Last updated: October 22, 2026
These spritz cookies need just seven pantry ingredients and one soft, easy-to-press dough, so you can have trays of delicate buttery cookies in under an hour.
Scroll down for the full walkthrough, or jump straight to the recipe card below.
How to Make Spritz Cookies From Start to Finish
Spritz cookies come together with a basic butter cookie dough that you push through a cookie press onto a cool baking sheet. The whole process takes about 45 minutes, including roughly 25 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of baking across two rounds of trays.
You do not need any special skills, only a cookie press and a little patience while you learn how the dough behaves.
The Ingredients You Need
For about 60 cookies, gather 1 cup of softened unsalted butter, 2/3 cup of granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. You also need 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, plus sprinkles or colored sugar if you want to decorate.
Use real butter that has softened on the counter for about an hour, since margarine and spreads make the dough too soft to hold a pattern.
Cream the Butter and Sugar
Beat the softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. This step adds a little air to the dough, which keeps the baked cookies tender instead of dense.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract next and beat until smooth, scraping down the bowl once so nothing hides on the bottom.
Add the Flour
Add the salt and then the flour a little at a time on low speed, mixing only until a soft dough forms. Stop as soon as you no longer see dry streaks, because overmixing makes the dough stiff and hard to push through the press.
The finished dough should feel soft like play dough and should not stick to your fingers.
Press and Bake the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350°F and keep your baking sheets completely cool, ungreased, and unlined. Pack the dough into your cookie press, fit your favorite disc, and press cookies about 1 inch apart, adding sprinkles right away while the dough is still tacky.
Bake each tray for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden and the tops are still pale. Let the cookies sit on the sheet for 2 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Spritz Cookies That Press Perfectly
The most common spritz cookie problems come down to dough texture and the surface you press onto. Once you get both right, the cookies release cleanly from the press and keep every detail of the disc.
A few small habits make a big difference, and most of them cost nothing.
Use Cool, Bare Baking Sheets
Spritz dough needs a clean, ungreased metal surface to grip, so the cookie sticks to the pan instead of dragging back up with the press. Parchment paper and silicone mats are too slippery, and a greased sheet makes the cookies spread.
Because you will bake in rounds, let each sheet cool completely before pressing again, or rotate between two or three sheets so one is always cool.
Get the Dough Texture Right
If the dough is too stiff, the press will jam and the cookies will crack at the edges, so let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and knead it with your hands until it softens. If the dough is too soft, the cookies lose their ridges in the oven, so chill the filled press for about 10 minutes before pressing.
Aim for a dough that feels smooth and slightly firm, never sticky or greasy.
Press With Steady Pressure
Hold the press straight up and down with the flat end flush against the baking sheet, then squeeze the trigger or turn the handle until the dough just starts to push up. Lift the press straight off, and if a cookie does not stick, scrape it back into the bowl and try again.
The first few presses are usually uneven, so treat them as practice and reuse that dough.
Spritz Cookie Variations and Substitutions
Classic spritz cookies are buttery with a hint of almond, but the dough welcomes small changes. Try one at a time so you can see how each change affects the texture.
Everything below is optional, and the recipe card keeps the original version so you always have a reliable starting point.
Chocolate Spritz Cookies
Swap 1/4 cup of the flour for 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder for a chocolate version with the same press-friendly texture. The recipe card leaves this out, so treat it as an optional variation.
Press these cookies into wreaths or stars and drizzle them with melted white chocolate after they cool.
Colored and Sprinkled Cookies
A few drops of gel food coloring turn the dough into holiday green or pale pink without making it runny, which liquid coloring can do. Fold the color in at the end of mixing until the dough looks even.
Press rounds of red and green dough for Christmas trays, or use pastel dough in spring, and add nonpareils or sanding sugar before baking.
Flavor Swaps
Replace the almond extract with an equal amount of vanilla if you prefer a milder cookie, or use lemon extract for a brighter finish. Salted butter works in a pinch, but then you should leave the added salt out so the cookies do not taste harsh.
How to Store and Freeze Spritz Cookies
Let the spritz cookies cool completely, then layer them in an airtight container with parchment between the layers. They stay crisp and buttery at room temperature for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies in a sealed freezer container for up to 3 months and thaw them on the counter for about 30 minutes before serving.
Make the Dough Ahead
You can mix the dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then knead it briefly before loading the press, since cold dough is too stiff to press.
Serving Ideas
Stack spritz cookies on a Christmas cookie platter, pack them into tins for gifting, or serve them with coffee and hot cocoa. They also look lovely tucked into a cookie exchange box next to chewy cookies and bars.
The Story Behind Spritz Cookies
Spritz cookies are traditionally associated with Germany and Scandinavia, where bakers have long pressed butter dough into festive shapes for the holidays. The name comes from the German word spritzen, which means to squirt, describing how the dough is squeezed through the press.
Today they are a staple of American Christmas cookie trays, and families often pass down a favorite cookie press along with the recipe.
Wreaths, trees, flowers, and stars are the classic shapes, and most presses come with a set of discs so you can bake a different design each season. The dough is simple on purpose, because the pattern is the star and the butter flavor does the rest.
That simplicity is also why spritz cookies suit beginners. There is no rolling, no cutting, and no chilling, so the only real skill is learning how much pressure your press needs.
Ready to bake? Use the recipe card below to print or save these spritz cookies.
Spritz Cookies
Classic buttery spritz cookies made with a simple vanilla and almond dough that presses cleanly into festive shapes and bakes in under 10 minutes per tray.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Sprinkles or colored sugar, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Keep the baking sheets completely cool, ungreased, and unlined.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth, scraping down the bowl once.
- Add the salt, then add the flour a little at a time on low speed, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
- Pack the dough into a cookie press fitted with your favorite disc.
- Press cookies about 1 inch apart onto the cool, ungreased baking sheets, adding sprinkles right away if using.
- Bake each tray for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden and the tops are still pale.
- Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Let each sheet cool fully before pressing the next batch.
Notes
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
The dough can be mixed up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes and knead briefly before pressing.
Use a cool, bare metal baking sheet. Parchment, silicone mats, and greased pans keep the cookies from sticking.
Optional chocolate variation: replace 1/4 cup of the flour with 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
2 cookiesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 107Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 22mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g
Spritz Cookie Questions and Answers
Why won’t my spritz cookie dough stick to the baking sheet?
The sheet is probably warm, greased, or lined with parchment. Use a cool, bare metal sheet and press straight down so the dough grips the pan.
Do you chill spritz cookie dough?
Usually not, because chilled dough is too stiff for the press. Only chill the filled press for about 10 minutes if your dough feels too soft or your kitchen is warm.
Can you make spritz cookies without a cookie press?
Yes, though the shapes will be simpler. Pipe the dough through a large star tip with a sturdy piping bag, or roll it into small balls and flatten them with a fork.
Why did my spritz cookies spread?
Spread usually means the butter was too soft, the sheet was warm, or the pan was greased. Use butter that dents under a finger but is not shiny, and let every sheet cool before you press.
How long do spritz cookies last?
Baked cookies keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Why This Spritz Cookie Recipe Works
This spritz cookie recipe works because it uses a simple ratio of butter, sugar, egg, and flour that makes a dough soft enough to press and firm enough to hold its shape. There is no baking powder or baking soda, so the cookies do not puff up and blur the ridges of your design.
Creaming the butter and sugar for 2 minutes builds a tender crumb, and adding the flour gradually keeps the dough from turning tough. The whole egg binds everything together without making the dough sticky.
Vanilla and a small amount of almond extract give the cookies a bakery flavor, while the pinch of salt keeps the butter from tasting flat. Baking on a cool, bare sheet is the final piece, because it lets each cookie grab the pan and release cleanly from the press.
Together these small choices explain why the cookies come out crisp at the edges, tender in the middle, and sharp enough to show off every ridge of the disc.
Make Spritz Cookies Today
Now you have everything you need to make spritz cookies at home, from the buttery dough to the pressing tips that keep every shape sharp. Grab your press and bake a tray or two tonight.
Save the recipe card, tag your favorite shapes, and let us know how your spritz cookies turn out.
Christmas Butter Cookies That Hold Their Shape and Melt in Your Mouth
Buttery Thumbprint Cookies With a Jam Center That Stays Put
This post contains affiliate links. A full disclosure is available from the main menu.
