How to make homemade spritz cookies made with butter, sugar, flour, and my super secret ingredient to give it that extra buttery flavor!
Spritz cookies have a special place in my heart, and I can't wait to share this recipe with you today. My mom has been making spritz cookies every year for Christmas since as long as I can remember. She'd let us kids take turns adding sprinkles to the unbaked cookies and she'd often put half of a red or green maraschino cherry in the center of the wreath cookies (I loved this!).
Homemade spritz cookies are just a part of Christmas in my mind and lucky for me, my kids love them as much as I did. They are so simple that they are a great cookie to have kids help make.
My recipe is just a little different from my mom's original in that I add a teaspoon of butter extract to the dough. You can find butter extract next to all of the others (mint, lemon, almond...) and it's a delicious subtle addition to this very simple cookie that makes them extra special. You are going to love these!
Why are they called spritz cookies?
Fun fact: spritz cookies come from the German word "spritzen" which means to squirt. Totally appropriate since they are pushed out of a cookie press or pastry bag. Spritz cookies are considered a Christmas cookie in Germany and the tradition carries on here in the states.
Tips and Tricks for Making Homemade Spritz Cookies:
- Look for the butter extract near all the other extracts and food coloring.
- You can swap out the almond extract for mint if you like. You can also add a few drops of food coloring to the dough (stirring well to combine) to make colored cookies.
- If the cookie dough is getting too soft towards the end (the cookies will get really flat and look squished), press the dough on to the cookie sheets and let the pressed cookies chill for 10 minutes before baking.
What cookie press do I use?
- I recommend the OXO cookie press. After trying a few, this is by far the easiest to use (and it cleans up easily, too). They normally have them at Bed Bath and Beyond so find yourself a 20% off coupon and treat yo'self.
- No cookie press? Divide the dough into 3 parts, then working with 1 part at a time, place the dough in a large piping bag with a large cupcake star tip (Wilton 1M) attached. Pipe out stars and wreaths by hand.
Do spritz cookies freeze well?
Yes! This is a great make-ahead cookie (I actually have some in my freezer right now!). You can make, bake, and freeze the baked and cooled cookies for up to 3 months. Just keep them in an air-tight container. You can also freeze the dough before baking for up to a month. Just let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then come to room temperature before using. Prepared dough can also be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days before using (again, bring it to room temperature before using and store in an air-tight container). Such a versatile cookie to have around.
Extra Buttery Spritz Cookies
- Total Time: 40 min
- Yield: Around 7 dozen little cookies 1x
Description
How to make homemade extra buttery spritz cookies made with butter, sugar, flour, and my super secret ingredient to give it that extra buttery flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon butter extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 and ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- sprinkles for decorating, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. If you can fit 2-3 baking sheets, stacked, in your fridge, place them inside to let them chill ahead of time (optional but a great trick).
- In a medium bowl (a stand mixer works great too) beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg and beat to combine, scraping down the sides as needed, about 1 minute.
- Add the vanilla extract, butter extract, and almond extract and stir to combine.
- Add the flour and salt and stir until well incorporated.
- Following the instructions on your cookie press, add the dough to the press.
- Remove a baking sheet from the fridge and follow the cookie press instructions to press the dough out onto the prepared sheet.
- Continue pressing out the cookies so that they are about 1 ½ inches apart and fill the pan.
- Add sprinkles or sparkling sugars to the cookies before baking if you'd like.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes until lightly browned around the bottom but not at all dark. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack.
- Repeat with remaining dough and ungreased, chilled cookie sheets.
Notes
- Look for the butter extract near all the other extracts and food coloring.
- You can swap out the almond extract for mint if you like. You can also add a few drops of food coloring to the dough (stirring well to combine) to make colored cookies.
- If the cookie dough is getting too soft towards the end (the cookies will get really flat and look squished), press the dough onto the cookie sheets and let the pressed cookies chill in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
- I recommend the OXO cookie press. After trying a few, this is by far the easiest to use (and it cleans up easily, too).
- No cookie press? Divide the dough into 3 parts, then working with 1 part at a time, place the dough in a large piping bag with a large cupcake star tip (Wilton 1M) attached. Pipe out stars and wreaths by hand.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: cookies
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: spritz, cookies, butter, Christmas cookies, dessert
Love spritz cookies? I have more great Christmas cookies recipes for you:
- Grandma Lucy's Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- How to Ship Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Magic Cookie Bars
- 1 Dough, 4 Christmas Cookie Recipes
And there's a whole lot more where those came from! Just search "cookies" in my "find a recipe" tab or use the search bar at the top of this post. Easy! I hope you enjoy this recipe for years to come just as I have been enjoying it for years. It's simple, delicious, and easy! Can't beat that combo!
nancy silvestri
do you ship to florida
Melissa
LOL, I should!
Karly
These bring back so many memories! Thanks for sharing!
Melissa
Hope you are well Karly!
June Grogan
I've never used butter flavoring before, will have to try this! I use the old hand twist press. Why? Because they have a scottie dog and a camel! It's not Christmas without a scottie dog or a camel!!!!
Melissa
Oh my goodness that sounds SO STINKIN' CUTE!!! I'm now searching ebay for vintage presses. LOL! I have a friend with a machine shop, maybe he can make me a custom disk for my new one! SO CUTE!