Pull out all the stops and make the best Easy Hamantaschen Dough Recipe for your Purim feast this year! This is the classic Jewish cookie with its signature three corners and filled center served on the Jewish holiday of Purim. This recipe is the base cookie dough can be filled with almost anything.
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Ingredients
- Non-dairy butter substitute - keep it pareve while still having that same buttery taste
- Sugar - use white sugar for the Traditional Hamantaschen Recipe
- Egg - as a binder and adds just a hint of fluffiness
- Lemon zest - gives the cookie a slight lemony essence
- Vanilla extract
- Salt - to help with the baking process
- Flour - for best results, use all purpose flour
- Hamantaschen filling - check out our suggestions below
Simple Steps to Making The Best Hamantaschen Dough Recipe
Step 1 - Cream the butter
Cream the non-dairy butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and beat for 3-5 minutes or until fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat for another 30-60 seconds.
Step 2 - Zest a lemon
This recipe calls for a bit of lemon zest or lemon juice. it is not absolutely necessary but it really enhances the taste of the dough. They will not tastes like lemon cookies but the drop of citrus adds a flavor element that puts these cookies on the next level. I highly recommend using the lemon.
Step 3 - Mix the dough
Add in flour and salt and mix for another 2-3 minutes. You can add 1 teaspoon of water if the Hamantaschen dough is too stiff. I typically do not need to add water but if you feel your dough is too stiff add water a drop or two at a time until your dough is a good pliable consistency. Be careful not to add too much water to your Hamantaschen recipe or your dough will become to wet and squishy.
Step 4 - Cut the dough
On a lightly floured surface use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to about ⅛ inch thick. Cut circles in the Hamantaschen dough using a biscuit cutter, round cookie cutter, or rim of a drinking glass. Cut out as many circles as you can and carefully transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat. You can gather the scraps, knead, and re-roll out the dough until it is depleted.
Place one teaspoon of filling and pinch the corners to hold it in.
Bake anywhere from 15-20 minutes depending on your oven and how "done" you like your Hamantaschen. The cookies will rise even without baking powder.
We love this Easy Hamantaschen Dough recipe because it is...
- Non-dairy - there is no dairy butter or milk in this recipe. That means that it is pareve and can be eaten with any meal.
- Versatile - you can fill these Hamantaschen with any of your favorite fillings. Check out our suggestions. For a recipe that doesn't have any filling, try our Glute Free Chocolate Chip Banana Hamantaschen.
- Easy to make from scratch - while not the quickest Hamantaschen Dough recipe to prepare (that title belongs to our Yellow Cake Mix Hamantaschen Hack), it is really easy to make. Just follow our super simple steps to a delicious homemade Purim treat.
- No refrigeration needed - some recipes need refrigeration but not this one.
Recipe Pro Tips
- The trick to filling Hamantaschen so they don't leak out all over the place is to remember that less is more. One teaspoon of filling is plenty.
- To create the signature triangle shape I essentially pick two sides of the circle and pinch to create a corner. As I pinch two sides are lifted guiding as to where the next pinched corner should go. Pinch three corners and voila, a folded triangle!
- This Hamantaschen recipe is made with a plant based non-dairy unsalted butter substitute. The kind I used is in stick form and turns out much better than the kind in a tub. Refrigeration makes this dough into a more solid and less cakey Hamantaschen recipe. A no-chill Hamantaschen recipe like our Chocolate Cheesecake Hamantaschen will be have a more fluffy consistency.
Hamantaschen Filling Suggestions
Hamantaschen are a filled cookie recipes made with a sugar cookie type base and usually has a jam filling. Traditionally, you can find Hamantaschen filled with:
- Apricot jam
- Strawberry jelly
- Cherry preserves
- Poppyseed filling
- Prune butter
You can also try:
- Nutella or chocolate spread for a creamy smooth filling
- Chocolate chips
- Cheesecake filling - check out our recipe for Cheesecake Hamantaschen for the filling recipe
How to store
- On the counter. Hamantaschen will keep wrapped in plastic wrap for a few days or in an airtight container for up to a week. After that, you can still eat them for another week but they will not taste as fresh and some of the fillings may dry out.
- In the refrigerator. Stored in an air tight container, Purim cookies should taste pretty fresh for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze them. Keep them in an airtight container for up to 6 months in the freezer. Make sure to thaw for at least an hour before serving.
Recipe FAQ
Purim is the Jewish holiday celebrating triumph of Jews in the exile over a plot for their execution. The holiday has several important customs such as bringing edible gifts to friends and family, giving charitable gifts to the poor, and eating a large festive meal. Purim usually falls sometime between mid February and mid March. For more on Purim, check out this article on Chabad.com.
This Easy Hamantaschen Recipe will produce a semi-soft cookie which is more common in traditional recipes.
There are a number of explanations but the most common is that the villain of the Purim story, Haman, wore a triangular hat.
📖 Recipe
Easy Hamantaschen Dough Recipe
Equipment
- cookie cutter
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- ¾ cup non-dairy butter substitute
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cup flour
- jam for filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Using an electric mixer, cream non-dairy butter substitute. Add in sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
- Beat in egg, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt.
- Stir in flour until combined and dough starts to come away from the bowl. Add a few drops of water if dough is too dry.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to ⅛ inch thickness.
- Cut out circles and transfer to baking sheet. Collect scraps and re-roll and cut out additional circles until dough is used up.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling into center of circle and form into triangles.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light brown.
Natalie says
These were great! I had never made hamantashen before and I had no trouble making these. They were tasty and enjoyed by all. Thank you!!!
Loretta says
This was the easiest hamantaschen dough I've ever worked with. It would have been helpful to know the size of the circle used to get the # of hamantaschen. I used a 2 1/2" wide glass and got @ 36. I baked mine for 19 minutes and they came out nice and crisp like we like them. Hag sameach!
Ben says
Thank you for the comment and the glass size suggestion.