Spritz Cookies are a buttery and beautiful holiday classic. Easy to make, keep them simple or decorate for the holidays.
It wouldn’t be the holidays without a tray full of cookies to snack on or a gift to your friends and neighbors. There are so many festive Cookie Recipes to choose from, like our Gingerbread Cookies or Christmas Sugar Cookies, but with all the hustle and bustle of the season, sometimes you need a no-fuss cookie that is super easy to whip up in a pinch.
Sabrina’s Spritz Cookies Recipe
Spritz cookies are a classic Christmas butter cookie. Their name comes from the German word spritzen, which means “to squirt,” since the cookies are made by pushing the cookie dough through a cookie press. They are a lot like a shortbread cookie, but not as delicate. Just like sugar cookies, they are fun to decorate! Also, you don’t even need to chill the cookie dough. A time-saver, yay!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cream the butter, powdered sugar, and salt with a mixer until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla and almond extracts.
- Gradually mix in flour.
- Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the dough into a cookie press and press the dough onto the cookie sheets, approximately an inch apart from each other.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes, watching to make sure the cookies do not brown.
Nutrition
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Table of contents
About this Recipe
You can really have fun decorating these cookies by adding sprinkles and nonpareils. If you’re planning on frosting the spritz cookies or dipping them into a glaze, wait to add the sprinkles and nonpareils until after that step is done. Otherwise, you can just add them on before baking. Either way will ensure that they “stick” to the cookie better.
Chef’s Note
Even though these are traditionally Christmas cookies, you can change out the disk pattern in the cookie press to fit any season or holiday to make these cookies all year long. Choose flowers or butterflies for spring, or shells for summer, and leaves for fall. The options are endless!
Tips and Tricks
How to Load a Cookie Press
- Form the cookie dough into a log.
- Unscrew the ring from the cookie press barrel and insert the dough.
- Insert the patterned disk you want to use for the cookies and screw the ring back on.
How to Store
- Serve: Enjoy the Spritz Cookies fresh from the oven or place them on a cooling rack to reach room temperature and start decorating.
- Store: Once fully cooled, these cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Keep parchment paper in between each layer to protect them from sticking, especially when decorated.
- Freeze: You can flash freeze these cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet for one hour and then transfer them to a freezer-safe storage container for up to 1 month. A storage bag is not recommended as they aren’t as protected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Add drops of food coloring to get the desired color. Separate the dough into two parts and add red to one half and green to the other for the holidays.
Yes, replace the vanilla and almond extract in this spritz recipe with peppermint extract.
Drizzle melted chocolate chips over the tops of the cookies.
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You know what nobody says: how to get the stupid cookies out of the press so that it doesn’t end up one giant mishapen cookie.
This makes a beautiful, soft dough. Very easy for non-bakers like me. This is a keeper??
I love it when our “non-bakers” have success with our recipes! Happy Holidays Wendy and thanks for the five star review.
Can you make the dough in advance and refrigerate a day or two ? Bring to R Temp then use ?
Yes you can. Please let us know how your cookies turn out!
I included 1/2 tsp. baking powder and put an M & M in the middle to make flowers. Baked for 7 1/2 minutes. Very cute!
Oh what great ideas! Thanks Heather! Appreciate your feedback and five star review!
Hi I’m new to the cookie press. Any particular one I should have bought? When I when to press it, they just won’t stick to the parchment and come out in the shape I want. I have to press it couple of times but then they are to big and not as crispy. Help!
Most cookie presses sold in stores work well for beginners. The issue could be the parchment paper or the temperature of the dough. I would try chilling the dough for about 20 minutes (and your baking sheet if you can) and then pressing the cookies directly on the sheet. As long as you use a non-stick pan, you shouldn’t need the paper. Baking directly on the pan could also help them come out crispier. Hope this helps!
This was by far one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made. The cookies were delicious and flavorful. I would note that it’s worth mentioning that the butter, powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla may crumble, depending on the type of vanilla you use, but it all works out after you add the flour.
Thank you for the five star review Stacey.
Can I use salted butter?
If you do, I recommend reducing the amount of salt from 1/2 t to 1/4 t. Please let us know how your cookies turn out!
Hi! I adore the cookies with the red in the center ? Looks like there are 12 petals in that flower. Which cookie press did you get to achieve this pattern? Can’t wait to try this recipe, thank you! ??
Any cookie press with the pattern desired will work. I honestly don’t remember which one I used as I’ve used a number of different ones over the years! Let me know if you try the recipe. I’d love to hear what you think!
These were so easy to make and so good! I froze the dough, then thawed it out when I was ready to make them. Thank you!!!!
Can these be made using a cookie scoop instead of a cookie press?
I’m assuming you don’t want shapes, just cookies? Then yes.
Super easy recipe, very happy with results
There’s no rising agent in this recipe. Is that a mistake?
Thought the same but made them and they look and taste amazing
My dough comes out two soft and won’t press. Chill? You don’t say that on your recipe.
Thats odd, you shouldn’t need to chill it. Can you describe what your dough looks like so I can better assist?
Sabrina…help! I made my cookie dough and put it in a airtight container and put it in the frig to make the cookies the next day. The next day the dough was not ply able to put in the cookie press. Did I mess up? I had read elsewhere that I could refrigerate, bring to room temperature the next day.
I just bought a cookie press today and am anxious to try it out. Your cookies all look so perfect. Some other folks seem to have the bottoms looking too brown.
Now to see if mine can look as good as yours.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Be well.
Good luck Norma!
Would margarine work same as butter or plant butter? My son has dairy allergy. What can substitute butter?