Crisp Butter Spritz Cookies: Traditional Holiday Recipe

This Classic Spritz Cookies recipe yields buttery, tender cookies pressed into festive shapes — perfect for holiday tins, cookie swaps, or gifting.

Pile of decorated buttery classic spritz cookies | © Beyond the Butter®
Tiny dessert plates with classic spritz cookies on a white marble background | © Beyond the Butter®

Table of Contents

  • These Buttery Spritz Cookies are…
  • Recommended Baking Tools
  • Tips on How to Use a Cookie Press
  • How to Make This Recipe
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Check Out These Other Yummy Cookie Recipes!
  • Classic Spritz Cookies Recipe

These Buttery Spritz Cookies are…

  • easy to make
  • a no-chill cookie recipe
  • soft and slightly chewy
  • rich and buttery
  • an ideal addition to cookie tins or swaps
  • fun to decorate with sanding sugar, nonpareils, or color

They’re simple to prepare and practically melt in your mouth. Once you try them, they’re hard to resist.

Decorated classic buttery spritz cookies lined up on a white marbled background | © Beyond theButter®

Recommended Baking Tools

Besides basic equipment (stand mixer or hand mixer, spatula, and baking sheets), a few tools make spritz cookies easy and consistent:

  • Cookie press and discs. A cookie press with multiple discs gives you a variety of shapes and consistent results.
  • Mixing bowls. Use extra bowls if you plan to tint portions of dough different colors.
  • Food coloring. Gel or concentrated liquid color gives vibrant hues with just a few drops.

Tips on How to Use a Cookie Press

  1. Be patient. It can take a few tries to get consistent shapes; you can repress dough if a cookie doesn’t come out perfectly.
  2. Don’t grease the baking sheets. Ungreased cookie sheets (or plain parchment if you prefer) work best; the dough rarely sticks.
  3. Keep the press level. Press the cookie press flat against the sheet — avoid angling it.
  4. Press once per cookie. One firm press gives the intended size; multiple pumps can make cookies too large.
  5. Pause, then lift straight up. After pressing, wait a second before lifting the press straight up for a clean shape.
  6. Space cookies. Leave about 1–2 inches between cookies to allow slight puffing.
  7. Clean between colors. Rinse and dry the press when switching colored doughs to prevent color mixing.
Pile of classic spritz cookies | © Beyond the Butter®

How to Make This Recipe

Quick overview of the process. Full ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

  1. Cream butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
  2. Add baking powder, egg, and vanilla. Mix to combine.
  3. Stir in the flour. Mix on low until a smooth, thick dough forms.
  4. Divide and color (optional). Portion dough into bowls and add 2–3 drops of gel coloring per bowl if desired.
  5. Fill the cookie press and press cookies. Press onto ungreased sheets, decorate with sanding sugar or nonpareils.
  6. Bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes. Cookies will puff but hold their shape; 9 minutes is a good target.
  7. Cool on the sheet briefly, then transfer to a rack.
  8. Optional finishing. Melt semi-sweet chocolate with a tablespoon of coconut oil and pipe onto cooled cookies.
  9. Store. Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature with a slice of bread to maintain softness.
Tiny dessert plates with classic spritz cookies on a white marble background | © Beyond the Butter®
Decorated classic buttery spritz cookies lined up on a white marbled background | © Beyond theButter®

Recipe FAQs

What cookie press do you recommend?

Choose a durable, easy-to-clean cookie press that includes a variety of discs — those work well year-round and are user-friendly.

How should I store spritz cookies?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Adding a slice of bread helps keep them soft.

What food coloring is best for cookie dough?

Use gel or concentrated food coloring for bright, even color with just a couple of drops.

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Classic Spritz Cookies

5 from 2 votes
Author: Jennifer
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 84 cookies
Pile of decorated buttery classic spritz cookies.
This recipe produces festive, buttery spritz cookies that are tender and easy to decorate.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

Optional Decorating Extras

  • 2–3 drops red food coloring
  • 2–3 drops green food coloring
  • Red, green, or blue sanding sugar
  • White nonpareils
  • 6–8 oz semi-sweet chocolate (for drizzling)
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil (to thin the chocolate)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F and position the rack just above center. Prepare 2–3 ungreased cookie sheets.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy.
  • Add the baking powder, egg, and vanilla extract; mix to combine.
  • Gradually add the all-purpose flour and mix on low until the dough is smooth and thick.
  • If coloring the dough, divide it into bowls and mix 2–3 drops of food coloring into each portion until evenly colored.
  • Fill the cookie press and press cookies onto the ungreased baking sheets, spacing them 1–2 inches apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar or nonpareils if desired.
  • Bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes. The cookies will puff but should keep their shape. Remove from oven and let cool on the sheet briefly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • For a chocolate finish, melt semi-sweet chocolate with the coconut oil until smooth and slightly thinned, then pipe or drizzle over cooled cookies.
  • Store at room temperature in an airtight container with a slice of bread to help keep cookies soft.

Notes

  • To drizzle chocolate: melt semi-sweet chips with about 1 tablespoon coconut oil for a smoother, thinner consistency that’s easy to pipe.
  • Keep cookies soft by storing in an airtight container with a slice of bread; replace the bread if it becomes stale.

Nutrition

Calories: 71 kcal | Carbohydrates: 7 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 4 g

Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on exact ingredients used.