Nut Roll Recipe
This nut roll recipe hails from an old family friend and is a Christmas staple. It only requires one rise, so it’s easy to churn out a ton of nut roll!
It’s Christmas week and we need to talk nut roll!
I’ve seen this called nut roll, Hungarian nut roll, Slovak nut roll, Polish nut roll, kolache, even Pittsburgh nut roll, which blew my mind when I saw it! I didn’t realize they were so synonymous with this region, but that makes me just plain giddy. Whatever name you go by, traditional nut roll is a soft sweet dough that is filled with a sweet walnut mixture. It basically tastes like Christmas and it wouldn’t be the holidays without devouring an embarrassing amount of nut roll.
I originally shared this nut roll recipe with you nearly six (SIX!) years ago, and SO MANY OF YOU have made it year after year for the holidays, which just makes me so ridiculously happy. In that time, however, I’ve received a lot of questions about two very specific components of this recipe: (1) the use of cake yeast; and (2) some issues with the dough splitting open and filling oozing out during the baking process.
I’ve gone back and re-worked the recipe a couple of times to help troubleshoot those issues, and I’ve got you covered!
My mom gave me the recipe card for nut roll, which hails from her best friend of a gazillion years, Cheryl. I just adore old handwritten recipe cards 💗
Okay let’s dig into the specifics of this recipe. First up, the yeast…
The original recipe calls for cake yeast, which is typically sold in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near the butter. When I first began making this recipe, I bought cake yeast all the time, however, it hasn’t been stocked in my regular grocery store for some time now, and it sounds like the same is the case for many of you.
I recently made a batch of this nut roll substituting active dry yeast and I had no issues whatsoever. One fresh cake yeast is equivalent to three packages of active dry yeast, so you’ll see that substitution option listed in the recipe below. The most important difference to keep in mind is that the temperature of the water needs to be different based on the type of yeast you use. For fresh cake yeast, you’ll want a lower temperature to activate the yeast, while the active dry yeast requires a higher temperature.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
Next up is the issue of the dough splitting and the filling oozing out. I think I have this one figured out!
The last time that I made this, instead of adding all of the flour, I added a little at a time and then stopped once the dough was no longer sticky, and I still had quite a bit of flour left. And what do you know? Those rolls had perfectly smooth dough from start to finish on ALL of the rolls – no cracking, splitting or filling spilling out. I’m convinced that the issue had to do with the dough being too dry and, as a result, cracking and splitting, which can cause the filling to come out.
The exact amount that you use will vary wildly depending on the time of year, the ambient air temperature and humidity levels, but definitely go with a little flour at a time, and then stop periodically to feel the dough as you near the end of the flour. It shouldn’t be sticky, but should still be quite soft and supple.
So that’s it! This is my go-to nut roll recipe and has been for years, and I hope I’ve made it a little bit easier for you to tackle it. At first glance it might look like a lot of work (8 nut roll!) but it’s really not a lot of hands-on time and they only require one (long) rise, so totally doable. I made my Christmas batch last week and managed to get them totally mixed and assembled in an hour while Joseph was at preschool and Dominic was napping. I left them to rise and baked later that afternoon. Done!
You can buy nut roll from bakeries and tons of churches in this area around the holidays, but I’m always surprised once I dig in and tackle them at how uncomplicated they are. If you’ve been too intimidated to try nut roll before, have no fear! I’ve also successfully scaled this recipe, so if you don’t need this many nut roll, feel free to cut it in half.
In a word, this nut roll recipe is spectacular. Too often I’ve had nut roll that are doughy and dry and/or don’t have enough filling. The dough for this recipe is very, very soft, and the filling is supremely moist. Plus, the filling-to-dough ratio is very high, which keeps everything from drying out and packs a ton of flavor into even the smallest of slices.
I hope you’ll give these a try and that they become one of your Christmas traditions as well!
Five years ago: Ho Ho Cake
Six years ago: Chocolate Bourbon Balls
Nut Roll Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup (125 ml) warm water
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) cake yeast or 3 packets (6¾ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 6 eggs
- 16 ounces (453.59 ml) sour cream
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 9 to 10 cups (1.13 kg) grams all-purpose flour
For the Filling:
- 3 pounds (1.36 kg) walnuts, finely ground
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup (192 ml) evaporated milk
- ½ cup (122 ml) whole milk
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar into the ½ cup warm water (if using fresh cake yeast, the water temperature should be between 90 to 95 degrees F; if using active dry yeast, the water temperature should be 120 to 130 degrees F). Crumble the fresh yeast or sprinkle the active dry yeast and stir to combine. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or until foaming.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, salt and the softened yeast. Mix on medium speed until smooth and well-combined, about 2 to 3 minutes. Switch to the dough hook, reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour a little at a time, until the dough does not feel sticky but is still soft and supple. Continue kneading until the dough does not stick to the sides of the bowl. Cover with a damp dish towel while you prepare the filling.
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the filling, stirring well to ensure that it is completely mixed and all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Assemble the Nut Roll: Line four baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Divide the dough into eight pieces. On a clean work surface and one at a time, roll each piece out into a 9x14-inch rectangle, using flour if necessary to keep from sticking. Spread one-eighth of the filling to within ½-inch of the edges. With the long side in front of you, roll up gently and pinch the seams shut. Place on the prepared baking sheets, 2 rolls per sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat with all eight pieces of dough. Place the baking sheets in a draft-free area and allow to rise for 3 hours (the rolls will puff and swell but will not look huge).
- Bake the Nut Roll: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake one pan at a time for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. Cool completely before slicing. Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 week. The nut roll can be frozen by wrapping in plastic wrap, then again in foil, and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Notes
- If you do not have a stand mixer, you can mix and knead this dough by hand.
- You can cut this recipe in half to make only four rolls instead of eight.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on January 10, 2011.
Can you use instant dry yeast in these nutrolls
I have a different recipe from you for nut rolls that I had issues with everytime. I would lose a good bit of filling even though my filling recipe wasn’t as wet as yours. Now I’m seeing a different recipe online and can’t find the original. Why have you changed it? I contacted you about the splitting and you told me the splitting adds character. I use cake yeast and your old recipe has it dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water. Thats it. No sugar.
This recipe is THE BEST recipe. My 89 year father in law, who is my heart, says they taste like his mom’s. I make poppy seed roll for him with this recipe. Thank you for sharing and helping me to bring a memory to him!
I have made this recipe wth every flour on the market only King Arthur reg all purpose flour produced rolls that did not split following this recipe EXACTLY. I have since learned through MANY OTHER baking attempts NOT ALL FLOURS are the same. Now I use ONLY KING ARTHUR which is the closest to Old World flours our Grandmas used.
do i have to prick the tops of the nut roll before baking
I have made a different version of nut rolls several times over the years but used this recipe this year instead, and I was delighted by the results. The nut rolls came out better than any I have ever made in the past and everyone who received one from me had been raving about how good they were. I made a bath of 8 nut rolls, but today I am about to bake a second batch because they are just that good.
One thing I would note is my nut filling came out way to stiff following the recipe, and I added some milk beyond the recommended amount, in order to make it more easily spreadable. If that happens, it’s no big deal. You have to get the proper consistency in order to be able to spread the filling without pulling the dough out of shape after it’s rolled out.
Additionally, I appreciated how the author made note of how to tell that the dough is not too dry, so as to eliminate the problem of the loaves splitting open during baking. This has always been a challenge in the past. I found that I had to add a little more flour than the recipe called for, because my dough was still clinging to the sides of my mixer bowl after I gradually added the specified amount. For each batch of 4 loaves, I had to add about an additional half cup of flour to get the dough right, using about 5 1/5 cups. But my nut rolls came out perfect, with no splitting. This recipe will be the one I use from now on. Thank you for a really great recipe.
Oops. (typo in the last paragraph above):
It should say I used 5 1/2 cups (not 5 1/5)
yes I made this and we loved it, was so afraid it would not turn out or stick to the counter, after I got the nuts on rolled up beautifully, printed and keeping recipe, made 4 nut rolls,and we loved them
I made this nut roll recipe twice and both times they did not turn out for me. After baking, the dough was crumbly and the rolls split. The first time I made them, they split while baking. I had always liked the recipes on this site, so I decided to try to make them again. The second time I made them, they split before I even put them into the oven. I followed the recipe like a chemist, measuring each ingredient perfectly. I was happy with the dough – it was nice and easy to roll out. I really don’t know what happened, but I will be looking for a different nut roll recipe.
I made these for the first time today and they are delicious! I rolled too thin at first and those split a little but then I got the hang of it. The filling is to die for and I don’t even like nuts.
My Polish grandmother always made nut-roll during the holidays. I’ve always been afraid to try it until a few years go when I came across this recipe. It is delicious and easy to make. I made the recipe as written but have learned a few tricks while making it this year that worked for me. Before my dough completely pulls away from my mixing bowl, I take it out and knead additional flour into it just until it’s no longer sticky but soft and elastic. I used just over 9 cups of flour but ended up making only 7 rolls. My first few rolls, I rolled the dough to thin and ended up “patching” the thins spots. I love a fuller nut roll so I had a fairly thick layer of nut filling. When I applied the filling, I patted it onto the dough rather than spreading it. That way, I wasn’t pulling or tugging on the dough. This dough was so easy to work with. I didn’t have any problems making the rolls. I didn’t have any of them break open during the baking process. I believe the fact that my dough was soft and elastic helped keep them from splitting open.Thanks for an awesome recipe. This is one I’ll be making for years to come!
This is the 2nd time I have made this recipe. Just as good the 2nd time. Thank you
I made this today and it turned out fantastic! Tasted just like the ones my grandmother made when I was little.
Flavor is great but I’ve never made anything that looked so ugly! Dough rolled out nicely, filling was yummy but after proofing they were rather flat and didn’t get any better with baking.
Unfortunately, I made the 8-roll recipe!
I will try it again only the 4 roll recipe!
I’ll keep you posted…
I have searched so long for this recipe! I live in Pittsburgh but grew up in Cleveland. Something happened to the Hungarians here because what they pass off as an Hungarian nut roll is bread and not at all what I remember it being! THIS recipe is what I remember getting at my gramma’s house. Thank you, thank you! I was beginning to think I was crazy. I can’t wait to make this.
Jackie, I’m with you! My grandparents immigrated to Cleveland from Poland. This recipe is spot on to what my grandmother made or what we could buy at Hough Bakery. All my polish aunts also made the best nut roll. I have a friend who lives in Eastern Ohio who would buy nut rolls from Pittsburgh bakeries and they are NOT the same!!!
I wanted to comment on my first time making the nut rolls and the problem with them splitting during baking.
By the way this is a wonderful detailed recipe. I moved from Pittsburgh Pa 15 years ago and every Christmas I miss the nut and poppy seed rolls. So with your recipe I felt confident I could do this. I mixed up 1/2 recipe of the dough, ended up with between 3/4 to 1/2 cup flour left over, dough was soft and not sticky, so was very confident they would turn out. Careful weighed out the dough and nut mixture in grams so they would be equal. The dough rolled out easily hardly needed any extra flour. Made my 4 rolls, let them raise, baked the first pan of 2 rolls, took them out of oven, they were perfect, so lovely with no split. Baked the next pan, took them out of the oven, oh,no, both of them were split. Since everything was equal concerning amount of dough and nut filling, what did I do different with the second pan? Then I remembered after rolling up the nut roll on the second 2, I pulled the edge around the finished roll to make sure nut filling was encased and then pinched the dough together. On the first 2 rolls I did not stretch the dough at all, just pinched the dough together where it rolling ended. So I’m thinking that the stretching of the dough caused it to be stretched too thin and tight and it had no give as it rose and baked, causing it to snap open, kind of like an overstretched rubber band. So now I will need to try another batch to see if this is true. Which isn’t really a bad thing to have to do! Thank you for add a bit of fond holiday memories with this recipe!
Love you blog and all the photos of your beautiful family. I have been a avid follower since the beginning.
Delicious, although no matter what I do they split. This year I thought I had the dough perfect- it felt just perfect!- and yet they split yet again. But they taste just like I remember, so I can’t be too upset. Trouble is I am too embarrassed to share them when they look so bad… so we’ll be eating all of them at home… There are worse problems to have?
I mark my board with a magic marker to the size I need for this recipe. It could be some may be rolled to thin causing them to crack. Sylvia
Try piercing the rolls bf putting them in the oven, to let steam escape. Use toothpick or cake tester. Pierce all the way thru to the bottom.
I’ve had no problems with splitting since doing this.
Perfect
I love this recipe. I’ve been using the recipe printed in 2016.. I see there are some differences in this one and the older one. I’ve never had a problem with the 2016. I use the cup of sugar, and 10 cups of flower. Though I do save about a quarter of cup for using on the board for rolling. I use 3 1/2 cups of nuts per roll. Thank you, Sylvia……
Absolutely love these. Growing up in Pittsburgh and moving away you never realize how much you miss stuff until they are gone. I now live in Arkansas and make these each year for the holidays. ONE addition and I did not see it in your recipe listing, but in addition to Nut Rolls, I also make Apricot and Prune versions. I’d love to see your take on those. I’ll send pics after my next batch.
My husband and I have been making this recipe for about 3 years. Prior to that, we used my Mom’s recipe for 2 long Nut Rolls. We needed to make them for gifting and for some reason Mom’s recipe did not seem to work well if we multiplied it. When I can across this recipe for 8 long rolls I went for it.
This is a nice recipe, easy to assemble and follow through, nice smooth and flexible dough with which to work. It does blow out and leak on occasion and I was told that’s probably the best roll and we keep that one (sometimes two) for our own use.
Everyone we have gifted with these rolls tells us how good they are and we agree! Best recipe all around, no doubt about it!
Has anyone toasted the nuts to bring out their flavor?
Always! So delicious.
This recipe sounds delish!
I had forgotten that my Hungarian grandmother used to whip the eggs whites before someone mentioned it in the comments. She also used whiskey or brandy instead of the vanilla extract. And soaked about a cup of golden raisins in whiskey and dotted the nut mixture with them before rolling up the dough. It was always a nice little bite of sweetness in each slice!
These freeze beautifully!
I make 3 nut rolls slightly smaller so they fit inside the USPS priority mail box and send 3 to my MIL. I reinforce the box with additional cardboard and wrap the wrapped/sealed nut rolls in bubble wrap. So far they have arrived in perfect condition.
I make these every year and love them as gifts.
Some suggestions:
– with your hands, form each ball of dough into an even flat rectangle prior to rolling. It will make it easier to achieve a 14”x9” final rectangle.
– The dough is easily torn. If the filling is at warm room temperature it will spread more easily. Once the dough is rolled out drop the filling in tablespoon globs throughout the rectangle a couple of inches apart. Then sort of smash and carefully spread the filling with the back of a flexible scraper of the back of a large spoon carefully so you don’t tear the dough. Have spare filling in hand to fill in the gaps rather than trying to spread the filling too thin and tearing the dough.
Last year I made these and they turned out great maybe beginner’s luck? This year failure. I really wish you would add more information or pictures on the step of making the dough and what it should look like in the bowl when enough flour has been added. So many of us do not have experience necesseary to know this so a picture would be very helpful. Also when you finish mixing the dough and cover it with a wet cloth is there a time limit on how long it can sit? because I think mine sat too long as I prepared the filling. Thank you.
Hi Michelle! Thank you for sharing your nut roll recipe. I read the entire recipe and instructions and am convinced this is the best recipe I’ve come across! Your instructions as well as tips are very helpful. Would you be able to share the amounts to use when cutting the recipe in half?
what can i do to keep the filling from ozzing out the sides? The dough is perfect it rolls out beautiful. But, I’ve made 12 of these nut rolls and no matter what I do the filling comes out the sides. They’re not splitting on top or anything like that.
Don’t put the filling all the way to the end of your rolled dough. Leave about 1” on all sides of the rectangle with no filling. After it is rolled, with the seam on the bottom, I sort ofgive the ends a mild karate chop and fold those ends under the roll.
Someone asked about other fillings, but I didn’t see a response. I grew up in Pittsburgh but got acquainted with these phenomenal nut rolls when I started dating my husband. It is very common in Pittsburgh to find sesame (I think with honey) rolls and also apricot filling ones. I think the apricot filling can be found in the baking aisle in small cans. I’ve never made them because My MIL never used a recipe she just made them and they were perfect every time. I look forward to trying this recipe.
And yes every recipe I’ve tried from this site has been fantastic!
I think the alternate filling you describe is poppy seed filling.
I remember my grandmother making them with Nuts, Apricots, Prunes, poppy seed and I vaguely remember a Raspberry version as well, but she was pretty inventive. A whole addition to this recipe with other fillings would definitely rate this recipe toward the top of my list.
Additional varieties include, Apricot, prune, poppyseed and cottage cheese/pineapple. My mother told me about the last one this year after I have made them the last few years, she wanted to know if I could come up with the recipe. I figured it out finally along with a Dark Cherry marscapone and ricotta version. Varieties are endless.
I’ve tried this recipe and the dough comes out perfect, they look just like the picture. But, then they crack..any suggestions? The dough is not dry and rolls out perfect. Drives me crazy because I keep making them to see what I’m doing wrong and can’t figure it out.