Spritz cookies are the Christmas cookies that make a cookie tray look like a bakery display. A cookie press turns a simple buttery dough into little flowers, wreaths, and other shapes, and each one is tiny enough to eat in a bite or two. Nothing about the dough is fussy, so you get a pretty result without much work.
This recipe makes 84 bite-size Christmas cookies, so there’s plenty to share. The dough doesn’t need chilling, and the cookies freeze and ship well. That makes them a good pick for Christmas cookie gift boxes and holiday baking. With a 4.5-star rating from 199 reviews, they’re a favorite for good reason.
You can also have fun with the decorating. Tint the dough, add sprinkles, press a chocolate chip into the center, or drizzle with melted chocolate. Everything below is optional, so you can keep them plain or dress them up.
Recipe Card
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes (the cookies bake for 7 to 9 minutes per batch)
- Total time: 1 hour
- Yield: 84 bite-size cookies
- Storage: Up to 1 week at room temperature
Equipment
- Cookie press with a decorative plate
- 2 or 3 large baking sheets
- Silicone baking mats (or nonstick baking sheets with no liner)
- Handheld mixer, or stand mixer with the paddle attachment
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 and 1/3 cups (291g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional, for decorating
- Gel food coloring
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate chips
- Melted chocolate
Before You Start
Skip the parchment paper. This is the biggest rule. Dough pressed out of a cookie press won’t stick to parchment, so use silicone mats or plain nonstick baking sheets instead.
Chill your baking sheets. If you have room in the fridge or freezer, put your lined baking sheets in there while the oven heats. It sounds odd, but dough sticks much better to a cold surface.
Measure the flour with care. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off, rather than scooping from the bag.
Check your cookie press. Fit it with a decorative plate by following the manufacturer’s directions.
How to Make Spritz Cookies
Part 1: Prep the Oven and Pans
- Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Line the pans. Cover 2 or 3 large baking sheets with silicone baking mats, or use nonstick sheets with no liner. Don’t use parchment.
- Chill the pans, if you can. Put the lined sheets in the refrigerator or freezer while the oven heats.
Part 2: Make the Dough
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until smooth.
- Add the egg and extracts. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute, until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat again if needed.
- Add the flour and salt. Beat them in on low speed. Then turn the mixer up to high and beat until the dough is completely combined.
Part 3: Press and Decorate
- Fill the press. Scrape some of the dough into your cookie press.
- Press the cookies. Hold the press straight up and down, perpendicular to the cold baking sheet. Press out the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
- Decorate, if you like. Add sprinkles to the shaped dough, or press a chocolate chip into the center of each one. For sprinkles, first brush the dough lightly with water so they stick.
- Chill if the dough softens. If the dough gets too soft while you work, put the shaped cookies in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking.
Part 4: Bake and Cool
- Bake. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until the edges are very lightly browned.
- Cool on the pan. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Drizzle, if you like. Drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled cookies.
Tips and Variations
Use a cold pan. Cookie dough sticks to a chilled surface much better, so it’s worth the extra step.
Don’t skip the almond extract. The recipe says it adds a wonderful flavor and recommends keeping it. If you need to change it, you can leave it out or add another 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla instead. You can also use 3/4 teaspoon of peppermint, lemon, or another extract you enjoy. A 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon is another tasty addition.
Go easy on food coloring. Gel coloring is recommended. The recipe’s author tinted one quarter of the dough green with one tiny drop. Two drops is plenty for the entire batch.
Brush with water before sprinkles. A light brush of water helps the sprinkles stick to the dough.
Chill soft dough. If the dough turns too soft as you work, 10 minutes in the fridge fixes it.
Make the dough ahead. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 4 days before pressing. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then bring it to room temperature before using.
Freeze baked cookies. They keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw them before serving.
No cookie press? No problem. Use a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch (13 mm) open star tip. The recipe says to use the author’s butter cookies recipe, which is this dough with a little milk added to make it easier to pipe. That recipe wasn’t included here, so I can’t give the amount of milk.
You might like: Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies
Serving Suggestions
The recipe doesn’t list specific pairings. These cookies suit a holiday cookie tray, and the recipe notes that they ship well, so they also work for gift boxes. For a fancier finish, drizzle them with melted chocolate or add sprinkles in your favorite colors.
Final Thoughts
Spritz cookies are a fun project, especially if you like making pretty cookies without much effort. The dough is quick to mix, the press creates the shapes, and the decorating is entirely up to you. A few small details help, like a chilled pan and no parchment, and the results are worth it.