Spritz Cookies
on Dec 05, 2015, Updated Dec 05, 2025
Spritz Cookies are the BEST for holiday cookie platters. These bite sized Christmas Cookies are buttery, tender with a hint of almond flavor. This recipe is so easy, using just one bowl and no chill time needed.
Spritz Cookies are a Classic Christmas cookie that pops up everywhere during the holiday season. You have most likely enjoyed one in the past. The fun shaped buttery, similar to a shortbread cookie come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colors. The cookie has a perfect little crunch. They are found on most cookies platters for good reason. The large batch makes a ton of cookies, which is perfect for a crowd or for gifting homemade cookies during the holidays.
If you are looking for other classic Christmas cookies try my Linzer Cookies or Pecan Snowball Cookies.
This Spritz Cookie recipe is made with no baking soda or baking powder. So, there is VERY minimal spread when baking. They are made with granulated sugar, not confectioners sugar but, they are not overly sweet. They are much neater to make than my No Chill Sugar Cookies because they are made in one bowl.
My Spritz Cookie recipe is a soft cookie dough that works well with a cookie press. If you have do not have one on hand, I highly suggest purchasing one. They are a super fun cookie gadget that you will love. I have found my OXO Brand Cookie Press to be the BEST. No cookie press on hand? No problem. Add a couple teaspoons of milk to the cookie dough so it is a bit thinner. Then, use a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch star tip (13mm) to make fancy swirled Spritz Cookies.
What’s so fun about this cookie recipe is you can tint the dough red and/or green or decorate them with colorful sprinkles or sanding sugar for festive Christmas Cookies. Go ahead and melt a few chocolate chips and drizzle them with a bit of chocolate, that addition tastes AMAZING.
Spritz Cookie Ingredients
Homemade Spritz Cookies are so lovely because, when it comes to ingredients, they’re a really simple butter cookie recipe. Because we use such a simple ingredients list, you get a really subtle, melt-in-your-mouth that’s sort of like a shortbread cookie. To make these homemade Christmas cookies yourself, here’s all the ingredients you need:
- Butter – Room temperature softened butter will work best here. Cold butter tends to not mix as well or beat as nicely.
- Sugar – Use plain white granulated sugar here. You can use a nice pure cane sugar if you really want- we don’t think it’ll make too much of a difference.
- Egg – Try to use room temperature eggs if you can.
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract – gives just a hint of flavoring that you will LOVE!
- Flour – You can just use all-purpose flour here to keep things simple. Our Spritz Cookie recipe is pretty forgiving, so you don’t need any fancy or specialty flour.
- Salt
You’ll also want all sorts of cookie decorations to top your cookies if you choose. This can range from stuff like Christmas sprinkles, sanding sugar or jimmies to homemade icing and melted chocolate drizzle.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Spritz Cookies
Making these Spritz Cookie Press Cookies is a lot easier than it looks! The cookie dough mixes together really quick and you get a hang of using the cookie press with just a little bit of practice. In case you need a visual cookie making guide, check out our step by step recipe below:
- Start by adding butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use a hand or stand mixer to cream butter and sugar together until fluffy and blended.
- Crack an egg and add to butter and sugar mixture along with almond and vanilla extract. Beat together until incorporated before scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Next, add flour and salt to wet ingredients. Beat to combine until you get a consistent Spritz Cookie Dough. If making colored cookies, split dough up and add food coloring to cookie dough until you achieve desired colors.
- Prep your Spritz Cookie Press by fitting desired shape disk to one end of it, loading cookie press with cookie dough, and pressing until cookie dough starts to come through. Over on a Silpat-lined baking sheet, use Spritz Cookie Press to press out Spritz Cookies about 2 inches apart from one another. Optionally decorate with sanding sugar, sprinkles, and/or chocolate chips.
- Transfer tray of raw Spritz Cookies to an awaiting 350 degree oven and bake for 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned along cookie edges. Remove from oven, let cool on sheet for 5 minutes, and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. If desired, decorate with melted chocolate drizzle or icing before serving.
Storage / Freezing
Storage: Leftover Spritz Cookies keep really well at room temperature or in the fridge. Transfer to an airtight container or ziploc bag for best results. The homemade cookies last 5-7 days at room temperature and 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Freezing: You can enjoy your Christmas Cookies all the way until summer if you store them in the freezer! To freeze your cookies, set in the freezer on a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet and until firm- at least 45 minutes- before moving to a freezer bag. Frozen Spritz Cookies will keep for 3-6 months and thaw quickly at room temperature.
Tips for the BEST Spritz Cookies
- Use a Cookie Press for the easiest and prettiest results. If you would rather use a piping bag and star tip, add a couple teaspoons of milk to the cookie dough. Then, add the softer dough to a pasty bag with a 1/2 inch (13mm) tip to make spritz cookies without a cookie press.
- Separate your dough and use food coloring to make colorful spritz cookies.
- Add sprinkles or sanding sugar before baking. If you wait till after the cookies have baked, the sprinkles and sugar will not stick.
- Watch your baking cookies closely, you do not want them to over-bake.
You may Like these Cookie Recipes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Spritz Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Press
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter, softened
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Almond Extract
- 2 1/3 cup Flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Line baking sheet(s) with silicone mats or use non stick sheets. Do not use parchment paper as cookies won’t stick. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until blended and fluffy.
- Add egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat until incorporated.
- Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add flour and salt and beat until combined.
- If you want to make colored cookies, divide dough into batches and add food coloring to achieve desired color.
- Fit the desired shape disk into your cookie press and load cylinder with dough. Press handle until dough begins to come out. Scrape dough off plate and set aside for reuse.
- Place the cookie press touching the prepared sheet cookie press once per cookie. Lift up and repeat process 2″ apart.
- If desired, decorate the unbaked cookie with sanding sugar, sprinkles or press a chocolate chip into the center.
- Bake 7-9 minutes until lightly brown on the edges.
- Allow to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack.
- If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate.
Notes
- Use a Cookie Press for the easiest and prettiest results. If you would rather use a piping bag and star tip, add a couple teaspoons of milk to the cookie dough. Then, add the softer dough to a pasty bag with a 1/2 inch (13mm) tip to make spritz cookies without a cookie press.
- Separate your dough and use food coloring to make colorful spritz cookies.
- Add sprinkles or sanding sugar before baking. If you wait till after the cookies have baked, the sprinkles and sugar will not stick.
- Watch your baking cookies closely, you do not want them to over-bake.
Nutrition
