These butterhorn cookies are the best cookies I’ve made this season. Filled with a walnut and egg white filling and rolled into small shapes resembling rugelach or mini croissants, they are crispy-soft and utterly delightful.
I grew up with butterhorn cookies like these. My grandma used to make a similar version using a different pastry recipe but filled the cookies with either this walnut mixture or jam.
I simplified her yeast-based pastry recipe, which produced delicious but slightly doughier cookies, and replaced it with this incredible sour cream pastry. The result is an almost puff-pastry-like dough that’s flaky, crispy, and utterly addictive.
Check out more delicious grandma-style cookies: Vanillekipferl, German Hazelnut Macaroons, or German Butter Cookies.
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What are butterhorn cookies?
A butterhorn cookie is a buttery, flaky pastry often shaped into small crescent or horn-like forms. It's typically filled with things like walnuts, fruit preserves, or sweet fillings. The dough is soft and tender with a slightly crispy texture after baking, making it rich and delicious.
These cookies are a favorite in many Central and Eastern European countries, often baked for holidays or special occasions.
Recipe ingredients
For the sour cream pastry, use all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, one egg yolk (you will use the egg white for the filling), and sour cream.
For the filling, you will need the egg white you saved before, ground walnuts, granulated sugar, and cinnamon.
Filling variations
As I mentioned earlier, my grandma often filled butterhorn cookies with jam. She always made a huge batch, dividing the fillings - half with nuts and half with jam. Both versions are absolutely delightful, and I’m sure you’ll love them. When using jam, I usually fill them with Redcurrant Jam or Apricot Jam.
If you prefer, you can skip the egg white; the cookies will be slightly firmer but still taste amazing. Simply mix the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon, then spread some of this mixture over the entire rolled-out dough before cutting and rolling the cookies.
This method is quicker than the original, which requires adding a bit of filling to each wedge individually. Avoid spreading the egg white filling over the whole round of dough - it tends to ooze out excessively (trust me, I’ve tried it!).
How to make butterhorn cookies?
Step #1: Cut the butter into the flour using a food processor. See the small butter pieces in the picture above.
Step #2: Add sour cream and egg yolk to the flour mixture, then pulse briefly to bring the pastry together.
Tip: Don’t overwork the pastry - pulse briefly, just enough to bring everything together.
Step #3: Shape the pastry into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or longer.
Step #4: For the filling, mix walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Step #5: Beat the egg white and fold it into the walnut and sugar mix.
Step #6: Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and roll one portion with a rolling pin into a circle. Cut it into wedges.
Tip: I use a cake cutter with 14 sections to cut the wedges. While this tool can speed up the process, it's not necessary - you can simply use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife as long as the wedges are evenly sized. Keep the balls of dough you are not using refrigerated until they are ready to be rolled and filled.
Step #7: Place a small amount of filling on the wide end of the triangle, spread it slightly across the pastry, and then carefully roll from the wide end to the tip.
Step #8: Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden (about 15 minutes).
Tip: Prepare the second batch of butterhorn cookies while the first batch is baking.
Good to know!
Using a digital kitchen scale in baking ensures precise measurements, leading to more consistent results. It helps you avoid using incorrect amounts of ingredients, which can affect texture and flavor. It’s especially helpful when working with ingredients like flour, which can vary in weight depending on how it's measured.
You can freeze the pastry for 20 minutes to speed up the chilling process.
Make in advance and store
Make the pastry in advance: You can chill it only for 30 minutes or overnight. You can also make it a day ahead and keep it refrigerated, wrapped in plastic foil.
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3-4 days.
For longer freshness, you can freeze them. Just make sure to wrap them well in plastic wrap or place them in a freezer-safe bag to prevent freezer burn. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Butterhorn Cookies
Equipment
- Food processor
- Rolling Pin
- Pizza Cutter or sharp knife
- 2 Baking sheets
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 g, Note 1
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter very cold, 230 g
- 1 egg yolk save the egg white for the filling
- ¾ cup sour cream 185 g
Filling (Note 2):
- 1 egg white saved from making the pastry
- ¾ cup walnut roughly ground or finely chopped however you want to see it, 90 g
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 160 g
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1-2 tablespoons milk for brushing the cookies
Instructions
Pastry:
- Cutting in the butter: Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Cut the cold butter into very small cubes, add it to the processor, and pulse several times until the mixture is crumbly, with some small bits of butter still visible.
- Add wet ingredients: In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk and sour cream (with a fork), then add them to the flour mixture. Pulse a few more times until the dough comes together, being careful not to overwork it (see the images in the blog post for visual guidance).
- Chill the pastry: Turn the dough onto a work surface and briefly shape it into a ball - don’t knead, just bring it together. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (Note 3).
Filling:
- Preparations: Make the filling while the pastry chills. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat the egg white and set it aside.
- Combine filling: Mix the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Fold in the egg white.
Fill and roll:
- Divide the pastry into four equal portions. Wrap three portions in plastic wrap and refrigerate them while you work on the first batch of cookies.
- Roll the pastry: Roll the first portion on a well-floured working surface with a floured rolling pin into a circle of approximately 10 inches/ 25 cm. Cut the circle into 14 wedges (Note 4).
- Fill and roll: Place a small amount of filling (less than ½ teaspoon) on the wide end of the triangle. Using the teaspoon, spread it slightly across the rest of the pastry, but not all the way to the edges. Then, carefully roll the triangle from the wide end towards the tip.
- Bake the butterhorn cookies: Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush them lightly with milk. Bake them for about 15 minutes or until golden (just golden, not golden brown).
- Cool cookies: Remove them from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the second batch of cookies while the first batch is in the oven.
Notes
- Measurements: I always recommend using a digital kitchen scale in baking (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab); it guarantees the best results.
- Alternative filling: You can also fill the butterhorn cookies with jam, preferably a smooth, tangy jam like redcurrant, raspberry, or apricot jam.
- Chilling: To speed up the process, you can place the wrapped ball in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, make the pastry ahead of time and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight.
- For cutting the wedges, I use a cake cutter with 14 sections (see the images in the blog post). While this tool can be helpful and speed up the process, it's not essential. You can easily use a pizza cutter or sharp knife instead - just make sure the wedges are all the same size.
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