If you’re looking for the perfect cookie to bake these holidays, you need this recipe for spritz cookies. Not too sweet and perfectly buttery, spritz cookies are fun to make and delicious to eat.
If you have never made this classic recipe for spritz cookies before, you may not realize…
- These gorgeous and fun little cookies, with all of their different shapes and colors, are some of the quickest and easiest cookies you can make.
- They take half the time of cut-out cookies and only use ingredients you probably have on hand already.
- Changing the shape of the cookies is as simple as unscrewing a ring and putting a new stencil on in a matter of a few seconds.
The end result is a clean-tasting, soft and buttery cookie that will melt in your mouth. They will bring oohs and ahhs from other folks who may not realize that it is even possible to make cookies like this at home because they’re so used to only seeing them in grocery stores. They will then realize what a whiz you are in the kitchen!
If you’re in a baking mood, you also need to check out my post featuring 14 amazing Christmas cookie recipes. Happy baking!
Recipe Ingredients
- Baking powder
- Milk
- Egg (at room temperature)
- Vanilla extract
- Butter flavoring (or almond extract)
- All-purpose flour
- Softened butter
- Sugar
- Cookie press, colorful sprinkles, and a funnel if you want to do a cute little technique I’m going to show you later (Funnel is optional, cute sprinkles are a must).
A Handy Cookie Press Tip
There isn’t any way around this if you want to make this recipe for spritz cookies but I can tell you how to get one pretty cheap. There are all types available in all price ranges. Personally, I would stay away from anything plastic. This one has plastic parts but the majority of it, the parts that take the pressure, are stainless and that makes it work really well. This one retails for about $25 but if you get it at Michael’s Arts and Crafts or Hobby Lobby, you can use a coupon for 40-50% off. Michael’s has their coupon available online to print or you can get it on their phone app. Hobby Lobby also has theirs available online and if you’re in the store and want to use it you can just pull up their webpage and show the cashier the coupon. I got this one at Hobby Lobby. So I used a coupon and paid a little over $12 for a new one.
Place softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
Beat the mess out of it using an electric or until it’s well blended and fluffy.
Add in egg, milk, , and the other flavoring of your choice and beat again until well mixed.
Then add in flour and baking powder.
I sometimes add 1/4 teaspoon salt here as well. The original recipes don’t call for it but I find that a little bit helps. It’s up to you. I add it when I think about it and don’t when I forget.
Mix that really well and you have your cookie dough!
Fill your spritz cookie press (it will come with instructions to show you how) and fit it with your first shape stencil.
Press dough out until your cookie sheet is filled.
This one just has a trigger grip. I squeeze and one cookie comes out. Move it to another spot, squeeze, move it to another spot, squeeze…
It’s a pretty fast process.
How to Decorate Different Spritz Cookies
Decorate cookies with colorful sprinkles before baking.
Oh and here is what I used that funnel for.
I made these little flowers and sprinkled them with yellow sugars first. Then…
I gently placed a funnel on top of the centers and poured in red sprinkles.
When you lift up the funnel it looks like this. It is a cute touch but only took a second or two for each one.
Low maintenance but beautiful cookies!
Because not once have I ever looked at a recipe and said “Ya know, it looks good and all that, but I just wish it were more complicated!”
Bake your cookies at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes or until just lightly browned around the edges. Repeat until all dough is used. Cool on a .
Enjoy your beautiful cookies!
Storage
- Store your spritz cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Spritz cookies also freeze really well. Store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months and then thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Recipe Notes
- A lot of classic spritz cookie recipes call for almond extract so if you like almond extract you should definitely add it. If you are like me and really and truly dislike almond-flavored things, you should skip it and add butter flavoring or another that you like in its place. Big fan of almonds, but not a cheerleader for the flavoring.
- Other flavoring options include peppermint extract or lemon extract.
- Most recipes for spritz cookies require the dough to be refrigerated to firm up before use but this one doesn’t.
- Instead of colored sprinkles, you could use gel food coloring, sparkling colored sugar, chopped nuts (definitely recommend almonds if using almond extract), candied fruit, or crushed candy pieces.
- You can also dip half the cookie into some melted chocolate chips and then add sprinkles or simply drizzle with melted chocolate.
- It’s helpful to use a cold cookie sheet, so pop it in the fridge while you make your cookie dough so it doesn’t stick to the sheet.
- If you don’t have a cookie press, another option is to pipe the cookie dough into shapes using a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
Recipe FAQs
Why are they called spritz cookies?
The name spritz actually comes from the German word, spritzen, which means “to squirt.” You could say the dough is “squirted” through the cookie press onto the baking sheet. While they may have a German origin, they’re also known as Swedish or Norwegian cookies.
What is the difference between spritz and butter cookies?
The main difference between these two types of cookies is one ingredient: an egg. The addition of the egg in the spritz cookie dough makes the dough softer and easier to shape into designs using the cookie press. Because butter cookies are similar to shortbread, the dough also needs to be refrigerated before baking, but that isn’t the case with this I told you they’re quick and easy to make!
Can I make this recipe for spritz cookies ahead of time?
Absolutely! Place the cookie dough in the fridge for up to 4 days, before bringing it to room temperature and shaping using the cookie press. Another option is to freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before bringing to room temperature and shaping the dough using the cookie press.
Here are more Christmas treats to bake these holidays:
Southern Plate’s Must-Make Christmas Cookies
Christmas Candies On A Budget & In A Hurry!
Christmas Tie-Dyed Cheesecake Brownies
Sugared Cranberries (3 Ingredients Only)
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups butter softened at room temp
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon butter flavoring or another flavoring of your choice. Almond or lemon would be nice.
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, place the butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk, and flavorings next and beat again until well combined. Add in flour and baking powder and beat once more until a good dough is formed (will only take a minute or so), scraping down sides as needed.3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons whole milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon butter flavoring, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Place dough in a cookie press and add a stencil to the bottom according to cookie press directions. Pipe out onto an ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle with colored sugars. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes or until just lightly browned around the edges. Repeat until all dough is used.
Does the recipe call for salted or unsalted butter?
I used unsalted this year but I think it would be better with salted.
Wow, just the sort of thing I’ve been looking for! I’ll be making these tomorrow for sure. Thanks Christy xx
This made me tear up! (the story, not the recipe :-). Thank you for the reminder! I will share this with my family and we will most certainly ‘not forget the apples’!
I’ve never heard of spritz cookies nor have I ever seen a cookie press! Haha….oh you must think I live a deprived life.
Your little pink mixing paddle is so cute!
We made these all weekend with a Wilton press I got brand new in the box for $1.50 at a thrift shop! 🙂
Merry Christmas Christy!
Oh and to add, I am also not a fan of almond flavoring. It doesn’t even taste like almonds!
Christy, I have been looking for a cookie press. I have an old one some place, but it is old and often wants to fall apart when I pull the trigger. I had looked at OXO, but can’t find one local. I printed off a coupon, but it expires today, so don’t know if I can make it there today since I have a Christmas party to host tonight. Do they honor the coupon when it is outdated? Seeing you use a funnel to fill the center of the flower makes me allow you to give you my tip. I use a 1/4 of a candied cherry in red and green. Oh my the flavor is so yummy. I use them on my all butter cookies through a press and it only has butter, sugar and flour in the recipe. Let me know if you would like the recipe.
Linda