Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies Recipe
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Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies are easy and delicious to make in shapes with a cookie press, but they can be made without a press, too! My favorite spritz cookies recipe that is perfect for decorating and sharing!
Looking for more festive treats? You’ll love homemade candies like Peppermint Bark and Peanut Brittle, as well as easy Fudge and snowy white Wedding Cookies (also known as Pecan Sandies or Snowball Cookies)!
Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies are such festive and delicious cookies! This spritz cookies recipe makes cookies that are buttery, so easy to make and hold their shape well. While they taste similar to sugar cookies, they differ from cut out sugar cookies, which are rolled and cut into shapes with cookie cutters, in that they are typically piped through a cookie press. My Chewy Sugar Cookies are made without cutting into shapes and I share how to make my spritz cookies even if you don’t have a cookie press.
One favorite thing about these cookies is decorating them! I like to decorate mine with a simple glaze and sprinkles. They make for a favorite cookie throughout the year, but especially during Christmas on a Christmas Cookie Tray! I can’t wait for you to try them!
Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Flavor. The delicious rich butter flavor topped with a simple glaze gives these little cookies so much flavor.
Easy to Make. The dough mixes in one bowl and requires no chilling. Cookies are easy to make with a cookie press or without. Simple to decorate if you wish!
Perfect for Gifting. These spritz cookies hold their shape well so they are perfect for shipping to friends and family.
How to Make Spritz Cookies
The spritz cookie dough comes together quickly, is so easy to use, and holds its shape well for baking and sharing.
- Make the Dough
- Make the Cookies – you can use a cookie press or without
- Bake the Cookies
- Glaze the Cookies
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
This spritz cookie dough does not require chilling before making the cookies. (Chilled dough is harder to press through the cookie press.) But you can make the dough ahead and freeze the cookies as well. These cookies freeze well and taste just as delicious after freezing! You can either freeze cookies after they are baked (plain or glazed) or before baking.
To make ahead the spritz cookie dough – Make the dough as instructed and wrap it well before refrigerating. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to press the dough to make cookies, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to reach room temperature, then follow the instructions.
To freeze unbaked cookies – Place pressed or formed spritz cookies onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and place into the freezer until the unbaked cookies are firmly frozen, or about 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container layering the unbaked frozen cookies between parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw completely in the refrigerator. Then follow the instructions for baking and glazing the cookies.
To freeze baked cookies before glazing – Allow the baked spritz cookies to cool completely. Place cookies on parchment paper baking sheet and place in the freezer until firmly frozen, or about 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container layering between parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, allow the cookies to thaw in the refrigerator. Then follow the instructions for the Spritz Cookie Glaze.
To freeze baked cookies after glazing – Allow the glaze and any other decorations on the cookies to dry completely. Place the cookies on a rimmed baking sheet, cover them in foil or plastic freezer wrap, and place them in the freezer. After the cookies are frozen, or about 30 minutes, remove them from the baking sheet and place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator. Serve once the cookies are completely thawed.
Perfect for Gifting
These are great gifts for friends, family, and neighbors, especially during the holidays! They hold their shape well, making them perfect for shipping or packaging in a gift basket.
A nice cookie tray filled with cookies and homemade candy makes a thoughtful and much-appreciated gift. Get a head start on all your holiday baking with my Make-Ahead Favorite Christmas Cookies so that you can be a bit more relaxed during the holidays.
Here’s my Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies recipe. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Hand Mixer OR Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Buttery Spritz Cookies
- 1 cup (226 g) butter, softened
- 1 (50 g) egg
- 1 1/4 cups (141.9 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.3 g) Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
Spritz Cookies Glaze
- 1 cup (113.5 g) confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon (14.2 g) milk or half and half
- sugar sprinkles, for decoration
Instructions
Buttery Spritz Cookies
- Preheat oven to 375ยบ F.
- Mix together butter and confectioner’s sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in egg, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Gradually incorporate flour until well combined, taking care not to over mix.
- Place in a cookie press fitted with your choice of disc. Press cookies through cookie press onto baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 – 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes and then remove from the oven to cool completely.
Spritz Cookies Glaze
- Arrange a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together confectioner’s sugar and milk until well combined and smooth in a small bowl. Once cookies are cooled, dip each cookie into the glaze and place on the wire rack. Sprinkle with sugar sprinkles as desired and allow to dry completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Since the glaze has milk in it, can these cookies be left out at room temp safely? Also, how important is it to freeze the glazed cookies briefly first before freezing for longer time? I was hoping to make these and send them to someone well wrapped. Can the recipient just stick them in the freezer until ready to eat? Trying to figure out the need for the 30 min pre-freeze with the glazed cookies. THANKS for any thoughts!!!
Spritz Cookie Glaze Recipe, Thank you!
I’m so glad you like these cookies and the glaze. Thanks!
This recipe is the absolutely the best I have ever used! These cookies are delicious and I cannot thank you enough for sharing with us Robyn. I am definitely going to be following you! Thank you and Merry Christmas
Thanks so much, Pamela. I’m happy you loved these cookies and hope you find many more recipes here that you love.
Delicious,.works great with pampered chef cookie press. Great tasting cookie in comparison to others I’ve tried. Thank-you!
Thank you, Joan. I love the flavor of these cookies, too.
Love this for classic spritz!!
Quick question, for thumbprint variation, do you bake them longer? Any specific changes to anything? Iโm going to give it a go! Iโm sure theyโll be wonderful.
Renee, just bake as directed but depending on the thickness or size, you may need to increase the baking time slightly. Just watch them so they donโt over bake. Hope you enjoy!
How long will these keep without freezing. My deep freezer broke a few months back and I’m trying to make a plan making the cookies that will keep the longest first.
Carol Marie, the cookies should stay fresh about a week without freezing.
Iโve made these 2x. The spritz didnโt work out for me (I have a cheap cookie press so that be why or not chilled? Idk but no big deal) but I baked as drop cookies and are so light and tasty. My favorite sugar cookie.
My question is should I use salted or sweet butter. I canโt recall what I used last time.
I had that issue with my previous cookie press. I found that if I scraped the dough off after that first pressing with a butter knife and then tried again, it worked like a charm. Thereโs something about some cookie presses and that first cookie, I think. Also, could your butter have become too soft before making the dough? Make sure you donโt put anything such as silicone mat or parchment on your baking sheet. The cookie press will not release the dough onto them. Put your dough and baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes and then try to use your cookie press. I use unsalted butter in all my baking, Siobhan, but you can use either salted or unsalted with this recipe. Hope this helps!
The recipe didn’t say, do you grease the cookie sheet or not? My gut says ungreased but I wanted your advise!
Cynthia, you don’t grease your baking sheet or line with parchment. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
I lost my Mom’s recipe and all I could remember was use 1/2 vanilla, 1/2 almond extract and I forgot the proportions of flour and powdered sugar. This is it spot on.
Just a few suggestions: The type of flour used will determine the consistency of the dough. Use a quality flour. Never dunk into the flour bag or canister. Spoon in flour and level off with a knife. I also sieve all my flour before adding to my canister. I use cookie sheets lined with aluminum foil. Bake one batch on one side, flip and use the other, then toss. Pre-chill the sheets, press out the cookies and chill them, too. They will hold up their shape to baking that way. If too crumbly, add milk or cream a teaspoon at a time. If too soft, add a tablespoon or two of flour at a time. In both cases, press out a couple of test cookies. Humidity will also affect the dough, so keep that in mind, too. You can change the extracts to make different flavors. You can also add lemon or orange zest, bake, and dip them in melted chocolate. And if you wish to color them, use gel color a tiny amount at a time. I dip the tip of a toothpick in it and then knead it into my dough, add more as needed.
Excellent recipe, and thanks for bringing back Mom’s to me!
Marilyn, I’m always happy when one of my recipes bring back sweet memories. Thanks!
so the instructions say to incorporate flour until well combined, but be careful not to overmix. this always scares me. how do i know if it is overmixed?
You mix just until you see no more flour in the bowl, Carol. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour has been mixed in the dough. Hope you enjoy the cookies!