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When I put spritz cookies out at Christmas, they disappear fast because they’re little and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Each one is buttery, lightly sweet and crisp, with that classic almond-vanilla flavor. You grab one, then another, and somehow you’ve eaten five.
To me, spritz cookies are one of those old-fashioned Christmas cookies that just feel nostalgic. They remind me of the holiday cookie trays from when I was growing up and from when my kids were younger. While they bake, the kitchen smells like butter, vanilla and almond, and it immediately feels like Christmas baking.
I keep my spritz cookies simple, a buttery cookie with sprinkles, because that lets the actual cookie flavor come through. It’s an easy recipe, too, with only seven ingredients, and one of them is the nonpareils.
My list of Christmas cookie recipes has plenty more to bake alongside these spritz cookies.
CHRISTMAS FAVORITE
Why One Dough Is All I Need for a Pretty Cookie Tray
For a holiday cookie tray, I love spritz cookies because one batch makes so many. Switching disks on my cookie press gives me different shapes from the same dough, so the tray looks really pretty and I never have to make several different doughs. They’re small and fairly sturdy once they’ve cooled, so they pack easily into cookie tins for cookie exchanges and gifting.
What Are Spritz Cookies?
Spritz cookies are small butter cookies that get their shape from a cookie press instead of cookie cutters. The dough is a lot like my classic Christmas sugar cookies, only soft enough to push through the metal disk, and that disk is what gives every cookie its ridges.
Key Ingredients
- Salted butter: I use salted butter because there’s no other salt in this recipe, so the butter is doing that job. It gives a simple butter cookie a little more flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Egg: Let the egg come to room temperature before it goes in. A cold egg can really change the consistency of the dough, and you want it soft enough to move through the press.
- Almond extract: I like almond flavor in a classic spritz cookie, but it’s a strong one. If you like almond, i strongly suggest to use the full teaspoon, and for a more balanced vanilla-almond flavor, I’d use half a teaspoon.
- Clear vanilla: I call for clear vanilla, but regular vanilla will work fine. The only difference is that regular vanilla can change the color of the cookie slightly.
- Sifted flour: I sift the flour first because it takes out the lumps and makes it easier to mix the flour in evenly without overmixing the dough.
How to Make Spritz Cookies
Step 1: Beat the Butter and Sugar Beat the butter on its own first, then add the sugar and keep mixing for another minute. I use my stand mixer, and a hand mixer works fine too.
Step 2: Finish the Dough Mix in the egg, vanilla and almond extract on medium-low, then add the sifted flour and mix on low until you can’t see any dry flour. Stop there, because overmixing the flour is what makes spritz cookies hard.
Step 3: Load the Press Roll a portion of the dough into a log so it slides into the press tube easily, then load it into the cookie press.
Step 4: Shape the Cookies Press the cookies onto an ungreased or parchment-lined sheet 2 inches apart. Add the nonpareils right away because sprinkles will not stick once the cookies are baked. If one comes out misshapen, scrape it up and put the dough back in the press.
Step 4: Bake and Cool Bake until the cookies are set but not browned at the edges, and start checking at 5 minutes because thin cookies go fast. Let them sit on the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storing and Baking Them Ahead
Once the cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
To bake ahead, freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months and let them thaw at room temperature before serving. That’s what makes them so convenient at Christmas, because I can bake them well ahead of when I need my cookie trays.
More Cookies for the Christmas Tray
Spritz Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted sweet cream butter softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Using a stand mixer, or a medium bowl and a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter for 1 to 1 ½ minutes.1 cup salted sweet cream butter
- Add the granulated sugar and continue mixing for 1 more minute.⅔ cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg, clear vanilla flavoring and almond extract. Mix on medium-low speed until well combined.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring, 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Add the sifted all-purpose flour and mix on low only until the flour is completely incorporated.2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- Select a decorator disk for your cookie press. Roll a portion of the dough into a log, on a piece of cling wrap or in your hands, and fill the cookie press tube with the dough.
- Press the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet or a sheet lined with parchment paper, 2 inches apart, using one squeeze per cookie. If you are using parchment, hold it down as you lift the press. Sprinkle some of the cookies with nonpareils before baking.nonpareil sprinkles
- Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until set but not browned at the edges. Thinner cookies bake faster, so start checking at 5 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Jenn’s Notes
- I use one squeeze per cookie, because an extra half squeeze or a second squeeze distorts the shape.
- I keep the dough at room temperature, since cold dough is harder to push through the press and chilling it doesn’t help.
- I add the sprinkles before baking, because they won’t stick to a baked cookie.
- I bake on parchment for golden bottoms instead of brown ones. A dark baking sheet bakes faster, so check those early.
- Almond extract is a strong flavor. For a more balanced vanilla-almond cookie, I’d use ½ teaspoon, or you can swap it for another flavoring like strawberry, peppermint, lemon or rum extract.
