Spritz Cookies are buttery and sweet pressed cookies. They are festive and so fun to make, with all kinds of shapes!
Spritz Cookies are stunning to display and make a great addition to your holiday spread. For more perfectly merry cookies, try Peppermint Sugar Cookies, and Holiday Blossom Cookies.
What is a spritz cookie?
Spritz Cookies are similar to both Sugar Cookies and Shortbread Cookies. They are buttery and show off a beautiful intricate design. We love handing out these bite-size beauties to our neighbors!
The term “Spritz” is taken from the German word spritzen which means to squirt. As you “squirt” out each beautiful cookie you can see how it lives up to its name.
These pressed cookies instantly transport me to my childhood. We made these every year during Christmas. I love to color the dough and create magical shapes. They are the BEST warm out of the oven, but they also make a perfectly delish dipping cookie to go with your milk.
Using a Cookie Press
To get the best Spritz Cookie, I recommend purchasing a cookie press. There are several brands. Read the reviews and choose one that has several decorative shape options.
Cookie press alternative. If you don’t have a cookie press, try using a piping bag with different decorative tips. The dough is on the thicker side, so you may want to choose a larger tip and squeeze firmly.
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.
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.
How to Make Spritz Cookies
PREP. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
WET INGREDIENTS. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth.
DRY INGREDIENTS. Add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix until combined. It really helps to make sure the cookie dough is about the texture of soft play dough.
COLOR. Add gel food coloring to the dough if desired.
PRESS. 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.
If you try to bake them on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, or silicone mat, the dough will stick to the cookie press instead, and won’t stay on the sheet.
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 wire rack.
Variations
One obvious way to get various types of cookies is to use the different shapes that come with the cookie press. The other is to add color and decorations.
Food coloring. Use gel food coloring, 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. Colored cookies tend to brown more quickly than plain cookies so watch carefully.
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.
Flavoring. Vanilla and almond extract are the traditional flavor of these cookies, but you can experiment with other flavors: lemon, orange, peppermint, or rum extract.
Decorations. Add different sprinkles, sparkling sugar, or finely chopped nuts before baking. Drizzle with glaze or melted chocolate after baking.
Gluten-Free. My friend has celiac and tells me these are her favorite cookies to make using gluten-free baking flour.
Recipe tips
- Use unsalted butter, and creamy butter works even better. Do not use margarine. Be sure to soften the butter, otherwise, you won’t get the creamy, fluffy texture you desire.
- 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.
- Be sure to scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon so you don’t add too much flour.
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 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.
Give them as gifts. Package 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.
Serve these cookies with a Warm Drink:
- Caramel Apple Cider
- Mexican Hot Chocolate
- Mint Hot Cocoa
- Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa
- Peppermint White Hot Chocolate
For more cookies, try:
Spritz Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
for the cookies:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
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.
First time ever using a cookie press and it worked perfectly!
Family Favorite!!!!!
Have an older recipe that called for 3 egg yolks. Tried this one to save on eggs…not very impressed. I will be going back to my old recipe.
They came out very bland. Sugar or some sprinkles on top would have help, but too late now.I have been making cookie press cookies for years. I’ll go back to my old recipe s
No baking powder????
keep e mail any of new add recipie
Wonderfully delicious, worked perfectly in our Cookie Press. We made green trees and white with red sprinkles. The best on fail recipe.