There’s something simply magical about the perfect buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture of spritz cookies. This Spritz Cookies Recipe is a special one — it’s my go-to for celebrations or anytime I want to feel a little festive in the kitchen. The crisp edges and delicate flavors always steal the show.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I can’t tell you how many times this spritz cookies recipe has come to the rescue — for last-minute gatherings or as a fun weekend project with friends and family. It’s easy, forgiving, and yields those perfect little shapes that look almost too good to eat (but trust me, you’ll want to).
- Classic Taste: The combination of butter, vanilla, and almond extract creates a timeless, irresistible flavor that feels nostalgic.
- Fun Shapes Every Time: Using a cookie press means you get consistent, beautiful patterns that impress without the effort.
- Simple Ingredients: Everything comes together with pantry staples, making this recipe accessible anytime you want cookies.
- Customizable: With options to add food coloring, sprinkles, or chocolate, you can easily tune these cookies to your mood or holiday theme.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Each ingredient plays a key role in making these spritz cookies tender but sturdy enough to hold their charming shapes. Plus, knowing why you use each one helps when you want to tweak or substitute.
- Unsalted Butter: Using room temperature butter allows it to cream well, creating that airy, tender cookie texture. Salted butter can throw off the flavor balance.
- Granulated Sugar: It sweetens and helps with structure. Cream the sugar well with butter to make the dough light.
- Large Egg: Provides moisture and helps bind everything together for a dough that presses easily through your cookie mold.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Essential for that classic cookie warmth; never skip real vanilla for the best flavor.
- Almond Extract: Adds a subtle depth and festive note that sets this recipe apart. You can swap it for other extracts, but I love this combo.
- All-Purpose Flour: The sturdy backbone that holds your shapes without spreading too much.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Optional Decorations: Gel food coloring keeps colors vibrant without breaking the dough. Sprinkles or chocolate chips add that extra fun flair.
Make It Your Way
One of my favorite parts of this spritz cookies recipe is how easy it is to make your own edition. I love adding a tiny splash of peppermint extract around the holidays or mixing in a bit of cinnamon for cozy vibes.
- Variation: I once experimented by tinting part of the dough with gel food coloring to make festive red and green cookies, which was a hit at Christmas parties.
- Dietary Tip: For a dairy-free version, swap the butter for a high-quality vegan butter alternative; texture might change a bit but still delicious.
- Without a Cookie Press: Use a piping bag fitted with a star tip—the texture holds nicely, and this works well for smaller batches.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Spritz Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Get Your Dough Just Right
Start by creaming softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. This usually takes about 3 minutes on medium-high until it's smooth and fluffy — this step is crucial for tender cookies. Then add the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts, beating everything till fully blended. Don't forget to scrape the bowl to combine all those lovely pockets of flavor evenly.
Step 2: Flour Power and Dough Prep
Slowly mix in the flour and salt on low speed to avoid flour clouds, then crank it up a bit till the dough comes together. It should be smooth but not sticky — perfect for pressing. If the dough starts getting too soft to handle, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes; a cooler dough presses better and holds the shapes.
Step 3: Pressing and Decorating the Cookies
Fit your cookie press with a decorative disc, load it with dough, and hold perpendicular to a lined, chilled baking sheet. Press out shapes about 2 inches apart. For extra charm, lightly brush the cookies with water before adding sprinkles so they stick well. If you like, press chocolate chips into the centers. Remember, cold baking sheets make a big difference — the dough sticks better and your shapes stay crisp.
Step 4: Bake and Cool to Perfection
Bake the cookies at 350°F (177°C) for 7-9 minutes until the edges just start to turn golden. Resist the urge to overbake! Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. If you want to get fancy, drizzle with melted chocolate once cooled — it’s my secret trick to up the wow factor.
Top Tip
Through multiple batches of this spritz cookies recipe, I learned the magic of chilling your baking sheets and dough. It might sound odd, but it really helps the cookie shapes hold and prevents too much spreading.
- Cold Sheets Matter: If your cookie press dough is sticking too much or losing shape, put your baking sheet in the fridge or freezer before pressing cookies.
- Don’t Overmix Flour: Add flour on low speed to keep the dough tender, otherwise it can get tough.
- Sprinkles Stick Better with Water: A quick light brush helps decorations last through baking.
- Use Gel Food Coloring: It gives vibrant color without changing the dough’s consistency, and just a little goes a long way.
How to Serve Spritz Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I like to keep it classic with a few red and green sanding sugars for a festive touch, especially around holidays. Or sometimes I’ll just pipe a drizzle of melted dark chocolate on top for contrast and that extra indulgence. Honestly, these cookies look beautiful without much fuss, so keep it simple if you’re in a hurry.
Side Dishes
Spritz cookies pair beautifully with a variety of hot drinks. My personal favorite? A warm cup of chai or hot cocoa— the spices complement the almond and vanilla notes perfectly. They also go great alongside a light fruit salad or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you want to get extra fancy.
Creative Ways to Present
For holiday parties or gift boxes, I arrange these cookies in pretty tin boxes lined with parchment and tie them with a ribbon. I’ve also tried layering different colored dough shapes on a decorative platter—it instantly feels festive and inviting. If you’re feeling crafty, adding edible glitter or layering tiny sprinkles on top would wow your guests!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I store leftover spritz cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, and they keep wonderfully fresh for about a week. If you have cookies with chocolate drizzle or sprinkles, make sure they’re fully set and dry before sealing to avoid smudging.
Freezing
Freezing works great for both dough and baked cookies. I like to portion out dough, wrap it tightly in plastic, and freeze it up to 3 months. When ready, thaw in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temp before pressing. Baked cookies freeze well too — I thaw them at room temp and they taste almost freshly baked!
Reheating
If you want to refresh the texture of leftover cookies, I pop them in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes. It crisps the edges without drying them out. Avoid microwaving as it can make them tough.
Frequently Asked Questions:
No cookie press? No problem! You can use a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the dough into shapes. If the dough is too stiff to pipe, add a teaspoon or two of milk to loosen it up so it flows nicely.
Yes, this recipe can be adapted using a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Make sure it contains xanthan gum for structure. The texture might be slightly different, but the flavor remains delicious.
Lightly brush the surface of the shaped dough with water before adding sprinkles. This helps them stick through baking and handling. Avoid adding sprinkles after baking, as they won’t adhere well.
Absolutely! Almond extract is traditional here, but you can swap it for peppermint, lemon, or orange extract depending on your mood or the season. Just use about three-quarters teaspoon to keep balance.
Final Thoughts
This spritz cookies recipe holds such a warm place in my heart — its simple ingredients and charming shapes have been part of so many little celebrations. I hope you’ll find as much joy making and sharing these as I have. Whether you’re decking them out with colorful sprinkles or keeping them pure and classic, I promise this recipe will make your kitchen smell like happiness and your cookie jar disappear fast.
Print
Spritz Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 84 bite-size cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These classic spritz cookies are buttery, tender, and perfectly shaped with a cookie press. Flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, they are ideal for holiday celebrations or any occasion. Decorate them with sprinkles, chocolate chips, or melted chocolate for a festive touch.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 and ⅓ cups (291g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional Decorations
- Gel food coloring
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate chips
- Melted chocolate for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or use nonstick baking sheets without liners. If possible, chill the lined baking sheets in the refrigerator or freezer to help the dough adhere better.
- Make the Dough: In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat on high speed until fully combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again if needed.
- Add Dry Ingredients: On low speed, gradually beat in the flour and salt. Then increase the speed to high and continue beating until the dough is fully combined.
- Shape Cookies: Fit your cookie press with a decorative plate following the manufacturer’s instructions. Fill the cookie press with dough. Hold it perpendicular to the cold baking sheet and press out cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. If desired, lightly brush the cookie dough shapes with water to help sprinkles stick, then add sprinkles or press a chocolate chip into the center of each cookie. If the dough softens too much, chill the shaped cookies in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies until they are very lightly browned on the edges, about 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional Decoration: Once cooled, drizzle the cookies with melted chocolate if desired. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- You can chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 4 days before pressing, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator and bring to room temperature before using.
- Baked cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months; thaw before serving.
- If you don’t have a cookie press, use a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch open star tip and pipe the dough. Add a little milk to the dough if needed for easier piping.
- Almond extract adds a wonderful flavor but can be omitted or replaced with vanilla, peppermint, lemon extract, or a ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Use gel food coloring sparingly; about 2 drops is sufficient for the entire batch.
- Chilling cookie sheets before pressing the dough helps the dough stick better and shape nicely.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 90 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
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