie, overlapping the corners slightly. To secure them, I like to dab a tiny bit of filling where the corners overlap as a natural glue.

Tip: Sometimes it’s easier to pick up the dough squares, fill them in your palm, and then pinch them closed. For photos, I did it on the flat surface just to keep things neat and clear.

Baking

• Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
• Arrange the cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Check halfway through baking—in case any cookies start to open up, gently press the corners back to the center so they stay closed.
• Once baked, move the cookies to a cooling rack. When they’re cool, sprinkle them generously with powdered sugar for that classic finish.

Do Kolacky cookies need to be refrigerated?

Good news! These cookies don’t need to be kept in the fridge. Just store them in an airtight container at room temperature and they’ll stay fresh for about 4 to 6 days. Perfect for making ahead and enjoying all week long.