Spritz Butter Cookies
These classic spritz butter cookies are tender, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious—perfect for holiday gatherings, cookie exchanges, or festive gifting. Made with simple pantry staples and shaped using a cookie press, they’re easy to customize and guaranteed to bring smiles.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24-30 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (226g)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (135g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (280g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Optional: 1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest
- Optional: colored sanding sugar or sprinkles
- Optional: 2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted (for drizzle)
- Optional: gel food coloring
Instructions
- Set out butter to soften for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Assemble cookie press with desired disk.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium-high for 2-3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla extract (plus almond extract or citrus zest if using). Beat until fully incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Sift together flour and salt. Add to butter mixture in two batches, mixing on low just until combined. If coloring dough, divide and mix in food coloring now.
- Spoon dough into cookie press, packing gently to avoid air pockets. If dough is too soft, chill for 10 minutes.
- Press dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are just barely golden. Do not overbake.
- Cool cookies on pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.
Notes
For gluten-free, substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For vegan/dairy-free, use vegan butter and a flax egg. Do not line baking sheets with parchment; dough needs to grip the pan. If dough is too stiff, warm briefly; if too soft, chill. Test a few cookies before baking the whole batch. Store in airtight container up to 1 week or freeze up to 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 65
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 20
- Fat: 4
- Saturated Fat: 2.5
- Carbohydrates: 7
- Protein: 1
Keywords: spritz cookies, butter cookies, holiday cookies, cookie press, Christmas cookies, easy cookies, festive treats, baking, dessert, classic cookies