4.69 from 70 votes

Buttery Spritz Cookies Recipe

Name: Buttery Spritz Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter (room temperature); ¾ cup (155g) granulated sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon almond extract; 2 ¼ cups (293g) all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon salt; Red gel icing color (optional); Green gel icing color (optional); Sprinkles

ByLindsayUpdated: Dec 18, 2024365 Comments

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Delicate spritz cookies are buttery, tender, and such festive Christmas cookies! The cookie dough is super easy to make, and there are so many ways to decorate them. This spritz cookie recipe makes a BIG batch of cookies, perfect for holiday baking.

Red flower, white snowflake and green Christmas tree Spritz Cookies layered in a white cookie platter

Ever since I started making spritz cookies myself, I can’t get enough! They are so dang good. I would describe them as a cross between a cutout sugar cookie and shortbread cookies made with a cookie press. They have a lovely sweet flavor accentuated with a touch of almond extract.

As long as you don’t overbake them, these crisp butter cookies stay super soft and tender for at least a week. Each cookie melts right in your mouth. Whenever I make these, I literally cannot stop eating them.

I’ll admit, in the past, spritz cookies never really appealed to me. Whenever I had them, they were store-bought versions that lacked the flavor and texture I expect in a great cookie. But as with most things, when you go homemade, you see how things should really taste. Total game changer.

Now, I Love Spritz Cookies. Especially These Ones!

The word “spritz” comes from the German word “spritzen”, meaning to squirt. Traditional German spritz cookies are named for the way they are made: By squirting/pressing the cookie dough through a cookie press. Here’s why these homemade Christmas spritz cookies are always the best:

The final cookies are purely amazing. Soft, tender, and buttery. There’s no hint of artificial flavoring here. It’s hard not to eat one right after the other until they’re all gone.
These are SUPER easy to make. The cookie dough comes together quickly, and there’s no chilling required.
Perfect for batch baking. These spritz cookies don’t spread much while baking, and they’re small. You can bake a bunch at one time, so they’re a great make-ahead treat for holiday parties and Christmas cookie exchanges.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Head to the pantry to gather the ingredients you’ll need to make these easy butter cookies. Scroll to the recipe card for the full recipe measurements.

Butter – Bring your butter to room temperature.
Sugar – Granulated sugar or light brown sugar is best here.
Egg – This can also be at room temperature.
Flavoring extracts – I like to use a mix of vanilla and almond extract. You can omit the almond extract or replace it with extra vanilla if preferred.
Flour – Measured using a kitchen scale or by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling it with the back of a knife. Avoid scooping directly from the bag. You’ll end up with too much flour and dry cookies.
Gel food coloring – Gel icing colors yield the brightest, most vibrant-colored cookies without watering down the dough. You can use red, green, or any colors you’d like.
Sprinkles – Optional, for a festive finish!

How to Make Spritz Cookies

Here’s a quick overview of how to make this classic Christmas cookie recipe from scratch.

Start by preheating the oven to 350ºF while you line your baking sheets with silicone mats (or leave them unlined). I don’t recommend using parchment paper, as the cookie dough won’t stick when you press it.

Creamed butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.

Cream the butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes, until lighter in color.

Spritz cookie dough coming together with a mixer attachment in a mixing bowl.

Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

Spritz cookie dough with a mixer attachment in a mixing bowl.

Add the flour and salt to form the dough. Do not overmix.

Coloring the Cookie Dough

If you want to use a few colors, divide your dough into parts and color it. I recommend gel icing color, not food coloring. You only need a small amount of gel icing color to achieve bright colors. With food coloring, you have to add a lot, and it thins out your cookie dough, which will cause your cookies to spread too much.

Divide the cookie dough.

Spritz cookie dough colored bright red in a mixing bowl.

Add a little gel icing color at a time to color the cookie dough.

Press the Cookies & Bake

Now, add your cookie dough to the cookie press and shape your cookies! I’m a big fan of this cookie press, but feel free to use whichever you have. Be sure to follow the setup directions according to your press.

Using a cookie press to press spritz cookies in green Christmas tree shapes onto a baking mat.

Hold the cookie press perpendicular to the baking sheet. Press out the cookies.

Spritz cookies pressed out into green Christmas tree shapes on a silicone baking mat.

Decorate with sprinkles.

Baked Christmas tree spritz cookies on a silicone baking mat.

Bake at 350ºF for 5-8 minutes, then cool on the pan for 4-5 minutes.

How to Use a Cookie Press

Set up the press. In most cases, you’ll add the plate of the shape you want to make to the bottom of the press. Then, add your cookie dough into the top. Hold the press upright with the bottom directly on the cookie sheet. Press the lever to release a cookie, then lift the press, and you have your cookie!
If the cookie dough sticks to the press, you can use your finger to gently release the cookie. If it holds its shape, great. If not, add it back to your press and keep going. It is important not to try to press the cookies out onto something that’s really non-stick, like parchment paper. See my tips and troubleshooting notes below.

Red flower, white snowflake and green Christmas tree Spritz Cookies spread out over a white table top

Why Are My Cookies Not Sticking?

Surface material matters. Be sure you aren’t using parchment paper, which is naturally non-stick. A silicone baking mat is best, but you can also pipe the dough directly onto the cookie sheet.
Make sure it’s oil-free. Wash your mat or cookie sheet with warm, soapy water before using it. If any residual oils or anything are present, it could prevent the cookies from sticking.
Too much coloring. If you’ve thinned out your cookie dough to the point where it won’t stick, you could try adding a touch of flour to it, a teaspoon at a time. You could also put the cookie sheet and/or baking mat into the freezer for about 5 minutes, then quickly use the press to make the cookies. The frozen mat should be sticky while cold and help the cookie dough stick.

Tips for Perfect Spritz Cookies

Avoid dry cookies. It’s important to measure your flour correctly, particularly in these cookies. Too much flour will give you dry cookies that won’t stick when you press them. I highly recommend a food scale or the spoon-and-level method.
No nuts, no problem. If you can’t use almond extract, that’s fine. Just replace it with additional vanilla extract.
Color correctly/avoid spreading. Do not use water-based food coloring to color these cookies. It won’t make a vibrant color without adding quite a bit of color, which will thin out your cookie dough, causing the cookies to not stick to your baking mat and to spread too much. Go with gel icing colors and add only as much as needed. Even with the gels, too much can make it hard for the dough to stick when using the press.
Dough that sticks. If your cookies aren’t sticking when you press them, first try washing your mat or pan very well to be sure there’s no grease or anything, then try again. If that doesn’t work, even after trying several times, pop the cookie sheet and/or baking mat into the freezer for about 5 minutes, then quickly use the press to make the cookies.
Add sprinkles quickly. If the cookie dough sits for a while before you add the sprinkles on top, the dough won’t be as sticky, and the sprinkles may not stick well. I recommend adding the sprinkles just after pressing out the cookies.
Don’t overbake. These cookies are pretty small, so they really don’t need long to bake. Take them out of the oven just after they no longer look glossy, and they should be perfect.

Storage and Freezing

To store homemade spritz cookies, place them in an airtight container to keep them fresh and prevent them from drying out. Layer the cookies with parchment or wax paper to avoid sticking, especially if they’re decorated with icing or sprinkles. Store them at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Freeze. For longer storage, freeze the cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, thawing them at room temperature before serving.

More Christmas Baking Recipes

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Candy Cane Cookies

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Video Tutorial

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Categories:

Christmas, Cookies, Holidays, Recipes, Recipes with video, Sweets and Treats,

Lindsay

I’m Lindsay, the recipe developer, cookbook author and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love all things sweet and truly enjoy getting to be creative in the kitchen. My goal is to make it easy for eople to get into the kitchen and bake with confidence. I love to share great recipes that people can use for everyday and for special occasions in their life.