Nut Roll was pulled from the freezer every Christmas by my Pittsburgh grandmother before our arrival. I share with you my grandma's nut roll recipe so you can add it to your Christmas Cookie platter.
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Growing up my sister and I knew this as nut roll or nut bread but it is also is known as Hungarian nut roll, Slovak nut roll, Polish nut roll, kolache, Czech walnut roll or even Pittsburgh nut roll. All of these make sense because my Polish grandmother, from Pittsburgh, made these for Christmas and Easter. There is also a family recipe for poppyseed roll with a sweet poppy seed filling but have not been able to find that in the family's recipe box.
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🌰 Pennsylvania Nut Roll Recipe:
This is my grandmother's recipe and this recipe makes 2 long homemade Slovak nut rolls or 4 nut rolls, of a smaller size.
Nut Roll Dough Ingredients:
- milk - whole at room temperature
- yeast - instant dry
- sugar - white, granular sugar
- sour cream - go for full-fat sour cream. That is what Grandma would have used.
- butter - unsalted is preferred but go ahead and use salted butter if that is all you have - softened
- eggs - for egg wash
- flour - bread flour. Read why the type of flour matters when you learn baking terms
- salt - kosher salt is what I use
Nut Roll Walnut Filling Ingredients:
- Butter - cut into cubes - unslated is preferred but go ahead and use salted butter, if that is all you have
- cinnamon - ground
- orange zest- use fresh but in a pinch I will pull from my jar of dried orange peel
- cloves, ground - just a pinch. Cloves are STRONG.
- sugar - white, granular sugar
- brown sugar - I use light brown sugar but dark brown will work if that is all you have.
- walnuts, finely chopped
- eggs - for egg wash
🥖 How to make nut roll yeast dough:
- To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk and sprinkle with the yeast and sugar. Allow bubbles to form. It should take about 10 minutes.
- Add the softened butter, sour cream, eggs, 4 cups of flour and salt. Using a dough hook, mix on low speed until a dough is just beginning to form, 1-2 minutes. A dough hook is on my list of must-have attachments for the KitchenAid mixer.
- Increase the speed on the mixer to medium and let the machine knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes more. The dough will be soft and come off the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, dust lightly with additional flour if the dough is sticky, lightly knead the dough by hand to form a smooth ball, then return it to an oiled bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a towel letting the dough rise in a warm place, doubling in size, 50-60 minutes.
To make the walnut filling:
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest, spices, and sugars.
- Stir in the walnuts and one egg. Allow the filling aside to cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Top Tip
Poke 5-6 holes with a chopstick all the way through the roll. This will give the steam a place to escape, preventing the possibility of the nut rolls splitting.
How to roll the dough out for Slovak nut roll
- Start by dividing the dough in half. Lightly dust the surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll one half of the dough into a ¼ inch thick rectangle, about 12-by-10 inches.
- With the longer side of the dough facing you spread half of the nut filling over the dough in an even layer, leaving a ½-inch border on the bottom edge.
- Roll up the nut roll lengthwise like a jelly roll, covering the filling.
- Pinch the edge to seal the edge, and transfer the roll to the baking sheet.
- Repeat the process with the second piece of dough and the remaining filling, leaving at least 4 inches between the rolls on the rimmed cookie sheet. Cover the loaves with a towel and let sit until they are risen slightly, about 35 minutes.
- When ready to bake, brush the loaves with the egg wash and poke 5-6 holes with a chopstick all the way through the roll and transfer to the oven. This will give the steam a place to escape, preventing the possibility of the nut rolls splitting.
- Bake until evenly golden brown, 35-40 minutes.
- Remove and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Rolls can be sliced and eaten once cooled, but are better the next day. Use a serrated knife to cut the rolls into 1-inch-thick slices.
More cookie recipes: Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies | Nut Roll Recipe | Oreo Truffle | Double Tree Cookie | Chocolate Pizzells | Hot Chocolate Bombs | Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies
FAQ and Tips
I would have doubled this recipe with success but do not triple it. The ratios in the dough get off with the dough is tripled.
especially on the final roll. Keep the dough just above ¼ inch in thickness. If you want to have the dough just slightly thicker at the edge that will be the final roll around, that will works. Also, don't let the dough dry out and be sure to use an egg wash from edge to edge.
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📖 Recipe
Nut Roll Recipe
There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
Walnut filling:
- ¼ cup Butter ((½ stick Butter,) cut into cubes)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
- pinches ground clove
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 3 cups walnuts (finely chopped)
- 2 large eggs (divided)
Instructions
How to make nut roll dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk and sprinkle with the yeast and sugar. Allow bubbles to form. It should take about 10 minutes.2 1⁄4 teaspoon instant dry yeast, ¾ cup whole milk, 3 tbsp. sugar
- Add the softened butter, sour cream, eggs, 4 cups of flour and salt. Mix on low speed until a dough is just beginning to form, 1-2 minutes.4 cups bread flour, ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup Butter, 1 large egg, 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- Increase the speed on the mixer to medium and let the machine knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes more. The dough will be soft and come off the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, dust lightly with additional flour if the dough is sticky, lightly knead to form a smooth ball, then return it to an oiled bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and set in a warm place until risen, doubling in size, 50-60 minutes.
To make the walnut filling:
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.¼ cup Butter
- Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest, spices, and sugars.½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest, pinches ground clove, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Stir in the walnuts and one egg. Allow the filling aside to cool completely.2 large eggs, 3 cups walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and spray a baking sheet with non stick spray or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- How to roll out the dough for nut roll
- lightly dust the surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll one half of the dough into a ¼ inch thick rectangle, about 12-by-10 inches.
- With the longer side of the dough facing you spread half of the filling over the dough in an even layer, leaving a ½-inch border on the bottom edge.
- Roll up the nut roll lengthwise like a jelly roll, covering the filling.
- Pinch the edge to seal the edge, and transfer the roll to the baking sheet.
- Repeat the process with the second piece of dough and the remaining filling, leaving at least 4 inches between the rolls on the baking sheet. Cover the loaves with a towel and let sit until they are risen slightly, about 35 minutes.
- When ready to bake, brush the loaves with the egg wash and poke 5-6 holes with a chopstick all the way through the roll and transfer to the oven.
- Bake until evenly golden brown, 35-40 minutes.
- Remove and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Rolls can be sliced and eaten once cooled, but are better the next day. Use a serrated knife to cut the rolls into 1-inch-thick slices.
Video
Notes
Can this recipe be doubled?
I would have doubled this recipe with success but do not triple it. The ratios in the dough get off with the dough is tripled.Why does my nut roll crack?
Nut rolls will crack or have a 'blow out' when the dough is rolled too thin, especially on the final roll. Keep the dough just above ¼ inch in thickness. If you want to have the dough just slighlty thicker at the edge that will be the final roll arroud, that will works. Also don't let the dough dry out and be sure to use an egg wash from edge to edge.Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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👩🏻🍳 Sarah Mock
CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Sarah Mock
Jackie,
You can! The bread flour will give you more structure to your dough, especially when rolling. But if you are gentle, you can use regular all purpose flour.
Sarah
Jackie Gray Brown
Can I use regular flour? I don’t have bread flour
Sarah Mock
Brandy,
Yes! I should have been more clear. You can freeze them, and my grandmother would freeze them. BUT be sure to bake them and fully cool them before wrapping in plastic wrap and then either foil or waxed paper before freezing.
Thaw the counter before slicing to enjoy!
Sarah
Brandy
Question: - you said it's pulled from the freezer. Do you/can you freeze? And do you freeze after you bake it or before?
Sarah Mock
You are more than welcome! I love sharing my recipes and have people love them.
Sarah
Maria
Thank you for the detailed instructions and photos! My family really enjoyed it.
Sarah Mock
That is a great tip Margie! I will use a chopstick to poke a few 'steam' holes in the rolls.
Sarah
Margie
I slice a few slits in the top of each roll before baking and they don't break open. Maybe this might be helpful to those concerned with nut rolls breaking open during baking. It works for me.
Sarah Mock
I would be cautious when using grated apple in place of the nuts. I would think that there would be too much moisture content and it would be soggy. I need to share my apple strudel recipe.....
debra Z
I have seen some recipes using apple grated what do you think? ( in the filling of course )
Sarah Mock
That might work. Also make sure the seam is under the roll when baking. And even then I will get the occasional breakthrough.
Sarah
Ralph
Turned turned out great except the seal on the bottom opened a little even though we pinched it good. Maybe I should of moistened the seam first.
Sarah Mock
Thank you Opal! I appreciate the feedback. I hope you come back for more delicious recipes.
Sarah
Sarah Mock
I love hearing this Sarah! Thanks for your suggestion on adjusting the filling to fit your tastes.
Sarah
Sarah
Tried making this for the first time with fresh yeast and scaled back the sugar in the filling to 3/4 of a cup brown, 3/4 of a cup of white, would reduce a bit more next time. Beautifully supple dough and tasted just like the fresh yeast breads my Polish grandmother used to bake!!
Opal
I used this recipe for the first time and it worked up beautifully. Rolls turned out delicious
Sarah Mock
Mae,
I was able to adjust the recipe card. That is so strange! I have never seen it translate that way. I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. Sarah
Sarah Mock
Mae,
I see what you mean! The recipe card is displaying the amounts in a wonky format. Let me reach out to my developer and see if there is something they can look into. It might be a program-wide glitch. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Sarah
Mae Jones
Hi, I would like to try this recipe, however I am confused by the way you list amounts of ingredients. Especially the milk to be used. You don't use any fractions, It is confusing, can you clarify the amounts.
Thank You,
Mae Jones.
Sarah Mock
OOH! Great tip James! I will give that a try next time I make them.
Sarah
James Norton
My grandmother always slathered her nut rolls with melted butter before and after baking! I do the same and the rolls never split or crack butter before rising and baking and after
Donna
Love nut roll so I’m going to give this a try !