The Ultimate Buttery Spritz Cookies (Decorated Christmas Cookies!)
Imagine the quintessential Christmas cookie-making scene: the delightful, rhythmic click-and-press of a cookie press, extruding perfect little trees, wreaths, and snowflakes onto a baking sheet. Now, imagine the incredible aroma of pure, buttery goodness filling your home. That, my friends, is the timeless, nostalgic magic of classic Spritz Cookies. This is, without a doubt, the…
Imagine the quintessential Christmas cookie-making scene: the delightful, rhythmic click-and-press of a cookie press, extruding perfect little trees, wreaths, and snowflakes onto a baking sheet. Now, imagine the incredible aroma of pure, buttery goodness filling your home. That, my friends, is the timeless, nostalgic magic of classic Spritz Cookies. This is, without a doubt, the most beloved and buttery melt-in-your-mouth cookie you will make this holiday season.
I promise you, there is no greater joy than producing dozens of these intricate, beautiful cookies with such little effort. They are the perfect canvas for your creativity—tint the dough festive colors, adorn them with sparkling sprinkles, or dip them in chocolate. They are a true holiday staple, perfect for parties, gifting, and leaving out for Santa.
Get ready to master the classic art of the Spritz cookie and create batches of the most beautiful, buttery, and festive cookies that will melt in your mouth and bring back the fondest holiday memories.
Why These are the Perfect Christmas Spritz Cookies
You are going to fall in love with this classic, no-fail recipe. It’s a holiday tradition for a reason! Here’s why:
- The Ultimate Buttery, Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture: This recipe creates a cookie that is incredibly tender, rich, and buttery, with a delicate crumb that is simply irresistible.
- A Foolproof, Easy-to-Press Dough: The dough is the perfect consistency—soft enough to press easily through any cookie press without a struggle, but firm enough to hold its beautiful, intricate shape.
- A Fun and Festive Holiday Activity: Using a cookie press is a wonderfully fun and satisfying activity. It’s a fantastic way to make a large number of beautiful, uniform cookies quickly.
- Endlessly Customizable and Fun to Decorate: Tint the dough red and green, use different press designs, and go wild with festive sprinkles! The creative possibilities are endless.
- Perfect for Gifting and Cookie Exchanges: These sturdy little cookies hold up well, making them ideal for packing into festive tins and boxes to give as a delicious homemade gift.
Recipe Snapshot
| Prep Time | 35 minutes |
| Cook Time | 8 minutes |
| Total Time | 43 minutes |
| Servings | 65-70 cookies |
| Calories | 50 kcal per cookie (estimated) |
| Course | Dessert |
| Cuisine | American |
| Difficulty/Method | Easy / Baking |
Your Shopping List for These Buttery Classics
This recipe uses simple, high-quality baking staples to create its signature buttery flavor
→ For the Buttery Spritz Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter → Must be properly softened to room temperature for the dough to come together perfectly.
- ¾ cup granulated sugar → For that classic, sweet cookie flavor.
- 1 large egg → To bind the dough.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract & 1 tsp almond extract → This combination of extracts is the secret to the classic, irresistible Spritz cookie flavor!
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour → Spooned and leveled for accuracy.
- ½ tsp salt → To balance the sweetness and enhance the buttery flavor.
- Red and Green gel icing color → Optional, for tinting the dough into festive colors.
- Sprinkles → For that final, festive, decorative touch!
Let’s Get Pressing! Your Step-by-Step Guide
Ready to create dozens of beautiful, buttery cookies? Let’s get that cookie press ready!
Part 1: The Perfect Spritz Dough
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line your baking sheets with silicone baking mats. It’s important not to use parchment paper for this recipe!
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixer bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. The mixture should become visibly lighter in color, light, and fluffy.
- Combine the Dough: Add the egg and mix until well combined. Then, add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix again. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, add the flour and salt, mixing only until the dough is just combined. Do not overmix!
Part 2: Color and Press the Cookies
- Color the Dough (Optional): If you want to make different colored cookies, divide the dough into portions. Add a small amount of gel icing color to each portion and mix until you reach your desired shade of red, green, etc.
- Load Your Cookie Press: Take one color of your cookie dough and load it into your cookie press according to the manufacturer’s directions. Select your desired disk shape (like a tree or a wreath).
- Press the Cookies: Hold the cookie press completely perpendicular to your silicone mat-lined baking sheet. Press the trigger to extrude one cookie. Lift the press straight up. The dough should stick to the mat. Arrange the cookies fairly close together, as they do not spread much.
Part 3: Decorate and Bake
- Add Sprinkles: Before baking, decorate the unbaked cookies with your favorite festive sprinkles if desired.
- Bake: Bake for 5 to 8 minutes. For a softer, more tender cookie, bake for just 5-6 minutes. For a crisper cookie, bake for 7-8 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden.
- Cool and Enjoy: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Classic Buttery Christmas Spritz Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats (do not use parchment paper).
- In a large mixer bowl, cream the room temperature butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the egg and mix until well combined. Then, add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix again.
- On low speed, add the flour and salt and mix only until the dough is just combined. Do not over mix.
- If desired, divide the dough and use gel icing color to tint portions red or green.
- Add one color of the room temperature dough to your cookie press. Hold the press perpendicular to the baking sheet and press out the cookies.
- Decorate the unbaked cookies with sprinkles, if desired. Bake for 5-8 minutes. For softer cookies, bake for 5-6 minutes; for crisper cookies, bake for 7-8 minutes.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
WiseRecipes’ Top Tips for Perfect Spritz Cookies
These are the non-negotiable secrets for foolproof, beautiful Spritz cookies every time.
- Room Temperature Butter is Crucial. Your butter must be properly softened to room temperature—not melty, not cold. This is the key to a dough that is soft enough to press easily.
- Cream it Right! Don’t rush the creaming process. Beating the butter and sugar for a full 3-4 minutes until it’s light and fluffy incorporates air into the dough, which is essential for a tender cookie.
- No Parchment Paper! This is a rare but important rule. Spritz cookie dough needs to stick slightly to the surface when you press it out in order to detach cleanly from the press. Parchment paper is too slick. An ungreased cookie sheet or a silicone mat is perfect.
- Hold the Press Perpendicularly. For clean, uniform shapes, make sure you are holding the cookie press straight up and down, flush against the baking sheet, when you press each cookie.
- If the Dough Won’t Stick… This is a common problem! If the first few cookies won’t stick to the mat, it usually means the dough is too cold and stiff. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften slightly. Conversely, if it’s too soft and mushy, chill it for 15 minutes.
Keep Them Fresh! Storing Your Buttery Cookies
Spritz cookies have a wonderful shelf life, making them ideal for holiday baking schedules.
- Storage: Once the cookies are completely cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh and delicious for about a week. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months.
FAQs: Your Spritz Cookie Questions, Answered!
Why is my Spritz cookie dough too stiff to press?
This is the most common issue! It almost always means your butter was too cold when you started, or you’ve over-chilled the dough. The perfect Spritz dough is quite soft. Just let your dough (or the filled press) sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to warm up slightly and it should press much more easily.
Can I use a different flavor of extract?
Absolutely! The vanilla-almond combination is classic, but you could swap the almond extract for peppermint extract for a holiday twist, or use lemon extract and top with yellow sprinkles for a different occasion.
Can I chill the dough before pressing?
Unlike most cut-out cookies, Spritz cookie dough is designed to be used at room temperature. It should be soft and pliable. You generally do not need to chill this dough unless your kitchen is extremely warm and the dough becomes greasy and too soft to handle.
Can I decorate these after baking?
You can! While it’s easiest to add sprinkles before baking, you can also dip the cooled cookies halfway into melted chocolate or drizzle them with a simple powdered sugar icing.
Final Thoughts: A Timeless Christmas Tradition
There is something so wonderfully nostalgic and satisfying about making a batch of classic Spritz cookies. They are the taste and the look of a traditional Christmas. This simple, foolproof recipe will help you create dozens of beautiful, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that are perfect for sharing with the ones you love. I hope they bring a little bit of festive joy to your holiday kitchen. Happy Baking!
