My old fashioned spritz cookies are buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Christmas cookies made with butter, powdered sugar, egg yolks and a little almond extract, pressed into trees, wreaths and flowers with a cookie press.
There's no mixer, no chilling and no rolling pin, so you go straight from mixing bowl to cookie press. They bake in just 6 to 8 minutes and make 3 dozen, about 20 minutes start to finish.
Our Family's Christmas Spritz
We always made spritz for Christmas, pressed out with an old, dented copper cookie press that made all kinds of shapes. We stirred the dough by hand, never with a mixer, and topped every cookie with sprinkles.
Our favorites were the wreaths with a little dab of red and green icing, though trees are always a hit too.
Butter cookies always remind me of my grandpa, who was from Denmark. He always had a blue tin of Danish butter cookies around, and we all loved them. Spritz have that same rich, buttery, crumbly bite, just pressed into festive shapes and covered in sprinkles.
They're one of my favorite old-fashioned Christmas cookies, and I like to bake them in the same week as my Christmas butter cookies.
A Little History of Spritz Cookies
Spritz cookies come from Germany, where they're called Spritzgebäck. The name comes from the German word spritzen, meaning to squirt, because the soft butter dough is pushed through a press or a piping bag.
They're also a tradition in the Alsace and Moselle regions of France. Here in the United States they're simply called spritz cookies, and they've become a cookie press classic on Christmas trays.
What to Know About Old Fashioned Spritz Cookies
- No chilling - the dough goes straight into the cookie press, so these are one of the fastest Christmas cookies you can make.
- Powdered sugar and egg yolks: they make the cookies extra tender and smooth, so the pressed shapes stay crisp and clean.
- Bakes at 400°F - just 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly golden.
- Makes 36 cookies: 3 dozen from one batch.
- The finishing touch - add colored sugar or sprinkles before baking so they stick.
Ingredients for Easy Spritz Cookies
- Butter - 1 cup, softened. Butter is the whole flavor here, so use real butter, not margarine.
- Powdered sugar: it dissolves into the dough for a smooth, tender cookie that holds its pressed design.
- Egg yolks - just the yolks, which add richness without making the dough sticky.
- Vanilla and almond extract: the almond is the classic old-fashioned spritz flavor. Use only vanilla if you'd rather skip it.
- Flour and salt - sift them together so the dough stays smooth and presses easily.
- Colored sugar or sprinkles: optional, but red and green make them feel like Christmas.
Full amounts are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Spritz Cookies
Step 1: Preheat and sift
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Sift the flour and salt together and set them aside.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar
Stir the softened butter and powdered sugar together by hand with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy, just like we always did, then mix in the egg yolks, vanilla and almond extract.
Step 3: Add the flour
Add the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms.
Step 4: Press the cookies
Fill your cookie press with the dough and press shapes onto ungreased baking sheets, about 1½ inches apart. Add colored sugar or sprinkles now if you're using them.
Step 5: Bake
Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly golden. Let them rest on the pan for a minute, then move them to a wire rack to cool.
Grandma's Tips for the Best Spritz Cookies
- Skip the parchment. The dough needs to stick to a bare, ungreased pan so it pulls away from the press.
- Use cool pans. Let your baking sheets cool between batches, or the dough won't stick.
- Don't chill the dough. Cold spritz dough is too stiff to press. If your kitchen is warm and the dough gets soft, chill it just a few minutes.
- Press, then lift. Hold the press flat against the pan, click once, and lift straight up.
How to Make Ahead and Store Spritz Cookies
- Storing: keep them in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Freezing - freeze baked cookies in a single layer, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Cookie swaps: they're sturdy little cookies, so they pack and ship well.
Modern Updates
- Chocolate dipped - dip half of each cooled cookie in melted chocolate and add sprinkles.
- Green wreaths: tint the dough with a little green gel food coloring and use the wreath disk.
- Sandwich cookies - spread jam or chocolate between two cookies.
What to Serve With Spritz Cookies
Spritz are the cookie I always want on a Christmas tray. For a full cookie tray, bake them alongside my classic peanut butter blossoms and old fashioned chocolate crinkle cookies. They're also sweet with a bowl of vintage holiday punch, or as a little something after an old-fashioned Christmas dinner.
FAQs
Are spritz cookies Danish?
Not exactly. Spritz cookies come from Germany, but Danish butter cookies, like the ones in the blue tin, are a close cousin. Both are piped or pressed from a soft butter dough and bake up crisp and buttery.
Why won't my spritz cookies stick to the pan?
The pan is usually greased, lined or too warm. Press the dough onto a cool, bare baking sheet with no parchment or spray.
Do I need a cookie press?
A cookie press gives the classic shapes, but you can pipe the dough through a piping bag with a large star tip instead.
Can I make spritz cookies without almond extract?
Yes. Leave it out and use an extra ½ teaspoon of vanilla.
More Holiday Recipes
- Vintage Cookie Recipes
- Vintage Candy Recipes
- Retro Holiday Dessert Recipes
- Red Velvet Bundt Cake
- Classic Trifle and Layered Desserts
- Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
Easy Spritz Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir the softened butter and powdered sugar together by hand with a wooden spoon until fluffy and light in texture. No mixer needed.
- Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla extract and almond extract until well combined.
- Gradually incorporate the flour mixture into the butter mixture, mixing until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a cookie press fitted with your preferred holiday design. Press the cookies onto ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 1½ inches between them. Add colored sugar or sprinkles before baking, if desired.
- Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly golden. Let the cookies rest briefly on the baking sheets, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Bake 6 to 8 minutes. Ovens vary, so start checking at 6.
- Press onto cool, ungreased baking sheets with no parchment so the dough sticks. For the classic look, add a dab of red and green icing to the wreaths after they cool.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months.
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