Romanian Cozonac with Walnut Swirl

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Quick breads Vanilla: Extract Medium

Cozonac is a soft, golden enriched bread swirled with a sweet ground-walnut and cocoa filling. This is the classic walnut version, braided and baked in loaf pans. Makes 2 loaves in about 4 hr 25 min.

Prep 40 min

Cook 45 min

Cooling 3 hr

Total 4 hr 25 min

Servings 16

Ingredients

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servings

4 cups (500 g)bread flour
¼ oz (7 g)instant yeast
½ cup (100 g)granulated sugar, for the dough
¾ tsp (4 g)fine salt
1 cup (230 ml)whole milk, lukewarm
3 (54 g)egg yolks
⅓ cup (80 g)unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp (5 ml)vanilla extract
1lemon zest, finely grated
7 tbsp (60 g)raisins, soaked in 30 ml rum
1 ⅔ cups (200 g)ground walnuts
½ cup (100 g)granulated sugar, for the filling
4 tbsp (20 g)cocoa powder
3 (99 g)egg whites, whipped to stiff peaks
1 (18 g)egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp milk

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Instructions

Stir the flour, yeast, sugar and salt together. Add the milk, yolks, butter, vanilla and zest and knead 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Knead in the drained raisins. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1.5 hours.
Mix the walnuts, sugar and cocoa. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the walnut mixture just before using.
Divide the dough in two. Roll each half into a 12 x 16 inch (30 x 40 cm) rectangle and spread with half the filling, leaving a 1/2 inch (1 cm) border.
Roll up tightly from the long side. Cut the roll in half lengthwise, twist the two strands together with cut sides up, and fit into a greased 9 x 5 inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan.
Cover and rise until puffy, about 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
Brush with beaten yolk and bake 40 to 45 minutes, tenting with foil after 25 minutes, until the loaves sound hollow and a skewer is clean.
Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then on a rack.

Tips

Fold the whites into the filling at the last minute so it does not deflate.
Roll the dough tightly so the swirl stays even.
Tent the loaves if the top browns before the center bakes.
Bake until the center of the loaf reaches 190 F (88 C), which also fully cooks the egg white in the filling.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make romanian cozonac with walnut swirl?

Plan on 40 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking, plus 3 hours to chill. The recipe makes 2 loaves (16 servings).

How should I store romanian cozonac with walnut swirl?

Wrap and keep at room temperature up to 4 days, or freeze up to 2 months.

Can I make romanian cozonac with walnut swirl ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

A rich yeast bread baked for Easter and Christmas in Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria. Serve it with black coffee.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 16 servings this recipe makes.

290 Calories / serving

15.1g Fat

32.1g Carbs

7.1g Protein

15.7g Sugar

Whole recipe (16 servings): ~4640 cal · 242g fat · 514g carbs · 114g protein · 251g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.