Cream Cheese Kolache Recipe

Cream cheese kolaches are sweet, soft pastries filled with a rich, sweet cream cheese filling. They're perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack. Originating in Eastern Europe, they were popularized in Central Texas by the large Czech community.

Believe it or not, they're easy to make and absolutely delicious!

Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.

🗝️ Key takeaways

• These kolaches are soft, sweet, and filled with a delicious cream cheese mixture. One bite and you'll be transported to "that" little bakery just off I-35 in West, Texas!
• I love them for holiday breakfasts but they're perfect for weekends, too. And, a cream cheese kolache and cup of coffee in the afternoon will revive the most zombie-like exhaustion.
• Be sure to include the 30 second whipping technique that's in the instructions. It makes all the difference.

Cream cheese kolache are puffy, soft pillows of buttery dough filled with a pool of rich, creamy cheesecake, then topped with sweet crumbles of streusel.

If you've ever had one you probably have an addiction - I know I do. They're easy to make at home with this vintage recipe.

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖 Variations

• Fruit & cheese kolaches: Add a spoonful of fruit jam. pie filling, or preserves on top of the cream cheese filling.
• Nutty kolaches: Sprinkle chopped nuts over the cream cheese filling before baking.

🍴 Equipment

1. mixing bowls, large and medium
2. measuring cups and spoons
3. stand mixer with dough hook
4. baking sheet
5. spatula
6. parchment paper

🥫 How to store leftover kolache

Any leftover kolaches can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to a week.

You can also freeze them for 3 or 4 months.

💭 Things to know

If you've tried my fruit kolaches and my sausage kolaches you know that I found the perfect kolache dough recipe in an old OLD cookbook with handwritten notes.

The trick is to whip the dough at the end of the kneading time for about a minute AND to bake these in a hot oven - around 425F. You'll have the lightest, fluffiest, billowiest, most beautiful homemade kolaches in the known universe.

You know... for when you get tired of sweet rolls and waffles!

1. Be sure to use regular and not low fat cream cheese. Low-fat, whipped, or reduced-fat will not work.
2. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for the best results.
3. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing for a smoother filling.
4. Don’t overfill the kolaches to prevent the filling from leaking out during baking.
5. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature unless otherwise directed in the recipe.
6. Use an insta-read thermometer to ensure your liquids aren’t too hot or too cold.
7. You can let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator if you want to.
8. Using too much flour or overworking the dough will make them tough.
9. Homemade kolache are best eaten the same day they are made or frozen.

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Cream cheese kolache

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👩‍🍳 FAQs

Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!

📚 Related recipes

📞 The last word

These cream cheese kolaches are a delightful treat that you and your family will love. Perfect for any time of day, they’re sure to become a favorite.

Looking for something as yummy as these but quicker and easier? I've got you! Check out these 20 minute cheese danish!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Cream Cheese Kolache

4.43 from 113 votes

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This is the BEST recipe for kolaches ever! Cream cheese kolache are a tradition here in Texas! Lighter than air! Puffy pillows of a buttery, slightly sweet dough are filled with a tangy cream cheese filling and topped with cinnamon crumbles.

Course Breakfast Bread

Cuisine European,Texan

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings:12

Calories:227

Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

Kolache Dough

• ▢ 2 ¼ teaspoons yeast, or 1 packet
• ▢ Pinch of ground ginger
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup warm milk, 110F
• ▢ ½ cup whole milk
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
• ▢ 2 ½ cups to 3 ½ all purpose flour, about 3 if using a bread machine
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ cup sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons instant potato flakes, unflavored
• ▢ 1 large egg, room temperature

Cream Cheese Filling

• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese
• ▢ ¼ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 egg yolk
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla

Crumb Topping

• ▢ ⅓ cup sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons flour
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

Kolache Dough

• Add the yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, and ginger to the ¼ cup milk and set aside.
• Put the ½ cup milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until the butter melts.
• Let cool to 110F.
• It should feel comfortably warm to when you drop a few drops on your wrist.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine 2 cups of the flour with the salt, sugar, and potato flakes.
• Add the yeast mixture and the cooled milk mixture and stir until blended.
• Add the egg and blend it in.
• Add another ⅓ cup of flour. The dough will be sticky.
• Switch to the dough hook.
• Add flour a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl.
• Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. It should be easy to handle at this point.
• Knead on high for about 30 seconds to a minute.
• Remove from the mixer bowl and form into a ball.
• Rub the ball with melted butter then place it in a greased bowl.
• Turn the ball over once.
• Cover the bowl loosely with a clean tea towel.
• Let it rise for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
• Punch down.
• Divide the dough into 12 pieces about the size of an egg.
• Roll into balls and arrange them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
• Brush with butter, cover loosely with tea towels or plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 hour.
• Make indentations in the buns and fill with cheese mixture.
• Sprinkle with crumb mixture.
• Bake at 425F for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Watch carefully.

Cream Cheese Filling

• Beat together cream cheese with sugar until smooth.
• Add the egg yolk and vanilla.
• Beat until completely incorporated.

Crumb Topping

• Combine sugar with flour and cinnamon.
• Stir in the melted butter until the mixture forms crumbs. 

Notes

• Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature unless otherwise directed in the recipe.
• Use an insta-read thermometer to ensure your liquids aren’t too hot or too cold.
• You can let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator if you want to.
• Using too much flour or overworking the dough will make them tough.
• Homemade kolache are best eaten the same day they are made or frozen.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.

You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.5g | Protein: 4.1g | Fat: 13.4g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 303.9mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 16.4g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

✍🏻 A note from Marye...

I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.

I live exactly 58 minutes from my favorite bakery in West, Texas. 58 minutes under normal traffic and circumstances, that is.

I know the exact time because the minute that I am heading down I35 South I start thinking about which kind of kolache I am going to indulge in. It’s all fantasy of course. Anyone who has known me longer than a minute knows that it’s going to be cream cheese.

Cream cheese kolache are my favorite. If I moved to West I’d eat a ton of them. In the long run it would be totally worth the 900 deadlifts and 67 miles per day on the treadmill.

West is one of those little Texas towns you just fall in love with. In fact, I’m pretty sure you can smell kolache baking as you drive down the highway. Strolling around the tiny downtown area you may even catch a conversation in Czech. Many of the older residents still speak it.

The area was settled because of the rich farmland. After a few years the Katy Railroad was built right smack through the property of a Mr. Thomas West.

Mr West was the postmaster at the time. I guess it was just a no-brainer to call the town West in his honor. Especially since he’d supplied the property.

It might have been better if they’d’ve called it Thomas, though. People who are not from Texas get pretty confused when you tell them that West, Texas is south and maybe a little east of Dallas/Fort Worth.

To get an idea of the kind of confusion I’m talking about here’s a quote from the official West website. “West is home of Scott Podsednik of the Boston Red Sox. Scott grew up in Tours, five miles east of West…”

Isn’t that fun? Doesn’t it make you smile? Anyway…

Czech immigrants settled there and started raising their families. Big families. Pretty soon West was full of Czech culture and food.

Now it’s  known as the Czech Heritage Capital of Texas and the home of the official kolaches of the Texas Legislature. No one drives through there without stopping for a kolache.  A cream cheese kolache, preferably.

And by no one I mean… me. I'm no one.

First published January 23, 2017. Last updated June 26, 2024 for editorial improvements and readability.