Triple Berry Hamantaschen Recipe
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Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrating the saving of the Jewish People in Persia from Haman, an evil government official (Purim story). Hamantaschen (sometimes spelled Hamentaschen) are a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish cookie served during the celebration. During Purim, children dress in costumes, twirl groggers (noisemakers) and boo when Haman’s name is mentioned during the telling of the story in synagogue.
Hamantashen, a Yiddish word that translates into “Haman’s pockets”, are triangular filled cookies. Growing up, hamantaschen were always quite bland and boring. Usually filled with chocolate chips or premade fruit filling, I was always less than thrilled when this holiday treat was brought out. When trying to make these for my family I decided I would make them better, more flavourful, and fun to eat. I adapted my mother’s original cookie recipe and went on the hunt for better filling ideas. I decided to make a triple berry filling packed with blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. Jewish or not, I think everyone will enjoy these delicious, fun shaped cookies!
TOTAL TIME
- Preparation Time – 20 minutes plus at least 2 hours to rest in the fridge
- Cooking Time – 14 minutes a batch
- Total Time – 2 hrs 34 minutes
INGREDIENTS FOR HAMANTASCHEN RECIPE
All the ingredients for these cookies are easy to source from any local grocer.
- 3/4 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup and 6 tbsp White sugar, divided
- 1 Egg, room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract, divided
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 1/2 tsp Salt, divided
- 2/3 cup Frozen raspberries
- 2/3 cup Frozen blackberries
- 2/3 cup Frozen blueberries
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 4 tbsp Water
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
CAN I USE IMITATION VANILLA FOR HAMANTASCHEN?
My strong recommendation is to buy a good vanilla extract and never, ever, buy imitation vanilla! I suggest Neilsen Massey or another high quality extract which will add beautiful flavour to your Hamantaschen. Many brands sell authentic vanilla at varying price points so it’s easy to find one that suits your needs.
DO I HAVE TO CHILL THE DOUGH?
Absolutely. Before working with your dough you must chill it for at least two hours to allow it to properly come together, similar to a pie crust or shortbread.
DO I HAVE TO USE FROZEN BERRIES?
You should use frozen berries for this recipe as they will break down easier in your filling. If you don’t have frozen berries, you could certainly use fresh but you will be cooking for longer.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
I HAVE AN ALMOND ALLERGY! DO I NEED TO USE ALMOND?
The purpose of the almond extract in this recipe is to offset its sweetness and add another dimension of flavour. In these cookies you could easily substitute a teaspoon of lemon juice in place of the almond extract.
CAN I USE DIFFERENT BERRIES?
You can certainly substitute any berries you wish in this recipe. I like the flavours of blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry mixed, but you could easily use one only, or a different berry entirely.
EQUIPMENT FOR TRIPLE BERRY HAMANTASCHEN RECIPE
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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make the Triple Berry Hamantaschen Recipe.
- Kitchen Aid Mixer – You can certainly make these hamantaschen by hand if you don’t own a mixer, but the batter is very thick and will be hard to stir once you add the oats. I highly recommend purchasing a good mixer if you are able to do so. I adore my Kitchen Aid Professional mixer. It can handle even the heaviest of batters with ease. In addition, it has a large 6.6 L bowl which can accommodate multiple batches of this dough at once.
- Parchment Paper – I highly recommend lining your cookie sheets with parchment paper to ensure they don’t stick. Paper Chef is my favourite brand, and comes in a large format roll that is easy to cut to any size.
- Spatula – I always use my Le Creuset spatula when mixing cookie dough in my mixer. I am able to easily scrape down the sides, and ensure that there is no flour left behind unmixed. It easily stands up to the heaviest dough without issue, and as an added bonus the silicone head is removable and can be tossed in the dishwasher!
- Cookie Scoop (2 tsp) – I strongly recommend a cookie scoop in order to make equally sized cookies, and perfectly round dough balls. I love my OXO cookie scoop so much that I own it in three sizes. I use the 2 tsp scoop in this recipe to easily portion out equal amounts of the triple berry filling.
- Cookie Cutter (or glass)
- Bowl
- Baking Pans (x2)
COOKING DIRECTIONS
This Triple Berry Hamantaschen Recipe is a delicious twist on a traditional Ashkenazi Purim treat. Food is front and centre in most Jewish celebrations, and Purim is no different: it’s a time for fun and food. I promise if you follow the steps below, you’ll find that making these adorable cookies is both simple and fun.
The key to making these cookies successfully is allowing the dough time to rest in the fridge. After mixing your dough you’ll need to let it rest for at least two hours in the fridge: this will give the dough time to come together and develop a beautiful texture for rolling. You’ll also need to give your delicious filling time to chill to make it easier to portion onto your cookies. This filling is ready to use when it is the texture of a firm jam. Take your time, and you’ll be rewarded with Triple Berry Hamantaschen that are bursting with beautiful fruit.
MAKE AHEAD STORAGE
You can prepare the dough the day before if you’d like, just let it warm up a bit before rolling it out.
These cookies will stay delicious at room temperature for several days, and can be frozen in an airtight container for several months.
FINISHED DISH
Enjoy this Triple Berry Hamantaschen Recipe!
OTHER HAMANTASCHEN DISHES
Chocolatey Nutella Hamantaschen
Rich Chocolate Cheesecake Hamantaschen
OTHER DESSERT DISHES
Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Easy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment and rating below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #cooking.with.carbs.
Triple Berry Hamantashen Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Aid Mixer (Optional)
- Parchment Paper
- Spatula
- Bowl
- Cookie cutter (or glass)
- Baking Pans (x2)
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup White sugar
- 1 Egg room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 2 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour
- ¼ tsp Salt
Triple Berry Filling
- 2/3 cup Frozen raspberries
- 2/3 cup Frozen blackberries
- 2/3 cup Frozen blueberries
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 4 tbsp Water
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp White sugar
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Egg Wash
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Water
Instructions
Cookie Dough
- Place your room temperature butter into the bowl of your stand mixer, add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts and mix until creamy.
- Carefully pour your flour and salt into the bowl and mix until a soft, smooth dough comes together.
- Wrap your finished dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. While your dough is resting you can prepare your filling.
Triple Berry Filling
- Stir together the cornstarch and water in a bowl and set aside
- Pour the frozen berries into a pot along with the lemon juice and sugar and bring to a boil on medium heat until they start to break down.
- Add your cornstarch mixture to the berries and mix.
- Cook until your mixture has thickened: 2-5 minutes.
- Place the filling in the fridge to cool while you roll out your dough.
Filled Hamantashen
- Pre heat your oven to 350 F.
- Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 cm thick. You want it to be thin otherwise it will open during baking.
- Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out 2-3 inch cookies. Keep rolling out your dough until you’ve used it all.
- Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the centre of each circle.
- Fold over the right side of the circle, creating a point at the top.
- Next, fold the left side of the circle so the fold overlaps the first to make a point.
- Finally, fold up the bottom piece up and over the other two fold, creating a triangle.
- Press corners to seal.
- Mix the egg and water together, then brush each cookie with the egg wash.
- Bake the hamantashen for 12-14 minutes until edges are slightly browned.
I love the name, history and spiritual reference in this recipe! Is it because of Haman’s deeds why they were so bland traditionally? Yours look delicious
Loving this triple berry filling, so much flavour! Also enjoyed the little history lesson while reading the recipe 🙂