Spritz Cookies Recipe (2024)

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Create a new holiday tradition with this classic Spritz Cookies Recipe. These buttery cookies can be easily dressed up with sprinkles or different colors of dough!

I was provided with The Pampered Chef baking products to review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Spritz Cookies Recipe (1)

I love this time of year — the traditions, the lights and decorations, the spirit of the season… the cookies. Not necessarily in the order. I love it even more now that I get to experience it with my kids and see this special time of year through their eyes.

Some of my favorite memories of Christmas time as a child were baking in the kitchen with my mom. She was always baking something; either for my dad to take with him to work or for our school parties. (Back when you could bring your own goodies, before all of the sugar regulations we have now!) My friends at school looked forward to her treats all year.

After my husband became a firefighter, my oldest daughter and I started a new tradition of baking cookies for the firefighters on shift in our neighborhood on Christmas Eve. We spend the day baking together and package them up to deliver on our way to church that evening. We make a new recipe every year, and I’ve already discovered the one we will make this year — this Spritz Cookies Recipe.

Spritz Cookies Recipe (2)

Why Are They Called Spritz Cookies?

Spritz cookies are actually a type of German Christmas cookie made of flour, butter, sugar and eggs called Spritzgeback. The word spritz originated from the German word, “spritzen,” which means “to squirt” in English. These Classic Spritz Cookies are made by literally squirting the dough through a cookie press.

What’s Needed for Spritz Cookies?

These Christmas spritz cookies come together with few ingredients:

  • Butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Sprinkles (optional)
  • Gel food coloring (optional)

How to Make Spritz Cookies With a Press

This Spritz Cookies Recipe was SO easy to make using The Pampered Chef’s Spritz Cookie Press. I usually shy away from these types of cookies because I’ve always been disappointed with the cookie presses I’ve used in the past.

This cookie press rotates instead of the typical ratchet style, and it has a much wider barrel that lets you see exactly how much dough is left. It comes with 9 metal disks with different designs for cookies, and 1 disk to rice potatoes. It was so easy to fill, change out disks, and even easier to clean.

Here are the basic steps to making these butter spritz cookies:

  1. Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg and vanilla.
  2. Add the flour and mix just until combined.
  3. Add the dough to the cookie press and press the dough onto a silicon baking mat.
  4. Decorate cookies with sprinkles, if using.
  5. Bake until done.
Spritz Cookies Recipe (3)

Can I Make Spritz Cookies Without a Press?

If you don’t have a cookie press to make these Classic Spritz Cookies, you can use a pastry bag instead! Just fill the pastry bag with the cookie dough and use a star tip to create a swirl design. Get creative — you really can’t go wrong. Just remember to keep an eye on them while baking as different sized cookies may take different amounts of time to bake.

Tips for Making Butter Spritz Cookies

  • The butter needs to be softened to room temperature before being creamed together with the sugar.
  • If you want to color the cookies, add the gel food coloring after the dough is combined, but be careful not to over-mix.
  • Note that the cookie dough will be quite soft once it’s mixed together. That’s what you want, so don’t refrigerate the dough.

More Easy Cookie Recipes:

  • Salted Caramel Cookies
  • Chewy Chocolate Cookies
  • Brown Sugar Cookies
  • Easy Thumbprint Cookies
  • Butterscotch Cookies

Spritz Cookies Recipe (4)

Classic Spritz Cookies

3.96 from 43 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 32

Calories: 152kcal

Author: Emily Grace

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups butter , softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • colored sugar or sprinkles (optional)
  • gel food coloring (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

  • In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter at medium speed until creamy.

  • Add egg and vanilla; beat well, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

  • Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. (Dough will be soft, do not refrigerate!)

  • Fit the cookie press with desired disk and fill with dough.

  • Press dough onto cookie sheet lined with a silicon baking mat.

  • Decorate cookies with sugar or sprinkles as desired.

  • Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until very lightly golden brown.

  • Allow to cool for two minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

  • Repeat with remaining dough.

Notes

Add the gel food coloring after the dough is combined if you wish to add color, but be careful not to over-mix.

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 19mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Did you make this recipe? Mention @GraceGoodEats or tag #graceandgoodeats!

Spritz Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a butter cookie and a spritz cookie? ›

These cookies are nearly identical, except for one ingredient: egg.

Should you use parchment paper when baking Spritz cookies? ›

Don't use parchment paper or non-stick cookie sheets for spritz cookies. This dough needs something it can stick to a little in order to come off the press. The cookies have so much butter in them, I've never had a problem with them sticking to a regular cookie sheet when they bake.

Why are my Spritz cookies tough? ›

Even more important than creaming is the way in which you incorporate the flour. Simply adding the flour to the stand mixer and beating it in runs the risk of overdeveloping gluten and giving you a tough or dense cookie (not what you want after all that work with the creaming).

What is the best cookie sheet for spritz cookies? ›

Insulated Cookie Sheets

Pros: Cookie sheets are insulated to prevent the bottoms of the cookies from browning too much or too quickly and are ideal for when you're baking thin or delicate cookies, or treats should be lightly colored, such as spritz cookies and shortbread.

Why do my spritz cookies taste like flour? ›

Improper flour measurement is the #1 cause of your cookie dough being too dry or the cookies tasting like flour.

Should spritz cookie dough be sticky? ›

*Perfect spritz dough has a soft malleable texture that is not too sticky or stiff. Creamed butter and sugar is the foundation of great spritz cookies.

Why won't my Spritz cookies come out of the press? ›

If the dough is sticking to the bottom of the press instead of adhering to the pan, it might be too soft. Place it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 minutes and try again. Butter is highly recommended when making Spritz cookie dough.

Can I use premade cookie dough in a cookie press? ›

Make sure the log is short enough and thin enough to fit in the cookie press barrel. To save time, buy premade cookie dough that comes in a log shape. Avoid using cookie dough that has big pieces like chocolate chips or nuts in it. Use thin doughs like sugar cookie dough and spritz dough instead.

Why are my spritz cookies going flat? ›

For most cookies, there's enough fat in the dough to keep them from sticking to your baking sheets—no greasing required. (Plus, the best sheet pans are nonstick.) If you grease the pans unnecessarily, the dough will flatten too much as it bakes.

Why did my spritz cookies spread in the oven? ›

Excess Sugar and Fat

Measuring is key in baking. If your cookie contains excess sugar or fat, it will spread while baking. If your first batch of cookies spreads, try adding a few tablespoons of flour to help thicken the remaining dough.

Why are spritz cookies so good? ›

There is a particular density to the dough of spritz that other cookies don't have,” she says. “Very dense, very buttery.”

When making spritz cookies do you decorate before or after baking? ›

If you decide to use icing make sure the cookies are cooled completely before decorating them and don't add any sprinkles before baking. This spritz cookies recipe bakes quickly so keep an eye on them, you don't want them to brown they should just be starting to turn ever so slightly golden at the edges.

How to fix crumbly spritz cookie dough? ›

If your cookie dough is dry and crumbly, there are a few things you can do to fix it. First, try adding more liquid to the dough. This can be milk, water, or even just a little bit of extra oil. If that doesn't work, you can try kneading the dough for a few minutes to help it come together.

Why is it called a spritz cookie? ›

The name spritz comes from the German word spritzen, meaning "to squirt" because the soft dough is squirted or pushed through a cookie press to make fancy designs. Butter is responsible for the tender, rich texture and flavor of these incredible cookies.

What's the difference between a sugar cookie and a butter cookie? ›

What is the difference between sugar and butter cookies? The butter cookie originates from Denmark. Unlike a sugar cookie that is often rolled out flat and cut with a cookie cutter, a butter cookie is softer and for the best results is piped directly onto a baking sheet then baked.

Why are they called butter cookies? ›

Butter cookies, also known as Danish butter cookies, are cookies originating in Denmark consisting of butter, flour, and sugar. They are similar to shortbread cookies. The butter cookie is often categorized as a "crisp cookie" due to its texture, caused in part by the quantity of butter and sugar.

What is the difference between spritz cookies and shortbread cookies? ›

Spritz cookies have one additional ingredient that shortbread cookies are missing: egg. Adding egg yolk to the dough makes it a bit easier to work with and helps the the cookies hold their cute shapes.

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