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.
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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.
Hi, Michelle! (Romanian here :) I really loved your recipe and the images really made me want to bake a cozonac ASAP. I have posted my mothers’ walnut roll recipe on my blog, which is the recipe form Transylvania region, very similar to yours. If I may, I leave a link here so you can check it out. Thanks a bunch! :) https://www.pro-recipes.com/romanian-walnut-roll-recipe-cozonac-recipe/
You might try piercing the rolls fully through with a fork six times before baking. This allows steam to escape and keeps the filling from bursting out during baking.
I made this roll last year with pecans for Thanksgiving. It was such a hit with even the young adults who remembered their grandmother making it. I made it again for Christmas. It felt so good to carry on a family tradition!
I’ve been trying to find a recipe for my husband’s Oma’s nut bread. This bread and filling sounds and looks the same – but she baked it flat, not rolled, and cut it into squares. Before she passed I would ask for the recipe and she would just say “it’s just a yeast dough, and a nut topping!” I need more than that! I’m excited to try this in square form.
Am trying to make these nut rolls but no one has any yeast….can they be baked without yeast???
Hi Val, I’m sorry but unfortunately you need yeast for this recipe :( Hopefully it will be back in stock soon!
This is my second attempt at this recipe. I am either putting too much filling or making dough too thin. Every roll exploded. UGH!! Smell wonderful and I am sure taste great but they are flat and exploded.
Great recipe girl! Thank you. It tastes just like my Baba’s. I am a Pastry Chef and own a cooking school and teach our family recipe at Christmas to home cooks. If you poke the roll with a fork all the way along the top and few pokes on the sides it will help keep your rolls a more uniform shape as the steam created inside the loaf will have somewhere to vent. It’s the same reason why we score bread before baking – the steam needs somewhere to go or it will find the weakest spot and bust its way through.
I always make Poppy Seed Roll for Ukrainian Christmas, but I am not really a fan, this year I decided to make this nut roll instead. I am so glad I did, it is delicious! I made 1/3 of the recipe to fit in my bread machine, for the filling I used pecans as I am not a fan of walnuts. I made one large roll, which baked in 45 minutes. It looked beautiful, no splitting or leaking,. This will be on my list next year as all my guests loved it. I found the filling a little sweet so I will reduce the sugar a bit next year
Would you share the poppy seed recipe? I love that one too! Thanks
Your recipe is almost exactly like my grandmother’s Kolace recipe which she brought with her when she emigrated to America in the early 1900’s.
Baba passed the recipe on to my mom and then it was given to me.
I make several of them to give as Christmas gifts ( always a hit!)
The one thing xtra in my recope is cinnamon added to the nut mixture.
Thank you for sharing this recipe with viewers!
Lorraine
THANK YOU so much for sharing this recipe!! I’ve been making nut roll for many, many years using my husband’s Croatian grandmother’s recipe. I mailed some to my father-in-law and he said it was the best I’ve made and asked for the recipe. Now mind you, he’s been eating nut roll for over 80+ years. This will now be my annual Christmas nut roll recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!! I made this last week for my famiy
I am going to have to try this recipe! My grandmother passed away and only left her hand written recipe. We had strudel every Christmas. I have tried to follow her introductions but they keep bursting. This all makes more sense!!
I am from Pittsburgh, but I live in California now.
I was so hungry for a Pa Nut Roll, but shipment would not be feasible. This recipe is rocks!. Taste just like the Pennsylvania Nut Rolls I used to eat as a kid. I would 110% recommend this recipe.
I was looking for a Pittsburgh nut roll and I think this is it – it is fantastic
Thèse nut rolls are so beautiful and inspiring that I decided to make the recipe. I used to make nut roll and of course, my mom was a wonderful baker. But it seemed to me that 25 minutes was not enough baking time. Maybe the nuts were too wet since the rolls were doughy. I baked them for 40 minutes, but they still had soft and almost raw centers. Could it be too many nuts or a filling that was too wet. Maybe the only way to salvage the disaster is to toast the slices aggressively..
The recipe is wonderful and taste is just like my mom made. I was over generous with the filling on the first 4, so I ended up just making 6 not rolls total, but all are nice size. I guess my only advice is be careful on use of the filling.
Merry CHRISTmas!
Can you tell me the measurements for half of this recipe?
Just made 4 they are rising now I have made your rolls for years and my mom says better than her mothers thats amazing
Thank you for this recipe! I grew up in eastern Ohio and remember nut roll at all the holiday gatherings with family. It had been almost a decade since I had eaten any. I moved away and my grandma passed, so it was no longer in the rotation. Last christmas I surprised my family using your recipe, and it brought back so many wonderful memories! I am about to make it again this year. I usually split the nut part and do half the rolls with walnuts and half with pecans.
I am confused. Does the dough have to rest before assembling the nut rolls. Also, why bake only two rolls at a time?
Hi Michael, It does not. Two at a time because that’s usually all that will fit on a baking sheet.
Hi! I know why had issue with flour. With our older recipies have to keep in mind flour was kept in bulk and keeping it compacted made it last longer. So when you would get flour, would siftbefore measuring. Try your recipe with the original amount, but sift the flour before measuring it. (Even fluffing the flour with a spatula or whisk and easing it, never packing or tapping to settle will be like sifting).
Hi, Michele – I made your recipe last year and the rolls were perfect! My questions is this: the rolls are very large, and I wondered if you’d have any suggestions for making smaller rolls? Would I just divide the dough into more pieces and then bake for less time? I would like to give a few smaller ones to a few of my neighbors (I think that’s a nicer presentation than cutting the larger ones into pieces). Thanks!
Sherry
Hi Sherry, So glad you enjoyed them! Yes, dividing the dough into more pieces and the filling accordingly would work just fine.
Michele, I have made this recipe two years ago and just loved it so I decided to make it this year. Well I did not read the recipe all the way to the end when I started did not remember that there was a 3 hour rising time, well it is 10:00 pm so that won’t work . I have decided to put the dough in the Fridge and continue tomorrow. My question is after I make the nut rolls should I let them rise for 3 hours. Hope it is going to be Ok made the entire recipe!
What was the end result? I made my dough yesterday but got tired and stuck it in the fridge overnight 😬
I have been making nut roll for years,always willing to try a new recipe…..no need to anymore,have been using and sharing this for a few years now ! I have been told by many friends how they look forward to receiving the roll as a Christmas gift! Thank you for sharing…..your recipes are awesome!
I just finished making my Christmas rolls. I found a way to assemble a roll in less than three minutes. I lightly buttered two sheets of waxed paper. I put the amount of filling on the waxed paper, buttered side up. I put another buttered sheet of waxed paper on top of the filling then rolled the filling and flipped it on the rolled out dough. Maybe you already knew this but spreading the filling on the soft dough is an opportunity to create a couple problems and this method is super quick. Wish I had thought of it years ago.
Would it make a difference if I used 2% percent milk rather than whole milk in the filling?
I’m pretty excited to be trying this recipe!
Hi Jess, That would be fine, enjoy!
I believe I started baking this roll when you first published my grandmother always made these and poppy rolls she lived south of Pittsburgh small town called Fairchance but the big compliment came when my mother said these are better than her mothers WOW thank you also alot of your recipes I bake goes to Home Depot where my wife works they are now askng when will my Christmas baking start so Thank you Michelle for all you do and Merry Christmas
Thank you so much for the kind words, Merry Christmas to you!
I’ve been making Potica for 50 years. I make 36, 12” rolls every Christmas. I make 4 batches & use 5# plus of flour per batch along with 5# of ground walnuts per batch. My only problem that I can’t quite solve is my top pulling away & gaping from the next layer so when I slice it the top layer kind of falls off or pulls away from the next layer of dough. My spirals have approximately 5 turns of the dough. I’ve tried, pricking the dough, oven temps, less rise/more rise, less flour, water/egg white the dough before filling) to try to alleviate this problem but nothing has worked for me this far! Frustrating!
Hi Carla, this may seem simplistic, but I have having that trouble this year with the top layer cracking into pieces. I switched to a sharper/better knife and didn’t have that problem. Usually I just cut with a butter knife.
Michelle,
I have been baking these for the last 4 years and the flavor is outstanding. My Croatian father says that they always taste just like his mother’s old recipe! I, too, usually have trouble with them splitting/ filling coming out, so I will try your flour trick this year. My other question is this– about how much filling do you usually add to each roll? Sometimes I think I’m overstuffing them. This Saturday is all about nut roll baking and I can’t wait!!
Hi Angela, Unfortunately I don’t measure the filling out, I just divide it up once it’s mixed together, and then scoop each section out and spread it on the dough.
Well first time making them. After baking them they split open on top.
Hi! Do these have to be made into rectangular rolls? Can you make them into a round, wreath-like shape? If so, would anything need to be adjusted in the recipe? I was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, half Slovak and half Italian. I now live in the high-altitudes of Colorado. However, the tradition is alive and well in our home. Grandma and mom made Kolache rolls every holiday—and I ate more than my fair share!
I think a wreath would be beautiful! I see no reason why it wouldn’t work.
My Mom always made this. But when she baked them she put them in round cake pans. So we always have them kinda horseshoe shaped (not quite the wreathe shape you mention.)
Have you ever substituted Pecans for the Walnuts? I’m slightly allergic to walnuts, and always pay for it when I eat my mother’s nut roll. Thanks for your insights!
I haven’t, but I imagine that it would still be delicious!
Pecans are just as good as walnuts for this recipe. Another great hint is to substitute a bit of the sugar for honey. It really kicks it up to whole new level.