The Best Easy Spritz Cookies Recipe: Classic Buttery Treats for Any Occion
Welcome to the ultimate guide for making the most delightful, melt-in-your-mouth classic Spritz cookies! Also lovingly known as press cookies or butter cookies, these old-fashioned treats are a staple in many households, especially during the festive holiday season. This easy, rich, and buttery recipe promises homemade perfection with just a few simple ingredients, yielding colorful, crispy, yet tender cookies that are simply irresistible. They are not only a joy to bake but also make a fantastic homemade gift and are absolutely perfect for Christmas holiday cookie exchanges, adding a touch of charm to any Christmas cookie box.
Having grown up savoring these delicate cookies, I can attest to their timeless appeal. Their rich, buttery base is infused with fragrant vanilla and a subtle hint of almond, creating a flavor profile that’s both comforting and elegant. Unlike soft cookies, Spritz cookies are distinctly crispy and tender, designed to melt beautifully in your mouth. While their exact origins are debated, historical research suggests they emerged from Germany around the 16th century, captivating taste buds for centuries. Every year, as the holidays approach, I find myself eagerly preparing boxes filled with these adorable, intricately shaped cookies – think mistletoe, Rudolph, festive flowers, and delicate snowflakes – ready to share with family and friends.
Table of contents
- Key Ingredients for Perfect Spritz Cookies
- Delicious Variations to Customize Your Spritz Cookies
- How to Make the Best Easy Spritz Cookies from Scratch
- Creative Ways to Decorate Classic Holiday Spritz Cookies
- Expert Tips and Techniques for Spritz Cookie Success
- Spritz Cookie Recipe FAQs
- Storage Solutions for Fresh Spritz Cookies
- More Classic Cookie Recipes to Love
Key Ingredients for Perfect Spritz Cookies
Crafting perfect Spritz cookies starts with understanding the role of each ingredient. Here’s what you’ll need and why each component is crucial:
- Unsalted Butter: This is the foundation of our rich and buttery flavor. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the overall saltiness of your sweet treats. Ensure it’s at room temperature for optimal creaming with sugar, leading to a lighter, fluffier dough.
- Granulated Sugar: Your standard white granulated sugar provides the perfect sweetness and contributes to the cookie’s delicate crispness.
- Egg: A single large egg, brought to room temperature, acts as a binder, helping to emulsify the ingredients and create a cohesive, workable dough that presses beautifully.
- Whole Milk: I highly recommend whole milk for its richness, which translates into a more tender and flavorful cookie. Like the egg, room temperature milk integrates seamlessly into the mixture.
- Vanilla Extract: This essential extract adds a warm, inviting, and classic flavor that complements the buttery base. It’s the soul of many baked goods.
- Almond Extract: To me, almond extract is what truly elevates Spritz cookies, giving them their distinct, signature taste. Even a small amount adds a beautiful, sophisticated aroma and flavor that sets them apart. Adjust to your preference, usually ¼ to ½ teaspoon is perfect.
- All-Purpose Flour: Simple all-purpose flour provides the structure for these delicate cookies. Measure it correctly to avoid a dry or crumbly dough.
- Baking Powder: A touch of baking powder helps the cookies maintain their delicate shape and ensures they are light and tender, rather than dense. It gives them that almost paper-thin crispness without spreading excessively.
- Gel Food Colorings: These are ideal for adding vibrant hues to your cookies without altering the dough’s consistency. I often use classic red, green, and blue for holidays, but the possibilities are endless for any occasion.
- Decorations: Beyond the dough, an array of decorations transforms simple Spritz cookies into festive masterpieces. Think melted chocolate, various sprinkles (jimmies, nonpareils, sparkling sugar), and small candies.
Delicious Variations to Customize Your Spritz Cookies
While the classic Spritz cookie is perfect on its own, there are countless ways to customize this recipe to suit any taste or occasion. Get creative with these delightful variations:
- Explore Different Extracts: Don’t limit yourself to vanilla and almond! You can flavor the dough with any extract you fancy. Imagine the festive taste of peppermint extract for Christmas, a bright lemon extract for spring, or a tropical coconut extract for a summery treat. Other popular choices include orange, rum, or even maple extract for a cozy autumn feel. The Wilton Treatology Flavor System, for instance, offers an incredible array of unique flavors like Crisp Champagne, Sweet Meyer Lemon, Salted Caramel, or Creamy Vanilla Custard that can truly transform your cookies.
- Craft Cookie Sandwiches: Elevate your Spritz cookies by turning them into elegant sandwiches. Simply pipe a delectable filling between two cooled cookies. Ideas include fruity Raspberry Pie Filling, comforting Apple Butter, or sweet Strawberry Jam. You could also use a rich chocolate ganache or a creamy buttercream.
- Create Rainbow Spritz Cookies: For a dazzling visual effect, divide your dough into several portions and color each with a different gel food coloring (red, blue, yellow, green, etc.). Then, gently mash the different colored doughs together into a log before placing it in the cookie press barrel. As you press, you’ll produce stunning multicolored cookies that are sure to impress.
- Decorate with Diverse Frostings: Beyond simple sprinkles, a variety of frostings can take your Spritz cookies to the next level. Consider a decadent Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, a tangy Cream Cheese Frosting, a zesty Lemon Drizzle Icing, a refreshing Easy Mint Frosting, or even a vibrant Maraschino Cherry Frosting. Each will add its own unique flavor and texture.
- Infuse with Citrus Zests: For a burst of fresh flavor, knead finely grated orange, lemon, or lime zest directly into the cookie dough. This adds a bright, aromatic note that beautifully complements the buttery base.
- Opt for Natural Colorings: If you prefer natural alternatives, you can use fruit and vegetable powders or purees to color your cookies. While the shades may not be as vibrant as gel colorings, options like beet powder for pink, spinach powder for green, or turmeric for yellow can create lovely, subtle hues.
- Experiment with Press Discs: Cookie presses typically come with a variety of discs, offering endless possibilities for shapes. Don’t be afraid to try different designs for various holidays or themed parties beyond traditional Christmas shapes. Flowers, swirls, geometric patterns – let your imagination guide you!
How to Make the Best Easy Spritz Cookies from Scratch
Many bakers find Spritz cookies a bit intimidating, but with the right guidance, they are incredibly simple and rewarding to make! This section will serve as your ultimate guide, covering the essential tools and all the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years to ensure perfect, beautiful Spritz cookies every time.
Preparing the Cookie Dough
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale yellow. This step is crucial for incorporating air, which contributes to the cookies’ delicate, tender texture.
- Mix in Wet Ingredients: Add the room temperature egg, whole milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix thoroughly until all wet ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Whisking ensures these ingredients are evenly distributed, preventing pockets of leavening agent in the final cookie.
- Add Dry to Wet: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined and a lumpy dough forms. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
- Knead into a Dough Ball and Color: Use your hands to gently knead the lumpy mixture into a smooth dough ball. At this stage, you can divide the dough into separate portions and knead in different gel food colorings if desired, creating vibrant, festive cookies.
- Load the Cookie Press: Select your desired patterned disc and attach it to the cookie press. Roll a portion of your dough into a long cylinder, making it easier to load into the barrel of the cookie press gun.
- Press Cookies onto Baking Sheet: Position the cookie press directly onto an ungreased, unlined cookie tray. Press the trigger, holding the press firmly against the tray, until the dough is extruded through the disc, forming a beautiful cookie design. Lift the press straight up. Repeat, leaving about an inch between each cookie.
- Bake and Cool: Bake the cookies in a preheated oven (typically 350°F / 175°C) for 6-8 minutes, or until the edges are just firm and lightly golden, but not brown. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack or decorating.
Decorating the Cookies (Detailed Steps)
Once your Spritz cookies are baked and cooled, the fun of decorating begins! Here are step-by-step ideas for some classic holiday designs:
- Snowflake Sparkle: For delicate snowflake cookies, use a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and white frosting to carefully outline the intricate design. Immediately after piping, gently press the cookies into sparkling sanding sugar to create a beautiful, glistening finish.
- Poinsettia Perfection: To create a festive poinsettia, pipe a small circle of frosting in the center of the cookie. While the frosting is still wet, generously cover it with tiny yellow sprinkles, mimicking the flower’s central cluster of stamens.
- Holly Berries & Mistletoe Magic: For holly berries or mistletoe designs, pipe small dots of red or white frosting to act as “glue” for attaching a matching red or white candy in the center. Then, use green frosting to pipe small leaf shapes around the candy, bringing the festive foliage to life.
- Rudolph with a Bowtie: Transform a simple round cookie into Rudolph! Use dabs of frosting to “glue” on edible candy eyes and, of course, a bright red candy for his iconic nose. For an extra touch, add more red candies to create a playful bowtie. Antlers can be drawn on with an edible food marker or carefully piped with chocolate or brown frosting.
- Greenish Gold Flower: For an elegant flower design, pipe a small white dot of frosting in the center. Immediately sprinkle with edible golden pearls for a touch of shimmer. For an even more luxurious look, you can lightly dust the entire cookie with edible gold spray after the frosting sets.
Creative Ways to Decorate Classic Holiday Spritz Cookies
Decorating Spritz cookies offers a fantastic opportunity for creativity. You can choose to embellish them before baking by adding sprinkles or sanding sugar directly onto the formed dough, or after baking with a variety of delicious options:
- Sprinkles Galore: The sheer variety of sprinkles available means endless possibilities! Choose from colorful jimmies, delicate nonpareils, sparkling sanding sugar, or festive sprinkle mixes to match any holiday or theme. They add both texture and a burst of color.
- Vibrant Gel Food Coloring: While primarily used for coloring the dough, gel food colorings can also be diluted slightly and painted onto baked cookies for intricate designs, creating beautiful holiday themes and personalized touches.
- Colorful Sanding Sugar: For a shimmering effect, dip frosted cookies into vibrant sanding sugar. This adds a beautiful sparkle and a satisfying crunch.
- Chopped Nuts: If you love nuts, add a sprinkle of finely chopped nuts (like pecans, walnuts, or almonds) on top of the cookies immediately after pressing them onto the tray and before baking. Important: Do not add chopped nuts directly into the dough, as they can clog the cookie press.
- Candies: Small candies, such as M&M’s Minis, chocolate chips, or even crushed candy canes (perfect for Christmas!), can be gently pressed into the unbaked dough or affixed with a dab of frosting onto baked cookies.
- Drizzles of Melted Chocolate: A simple yet elegant decoration is a drizzle of melted chocolate. Use white, milk, or dark chocolate, either in contrasting colors or to enhance the cookie’s flavor. Pipe delicate lines or zigzags for a professional finish.
- Jams, Spreads, and Preserves: These fruit-based delights are fantastic for making cookie sandwiches, or for a simple topping, spread a thin layer on top of a cookie. They add a lovely fruity tang.
- Powdered Sugar Glaze (Vanilla Cake Glaze): A quick and easy vanilla glaze made from powdered sugar and milk or water can take these cookies up a notch, adding a subtle sweetness and shine.
- Royal Icing: While traditionally used for cut-out sugar cookies, royal icing also works beautifully on Spritz cookies. It dries quickly and hard, allowing for intricate piping and stacking.
- Glace Icing: For an egg-free decorating option, glace icing offers a soft, shiny finish that sets well.
- American Buttercream Frosting: This classic, simple buttercream recipe, made with just four ingredients, provides a creamy, fluffy texture that pairs perfectly with the crisp Spritz cookies. It’s also very easy to color.
- Sugar Cookie Frosting: A dedicated sugar cookie frosting is another creamy, fluffy choice that’s excellent for piping and readily accepts food coloring for matching your theme.
- Caramel Sauce: For an indulgent twist, drizzle warm homemade caramel sauce over your cooled cookies. The smooth, creamy caramel enhances the buttery flavor beautifully. You can even try decorating them with a luscious caramel frosting.
Expert Tips and Techniques for Spritz Cookie Success
Achieving perfectly shaped and delicious Spritz cookies requires a few key tips and techniques. Pay close attention to these details for the best results:
- Work in a Cool Environment: Heat is the enemy of Spritz cookie dough! A warm kitchen can make the dough too soft and sticky, making it difficult to press. If your kitchen is warm, consider chilling the dough for 10-15 minutes before pressing, or work in batches, returning unused dough to the refrigerator.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, egg, and milk are all at room temperature. This allows them to combine much more smoothly and evenly, creating a consistent dough texture that presses well.
- Chill Sticky Dough: If your dough starts sticking to the cookie press or isn’t holding its shape, it’s likely too warm. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes, then try again. A slightly firm dough is much easier to work with.
- Divide and Roll Dough Portions: For easier loading into the cookie press, divide the dough into smaller, manageable portions and roll them into long cylinders. This prevents air pockets and ensures a steady flow of dough.
- Prevent Brown Edges: Spritz cookies are delicate and bake quickly. To keep their edges firm but not brown and unappealing, ensure your oven is accurately calibrated. Bake at the correct temperature (usually 350°F / 175°C) for only 6-8 minutes, or just until the edges are set. Over-baking will lead to dry, brittle, and overly browned cookies.
- Cool Completely on the Tray: Patience is key! Do not attempt to remove the freshly baked cookies from the tray until they have fully cooled down. They are very fragile when warm and will easily break, ruining their beautiful designs.
- Decorate Cooled Cookies: Always wait until your cookies are completely cooled before applying any frosting, glazes, or other embellishments. Decorating warm cookies will cause your decorations to melt, smear, and become a sticky mess.
- Use Gel Food Coloring Only: When coloring your dough, always use gel food coloring. Liquid food coloring adds too much moisture to the dough, making it sticky and difficult to press. Gel colors are concentrated and won’t significantly alter the dough’s consistency.
- Never Grease or Line Baking Sheets: This is a crucial tip! Do not line your cookie tray with parchment paper or wax paper, and do not grease your pans. Spritz cookie dough needs direct contact with a cool, ungreased metal surface to stick properly when pressed. If the tray is greased or lined, the dough won’t adhere, and the shapes will be distorted or won’t release from the press. Just use a good quality, ungreased cookie tray.
- Understand Your Press Discs: Familiarize yourself with the various discs that come with your cookie press. The image below illustrates how different discs create distinct cookie designs, all achievable with a quality press.
A Recommended Tool: Wilton’s Preferred Cookie Press – I highly recommend Wilton’s Preferred Cookie Press for its reliability and ease of use. This fantastic cookie gun comes with 12 discs offering a wonderful variety of designs, suitable for countless occasions. It’s reasonably priced, user-friendly, and very easy to clean. Crucially, it provides a firm grip that prevents slipping or moving around while you’re extruding the dough onto the cookie tray (a common frustration with lesser presses!). This year, I also experimented with Wilton’s Treatology Flavor System to add exciting flavors to these cookies. The box contained 8 amazing options: Crisp Champagne, Sweet Meyer Lemon, Fresh Basil, Warm Cinnamon Graham, Juicy Peach, Salted Caramel, Creamy Vanilla Custard, and Toasted Coconut – perfect for expanding your flavor repertoire!
Spritz Cookie Recipe FAQs
This is a very common issue, and it’s usually because the dough is too soft and sticky. The warmth of your hands or a warm kitchen can quickly soften butter-rich dough. The best solution is to chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes until it firms up slightly, then try pressing again. Make sure your cookie press is also clean and dry.
While a cookie press is ideal for the signature intricate shapes, you can pipe the cookie dough. Attach a large, sturdy piping tip (such as a Wilton 1M star tip or a large round tip) to a piping bag, fill it with dough, and pipe designs directly onto an ungreased cookie tray. The shapes won’t be as varied or intricate as with a press, but they will still be delicious. They might resemble my Butter Cookies (Piped Cookies) or these Piped Rose Cookies.
Dry cookies are typically a result of one of two things: either they were over-baked, or too much flour was added to the recipe. Always measure flour accurately, preferably by weight, or use the “spoon and level” method (spoon flour into the measuring cup, then level off with a straight edge). Keep a close eye on your oven and remove cookies as soon as the edges are set and just barely starting to turn golden.
Several factors can cause Spritz cookies to spread or turn out flat:
- Insufficient Baking Powder: If you didn’t use enough baking powder, the cookies won’t have the lift needed to hold their shape.
- Dough Too Soft: A dough that’s too warm or soft will spread excessively. Chill the dough for 20 minutes before pressing to firm it up.
- Ingredient Ratio Imbalance: Too much butter or not enough flour can disrupt the delicate balance of the dough, leading to spreading. Ensure accurate measurements.
- Warm Kitchen Environment: As mentioned, a hot kitchen contributes to softened dough. Chilling the dough for 20-30 minutes can significantly help counteract this.
- Greased or Lined Baking Sheets: This is a common culprit. Spritz cookies need to stick to the ungreased metal surface of the baking sheet to hold their shape.
Sticky dough is usually a sign that it has become too warm, making it soft and difficult to handle. Other reasons could be that too much liquid (milk or extract) or too much butter was added to the recipe, throwing off the flour-to-fat ratio. Always ensure precise measurements and chill the dough if it becomes unmanageable.
This is usually because the baking surface is too slippery. Do not line your cookie tray with parchment paper or wax paper, and do not grease your pans. This dough specifically needs to stick directly to the ungreased metal of a good quality cookie tray to properly release from the press and hold its shape. If the dough slides, the designs will be distorted.
Storage Solutions for Fresh Spritz Cookies
Proper storage ensures your Spritz cookies remain delicious and fresh for as long as possible:
- Make Ahead: You can prepare the dough in advance and store it, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Baked cookies can be made up to 1 week before serving if stored in an airtight container at room temperature, or up to 2 weeks if kept in the fridge.
- Room Temperature: Once baked and fully cooled, store your Spritz cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Keep them away from direct sunlight or heat sources.
- Refrigerate: For a slightly longer shelf life, place the cookies in a sealed container or Ziploc bag in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for 2-3 weeks.
- Freeze Dough: Spritz cookie dough freezes beautifully! Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a sealed freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before using in the cookie press.
- Freeze Baked Cookies: You can also freeze baked Spritz cookies in sealed freezer bags for up to 1 month. While they are still good, in my opinion, their texture might not be quite as fresh and crispy as newly baked ones. For best results, allow them to thaw completely at room temperature before serving.
More Classic Cookie Recipes to Love
- Small Batch of Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Nutella Cookies
- Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
- Classic No Bake Cookies
- Funfetti Cookies (Cut Out Recipe)
- Easy Gingerbread Cookies (With Cake Mix)
- Molasses Cookies
- How to Make Gingerbread House
- Best Snickerdoodle Cookies
Recipe
Easy Spritz Cookies (Almond Butter Press Cookies)
Abeer Rizvi
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Ingredients
Spritz cookie dough:
- 1½ cups Butter Unsalted, room temperature
- 1 cup Sugar Granulated
- 1 Egg
- 2 tablespoon Milk Whole
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract OR creamy vanilla custard flavor from the Treatology system
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon Almond extract Adjust according to your preference
- 3½ cups Flour All-purpose
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- Gel colorings
Decoration:
- White chocolate Melted
- Candies
- Sanding sugar
- Sprinkles
Instructions
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In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
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Then, mix in egg, milk, vanilla and almond extracts.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
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Dump the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until it becomes lumpy. Then, use your hands to knead the dough into a ball.
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Separate the dough into 3 or 4 portions and use gel colorings to color them.
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Attach a disc of your choice to the cookie press. Fill the barrel with dough.
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Press cookies onto a cookie tray that is NOT greased and that is NOT lined with parchment paper.
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Bake at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until the edges are firm but not brown.
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Allow the cookies to cool down completely and then decorate them, any way you like. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- For successful pressing, do not line your cookie tray with parchment paper or wax paper, and do not grease your pans. Spritz dough requires direct contact with the ungreased metal surface to adhere properly.
- If your dough becomes too sticky or warm to press, simply chill it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before resuming.
- Always use gel food coloring when tinting the dough. Liquid food coloring can alter the dough’s consistency, making it too soft and difficult to work with in the cookie press.
- Refer to the “Tips and Techniques” and “Variations” sections above for more detailed guidance and creative ideas.
- Store any leftover baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.