My Perfect Spritz Cookies recipe make the most buttery, festive cookies that are classic and nostalgic! I have an easy and foolproof recipe to share with you!
Table of Contents
- Spritz Cookies are a Holiday Classic Cookie Recipe!
- What IS a Spritz Cookie?
- Ingredients:
- Tools: What Do You Need To Make Spritz Cookies?
- How To Make Spritz Cookies:
- How Do I Get My Spritz Cookie Dough Not To Stick To the Cookie Press?
- Can You Use Food Coloring In Spritz Cookies?
- More Variations:
- Can You Freeze Spritz Cookies?
- More Christmas Cookie Ideas:
- Get the Recipe
I will admit, Spritz Cookies have never been a first choice cookie for me. No oozy caramel, no chocolate chips, no frosting… but isn’t there just something cozy and special about the classic Spritz? So, I knew I had to include an easy Spritz cookie recipe in my 12 Day of Christmas Cookies. If you’ve missed the first few days of cookies, scroll to the bottom of the post for a recap, as this is #4 of the week! It’s been great fun so far and I love seeing so many of you baking along!
You might even ask what IS a spritz cookie? Well apparently the word “spritz” comes from the German word “spritzen”, meaning “to squirt” because the soft dough is squirted or pushed through a cookie press to make fancy designs. Long story short, it’s basically a pressed sugar cookie, a lot like shortbread cookies.
Ingredients:
- Room temperature butter. I use salted, but this is a personal preference
- Powdered sugar
- Large egg
- Almond extract (or vanilla extract if you prefer)
- Kosher salt
- All purpose flour
- Milk. I use a little milk in the glaze to get that perfect consistency.
- Sprinkles to decorate if you want!
- Cookie Press. All cookie presses are not created equal. After testing many brands, this OXO press has been my tried and true since I found it in 2017. It is fairly inexpensive, very easy to use, comes with a disk for making any design you would like: wreaths, swirls, trees, flowers etc. Plus it comes with a container to keep them in. It’s sturdy and comfortable in your hand!
- Parchment paper. I really like to use parchment with the majority of my cookie baking, and this spritz recipe is no different.
- A high quality baking sheet is nice to own in general, but I have this THIS COOKIE SHEET is really nice for these cookies that you don’t want to brown too fast.
Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions and printable recipe, but I’ve give you some step by step pictures here to help if this is your first time trying Spritz Cookies!
Make the dough according my full recipe. Once you have the easy dough made, place about 1 cup of it (depending on the size of your press) into the cookie press.
Press cookies onto the baking sheet using the press. Arrange the cookies about 1 inch apart, they won’t spread much at all. Hold the cookie press vertical onto the pan and squeeze. Gently lift the press up, allowing the dough to stick to the parchment paper.
NOTE: You don’t have to use parchment paper, and some find the cookie dough sticks to an unlined pan best, but parchment always works for me, plus it’s easy clean up!
For the glaze: Just whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Dip the tops of each cookie into the glaze. Sprinkle if desired. Allow the cookies to set completely before storing.
- This is the most asked question I get, about making spritz cookies! Let me give you the honest answer…
- I kind of don’t. I mean, my spritz recipe is fantastic…it isn’t sticky, and comes out in beautiful shapes, but it doesn’t come off of the press every time. I have made peace with this… because as I have tweaked the dough recipe, I have found that the drier you make the dough, the more crumbly the cookie. And with a crumbly cookie, you don’t always get a perfectly shaped cookie. It’s a fine line folks!
- You press the cookie onto the baking sheet, as shown, to get the perfect shape. When you lift your press, your cookie might have stuck to the press. This is 100% ok. Just gently remove it from the press and place it on the baking sheet.
- The cookies don’t really spread, so you can bake a lot of cookies at once, which is awesome!
You can absolutely color the dough to make pretty cookies. Make sure you’re not using too much dye, because that can also lead to sticky dough. I prefer to use gel food coloring, as you don’t need as much.
When they’re baked you can dip them in a sugar glaze icing…and then add sprinkles!
More Variations:
- Add spices. Try adding a little cinnamon or pumpkin spice to your dough to make these unique!
- Different Extracts: I add almond extract, but like I said you can add vanilla, or how about coconut extract, rum extract, or even lemon extract or add flavor to the cookie or the icing.
- Try melted chocolate or white chocolate and dip the bottoms or sides of the cookies. You could even drizzle the chocolate on top for a pretty presentation.
My Perfect Spritz Cookies deserve a spot on your holiday cookie tray! They freeze fantastically and are sturdy enough to ship with no breaking! I truly feel like my recipe is the best spritz cookie recipe out there. It’s completely foolproof and so much fun to make! Simply bake them and freeze in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 30 days for best freshness. This makes them the perfect cookie to bake in advance!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 16 minutes
- Yield: 72 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
Perfect Spritz Cookies are easy, buttery cookies, perfect for a cookie press!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla if you prefer)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/4 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract, if desired
- sprinkles to decorate
Instructions
- Cookies: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and powdered sugar on medium speed for 1 minute, until combined.
- Add in the egg, almond extract, and salt and mix for an additional minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour, mixing until just incorporated.
- Place about 1 cup of dough (depending on the size of your press) into the cookie press. Press cookies onto the baking sheet using the press. Arrange the cookies about 1 inch apart and bake for 6-7 minutes or until lightly golden at the edges.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- Icing: Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Dip the tops of each cookie into the glaze. Sprinkle if desired. Allow the cookies to set completely before storing.
Notes
- Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days for best freshness.
- You can freeze these cookies in a large, zip-top bag for up to a month. I don’t recommend freezing them if you have used glaze, as they become sticky as the glaze thaws. Glaze them when they’re at room temperature and allow to set.
- I like to use 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. The combination is subtle and my personal favorite!
Keywords: cookies and cups, cookie recipe, spritz cookies, christmas cookies
Want To Save This Recipe?
Find more recipes like this:
PIN for later:
Are you sure that you line the baking pan with parchment paper? The cookies don’t come out of the press and stick to the pan. I thought the reason for parchment paper was not to have cookies stick to it? Confused.
The cookie dough will still stick to the parchment! You don’t have to use parchment paper if you prefer. It just makes for easier clean up!
I love that I came across this spritz cookies recipe! They turned out perfect and everyone loved them! I had to print out the recipe to pass out to others!
★★★★★
Turned out terrible! Ran all over the pan! Had to throw the whole batch away!
★
This recipe got my attention because of the powdered sugar..Can’t go wrong there. I split the dough into 3rds and colored red.and green with the white. Most likely handled the dough to much, but once I chilled it a couple minutes it pressed out fine. I’ve an old Mirro press from back in the day. Still does the job..
Glaze and colored sugar.. My granny would be proud..
★★★★★
I have been looking for years for a Spritz cooking recipe that work. This is definitely the perfect cookie. It was so easy to press and tasted delicious. I honestly wanted to cry. I’m finally able to make the cookies that bring me such strong and loving memories of my mother. Thank you!
★★★★★
I wanted to make this recipe, but under the ingredients list there’s no measurements of the ingredients. This is the first time I come across a recipe that gives you a list of ingredients, but doesn’t tell you how much are the ingredients to put in.
Hi! The full list of ingredients is the recipe card at the bottom of the post 🙂 Just click “jump to recipe” at the top!
I still don’t see the recipe!
I am sorry you don’t see it! I see it there. Here’s the direct link to the printable recipe. Hope this helps! https://cookiesandcups.com/perfect-spritz-cookies/print/85293/
I rarely leave comments, but these were so delicious! Tasted like shortbread, which isn’t a bad thing!
I chilled my cookie sheets and didn’t use parchment paper. Worked fine. I also cut the recipe in half, which meant halving the egg. Recipe turned out well, with 2 tbsp. of egg. Thanks for a spritz cookie recipe that works!
★★★★★
I love these cookies. I have started giving them in a cookie tin as gifts. Everyone I have given them to exclaims about them! I originally learned about Spritz cookies from my German-born mother-in-law. This recipe is the best I’ve found. I do cut the salt a bit and am very careful not to use too much flour to avoid that floury taste many home-made cookies have. Also, not crazy about the all almond flavor so I do add vanilla instead of all almond extract. I think the powdered sugar makes all the difference because it blends so easily. Thank you for the delicious recipe❣️
★★★★★