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Buttery old-fashioned Spritz Cookies
Delicate, crisp little cookies with a deep buttery flavor and a hint of almond.
This is classic holiday baking at its best! Put out a tray of these beautiful little Spritz Cookies at your next holiday celebration and watch them disappear in a flash.
What are Spritz cookies?
Spritz is a German word (spritzen) meaning to squirt. Soft buttery cookie dough is ‘squirted’ through a cookie press fitted with various designs, directly onto the baking sheet.
The dough can be tinted with food color and decorated with nonpareils, candy, sprinkles, fruit pieces, chopped nuts, currants or raisins.
Ingredients needed to make Spritz Cookies:
For the cookie dough:
- unsalted butter – you can use salted butter if desired, but skip adding additional salt to the dough
- granulated sugar
- all-purpose flour
- salt (omit if using salted butter)
- egg
- almond extract
- vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- powdered sugar
- milk
- light corn syrup
- vanilla extract
Glazing the Spritz cookies is optional but highly recommended. It’s easy to do and adds just the right amount of sweetness. It also helps the sprinkles and nonpareils adhere to the cookies. You can also decorate the unbaked cookies with sprinkles before baking, if desired.
Optional decorating ideas:
- gel food color
- sparkling sugar
- nuts
- candied fruit
- candy pieces
- sprinkles nonpareils
- melted chocolate
To make Spritz cookies, you’ll need a proper cookie press.
Let’s talk about the essential Spritz tool: the COOKIE PRESS.
My cookie press came from Pampered Chef ages ago. I don’t even think they make this model anymore. But no worries, there are plenty of models to choose from in the world.
This is one of those tools that’s worth what you pay for it. If you purchase a $7.00 cookie press you’ll probably get a cookie press worth $7.00. If you spend over $50.00 for a Marcato brand cookie press from Italy, you’ll probably get one of the best cookie presses available today.
Somewhere in between there’s a good, highly rated cookie press that’ll meet all your needs. OXO Good Grips makes a highly rated, middle range cookie press that might work. I recommend reading the reviews, checking the prices and looking for one that makes sense for you.
Spritz cookie presses come with a variety of interchangeable discs that are suitable for cookie making all year long. Some discs produce Christmas tree cookies while others make gorgeous little flowers. Each cookie press is different so make sure they have the kind of discs you’re looking for.
Cook’s Country tested numerous cookie presses and rated them as GOOD, FAIR and POOR. At the time, the Marcato Biscuit Maker was selected as the best cookie press tested. It produced well defined cookies and consistent results.
The affordable Kuhn Rikon Cookie Press came in second, and looks similar to my Pampered Chef Cookie Press pictured above.
All this to say, if you plan to use your cookie press to make Spritz Cookies all year long, I would invest in the better press. If you only use it once a year, something less expensive might work for you.
TIPS for troubleshooting your Spritz Cookie recipe.
If you’ve ever owned a cookie press, from time to time you might have felt like chucking the whole thing in the trash. If the dough doesn’t stick to the pan when pressed, the feeling of helplessness and frustration can be overwhelming.
The dough is simple to make and if you follow the tips below, pressing the cookies couldn’t be easier!
Tips for troubleshooting common problems:
- The butter should be very soft; so soft it will hardly hold its shape. Not melted, but close.
- Make sure your egg is at room temperature.
- DO NOT refrigerate the dough before pressing.
- Make sure the dough is warm, not cold. If it’s not tacky, it will not stick to the pan. Place the cookie press, with cookie dough inside, in a warm location if needed to soften.
Only use light metal baking sheets. Do not use baking stones.
- 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.
- Light colored baking sheets produce lighter colored cookie. Dark pans promote browning. For the prettiest cookies us a light colored baking sheet.
Pressing and baking:
- To get the cookie press started, squeeze the trigger twice to make a double thick cookie mound. Once you pull up the press, leaving behind the cookie on the pan, the remaining dough coming out of the bottom of the press should be a bit jagged and rough. This will help the next pressed cookie to stick to the pan.
- Continue pressing until the pan is full. Remove the larger double cookie dough and put it back with the remaining dough before baking. Repress as needed.
- These cookies bake quickly so watch the baking time carefully. Start by baking just a few to check your oven and the best baking time. Use a timer!
- Dark colored pans can brown the cookies too much. These Spritz cookies should be very pale in color, just set, and barely brown on the bottom.
- Take care when adding food color. Too much will alter the consistency of the dough and cause the cookies to spread more than desired. I recommend gel food color only.
- Bake tinted cookies separately as they brown more quickly than plain non-colored cookie dough.
I hope these tips help you have a terrific experience when making these Spritz cookies. They are very easy to make, but require that the dough is soft dough and baking sheets cold.
For more great recommendations to help you through your holiday baking, check out our post for the TOP 9 Baking Tips and Tricks.
Can you freeze Spritz cookies?
Spritz cookies freeze beautifully! Even decorated and glazed, these cookies freeze very well. Thaw at room temperature or keep refrigerated for longer storage.
If you plan to ship these Spritz cookies to loved-ones, freeze them first and then get them to the post office while still frozen. They’ll arrive thawed and ready to eat!
Do I have to glaze my Spritz cookies?
No you don’t have to glaze any of your cookies. They taste terrific with or without the simple vanilla glaze. I usually put a glaze on half my batch, as I did again this year.
The glaze makes them much easier to decorate, after they’re baked. Some nonpareils do not bake well, so adding some sparkle while the glaze is wet is the best option.
After testing many methods I find that lightly brushing the glaze on the cookies works best. If you dip or drizzle the Spritz cookies, the icing ends up much thicker and causes the cookie design to be less defined.
Brushing the glaze also prevents a lot of wasted icing dripping off the cookies. The icing sets up and dries quicker, too.
I grew up making Spritz cookies with my mom using a manual cookie press.
My mom used to make Spritz cookies each Christmas. I got my Spritz cookie schooling from decades of helping her in the kitchen.
Thanks for PINNING!
Spritz Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie press
- 2 light color, metal cookie sheets
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, very soft but not melted (227g or 8-ounces)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar (146g)
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (294g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (100g)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (like Karo)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional:
- gel food color
- sparkling sugar
- nuts
- candied fruit
- candy pieces
- sprinkles
- nonpareils
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Set aside 2 light colored metal cookie sheets in a cool location. You can place the pans in the refrigerator if needed to chill. Prepare your cookie press with various disc shapes as desired. Set aside.
To prepare the cookie dough:
- In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until well blended and lightened in color. Add the flour, salt, egg, almond and vanilla extracts. Blend on low until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula and blend again until all ingredients are incorporated. The dough may seem dry at first but it will come together. The cookie dough should be a little sticky or tacky so it will adhere to the pan. See troubleshooting tips if needed.
- Divide the dough as needed, if planning to tint with gel food color. Place cookie dough in the press. Press the dough onto the ungreased cold cookie sheet. Decorate if desired, then bake for 7-8 minutes, or just until they are set, but not brown. Immediately, and carefully, remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough on a cold cookie sheet.
To prepare the glaze:
- Whisk the glaze ingredients together. Lightly brush the glaze onto the cookies and decorate as desired with nonpareils. Allow the glaze to set completely before storing, about 1 hour.
Recipe Notes
- The butter should be very soft; so soft it will hardly hold its shape. Not melted, but close.
- Make sure your egg is at room temperature.
- DO NOT refrigerate the dough before pressing.
- Make sure the dough is warm, not cold. If it's not tacky, it will not stick to the pan. Place the cookie press, with cookie dough inside, in a warm location if needed to soften.
- Only use metal baking sheets. Do not use baking stones.
- The cookie sheet must be cold.
- If the dough will not adhere 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.
- To get the cookie press started, squeeze twice to make a double thick cookie mound. Once you pull up the press, leaving behind the cookie on the pan, the remaining dough coming out of the bottom of the press should be a bit jagged and rough. This will help the next pressed cookie to stick to the pan. Continue pressing until the pan is full. Remove the larger cookie dough and put it back with the remaining dough before baking. Repress as needed.
- These cookies bake quickly so please watch the baking time carefully. Start by baking just a few to check your oven and the best baking time. Use a timer!
- Dark colored pans can brown the cookies too much. These Spritz cookies should be very pale in color, just set, and barely brown on the bottom.
- Take care when adding food color. Too much will alter the consistency of the dough and cause the cookies to spread more than desired. I recommend gel food color only.
- Bake tinted cookies separately as they brown more quickly than plain colored cookie dough.
Nutrition
Here are a few more recipes you might also enjoy:
Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
Italian Fig Cookies
Almond Tea Cakes with Wild Blueberry Jam
Originally posted December 2013, updated November 2021
joanne
Hi!
I have the same cookie press – but no directions. which way should the plates go? number out or in??
thank you!
Tricia Buice
Hi Joanne. The directions say to place the numbered side facing away from the dough. Enjoy!
Vallie Ann
The cookies taste good. Very buttery tasting which I love. However they spread out a lot while baking and don’t hold their shape. Once baked they are very crumbly and break very easily. The tip on using a cold cookie sheet was great as getting spritz cookies to stick on the sheet has always been a problem.
Tricia Buice
Sorry you had trouble Vallie. Not sure what happened but this tried and true recipe has never given me problems. We appreciate the feedback.
Shu Ting
Hello! Than you for the detail troubleshooting guide. Yesterday I encountered the problem of dough not sticking to the parchment paper. I have baked the cookies using parchment paper before and the press worked well. However, the butter I used yesterday might be slightly too cold.
May I ask what you mean by:
“Once you pull up the press, leaving behind the cookie on the pan, the remaining dough coming out of the bottom of the press should be a bit jagged and rough. This will help the next pressed cookie to stick to the pan.”
Thank you very much. We love these cookies!
Tricia Buice
Hi Shu. I can never get the dough to adhere to parchment paper and only use cold baking sheets. Regarding your question about my comment: When you lift up the cookie press and look at the dough still in the press, the end piece will be tacky, sticky, and ragged or rough. It won’t be smooth which will help it stick to the pan on the next press. Hope this helps and thanks for the great question!
Janis D Timlick
I have been making Spritz cookies for nearly 50 years. This year I was looking for a recipe that made a smaller quantity. My old recipe made 72-80 cookies. I found this recipe and the troubleshooting tips.
The cookie is fantastic. It is so light and delicious. Adding the corn syrup to the glaze really helps it set up nicely. I loved the trouble shooting tips as well, especially the tip about the parchment paper or Silpat mat. This will be my go to Spitz recipe going forward. Thank you so much!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Janis! We appreciate your feedback and love that you enjoyed the recipe. Happy baking and blessings to you and yours.
Laurie
Thank you ? for all your recipes and tips. I am looking forward to the e cookbook. Be safe and happy holidays.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Laurie! Happy holidays to you and yours 🙂
2 Sisters Recipes
Beautiful!! Just want to give a shout out to you and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!
Tricia Buice
And to you too Anna and Liz! Blessings for a fantastic year ahead.
Abbe@This is How I Cook
Just wonderful Tricia. One of my very favorites this time of year. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Abbe! Have a wonderful holiday with all your precious family.
Liz
I had to share these on facebook as they’re the prettiest spritz cookies I’ve ever seen! These would be perfect for our cookie exchange next month! Have a fabulous Thanksgiving!! xoxo
Tricia Buice
Thank you Liz! Best wishes for a happy holiday season to you and yours 🙂
Chris Scheuer
I’m pretty sure I could eat my weight in Spritz Cookies – and probably have. These are beautiful!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Chris! We love them too 😉
Debi Hofford
I am interested in freezing the dough so that I can make lots of batches and cook at a later date. Can you suggest what to do?
Thank you.
Debi in Virginia
Tricia Buice
Hi Debi! This Spritz cookie dough must be at the right temperature to be pushed out of the cookie press and to properly adhere to the pan. I would suggest making and baking the cookies, then freezing.
Lisa
Could not get this to work on parchment paper! On a regular pan worked great!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Lisa! Yup never use parchment or silpat mats – only cold metal baking pans.
Deanna
Can you freeze these after you make them
Deanna
Thank you
Tricia Buice
Yes Deanna – they freeze beautifully with or without the glaze! Thanks
Patty Humphries
Hi, how long can you freeze these for?
Tricia Buice
Hi Patty – They’ll be good for about two months in the freezer, if property sealed.
Kate
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Tricia Buice
Hi Kate – The amount of cookies will vary depending on the discs used to make the shapes. I get anywhere between 48 and 60 cookies.
Jayne
I have been making spritz every year at Christmas for 22 years. My recipe is slightly different tho. I have my Moms cookie press that we used growing up. I love it because it is electric and way easier to use
Tricia Buice
Hi Jayne – I love the vintage recipes that I make year after year. An electric press sounds amazing! I just have the one that takes a little muscle to get the dough out 🙂 Have a blessed holiday season and thanks for the comment.
Anonymous
Good recipe.
Tricia Buice
Thanks!
Wendy
I own two cookie presses, one "antique" that belonged to my husband's grandmother, and one new. I have been chicken to try using either one!! My husband grew up calling them "push cookies" because of the way they are made. He has such strong happy memories of his grandmother making them that I have been hesitant to attempt a match. 🙂 I may give these a try and see how
Daniela Grimburg
Que delicia de cake y que bonita presentación!<br />Me encanta que has añadido Licor de Lima y chocolate blanco, una perfecta combinación de sabores.
Elzbieta Hester
What a happy bunch! 🙂 ela
Cathleen
Oh my goodness, these cookies are gorgeous! Perfect for Christmas, I love this!
Sue/the view from great island
These are so festive—I need to get one of those cookie press thingys!
Kitchen Belleicious
how festive and pretty! I wish I had some right now!
Anna and Liz Recipes
OH… this are my favorite Christmas cookies of all! Thanks Tricia! Have a delicious week! <br />xxoo
Vicki Bensinger
I love spritz cookies and yours are so pretty. I haven't made these in forever. I really need to.
Angie Schneider
Your spritz cookies have turned out perfect, Tricia.
SavoringTime in the Kitchen
I made Spritz yesterday but mine didn't turn out nearly as well as yours. They're beautiful! I think I used too much flour :(. Next time I'll try your recipe.
Abbe@This is How I Cook
Tricia, I bake these every year. My mom and grandma made them every year. My mom did this kind, my grandma just squirted them through the star shape. They are on my site. Love them!
Chris Scheuer
I love food that brings special memories like these cookies remind you of your mom. That means you can eat double the amount and the second half doesn't count for calories, fat, carbs or anything 🙂 I do love spritz cookies also Tricia. I never had them growing up but one summer in college I worked in a restaurant in Sweden. I worked in the kitchen and there was always a large container of
Mallory Frayn
I have never made Spritz cookies and don't have a press but after looking at these, I may have to go out and buy one!
Monica
Tricia – I just made something very similar, butter cookies, but I was afraid to use a cookie press so I just piped them with a star tip! Can I tell you…every single Christmas, I eye one of these cookie presses, but I've still yet to buy one. I hear spritz are so tricky but now that I have a good recipe from you, I'm re-considering again. These are so festive and pretty!