I look forward to this easy hamantaschen recipe every year! Delicious triangle cookies with a chia jam filling baked in the center. This traditional Purim cookie gets an upgrade with some healthier ingredient, including a vegan hamantaschen option. Plus, they’re no chill cookies…making them the best hamantaschen recipe.
I’m excited to share these cookies with you. Ever since I was a kid, this hamantaschen recipe has been a favorite.
Now they’re even better, (IMO) the best hamantaschen recipe gets updated to include a few healthier ingredient swaps.
What are hamantashen?
Short answer: it’s a jelly filled cookie.
But unlike thumbprints or linzer tarts, these cookies are shaped into a triangle with a center of usually a jelly based filling. (There are plenty of unique filling combinations out there too.) They are traditionally made in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Purim.
Some versions (especially store bought ones) make thick and crumbly cookies. This recipe comes out crispy on the outside with a soft and chewy inside.
Healthy hamantaschen recipe
Just because this is a cookie recipe, doesn’t mean it can’t include a few healthier ingredient options too.
Flax meal
These cookies can easily be made egg-free and vegan with the substitution of a flax egg. Flax meal contains protein, soluble and insoluble fiber, and the most ALA omega-3 fatty acids of any whole-food source. When combined with water, flax seed meal turns into a gel like substance that can be used as an egg replacement in recipes.
Coconut oil
Like any good cookie, these need a source of fat to bake properly. The original recipe used butter/margarine. This version uses coconut oil as a substitution since it can be either solid or liquid depending on the temperature. Making these hamantaschen cookies both a plant-based and dairy-free version.
Whole wheat flour
This recipe can be prepared with either all-purpose or white whole wheat flour. Made from hard white spring or winter wheat, white whole-wheat flour has a milder flavor and paler color compared to whole-wheat flour which is made from hard red spring or winter wheat and has a a nutty, hearty taste. Learn more about wheat flours.
As the name implies, the whole wheat option retains the bran and germ portions. Thus keeping more of the nutrients—including B vitamins, fiber, iron and potassium—compared to the refined wheat option (all-purpose flour). It is recommended that at least half of you daily grain intake come from whole grains.
Chia seeds
The fun way to add flavor to these cookies is with the filling your add to the center. Mixing in some chia seeds adds some fiber, healthy & essential fats (omega-3s) plus protein.
Including chia seeds, won’t change the taste of your filling. The texture will be more like a seeded berry jam. It’s a great way to start eating chia seeds if you’re not yet ready to start adding them to your breakfast.
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How to make the best hamantaschen recipe
What you need
It only takes a few simple ingredients & kitchen tools to make a home-made batch of hamataschen.
cookie dough + filling of choice = delicious hamantaschen cookies
These cookies are easily made by hand and do not require a mixer to make the cookie dough. The only “special tool” you’ll have to find in the kitchen is a rolling pin.
Shape into triangle cookies
Once the cookie dough comes together into a ball, you’re good to start making it into cookies. This dough does not have to be chilled before shaping.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on a flat surface. I like to work with half the dough at a time. Keep the other half in a the bowl covered with a kitchen towel.
Cut out circles with a round cookie cutter and add filling to the center of each one. Use a flexible bowl scraper to help lift one dough circle at a time (remove any scrap pieces if they are in your way). Pinch three corner to create a triangle shape. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Looking for another way to shape dough into triangles? Try using the same technique to shaping these sourdough pretzel bites.
Watch how to make these vegan hamantaschen cookies
Hamantaschen filling ideas
Customize your cookies and add flavor with these creative cookie fillings:
- jelly/jams
- cooked fruit sauces – Like this healthy cranberry sauce with apples recipe.
- nut butters
- cookie butters
- poppy seeds
- chocolate chips
- sprinkles
How to store these jam cookies?
Store this hamantaschen cookie recipe in a airtight container or zip top bag. Leave it out at room temperature for use within few days. For longer storage, keep these cookies in the freezer.
Leftover chia jam should be kept refrigerated in a a sealed container, like these glass jam jars or add a stretchable lid to open containers you already have.
FAQs & Helpful Tips
Yes, the raw dough can be frozen. After filling & shaping them into triangles, freeze on a flat surface. Transfer to a sealed container/bag once solidly frozen. When you’re ready to bake them, place the frozen cookies straight onto your baking sheet and cook. They may take a couple more minutes to bake.
Once baked, they’ll stay fresh for a couple of days at room temperate. Keep them in a closed container or a dish covered with plastic wrap & a kitchen towel over it.
These cookies freeze well. If you’re not planning on finishing them within a couple of days, store them in a large bag in the freezer.
More Purim Ideas
Hamantashen Cookies with a Chia Jam Filling
Purim desserts just got a little healthier with this this dairy-free & (optional) vegan hamantaschen cookie recipe. Made with a chia jam filling.
Ingredients
Chia Jam Filling
- ½ cup jam (use your favorite flavor)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup (113 grams) sugar
- 3 tablespoons (30 grams) coconut oil (measured as liquid & chilled until solid)
- 1 large (51 grams) egg or a flax egg*
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour all purpose (146 grams) or white whole wheat (153 grams)
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) fine sea salt
Instructions
Chia Jam Filling
- Stir chia seeds into jam. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before using. The jam will thicken more the longer you wait to use it.
- If desired, repeat with other flavors of jam. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Hamantaschen Cookies
- In a medium bowl, cream together the oil and sugar. Mix in the egg of choice and vanilla extract. Stir in dry ingredients. Mix and bring together with your hands to form a ball dough. If necessary, add a few drops of water (a teaspoon at a time) to assist in forming the dough into a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness. Cut out circles of the dough with a ~2 inch cookie cutter. Add ½ teaspoon of chia jam filling to the center. Pick up a cookie circle (a flexible bowl scraper helps) and pinch around the circle three times to form a triangle shape. Repeat with remaining circles. Re-roll out dough scraps and repeat. Transfer to the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. If desired, refrigerate 15-20 minutes before baking.
- Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 7-10 minutes—depending on the size of your cookies—until lightly golden. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire wrack to cool completely.
Notes
To Make These Cookies Vegan
Replace the egg with a flax based one. To prepare the flax egg: In a small bowl, combine ½ tablespoon flax meal with 1½ tablespoons of water. Let sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to gel before using.
Coconut Oil: Solid but Not Rock Hard
If your coconut oil is liquid at room temperature:
- Chill the oil in the refrigerator until solidified. It should resemble creamed butter and be soft enough to stir with a spoon.
- Combine it this way with the sugar. Use an egg straight from the refrigerator, to help chill the dough.
- Or, prepare with the liquid coconut oil and chill the dough ball (wrapped) before rolling to make cookies.
If your coconut oil is solid at room temperature:
- Stir for a little to soften before adding the sugar. Otherwise the dough might have chunks of coconut oil in it.
Prepare Ahead of Time
Both the chia jam and cookie dough can be prepared in advanced. Keep them both (sealed/wrapped tightly) in the refrigerator.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 cookiesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 87Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g
Happy Purim!!
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