These triangle-shaped hamantaschen cookies are perfectly soft and filled with delicious jams and a homemade poppyseed filling. Step up your game and impress your guests with this unique and flavorful dessert!

I love making fun and unique desserts that I can use at holidays or special gatherings. Try out my easy creme brûlée, these Neiman Marcus bars, or this delicious pound cake.

What IS Hamantaschen?

Before diving into any baking, you should know a little about what exactly the recipe is. And knowing how to say it is the first step! You pronounce Hamantaschen “haa-muhn-taa-shn.” These are traditional Jewish cookies that are soft and absolutely delicious! They hold their triangle shape while being cooked, and the middle is filled with jam. The poppy seed filling is traditional, as are raisin and jam fillings. But, these cookies can be filled with any variety of fillings! You can fill them with anything from jam to Nutella to savory fillings like smoked salmon!

The story behind Hamantaschen cookies is that they are traditionally served at the Jewish holiday Purim. It is largely considered the Jewish Halloween, where the people gather and wear costumes and eat treats. Purim is the celebration of Esther telling the King she was Jewish. The triangle shape of the cookie represents Haman’s hat, and eating it represents Esther’s defiance of Haman and his evil plan to exterminate the Jews. Not only is the story inspiring, but the cookies are mouthwatering and delicious to eat!

Ingredients to Make Hamantaschen

Even though the name is a mouthful, this hamantaschen recipe really isn’t hard to make. The ingredients are simple and common enough that you probably already have a lot of them in your pantry! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

• Butter: I used unsalted butter that was softened to room temperature. This helps reduce any lumps in the dough.
• Sugar: The granulated usgar will sweeten up the dough so they are a sweet treat.
• Egg: Set out your eggs out before baking so that they can come down to room temperature. They will mix in better to the dough!
• Lemon Zest: This gives the dough a slight tang which tastes so good with the jam and filling!
• Vanilla Extract: This will enhance all of the sweet flavors in the recipes.
• Flour: I used all purpose flour for this recipe.
• Salt: You don’t need a lot of salt to make a difference in this recipe.
• Water: You can use a little bit of water at a time to help the dough come together but don’t use too much!
• Assorted Jams: You can use different types of jam as additional fillings if you want!

Easy Poppy Seed Filling

• Poppyseeds: This creates a great look and texture for the filling.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: Acting as a base for the poppyseed filling, the sweetened condensed milk also adds in a delicious taste!

How to Make Homemade Hamantaschen

This recipe is simple and easy! It’s a really unique dessert that will impress any family or friends. Plus, it tastes AMAZING which make these a great dessert to add to any meal!

Prepping the Dough

1. Beat butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
2. Add wet ingredients: Add the egg, lemon zest and vanilla and mix until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and mix again for 10-20 seconds.
3. Combine with flour and salt and form the dough: Add the flour and salt and mix until just barely combined int a crumbly dough. Use your hands to press the dough together. If the dough is too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time to help it come together. Be careful not to add too much water, it should only be enough to bring the dough together, not enough to make it sticky. Form the dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for 2 hours. While the dough is chilling prepare the poppy seed filling for the hamantaschen.

Making the Poppy Seed Filling

• Combine and chill: Use a spice or coffee grinder to grind the poppyseeds into a powder. Transfer poppy seed powder to a medium bowl and add the sweetened condensed milk. Stir until fully combined. Cover and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Fill the Dough and Bake

1. Preheat oven and roll dough: Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thick. You may need to let the dough sit for a few minutes so it is a little easier to roll out without it cracking or crumbling. If it does crack or crumble, use your fingers to pinch the dough back together.
2. Cut dough into circles and fill: Use a 3-inch round cooking cutter to cut out rounds of dough. Carefully transfer the rounds to parchment lined baking sheets leaving 1 inch between them. Place 1 teaspoon of poppy seed filling or jam in the center of the dough. Fold up the side of the dough to form a triangle around the filling, pinching the corners together to prevent leaking while baking. You can rub a little water or beaten egg on the corners before pinching it together to help act as a glue to keep it from opening. Gather the remaining dough and repeat. Make sure not to roll the dough too much because the more the dough is rolled then the tougher the hamantaschen cookies will be.
3. Bake and cool: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are just starting to turn golden brown around the corners. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.