Hungarian Poppy Seed and Walnut Beigli – Mákos és Diós Bejgli

Hungarian Poppy Seed and Walnut Beigli, known as Mákos és Diós Bejgli, is one of Hungary’s most beloved traditional holiday pastries. With its delicate, buttery pastry wrapped around a rich poppy seed or walnut filling, beigli is especially popular around Christmas and other family celebrations.

The beautiful spiral pattern inside makes every slice look special, while the combination of sweet filling and tender pastry makes this Hungarian classic impossible to resist.

What Is Beigli?

Beigli is a traditional Hungarian rolled pastry made from a rich yeast dough and filled with either sweetened ground poppy seeds or walnuts.

The two most traditional varieties are:

• Mákos Bejgli – poppy seed filling
• Diós Bejgli – walnut filling

The finished rolls are traditionally brushed with egg to create their characteristic glossy, golden surface. When sliced, the filling forms a beautiful spiral through the pastry.

Ingredients

For the Pastry

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• ½ cup milk, lukewarm
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Poppy Seed Filling

• 1 ½ cups finely ground poppy seeds
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Walnut Filling

• 1 ½ cups finely ground walnuts
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Egg Wash

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten