These classic soft and buttery spritz cookies are simple but irresistible, and perfect for the holidays!

spritz cookies in a bowl

My earliest holiday memories include baking cookies with my mom and siblings to give to friends and neighbors (and enjoy ourselves). We’d always make mint fudge, snowballs, gingersnaps, sugar cookies, and these classic butter spritz cookies.

Spritz cookies are one of my favorite holiday cookies! They are soft and buttery, with an almost melt-in-your-mouth texture and hints of vanilla and almond extract.

Use a cookie press to make shapes like Christmas trees, wreaths, and snowflakes and decorate with festive sprinkles.

Are spritz cookies a holiday tradition in your house, too? If not, they should be!

What are spritz cookies?

These cookies get their name from the German word spritzen, which means “to squirt”, and a cookie press creates various shapes with the cookie dough before baking.

Spritz cookies are somewhat similar to both sugar cookies and shortbread cookies with their sweet buttery flavor and texture, but their shapes and decorations is what makes them so special!

Let’s make a batch, shall we?

Ingredients you’ll need

Here’s everything required to make these classic spritz cookies (find the full recipe at the bottom of this article). This is a very basic recipe, and you likely already have the ingredients on hand.

butter spritz ingredients

Do I need to use a cookie press?

A cookie press is the best way to make classic spritz cookies. They are inexpensive, very easy to use and clean, and a fun addition to your kitchen! (I store mine with my holiday cookie cutters.)

However, if you don’t want to purchase a cookie press, it is possible to use a piping bag and tip to create different shapes with the spritz cookie dough. Mix in 1-2 tablespoons of milk into the dough with the eggs to make it a little easier to pipe. Then let your creativity run wild!

cookie press

How to make spritz cookies

Now that you have your ingredients and tools ready, it’s time to bake some cookies! This recipe is simple, and perfect for getting the whole family involved in holiday baking.

  1. Prepare cookie dough. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy. Mix in eggs one at a time, along with vanilla and almond extract. Add flour and salt and mix until combined.spritz cookie dough in mixer bowl
  2. Decide on cookie shapes and decorations. Get out your cookie press and choose which shapes you’d like to use. I like to use the tree, wreath, snowflake and teddy bear shapes, but your cookie press has a lot of other fun options too. Have sprinkles and sanding sugar ready.
  3. Load cookie press. Load press with cookie dough according to manufacturer’s instructions. cookie press filled with cookie dough
  4. Stamp cookies onto baking sheet pan. Use cookie press to stamp dough onto an ungreased baking sheet pan. You’ll get the hang of it as you go! (Often the first few presses come out a bit wonky for me, and I just scrape any misshapen cookies off the pan to reload later.) If desired, add sprinkles to dough before baking.
  5. Bake. Bake pressed cookies at 400°F for 7-10 minutes until dough is set and dry.pressed spritz cookies before and after baking
  6. Add decorations and cool. Add more sprinkles or sanding sugar immediately after cookies come out of the oven. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then use a spatula to remove them from the pan.

baked spritz cookies in different shapes with sprinkles

Tips for making the best spritz cookies

  • Make sure butter is at room temperature, but not at all melty or shiny looking. Cookie dough made with butter that is too warm may spread more in the oven during baking.
  • Press dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and DO NOT use parchment paper. You want the dough to stick to the pan as it comes out of the cookie press. And don’t worry, the cookies will release from the pan after baking.
  • Sprinkles can be added before or after baking, or both! I typically do both.
  • Spritz cookies are small and will bake very quickly, so keep an eye on them as every oven is a little different. Cookies are done when they appear completely set and dry, but aren’t browned at all on the edges (Cookies that have browned on the edges will be more crisp than soft). I recommend baking a small test batch to get the timing right.
  • Additional ways to decorate spritz cookies: color cookie dough with gel food coloring (mix in with the eggs), drizzle with melted chocolate or white chocolate, or top with a simple icing glaze.
  • If you find that sprinkles don’t stick very well to your cookies after baking, brush cooled cookies with a bit of simple syrup to help them stick, then add sprinkles.
  • Spritz cookies keep very well! Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or even more (and they’ll still taste delicious), or store in the freezer in a ziplock bag for a month or more.
spritz cookies in a bowl and on the table

More holiday cookie recipes to try

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This recipe was originally published December 2016, and was developed in partnership with Go Bold With Butter.

get the recipe

Spritz Cookies

Servings: 48 cookies
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 8 mins
Total Time: 23 mins
Classic soft and buttery spritz cookies all dressed up for holidays!
spritz cookies in a bowl
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5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature (236 grams, 2 sticks)
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar (132 grams)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (270 grams)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Sprinkles or sanding sugar optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or large bowl with handheld mixer, beat butter and sugar on high until creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add vanilla and almond extracts.
  • Add flour and salt and mix on low until combined.
  • Load cookie dough into spritz cookie press and, following manufacturer’s instructions, press dough out onto ungreased cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.
  • Alternately, you can load cookie dough into a large piping bag fitted with a medium star tip. Pipe dough in small 1-inch shapes about 1 inch apart.
  • Bake until dough is set and bottoms just begin to turn brown, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Top with sprinkles or sanding sugar immediately, and let cool on pan 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  • Repeat with remaining dough.

Nutrition

Calories: 69kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 28mg, Potassium: 10mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 128IU, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Annalise
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review below or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.

Disclosure: This recipe was made with Real® Butter in partnership with the American Butter Institute. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands and campaigns I believe in, which make it easier for me to bring you new and creative content. All opinions are always my own. To see all of the recipes I have created for Go Bold with Butter, click here.