How to make Mock Rugelach with crescent roll dough — just for fun, with only six ingredients! (And, to satisfy all of those cinnamon-raisin-y cravings.)
So hey, these are not actually rugelach, they just resemble them in their cinnamon raisin-y shape. But we’re quarantine cooking here, in order to use up what we have on hand!
Real rugelach sports the most delightful cream cheese-based dough, while this Mock Rugelach recipe sports plain old refrigerated crescent dough. We’ll go ahead and enjoy these pretenders on their own terms, though, in all their cinnamon-y delightfulness.
I had such a craving for rugelach yesterday, but it’s not a pop-out-to-the-bakery kind of week. So, I started thinking. I have cinnamon. I have raisins. I have… a tube of refrigerated crescent roll dough? Well, let’s play!
Oh, and about those raisins, are your schools are doing this? While our physical buildings are shut down, they’ve been running a school bus along its normal route once a week, to hand out pre-packed breakfast & lunches for school-aged kids. Mine keep coming home from the bus with stacks of single-serve raisins & Craisins, but haven’t appreciated them much as snacks.
Not wanting these little snacks to go to waste, though, I’ve been trying to think of other ways to use them. The Craisins are great on salads, the raisins are delightful in homemade banana bread, and both go well in homemade trail mix. And, of course: The raisins really make this mock rugelach recipe!
Mock Rugelach (mockelach?)
Ingredients
– for the rugelach
1/2 cup crushed walnuts, pecans, or almonds (see Note)
1/2 cup raisins (about 3 oz, or two little 1.5 oz snack boxes)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
– to top
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Crush the almonds or other nuts, if not using pre-chopped. (I just threw some almonds in a sandwich baggie, sealed the bag, then used a can of corn to smash them. This can be somewhat cathartic; just be careful not to tear the bag and send nuts flying everywhere…)
Combine the raisins, nuts, sugar, and cinnamon.
Separate the crescent dough into eight triangles and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Top each evenly with the nut & raisin filling.
Roll each triangle up gently into a crescent shape, from large end to point. Try to keep as much of the filling in as possible, but some will inevitably spill out. Poke the bigger pieces back into the ends of each crescent.
Melt the butter. Brush each roll with melted butter, then sprinkle with sugar.
Bake the mock rugelach at 375 degrees for 13-14 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
Notes: I cooked mine for 15 minutes and they got a little too browned, so start checking yours at about 13. They’d be a little richer with pecans or walnuts, but the almonds I had on hand did the job! Lastly, if you have any jam on hand, you can try spreading a very thin layer onto the dough before adding the nut + raisin filling.
Try these cinnamon raisin crescents with coffee
Just saying — I warmed leftover rugelach up in the microwave to go with my own morning coffee today, and it was a lovely start to the day. (Whatever you call yours, they’re a much better way to enjoy those little boxes of snack raisins!)
Mock Rugelach, printable recipe
Mock Rugelach
Equipment
Ingredients
– for the rugelach
- 1/2 cup crushed walnuts, pecans, or almonds (see Note)
- 1/2 cup raisins about 3 oz, or two little 1.5 oz snack boxes
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
– to top
- 1 Tbsp butter melted
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Crush the almonds or other nuts, if not using pre-chopped. (I just threw some almonds in a sandwich baggie, sealed the bag, then used a can of corn to smash them. This can be somewhat cathartic; just be careful not to tear the bag and send nuts flying everywhere…)
- Combine the raisins, nuts, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Separate the crescent dough into eight triangles and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Top each evenly with the nut & raisin filling.
- Roll each triangle up gently into a crescent shape, from large end to point. Try to keep as much of the filling in as possible, but some will inevitably spill out. Poke the bigger pieces back into the ends of each crescent.
- Melt the butter. Brush each roll with melted butter, then sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake the mock rugelach at 375 degrees for 13-14 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
Notes
Recipes in the real world
Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!
Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!