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 secret to making spritz cookies? ›

Tips To Make the Best Spritz Cookies
  1. Cream Butter and Sugar. Be sure you cream butter and sugar well...it might take longer than you think! ...
  2. Add Your Egg. Add your egg ONLY after butter and sugar is fully creamed together.
  3. Avoid Overworking. ...
  4. Press! ...
  5. Skip the Grease. ...
  6. Decorate. ...
  7. Bake.

What's the difference between a butter cookie and a spritz cookie? ›

These cookies are nearly identical, except for one ingredient: egg.

What is the trick to using a cookie press? ›

If it's too cold, it'll be hard to squeeze out of the pres. If it's too warm, it'll be too soft, and it won't hold its shape when baked. Holding your hand on the tube will warm the dough, so try to use just one hand on the trigger – place your other hand on the cookie sheet to keep it from moving.

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.

Why won't my spritz cookies come out of the press? ›

If the dough is sticking to the bottom of the press instead of adhering to the pan, it might be too soft. Place it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 minutes and try again. Butter is highly recommended when making Spritz cookie dough.

Should spritz cookie dough be sticky? ›

Press cookies out directly onto ungreased cookie sheets. Piped dough that doesn't look neat can be scraped off again and re-piped. If the dough becomes too sticky, refrigerate for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with colored sugar or decorate with candies as desired.

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 are my spritz cookies so flat? ›

The Problem: The Butter Is Too Soft

Room temperature butter is just the right consistency to incorporate air when it's creamed with sugar. These trapped air pockets result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise.

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 spreading? ›

Use an ungreased cookie sheet.

Greasing your pan will cause your cookies to spread, so make sure to use an ungreased baking sheet. Also avoid using parchment paper on your cookie sheet.

Can I use premade cookie dough in a cookie press? ›

Loading the Cookie Press

To save time, buy premade cookie dough that comes in a log shape. Avoid using cookie dough that has big pieces like chocolate chips or nuts in it.

Why is my Spritz cookie dough crumbly? ›

There are a few things you can do if your cookie dough is too dry and crumbly. First, try adding more liquid to the dough. This could be milk, water, or even just additional eggs. If that doesn't work, you could also try melting some butter and adding it to the dough.

Why do my spritz cookies taste like flour? ›

Improper flour measurement is the #1 cause of your cookie dough being too dry or the cookies tasting like flour.

How to keep spritz cookies from spreading? ›

Chilling cookie dough helps prevent spreading. The colder the dough, the less the cookies will over-spread into greasy puddles. You'll have thicker, sturdier, and more solid cookies. Whenever I make cookies, I plan ahead and chill the cookie dough overnight.

How do you get spritz cookies to work? ›

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.

How to prevent spritz cookies from spreading? ›

Chill the cookie dough.

Chilling cookie dough helps prevent spreading. The colder the dough, the less the cookies will over-spread into greasy puddles. You'll have thicker, sturdier, and more solid cookies. Whenever I make cookies, I plan ahead and chill the cookie dough overnight.

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