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 is the difference between a spritz cookie and a butter cookie? ›

What is the difference between spritz and butter cookies? These cookies are nearly identical, except for one ingredient: egg. Egg makes the Spritz cookie dough a bit easier to work with, but it also helps the cookies keep their shape when baked.

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.

Should you use parchment paper when baking Spritz cookies? ›

*Also don't grease the sheets or use parchment paper. Spritz cookies release easily when made right! *Don't let your dough sit out so long that it gets dry or so warm that the butter begins to separate.

What is a spritz cookie made of? ›

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, salt, egg, almond extract and a few drops of food color. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes on ungreased cookie sheet.

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 won't my spritz cookies stick to the cookie sheet? ›

The ungreased cookie sheet must be cold for the dough to adhere. If the dough will not stick to the pan, try placing the cookie sheet in the freezer for a few minutes. Do not use parchment paper or a Silpat mat. The dough will not stick when pressed.

Why do 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 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 are my spritz cookies going flat? ›

Kitchens tend to heat up during any baking extravaganza, meaning the butter you leave on the counter to soften might get too soft. If this happens, the butter will melt faster in the oven and your cookies will flatten before they can set. Thirty minutes is usually enough counter time to soften butter.

What is the secret to using a cookie press? ›

Here are some tips whether you're using a manual or electric cookie press.
  • Allow sufficient time. ...
  • Use only cookie press recipes. ...
  • Don't grease your cookie sheet. ...
  • Remove air from the press. ...
  • Hold the press flat on the baking sheet. ...
  • Don't overload the cookies. ...
  • Practice. ...
  • Pause before lifting.
Oct 30, 2019

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.

What are the two types of spritz? ›

But it's not too late to enjoy two iconic summertime apéritifs: the Aperol Spritz and the Campari Spritz. These refreshing co*cktails are made with Prosecco mingled with the bitter liqueur and topped off with a splash of mineral water, served on the rocks, typically with a slice of orange.

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

Mainly texture. Sugar cookie dough is firm enough to be rolled out and cut. Spritz dough has to be soft enough to extrude through a press.

What is the difference between a spritz cookie and a shortbread cookie? ›

Spritz cookies are tender and have an enriched dough.

You can take most spritz cookie and shortbread recipes and side by side the only difference in ingredients is a single egg. An egg doesn't seem like anything extraordinary, but in a recipe with only four other ingredients, that single egg changes a lot.

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 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.

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.

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