Homemade Fruit Kolaches with Cream Cheese

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share a commission.

Try these soft, pillowy Homemade Fruit Kolaches with Cream Cheese for a bakery-style treat at home. If you love the famous kolaches from the Czech Stop in West, Texas, this recipe brings that same comforting, nostalgic flavor straight from your own oven.

Closeup on some fruit and cream cheese kolaches.

Czech-Inspired Kolaches

When our youngest son was in college at UT in Austin, we often stopped at the famous Czech Stop in West, Texas alongside I-35. It’s a beloved stop for travelers in that neck of the woods for good reason – deliciousness!

Since 1983, The Czech stop has been serving a huge variety of fruit, cream cheese, and savory kolaches straight from the bakery counter. Their kolaches are a regional classic rooted in Czech-Texan heritage and we are very big fans even though our trips that way have lessened over the years.

Why This Recipe Works:

SOFT AND PILLOWY – The enriched yeast dough creates a soft, pillowy texture similar to classic Czech-style kolaches.
CREAMY FILLING – Every bite has a little bit of sweet, creamy filling that keeps you coming back for more.
PERFECT FOR BRUNCH – These fruit kolaches are perfect for brunch because they’re easy to grab, share, and enjoy warm, making them ideal alongside coffee, tea, or mimosas.
LABOR OF LOVE – It takes a some time to make these delicious kolaches, but they are worth making. I promise!

Overhead view of a spatula under a fruit filled kolache with cream cheese and icing.

What You’ll Need:

active dry yeast
granulated sugar
milk
egg
unsalted butter
all-purpose flour
bread flour
kosher salt
fruit preserves
for the filling – a combo of cream cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and milk
for the icing – a combo of butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk

Labeled ingredients for the kolache dough ingredients.

Labeled ingredients for the cream cheese filling.

How to make Czech Kolaches:

Step 1
Mix the flour and butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, three cups of bread flour, kosher salt, and the softened butter. Attach the dough hook and start the mixer on low speed. Let it run for a minute or two.

Step 2
Activate yeast. In a large measuring cup, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm milk (heated to 105-110 degrees F). Use a spatula to stir it around. Let the yeast mixture sit for about 15 minutes or until it gets foamy and bubbly on top.

Add the egg and mix well.

A Bosch mixer with the flour and butter.

A measuring cup of the yeast mixture and a small bowl with an egg.

Step 3
Finish the dough. Pour the yeast mixture into the stand mixer and start the mixer on low speed. Let it run until the flour absorbs, using a silicone spatula to occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the remaining bread flour or as much is needed to achieve your desired consistency and let the mixer run on medium speed for a couple of extra minutes. Test the dough with your finger to make sure it’s slightly sticky but firm.

Step 4
Transfer dough. Transfer the soft dough to a medium greased bowl. Form it into a smooth ball by punching it down in the center and pulling the sides inward. Place the dough smooth side up in the bowl.

Step 5
Let dough rest. (FIRST RISE) Place a clean towel (or plastic wrap) on the top of the bowl and set it in a warm place in your kitchen. Let the dough double in size – approximately 45 minutes to one hour.

Step 6
Form rolls. Spread a bit of oil on a baking mat or cutting board and use it to divide the dough into 24 equal portions. Use your hands to form each portion into a small ball and add to a greased sheet pan (I use a USA half sheet pan measuring 17. 25 x 12. 25 x 1. Press down slightly, cover with towel, and set pan in a warm corner of your kitchen to rise, about 45 minutes to an hour. (SECOND RISE)

NOTE: I normally use a digital scale to get equal-sized rolls. For this batch, each one was approximately 48 grams but that could change slightly.

A board of the dough being cut into equal parts.

A pan of the kolache rolls after forming into 24 equal parts.

Step 7
Make cream cheese filling. Add cream cheese ingredients – the softened cream cheese, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar – to a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until ingredients are well combined. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

A bowl of the cream cheese ingredients in a bowl.

Step 8
Add filling to rolls. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to press down the center of each roll, forming a large well. Then carefully add a spoonful of preserves topped with a spoonful of cream cheese filling to each well. Brush egg wash on rolls (optional) and let rest while preheating oven to 350 degrees.

A wooden spoon being pressed into the middle of the kolache rolls.

A pan of the prepared kolaches ready to bake.

Step 9
Bake rolls. Bake rolls in preheated 350-degree oven for 17-20 minutes, or until golden. brown on top. Set pan on counter to cool.

Step 10
Make icing. Combine melted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and two tablespoons of milk. Use a spoon to stir and then additional milk as needed to get a consistency that works for drizzling.

Step 11
Add icing. Drizzle icing over top the kolaches. I normally add icing to a small bag, snip off the end, and drizzle in a thin stream. Serve and enjoy!

A pan of the baked kolaches before adding the icing drizzle.

A pan of fruit-filled cream cheese kolaches with a drizzle of icing.

Storing and Freezing:

Because these kolaches contain cream cheese, they’re best kept at room temperature for up to 24 hours in an airtight container. After that, transfer them to the refrigerator for food safety, and simply warm them slightly before serving to bring back that soft, bakery-fresh texture.
Baked kolaches (without icing) freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight, warm slightly, and add icing before serving.

Recipe FAQs:

What are kolaches?

Kolaches are soft Czech-style pastries made with a lightly sweet yeast dough and filled with fruit, cream cheese, or both.

Do I need a stand mixer to make kolaches?

No, you can mix and knead the dough by hand. A stand mixer just makes the process faster and easier.

What kind of fruit works best for kolaches?

Thick fruit fillings like cherry, apricot, blueberry, or raspberry work best so they don’t spread too much while baking.

How do I keep the filling from working out?

Create a deep indentation in the dough and avoid overfilling. A sturdy, well-proofed dough helps keep everything in place.

When do I add the cream cheese filling?

Add the cream cheese filling after shaping the dough and before baking so it stays creamy and slightly tangy.

Other Delicious Roll Recipes:

My hand holding half of a kolache showing the fruit and cream cheese filling.

A large pan of cream cheese kolaches with fruit and a simple icing.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

The Bosch Universal Mixer is the best bread mixer! My Mom had one sitting on her counter for as long as I can remember. She used it so often that she literally wore the first one out and bought a second one after she and Dad moved into an apartment. Mike bought me one for Mother’s Day several years ago and I love it. It doesn’t do the work FOR you, but it can handle a lot of bread making (speaking from experience!) and the lid prevents the dough from falling out of the mixer when making large batches of bread.
USA Half Sheet Pan (17. 25 x 12. 25 x 1 inches)
Cooling Rack

xoxo ~Sue