Spritz Cookie Recipe (2024)

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This spritz cookie recipe is for buttery and sweet-pressed cookies. They are festive and so fun to make, with all kinds of shapes!

For more perfectly merry cookies to add to your holiday spread, try Peppermint Sugar Cookies and Christmas Sugar Cookies.

Spritz Cookie Recipe (1)

We Love These Festive cookies!

This spritz cookie recipe is similar to both Sugar Cookies and Shortbread Cookies. We love handing out these bite-size beauties to our neighbors!

Here are some of the reasons we love these cookies:

  • Visually appealing. They are buttery and show off a beautiful intricate design.
  • Festive. Butter spritz cookies can be colored and shaped for any season or holiday. We did wreaths and Christmas trees this time!
  • Nostalgic. These pressed cookies instantly transport me to my childhood. We made these every year during Christmas.

This is a cookie recipe that always makes it onto our holiday treat plates, along with our Christmas Cookies and Christmas Crack. Give them a try!

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Ingredients

  • unsalted butter – Be sure to soften the butter, otherwise, you won’t get the creamy, fluffy texture you desire.
  • sugar
  • egg
  • flavoring – Vanilla and almond extract are the traditional flavors of these cookies, but you can experiment and use lemon, orange, peppermint, or rum extract.
  • all-purpose flour – Be sure to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level off. The recipe also works well using 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
  • salt
  • gel food coloring – Use gel, not liquid coloring. You only need a couple of drops of the gel, whereas you would need several drops of the liquid which then thins out the dough.
  • colorful sprinkles – Add different sprinkles, sparkling sugar, or finely chopped nuts before baking. Drizzle with glaze or melted chocolate after baking.
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Using A Cookie Press

  • To get the best spritz cookie recipe, I recommend purchasing a cookie press.
  • Cookie press alternative. If you don’t have a spritz cookie press, try using a piping bag with different decorative tips, like a star tip. The dough is on the thicker side, so you may want to choose a larger tip and squeeze firmly.
  • Pressing tips:
    • The biggest tip I can recommend is to use a PLAIN, UNGREASED, COLD cookie sheet. You want the bottom of the cookie to stick to the baking sheet so it won’t get stuck in the cookie press.
    • Go ahead and click the cookie press a couple of times to help the dough release easier.
    • The dough does not spread much at all, so the shape you pipe out will be the shape of the baked cookie. For this reason, when you pipe out the dough be sure that all parts are touching.
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How to Make Spritz Cookies

  1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. WET INGREDIENTS. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.Add the egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth.
  3. DRY INGREDIENTS. Add the flour and salt to the bowl and stir until combined. It really helps to make sure the cookie dough is about the texture of soft play dough.
  4. COLOR. Add gel food coloring to the dough if desired.
  5. PRESS. Add the dough to a cookie press, with the desired shape plate attached. Squirt the cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.
    • If you try to bake them on a baking sheet that’s greased/lined with parchment paper, or on a silicone mat, the dough will stick to the cookie press instead, and won’t stay on the sheet.
  6. BAKE. Bake 6-8 minutes, until cooked through, but not browned. Let them cool a little on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
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Variations

You can create variety by using the different shapes that come with the cookie press. Another way is other is to add color and decorations.

  • Making colorful cookies. To make more than one color out of a batch of cookies, divide the dough into different bowls. Mix each bowl of dough with the desired color. Clean the cookie press when switching to a new color.
    • Note that colored cookies tend to brown more quickly than plain cookies so watch carefully.
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Recipe Tips

  • Mixing the dough. As important as it is to mix the dough thoroughly in the beginning, it is equally important that you don’t over-mix the dough once you add the flour. Overmixing the dough can cause the gluten to over-activate, resulting in a tougher cookie.
  • Give them as gifts. Whether you take them to a neighbor or ship them across the country, they make great gifts.
    • Package your cookies in a holiday tin (the Dollar Store and Walmart are great options). Fill the tin with cupcake liners, then stack the cookies in the liners.
    • If you decide to ship these to faraway friends, I recommend freezing them and then placing the frozen cookies into the package to ship.
    • They also make a pretty addition to holiday cookie trays.
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storing info

  • Make ahead of time. Make the dough ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Simply allow it to come to room temperature (30-40 minutes) before pressing and baking.
  • Freeze the dough.
    • Roll the dough into a log, wrap it with plastic and again with foil, then freeze – OR stamp out the dough into shapes, and place the dough into the freezer.
    • Once frozen, place the shaped dough into a freezer-safe bag. The frozen dough can keep for up to 3 months.
    • To bake: Allow the dough to thaw to room temperature before baking.
  • STORE. Spritz cookies store really well, so they are great for shipping to family and friends who live far away. Keep in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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For more holiday cookies, try:

Italian Christmas Cookies

1 hr 20 mins

Recipe Video

Gingerbread CookieS Recipe

40 mins

Recipe Video

Snowball Cookies

24 mins

Recipe Video

Spritz Cookie Recipe (14)

Spritz Cookie Recipe (15)

4.98 from 198 votes

Spritz Cookie Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna

This spritz cookie recipe is for buttery and sweet-pressed cookies. They are festive and so fun to make, with all kinds of shapes!

Servings: 36 Cookies

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 6 minutes mins

Total: 21 minutes mins

Ingredients

for the cookies:

for decorating:

  • gel food coloring
  • colorful sprinkles

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.

  • Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth.

  • Add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix until combined. Add gel food coloring to the dough if desired.

  • Add the dough to a cookie press with the desired shape plate attached. Press the cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

  • Bake 6-8 minutes, until cooked through but not browned. Let cool before serving.

Video

Notes

  • Make ahead of time. Make the dough ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Simply allow it to come to room temperature (30-40 minutes) before pressing and baking.
  • Freeze the dough.
    • Roll the dough into a log, wrap it with plastic and again with foil, then freeze – OR stamp out the dough into shapes, and place the dough into the freezer.
    • Once frozen, place the shaped dough into a freezer-safe bag. The frozen dough can keep for up to 3 months.
    • To bake: Allow the dough to thaw to room temperature before baking.
  • STORE. Spritz cookies store really well, so they are great for shipping to family and friends who live far away. Keep in an airtight conditioner for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 86kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 59mg, Potassium: 12mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 164IU, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Making this recipe? Tag us!

Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!

Categorized as: American Recipes, Christmas, Cookies, Cuisines, Desserts, Holidays, Recipes

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Spritz Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What consistency should spritz cookie dough be? ›

*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? ›

Place it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 minutes and try again. Butter is highly recommended when making Spritz cookie dough. If margarine or solid vegetable shortening is used, the dough may turn out too soft to release from the press.

Should you use parchment paper when baking spritz cookies? ›

No do not use parchment paper and do not grease the cookie sheet either. Spritz are butter cookies so they need something grippy to grip onto. And since there is so much butter in the recipe they come off the cookie sheet very easily.

Is there a trick to making spritz cookies? ›

Helpful Hints and Tips for Perfect Spritz Cookies:

Do not chill the dough before using. The dough should be at room temperature so it can be piped through the press. If your cookies start to spread or your kitchen is warm, try chilling the pans in the refrigerator for a few minutes before piping the cookies on the pan.

What do I do if my spritz cookie dough is too dry? ›

There are a few things you can do to add liquid to your cookie dough if it is too dry and crumbly. One option is to add milk, water, or another liquid until the dough is the right consistency. You can also try adding melted butter or shortening. If your dough is still too dry, you may need to add more flour.

Why are my spritz cookies tough? ›

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). Instead, the best method is to add the flour and mix it in by hand, stopping as soon as no dry flour remains.

Why aren t my spritz cookies sticking to the pan? ›

You might not be using a strong enough flour. I've always used a 1:1 mix of bread flour and pastry flour. All-purpose flour isn't great for spritz cookies and many home baking recipes do odd things to try to strengthen the dough to compensate, such as increasing the quantity of egg.

Why are my spritz cookies crumbly? ›

Flour. Make sure you measure your flour properly; adding too much flour (the most common mistake when measuring) can make your dough too dry and crumbly to use. Cookie press.

Why do my spritz cookies taste like flour? ›

Generally that floury taste can be attributed to several things. Too much flour, bad recipe, improper mixing or underbaking, but the most common culprit is too much flour. Too much flour is most usually caused by scooping with the measuring cup and is probably the most common kitchen mistake made today.

Why are my spritz cookies spreading? ›

Warm Cookie Sheets

If you're batch baking your cookies, make sure you're placing cookie dough on cooled cookie sheets. If the cookie sheets are too warm, they can cause the cookies to spread.

How long are homemade spritz cookies good for? ›

Properly stored, spritz cookies can last for up to 2 weeks at room temperature. Make sure the cookies are completely cooled to room temperature before storing them. Warm cookies can create condensation in the container, making them soggy. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

How do you keep spritz cookies from spreading? ›

1) Don't grease your baking pan — line it instead

“For the best results, choose a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to line your pan,” Dawn recommends. “Simply greasing your pan — basically adding fat to it — will encourage your cookies to spread.” (Check out our side-by-side test baking to see for yourself.)

How do you get decorations to stick to spritz cookies? ›

Decorating spritz cookies jimmies, sugars or nonpareils.

If you add sprinkles after baking the cookie dough your sprinkles will not stick to your cookies without using melted candy or icing. Oftentimes, shaped sprinkles will melt in the oven so sticking with jimmies, sugar and nonpareils are best.

What consistency should sugar cookie dough be? ›

The texture should be like Playdoh. Add a little flour or water if needed to get it to a soft, pliable consistency. Use a rolling pin and roll the dough onto a floured surface until 1/4-1/2 inch thick, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.

What should the texture of cookie dough be? ›

Cookie dough should be smooth, pliable, and slightly sticky to the touch. When properly mixed, it should hold together without being overly wet or dry. Achieving the right texture is essential for shaping the dough into cookies or other desired forms.

Why is my spritz cookie dough hard? ›

As Levy Beranbaum writes in The Baking Bible, replacing a little bit of the flour in the dough with cornstarch results in “a more delicate cookie that is also easier to pipe or push through a cookie press.” Adding cornstarch helps tenderize tough gluten, contributing to a softer cookie dough with a finer crumb after ...

Is sugar cookie dough supposed to be liquidy? ›

Why is My Dough Runny? Kind of like how crumbly dough is usually because there's too much of the dry ingredients, runny cookie dough comes from having too much of the liquid ingredients.

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