Grandma Sharon’s classic spritz cookies have been a staple on holiday cookie trays for generations. This reliable recipe yields tender, buttery cookies you’ll want to make every season. They’re easy to customize—change shapes, sizes, and colors and add festive sprinkles to create beautiful gifts and party plates.
You might also enjoy my other favorites: Italian butter cookies and Anginetti cookies.
Why you’ll love these cookies…
Simple to prepare and lovely to serve, this spritz cookies recipe quickly becomes a family favorite.
- Rich buttery flavor: High butter content gives these cookies a melt-in-your-mouth texture and deep flavor.
- Easy to prepare: Basic ingredients and straightforward steps make this accessible to bakers of any skill level.
- Beautiful designs: A cookie press creates intricate shapes—trees, flowers, snowflakes—that look professional with very little effort.
- Quick bake time: They bake in about 7–8 minutes, so you’ll have fresh cookies fast.
- Great for sharing: The recipe makes a large batch, perfect for parties, cookie exchanges, or gifting.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love these cookies…
- Simple Ingredients
- How to Make Spritz Cookies
- Recipe Variations
- Recipe Tips
- FAQs
- Storage Instructions
- Other Cookies Recipes
- Spritz Cookies Recipe
Simple Ingredients
These straightforward ingredients combine for the perfect balance of flavor, texture, and appearance in this traditional spritz cookie dough.
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure and a tender crumb.
- Baking powder: Gives a slight lift for a light texture.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances the buttery flavor.
- Butter: The key to richness and soft texture; use softened (not melted) butter.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens and helps create a slightly crisp exterior.
- Egg (room temperature): Binds the dough and provides structure.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warm, classic flavor.
- Almond extract: Gives the cookies their signature nutty note.
- Sprinkles or colored sugar (optional): For decorating before or after baking.
- Gel food coloring (optional): Use gel color to tint dough without changing consistency.
Tools:
- Cookie press
- Baking sheet
See the recipe card below for precise quantities.
How to Make Spritz Cookies
Though they look elegant, spritz cookies are easy to make. Follow the steps below and consult the recipe card for full details.
Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer or with handheld beaters until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts until combined.
Sift and add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) to the wet mixture and blend on low until just combined. Finish folding with a spatula—don’t overmix.
The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it’s too soft to work with, chill it briefly.
If coloring, divide the dough into portions and add gel color a little at a time until you reach the desired shade.
Fill your cookie press according to the manufacturer’s instructions and press shapes directly onto UNGREASED baking sheets. Do not use parchment—the dough sticks better to an ungreased sheet, helping shapes hold.
If desired, add sprinkles or sanding sugar before baking. Note that some sprinkles can bleed; brushing a light coating of corn syrup on cooled cookies and adding sprinkles afterward can help them stick without bleeding.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 7–8 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and cool on the sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Variations
Try these easy variations to change the flavor profile of classic spritz cookies:
- Chocolate spritz: Replace 1/4 cup of flour with unsweetened cocoa powder for a chocolate version.
- Citrus spritz: Fold in 1–2 teaspoons of lemon or orange zest for a bright twist.
- Spiced spritz: Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice for warm flavor.
- Glazed spritz: Drizzle cooled cookies with a simple powdered sugar glaze (powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla).
- Chocolate-dipped spritz: Dip half of each cooled cookie in melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts or sprinkles.
These tweaks are easy to adapt and great for making the recipe your own.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tips
- Use softened, not melted butter: Butter should be soft enough to blend yet still hold shape. Too-soft butter causes spreading.
- Chill the dough if needed: If dough becomes sticky, chill 10–15 minutes before pressing.
- No greased baking sheets: Leaving sheets ungreased helps the dough grip the surface and hold its shape.
- Even pressure with the press: Apply consistent pressure and keep the press close to the sheet for uniform shapes.
- Color in small batches: Add gel coloring a little at a time so you don’t oversaturate the dough.
FAQs
Spritz cookies are buttery, tender cookies pressed into decorative shapes with a cookie press. They’re typically flavored with vanilla and almond extracts and are popular during holidays and celebrations.
Yes. Roll dough into small balls and flatten with a fork or glass, or pipe the dough with a piping bag and tip. Chilling the dough briefly can help when shaping by hand.
If cookies spread, the butter may have been too soft. Butter should yield to a fingertip but not collapse. Also avoid greasing the baking sheet and keep the dough at a workable firmness.
Yes. Refrigerate the dough up to 3 days or freeze shaped unbaked cookies. Baked cookies store in an airtight container for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nonpareils, sanding sugar, or jimmies generally hold up well and don’t bleed as much during baking.
“Spritz” comes from the German “spritzen,” meaning to squirt or press, which describes pushing dough through a cookie press to form shapes.
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature: Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week, layering with parchment to prevent sticking.
- Freezing: Freeze cookies in a sealed container with parchment between layers for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Other Cookies Recipes
Looking for more cookie ideas? Try these:
Soft Amaretti Cookies (Italian Recipe)
Anginetti Cookies (Italian Wedding Cookies)
Italian Butter Cookies
Italian Rainbow Cookies
Italian Pizzelle Cookies
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Spritz Cookies Recipe
Equipment
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Cookie press
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Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- Sprinkles or colored sugar, optional
- Gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
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Preheat the oven: Set oven to 350°F (175°C). Use ungreased baking sheets for best results.
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Cream butter and sugar: Beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
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Add egg and extracts: Mix in the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts until incorporated.
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Add dry ingredients: Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low until just combined and finish folding with a spatula. Dough should be soft but not sticky.
-
Tinting dough (optional): Divide dough and add gel color a little at a time to achieve the desired shade.
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Use a cookie press: Fill the press and press shapes onto UNGREASED baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
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Optional—add sprinkles: Add sprinkles before baking if desired. For less bleeding, add sprinkles after brushing baked cookies with a light corn syrup coating.
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Bake: Bake 7–8 minutes until edges just begin to turn golden. Avoid overbaking to keep cookies tender.
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Cool: Let cookies rest on the sheet 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months.
Notes
If cookies spread, the butter was likely too soft. Butter should yield to a fingertip but not collapse. Top tips: use softened (not melted) butter, avoid greased sheets, press with even pressure, bake one sheet at a time for even results, and cool completely before storing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.