Spritz cookies are beautifully tasty, melt-in-your-mouth, little butter cookies that typically come in pretty shapes. They come together easily and they’re ready in under 30 minutes just like my cream cheese spritz cookies.
They originated in Germany where they’re typically used as Christmas cookies and families pass down their secret recipes from generation to generation.
Making delicious little cookies is just part of the holiday season for many of us and I get so excited about this spritz cookies recipe!
The word ‘spritz’ means ‘to squirt’ which is appropriate because you literally ‘squirt’ the dough through a cookie press to make fun little shapes. They are beautiful, tasty, and fun to make just like my Linzer cookies.
Let’s bake some cookies!
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What I Love About This Spritz Cookies Recipe
I love that these little gems aren’t too big or too little. They’re the perfect size with a melt-in-your-mouth butter crumble consistency. That’s my favorite part. I also love using the cookie press to make the cutest little happy cookie shapes.
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- Not too sweet
- Buttery crumbly melt-in-your-mouth consistency
- Addictingly delicious flavor
- Makes great gifts
Spritz Cookies Recipe Notes
Butter: Start with room temperature butter. It should be somewhere between 65- and 70-degrees Fahrenheit. For this recipe, you want your butter cool enough to hold its shape, but it should spread really easily.
Just don’t let it get warm enough to separate because it will change the texture of your cookies in the end (besides, your dough will be too soft).
Decorations: I like to decorate mine with colored sugar, sprinkles, and sometimes even red hots. Just keep it simple.
Spritz Cookie Press: Don’t be intimidated by the cookie press, it’s actually easy to use once you get the hang of it. Here’s a how-to article on it if you want a little confidence boost.
Temperature matters a LOT in this spritz cookies recipe. If your spritz cookie dough is too cold it will be hard to get out of the cookie press. Plus, your little beauties will break and crumble.
Dough that is too warm won’t hold its shape when it comes out of the cookie press, so in the words of precious Goldilocks – you want it just right.
Do not use a nonstick or greased cookie sheet or cookies will not stick to the sheet. Like Wilton spritz cookies, you want these little gems to stick to the cookie sheet as you press them out. You’ll also want to space them about 2 inches apart. Overcrowding prevents air from circulating properly and can cause your cookies to burn.
- If the dough does not extrude from the press, spray dough lightly with nonstick cookie spray. It may be just what you need to move things along!
- Pro Tip: The first few cookies out of the press probably won’t look like you want them to. Don’t panic, just keep going. They will get better as the dough reaches the right temperature and you’ll start to see beautiful little shaped cookies pop out of the press!
- Also, when they come out of the oven, remove cookies from the cookie sheet after 2 minutes or cookies will continue to cook and not remove easily. Your cookies could end up burnt on the bottom or eternally stuck to the cookie sheet. Eeek!!
- Without cookie press: If you don’t have a cookie press, it’s okay. You can still make spritz cookies without press and they will be just as fantastic. Using a cookie press is the traditional method but it’s not the only method.
- You can roll your cookie dough and use any little cookie cutters you have on hand.
- No cookie cutters? Use a small glass and just make round cookies with this spritz cookies recipe. It comes together really easily.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
This can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Can You Freeze These Spritz Cookies?
You sure can and it’s a great way to keep your spritz cookies recipe fresh, tasty and on-hand! Just ensure they have completely cooled before preparing them for the freezer.
I find it best to use a food-grade container for freezer storage so may cookies don’t come out of the freezer broken and crumbled.
Also, if they seem a little too soft coming out of the freezer you can crisp them up by putting them in a 275-degree oven for about 3 minutes. Just be sure not to overcook them.
Homemade cookies can be stored in the freezer for 6-12 months.
Make Ahead Tips
It only takes 10 minutes to prepare these spritz cookies, but you can make the dough and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days. Just wrap it well with plastic wrap.
Serving Recommendations
After cooking and baking all day in the kitchen this holiday… you deserve to enjoy these cookies with a cup of spiked hot chocolate or a pumpkin pie martini!
Recipe Variations
You can make some subtle flavor adjustments to make this recipe your own, they just need to be small adjustments.
Here are a few spritz cookies recipe variations.
- Add chocolate drizzle. This recipe produces 6 dozens of cookies, let’s get creative and drizzle some with melted semi-sweet chocolate chips like what I did with chocolate chip shortbread cookies.
- Add icing. Drizzle icing on top of these cookies, check almond shortbread cookies for a basic icing ingredient. For an icing with a hint of orange, check the cranberry orange shortbread cookies recipe!
- Dust this with confectioners’ sugar. Dust it or roll these cookies on confectioner’s sugar, like Italian wedding cookies and vanillekipferl. Or Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Add frosting. If you have leftover chocolate frosting from making reindeer cookies, spread it here then dip it in sprinkles.
- Sub vanilla. Replace vanilla extract with a different flavor extract!
More Christmas Cookies Recipes
- Chocolate Christmas Cookies
- Italian Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Candy Cane Cookies
Spritz Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Toppings
- colored sugar, sprinkles, red hots, jimmies optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla and combine well. Turn the mixer on low and mix in the flour, just until incorporated. (Dough will be soft but do not refrigerate).
- Spoon the dough into a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice. Press the dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Decorate with colored sugar, sprinkles, red hots, jimmies, as desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven, until set, about 6-8 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then remove to wire racks and cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
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