Spritz Cookies are the perfect crumbly Christmas cookies with a sweet, buttery flavor. They are baked into intricate shapes or patterns, with colorful decoration, making them the ultimate holiday cookie recipe!
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Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies
Spritz Cookies are my favorite holiday cookie recipe! They are perfect for everything from a bake sale or homemade gift item, to a holiday party treat and they can be made into a variety of flavors and shapes. This is a long-standing tradition when it comes to Christmas cookies in our house!
It has taken some time, but I’ve perfect my spritz cookie recipe. The trick to getting these cookies just right every time is making sure that your dough is the correct consistency. I’ve mastered it, and with this recipe, you will, too.
Why We Love This Spritz Cookies Recipe
- Classic Christmas cookie recipe.
- Delicious, buttery and sweet cookie recipe.
- Easy spritz cookie recipe -ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Beautifully decorated, colorful cookies are great for any occasion.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Salted sweet cream butter -softened
- Granulated sugar
- Large egg -room temperature
- Clear vanilla flavoring
- Almond extract
- All-purpose flour
- Red candy melts
- Green candy melts
- Nonpareil sprinkles
Substitutions and Additions
- ALMOND EXTRACT: You can substitute the almond extract for any other flavoring, for example strawberry or peppermint, or even lemon!
- SPRINKLES: The sprinkles are entirely optional. You could also use a different type of sprinkle if you like.
- CANDY MELTS: If you’re making these cookies for an occasion that’s not Christmas or holiday themed, you can definitely swap out the colorful candy melts to fit in with your party.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Cookie press
- Heat safe bowls
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make Homemade Spritz Cookies
- Beat the butter for 1-1.5 minutes.
- Add granulated sugar and continue mixing 1 more minute.
- Add egg, vanilla flavoring, and almond extract. Mix at a medium-low speed until well combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, and mix until the flour is completely incorporated.
- Using a cookie press, select a decorator disk for each color.
Pro-Tip: If you do not have a cookie press, you can use a piping bag with a decorators tip. - Fill the cookie press tube with cookie dough.
- Press the cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.
Pro-tip: If the dough comes out misshapen or comes out only partially shaped, you can just add it back into the cookie press. - Sprinkle a few of the cookies with nonpareils.
Pro-tip: If you choose to add sprinkles directly to the cookies, it’s important to add them to the unbaked cookie dough before baking. The optional sprinkles will not adhere to the baked cookie dough. - Bake for 8 minutes at 375 degrees.
- Allow cookies to cool.
- Use heat safe bowls to melt the green and red candy melts in the microwave.
- Dip each cookie half way into the desired color of melted candy.
- Sprinkle the dipped section with the nonpareils.
- Allow the cookies to cool, dry, and harden before serving.
Tips
- Pro-tip: If you choose to add sprinkles directly to the cookies, it’s important to add them to the unbaked cookie dough before baking. The optional sprinkles will not adhere to the baked cookie dough.
- Pro-tip: If the dough comes out misshapen or comes out only partially shaped, you can just add it back into the cookie press.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 5 days. If the room temperature is very warm, store cookies in the refrigerator to keep the dipped section from melting.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the baked and undipped cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the cookies to thaw before dipping them in the candy melts.
Frequently Asked Questions
If it’s your first time making these cookies, it can be a bit tricky to get the dough just right. Here are a few of my top tips. First, make sure that the butter is softened. You don’t want it melted, but close. Second, make sure the egg is at room temperature. This can really change the consistency of your dough. Lastly, you want to make sure that your dough is warm, not cold when you put it on the baking sheet.
Spritz cookies tend to be more crumbly than shortbread which will have a bit of a snap to them and be a bit crunchier. The major difference is that shortbread cookies will be chilled before baking and spritz cookies will not.
If you find that your final cookies are hard, it’s likely that you overmixed the flour. It’s best to mix the flour into your dough by hand and stop as soon as there is no dry flour left. That way you don’t overwork it.
Other Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Ginger Cookies
- Jello Divinity Candy
- Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
- Secret Kiss Cookies
- Old Fashioned Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
Spritz Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted sweet cream butter softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp clear vanilla flavoring
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 8 ounce bag red candy melts
- 8 ounce bag green candy melts
- nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*.
- Using a stand mixer, or a medium size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter for 1 – 1 ½ minutes.
- Add the granulated sugar and continue mixing for 1 more minute.
- Add the egg, clear vanilla flavoring and the almond extract. Mix medium-low speed until well combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, and mix on low just until the flour is completely incorporated.
- Using a cookie press, select a decorator disk for each color. Fill the cookie press tube with the cookie dough.
- Press the cookie dough onto an ungreased bare baking sheet, 2 inches apart. You can sprinkle a few of the cookies with nonpareils.
- Bake for 8 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool.
- Using 2 small heat safe bowls, pour ½ the bag of the green candy melts in one bowl and ½ the bag of red candy melts into the other bowl.
- Microwave the candy melts for 1 minute and stir. Continue to microwave in 20 second intervals,stirring after each interval until the candies are completely melted and smooth.
- Dip each cookie half way into the desired color of candy melts. Place the dipped cookies onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Evenly sprinkle the dipped section of cookie with the nonpareils. Allow the candy dipped section of the cookie to completely dry and harden before serving.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 5 days. If the room temperature is very warm, store cookies in the refrigerator to keep the dipped section from melting.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the baked and undipped cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the cookies to thaw before dipping them in the candy melts.
- If you choose to add sprinkles directly to the cookies, it’s important to add them to the unbaked cookie dough before baking. The optional sprinkles will not adhere to the baked cookie dough.
- If the dough comes out misshapen or comes out only partially shaped, you can just add it back into the cookie press.
They look very good,I am keen to try them for christmas.Not sure what candy melts are.
your not alone Mazz. I don’t know what candy melts are either! Sigh