The short answer: Spritz cookies are buttery, crisp little cookies pressed through a cookie press into wreaths, trees and flowers. **Beat 1 cup of softened butter with ⅔ cup of sugar, add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, ½ teaspoon of almond extract and ½ teaspoon of salt, then mix in 2¼ cups of flour.
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Press the soft dough straight onto a cool, ungreased, unlined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 7 to 9 minutes, until the edges are just golden.** The bare, cool sheet is the secret that makes them stick and release. Below are the amounts, the pressing fixes, decorating ideas and storage.
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Spritz cookie ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unsalted butter, softened | 1 cup (2 sticks) | Soft but not greasy |
| Granulated sugar | ⅔ cup | |
| Egg | 1 large, room temperature | |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon | |
| Almond extract | ½ teaspoon | Classic flavor; skip for nut allergies |
| Salt | ½ teaspoon | |
| All-purpose flour | 2¼ cups | Spoon and level; don't pack |
| Gel food coloring | Optional | Gel won't thin the dough |
| Sprinkles or colored sugar | Optional | Add before baking |
How to make spritz cookies, step by step
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Keep two plain aluminum baking sheets cool, with no parchment, mat or grease.
- Cream the butter and sugar for 2 minutes, until light.
- Add flavor. Beat in the egg, vanilla, almond extract and salt.
- Add flour. Mix in the flour on low just until a soft dough forms. Tint it now if you like.
- Load the press. Pack the dough into the barrel without air pockets and fit your disk.
- Press. Hold the press straight down, touching the sheet, click once and lift. Space cookies about 1 inch apart.
- Decorate with sprinkles or sugar, then bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until the edges just begin to color.
- Cool for 2 minutes on the sheet, then move them to a rack. Let the sheet cool fully before the next batch.
Troubleshooting the cookie press
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dough lifts off with the press | Sheet is lined, greased or warm | Use a bare, cool aluminum sheet |
| Too stiff to press | Too much flour or cold butter | Let it warm 10 minutes; add 1 teaspoon milk |
| Shapes blurry or spreading | Dough too warm | Chill the pressed sheet for 10 minutes |
| Uneven sizes | Inconsistent clicks | Click fully once per cookie |
| Browned bottoms | Dark pan or overbaking | Use a light pan; check at 7 minutes |
Flavor and color ideas
- Chocolate: swap ¼ cup of flour for cocoa powder and skip the almond extract.
- Lemon: add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest instead of almond extract.
- Green wreaths: tint with green gel and add red sprinkle "berries" before baking.
- Chocolate-dipped: dip cooled cookies halfway in melted chocolate and set them on parchment.
- Sandwiches: spread jam or ganache between two flat flower shapes.
The almond extract is a nut-derived flavoring, and tree nuts are a major allergen on the FDA's food allergy list. Leave it out and label your tins when you give them away. Like any cookie dough with raw flour and eggs, don't snack on it raw; the FDA's flour safety page explains why.
Which disks to use
Most cookie presses come with a dozen or more disks. For the holidays, the tree, wreath, snowflake and star disks press most reliably with this dough. Ribbon and bar disks make long strips you can cut into 2-inch pieces after baking. Fine, detailed disks need the dough a little softer, so let it sit at room temperature for an extra 10 minutes before you load the press.
Storage and gifting
Spritz cookies are crisp and dry, so they keep about 2 weeks in a tin and travel well in a Christmas cookie box. Pack them separately from soft cookies like thumbprint cookies so they stay crisp. For more ideas, browse our Christmas cookies list and the Christmas baking list. For a chewy cookie to bake alongside them, try our classic peanut butter cookies.
Plan your cookie day
A cookie day with five recipes means a lot of butter, sugar and flour, plus tins and ribbon. Writing the whole bake on one list keeps you from a second trip to the store. For another shape and finish on your cookie tray, add powdered-sugar snowball cookies to the baking plan. If your baking plan also includes cookies for detailed decorating, make royal icing for that separate batch.
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- Christmas Budget & Gift Planner, $4.99. Track who gets a cookie tin and what the season costs.
- Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Save the spritz recipe with the disk shapes and colors your family likes best.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you make spritz cookies? To make spritz cookies, beat 1 cup of softened butter with ⅔ cup of sugar, add an egg, vanilla, almond extract and salt, then mix in 2¼ cups of flour. Load the soft dough into a cookie press, press shapes onto a cool, ungreased, unlined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 7 to 9 minutes.
Why won't my spritz cookies stick to the pan? Spritz cookies won't stick when the pan is greased, lined, nonstick-coated or warm. Press them onto a cool, plain aluminum sheet with nothing on it, and let the sheet cool fully between batches.
Should spritz cookie dough be chilled? No, don't chill spritz dough before pressing; cold dough is too stiff to come out of the press. If your kitchen is very warm and the shapes blur, chill the pressed cookies on the sheet for 10 minutes before baking.
Why is my spritz dough too stiff? Spritz dough is too stiff when there's too much flour or the butter was cold. Measure flour by spooning and leveling, use room-temperature butter, and add a teaspoon of milk if it still won't press.
Can I make spritz cookies without a cookie press? Yes, you can make spritz cookies without a cookie press by piping the dough with a large star tip in a sturdy piping bag, or by rolling it into 1-inch balls and pressing each one with a fork. Piping works best with a slightly softer dough.
How do you decorate spritz cookies? Tint the dough with gel food coloring before pressing, and add sprinkles or colored sugar before baking so they stick. After baking, dip the ends in melted chocolate.
How long do spritz cookies last? Spritz cookies last about 2 weeks in an airtight tin at room temperature, longer than most cookies because they're crisp and low in moisture. They freeze for up to 3 months.
How many spritz cookies does one batch make? One batch makes about 60 to 72 small spritz cookies, depending on the disk you use. That's enough to add a handful to 8 to 10 cookie tins.
What's the difference between spritz and shortbread? Spritz dough is softer than shortbread because it has an egg, so it can be pushed through a press. Shortbread has no egg, is denser and is rolled, pressed into a pan or sliced.
How do I plan a big Christmas baking day? List every cookie, its batch count and the ingredients before you shop. The Holiday Season Bundle from HomeBase Paper Co. ($15.99) includes the Meal Planner & Grocery List and the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner for the shopping list and the gift list.