Having trouble making hamantaschen for Purim? Are your hamantaschen spreading or opening when they bake? Are they losing their shape? Maybe the filling is leaking. Perhaps you’re having trouble folding your cookies into neat triangles. Or maybe you’re just looking for an easy hamantaschen recipe that will get you perfect results, every time. Whatever your question, I’m here to help!
I have compiled this list of tips to help people who are new to baking hamantaschen (sometimes spelled hamentashen). It took me several years to master the proper technique and develop some terrific dough recipes. I now have a firm understanding of what it takes to make pretty and delicious hamantaschen. I want to share that knowledge with you, so you can avoid some of the pitfalls I’ve encountered over the years. Hopefully my tips will help obtain a tasty and beautiful result from the very first try! But first, a little history.
What is the meaning of Hamantaschen?
Purim is the Jewish holiday in which we commemorate being saved from persecution in the ancient Persian Empire. A symbolic food eaten during the holiday of Purim is hamentaschen (“ears of Haman”). Haman is the villain of the Purim story (more on that below). This triangular-shaped cookie is supposed to represent either Haman’s ears or his three cornered hat. The center of each “hat” is filled with jam or sweet filling.
According to the Book of Esther in the Bible, the Jews of the city of Shushan were threatened by Haman, a prime minister who convinces the King Ahasuerus to kill all the Jews (because the Jewish Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman). Haman casts lots (the word Purim means “lots”) to determine the date he would carry out his plan: the 13th of Adar. In the end, the Jews are saved by the heroic Queen Esther, Mordecai’s niece (and adopted daughter), who married Ahasuerus (after he banished his first, rebellious wife Vashti). When Ahasuerus discovers that his wife Esther is Jewish, he decides to reverse Haman’s decree, and instead of the Jews being killed, Haman, his sons, and other enemies are killed instead.
Tips for Creating Perfect Hamantaschen (Hamentashen)
1) Find a great dough recipe. Here are two foolproof, tasty dough recipes that I highly recommend. They are easy to handle and shape, and they provide great results when baked. You won’t need a food processor or stand mixer or any fancy kitchen gadgets (the buttery one calls for an electric mixer – the dairy free one, a wooden spoon). One thing you’ll notice – my dough recipes do not contain leavening like yeast or baking powder. The cookies are easy to shape, and can be made quickly without needing to wait for a rise.
Dairy Free Hamantaschen Recipe
2) Roll your dough out to 1/8 inch thick (or less) on a floured surface. You want your rolled dough to be as thin as possible, while still being thick enough to maintain the cookie’s structure. 1/8 inch seems to be the magic number; sometimes I roll mine out even thinner than that. For a more doughy texture you can roll it thicker, but remember– the thicker the dough is, the harder it will be to handle and shape. Thick dough is also more prone to opening/spreading in the oven.
3) Use a thick filling that won’t run/weep from the cookies while baking. Knowing the proper consistency of a hamantaschen filling takes experience, because each type of filling is slightly different. Poppy seed filling has a very different texture than fruit filling, for example. A good filling should be somewhat thick so that it doesn’t run. However, you don’t want it too thick, or it will bake up dry or tough. It’s best to follow a tested and proven recipe. Try one of these fillings, which have all been thoroughly tested:
Rabbi Olitzky’s Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Filling
4) Cut your hamantaschen dough in 3-inch circles (or larger) before filling and folding into triangles. Anything smaller than 3 inches will be difficult to fold around your chosen filling.
5) Most fillings can be chilled before using to fill hamantaschen. I’ve found that fruit filling, poppy seed filling, and cream cheese-based fillings tend to be easier to work with when they’re chilled in the refrigerator. The chilling process thickens the fillings and makes them less sticky, which makes them easier to handle with when you’re assembling your hamantaschen. However, some fillings are better at room temperature — particularly chocolate-based fillings like Nutella, which will harden with prolonged refrigeration. Check your filling recipe to see if refrigeration is recommended.
6) Do not overfill your hamantaschen. Use roughly 1 teaspoon of filling per hamantaschen cookie – not more. However tempting it might be to put lots of delicious filling in the middle of your cookie, using more than 1 teaspoon can cause your hamantaschen to spread open and leak in the oven. 1 teaspoon is plenty, especially when you cut your dough circles to 3 inches… it’s the perfect amount of filling.
7) Fold your triangles the right way! Using the proper folding method will help your hamantschen hold together and create a beautiful shape. I’ve provided detailed, illustrated, step-by-step folding instructions below.
8) Remember, the filling will be very hot! Once you remove the baking sheets from the oven, move them to a rack to cool completely before serving.
Follow these tips, and you’ll be creating beautiful batches of homemade hamantaschen in no time! What are your favorite hamantaschen fillings?
How to Fold Hamantaschen
Ingredients
- Hamantaschen dough , recipe options linked in blog post above
- Filling of your choice , filling recipes linked in blog post above
NOTES
Instructions
- Roll dough between 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick and cut into circles with a cookie cutter or glass rim that is at least 3 inches wide. Place a teaspoon of filling (whichever filling you choose) into the center of each circle. Do not use more than a teaspoon of filling, or you run the risk of your hamantaschen opening and filling spilling out during baking. Cover unused circles with a lightly damp towel to prevent them from drying out while you are filling.
- Assemble the hamantaschen in three steps. First, grasp the left side of the circle and fold it towards the center to make a flap that covers the left third of the circle.
- Grasp the right side of the circle and fold it towards the center, overlapping the upper part of the left side flap to create a triangular tip at the top of the circle. A small triangle of filling should still be visible in the center.
- Grasp the bottom part of the circle and fold it upward to create a third flap and complete the triangle. When you fold this flap up, be sure to tuck the left side of this new flap underneath the left side of the triangle, while letting the right side of this new flap overlap the right side of the triangle. This way, each side of your triangle has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under-- it creates a "pinwheel" effect. This method if folding is not only pretty-- it will help to keep the cookies from opening while they bake.
- Pinch each corner of the triangle gently but firmly to secure the shape.
- Repeat this process for the remaining dough circles. Bake according to recipe instructions.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
See recipe links above for nutritional information related to specific recipes.
Jamie Puffer says
I got a dark chocolate hamantaschen with cherry filling a couple years back…may not be traditional, but it sure was delicious!
Angela Hurt says
Hi Tori,
Let me first thank you for all the wonderful tips and recipes on your whole blog! Our ladies group at our synagogue are planning a Purim party/teaching session this month on Purim and I was asked to do a hamantaschen demo and I immediately thought of your blog! I have made these before, using your recipes, and plan to use them in my teaching. I know the ladies will be delighted when they see how fabulously easy they are to make! Thank you again for all your hard work. I’ll be sure to send them to your blog!! Shalom & Schmaltz!
Tori Avey says
Terrific Angela, thank you!
Vanda says
Thanks for the “how to” on folding the Hamentaschen. Your steps are going to be much easier for my 3 little helpers! My way is too hard for them (push it together and hope for the best is not easiest for little ones :)).
Tori Avey says
You’re welcome!
Beth says
Fabulous folding method – worked brilliantly, thank you! Do you have any suggestions regarding freezing filled, unbaked hamantaschen?
lily says
A friend was describing his mom’s cookies as having a very thin dough and lots of poppyseed stuffing, and your recipes seem up to the tasks. I usually roll the dough 1/4 inch thick but the texture is more like a cookie dough rather than a pastry dough.
Viktoria says
Hi
thank you very much for this wonderful recipe:P I’ve made Hamantaschen with my classmates on lesson about Jewish cuisine:) with the prune filling and dairy free dough:) They were delicious:P and, thanks to your instruction, they looked awesome:)
PS
maybe you can also say how much ingredients you used in grams? not only in cups?
it would be very helpful:)
Helene says
I got a recipe for puvatol/puviddol…who knows how to spell it….from a friend’s mother 20 years ago. I am now in my 70s so it’s an old recipe but one that was adapted to ,I’m guessing, the fifties…given the Jello in it. Personally, I’d leave it out and just use the gelatin…maybe one more pkt.
15 lbs Italian plums, potted, sliced
4 cups sugar
1 pkg raspberry jello
2 pkts Knox gelatin
1 lb chopped walnuts
In large pot, barely covered w. water, bring plums to a boil.
Reduce and simmer til softened
Add other ingredients and continue to simmer and stir occasionally for 10-12 hours til very thick.
Cool then put in clean containers and refrigerate.
Use as filling or spread for toast, crackers or on yogurt etc.
sharon says
Do you think I could shape, fill & freeze the cookies, then bake them from frozen? has anyone tried that?
Dina says
Muchísimas gracias por compartir tu receta, realmente no sabría cómo doblar la masa sin tu ayuda, parece mentira, pero a veces lo más simple resulta ser lo más complicado.
Un abrazo grande de Chile.
Tori Avey says
De nada Dina!
East Side Cooking says
While I have my own hamantaschen recipe, I did use your folding technique in my last batch and it turned out well – thanks! I’ve linked to your page in my post.
middleschooler says
what kind would be the best for a school project? (no nuts)
Tori Avey says
Hi middleschooler– I saw all your other comments on the other filling recipes asking the same question. No need to ask multiple times, if I have the answer and the time I will always respond. 🙂 For a school project, it depends on your goal. Poppy seed is probably the most “traditional” old fashioned flavor for hamantaschen (to keep it nut free use regular milk, not almond milk). However for middle school kids, you’d probably want something a little sweeter/more fruity, so I’d go with apricot, which is also very traditional.
tabby93640 says
Hi! I found some “cheaters” recipes using sugar cookie dough or crescent roll dough and I tried both. I also used pizza dough and filled it with pizza toppings. The sugar dough was way too soft and of course way sweet. Everything else tasted delicious but all three dough types opened up in the oven so I came looking for tips. Your tips look really great and I can’t wait to try them!!
I did have one question though, one of the reasons for cheating recipe was time, so I wondered, can I make your dough recipe and freeze it for future use? If so, how long will it keep?
Thanks again!!
Rebecca says
Hi I came across your website when I was trying to figure out a way to keep my hamantashens from exploding or opening up in the oven. I tried your pin wheel method and it did not work, in fact it made it worse. I couldn’t help but notice that the dough for the hamantashens didn’t stick together very well at all, so that could have been a problem as well.
Tori Avey says
Hi Rebecca, I’m sorry to hear that. You may have rolled the dough too thick. Did you use one of my dough recipes? Most of my readers have been very successful with the pin wheel fold, so I would need more details to help you troubleshoot what went wrong.
zsazsa says
We made a test batch of the pareve hamantasch dough. As I usually prefer cookies that are not as sweet as most recipes, I cut the sugar down to a half cup. The dough was very easy to work with. Your fold method made prettier hamantaschen than my old pinch method, and they stayed together. And you were right on the sugar – 1/2 cup was not enough. We then made a quadruple batch of the dough with the correct amount of sugar. Very nice pareve hamentaschen. Y’yasher cochaych!
Tori Avey says
Fabulous! Thanks for reporting back. I don’t like overly sweet cookies either, glad to know that the amount of sugar was just right. 🙂
rachel says
If I don’t have the ingredients for the apricot filling, can I use jam? Not sure if the consistency will be okay.
Tori Avey says
Jam won’t be thick enough and will “weep” during baking. You’ll need to thicken it somehow, or you’ll need to make one of the filling recipes I’ve suggested. You can also buy canned filling at the grocery store in the baking section, some grocery stores carry it.
Kristi says
Absolutely delicious – I made half with the prune filling, and the other half with Nutella. NOM!
Micha3ygirl says
Hi Tory,
I just discovered your blog and love it! I tried your hamentashen recipe and the dough was sooo delicious with the orange zest and vanilla…never had better flavor in a hamentashen! Where I went wrong was that I took a shortcut and used jam as filling…apricot and raspberry…and it kind of poured out and looked messy – my fault!! But delicious flavor – thank you!
beth shannon phillips says
made hamantashen today with a friend a recipe she is very familuar with , we quadrupeled it and the cookies melted in the oven FLAT, any trouble shooting ideas would be greatly apprecieted, thanks beth
Tori Avey says
Hi Beth! I really recommend using one of my dough recipes next time, issues with hamantaschen are often the fault of the dough. My non-dairy dough is the easiest to manage. It’s possible that quadrupling your friend’s dough recipe may have caused your issue… I try not to make more than one batch of dough at a time when baking (or at most two). It can be difficult to manage a large quantity of dough, making it tough to mix evenly and get good results. Try the folding techniques I listed here, they’re less likely to pop open and melt flat. Also be sure not too overfill the cookies, just a teaspoon of filling will do it. Good luck!
Mia says
Yum – can’t wait to make these! A quick question – how long would you say they stay fresh? Can I make them Friday and eat them Sunday? Or should I wait until Sunday morning?
Thanks for all the great tips, this will be my first foray into hamantaschen.
Tori Avey says
Hi Mia! They will stay fresh for about 5 days if you seal them in a Tupperware after they’ve cooled completely. Separate each layer of cookies by a piece of parchment or wax paper. Enjoy!
Bunny says
@Mia, these freeze beautifully so if you need to make them far in advance you can 🙂
@The Shiksa, I used the Hamanteschen recipe I found on Smitten Kitchen (one of the many commenter’s (#115) responses brought me to you!). Then used YOUR technique which worked fabulously. Thanks for the tutorial…it was perfect timing that I found you!!
Rivki Shlyapobersky says
Hi Tory,
Thank you so much. I made this recipe with the poppy seed filling! Its amazing!!!! I have never made a better hamentashen! The only thing was the baking time for mine should have been a little shorter, i think 14 minutes would have been enough. 😀 Thanks again.
Tori Avey says
So happy to hear that Rivki! 🙂