Mom's Best Recipes
Recipe

Classic Buttery Spritz Cookies

Tender, buttery spritz cookies that pipe like a dream and bake up crisp at the edges, soft in the middle, and dangerously snackable.

Author By Matt Campbell
4.8
A single baking sheet filled with piped spritz cookies in rosettes and S-shapes, lightly golden at the edges
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Spritz cookies are the holiday cookie that looks like you worked harder than you did. They are all butter, vanilla, and good intentions, piped into pretty little swooshes and rosettes that bake in minutes. No rolling pin, no chilling marathon, no flour cloud settling over your entire kitchen like a winter storm.

This is a classic, buttery spritz cookie recipe with a dough that is soft enough to pipe but sturdy enough to hold its shape. The key is the right butter texture, a little egg, and the small but mighty move of not greasing your baking sheet so the dough can grip and release cleanly. Add sprinkles, dip in chocolate, sandwich with jam, or keep them plain and let the butter do the talking.

A close-up of a hand holding a spritz cookie with crisp edges and a tender center

Why It Works

  • Big butter flavor, not bland sweetness: A touch of salt and vanilla keeps these from tasting like decorative air.
  • Pipes cleanly and holds shape: The dough is balanced so your ridges stay defined after baking.
  • Quick bake time: Most shapes bake in 8 to 10 minutes, perfect for batch baking.
  • Flexible finish: Sprinkles, colored sugar, chocolate dip, citrus zest, almond extract, you can choose your own cookie adventure.

Best texture: Crisp edges with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth bite. If your spritz cookies are coming out dry, they are likely overbaked. Pull them when the edges are just barely turning golden.

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Storage Tips

How to Store Spritz Cookies

  • Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 to 7 days. Add a piece of parchment between layers to protect shapes.
  • Freeze baked cookies: Freeze in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp, uncovered, so they do not get soggy.
  • Freeze the dough: You can freeze spritz dough for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let it sit at room temp until pipeable. If it is stiff, knead it briefly by hand to loosen it up.
  • Chocolate-dipped cookies: Let chocolate fully set before stacking. Store cool and dry to prevent smudges.

Common Questions

Common Questions

Do I need a cookie press?

A cookie press is the traditional tool, but you can absolutely use a piping bag with a large star tip (like a 1M or 2D). Pressed cookies tend to be a bit more uniform. Piped cookies give you that bakery rosette vibe. Both are valid and delicious.

Why will my spritz cookies not stick to the baking sheet?

This is the most common spritz struggle. The fix is usually one of these:

  • Do not grease the pan. Dough needs traction.
  • Skip parchment and silicone mats if using a cookie press. A bare, cool sheet grips best.
  • Use the right pan. Light-colored, uncoated aluminum works best. Very nonstick sheets can be too slick.
  • Butter is too warm. If the dough is greasy, it will slide. Chill the dough 10 minutes, then try again.
  • Pan is warm. Always start on a cool baking sheet.

Can I use salted butter?

Yes, but brands vary a lot. Start by reducing the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon (or omit it if you are salt-sensitive), then taste the dough. It should taste nicely seasoned, not like the ocean.

How do I know when spritz cookies are done?

They are done when the tops look set and the edges are barely pale-golden. If you wait for them to brown, they will be crisp in a “I forgot them” way.

Can I make them chocolate or almond?

Totally. For almond, swap vanilla for 1 teaspoon almond extract (or do half vanilla, half almond). For chocolate, replace 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process both work). Cocoa can thicken the dough, so if it feels dry, add 1 teaspoon milk.

Can I tint the dough?

Yes. Use gel food coloring (not liquid) so you do not loosen the dough. Mix in a little at a time until you like the color.

Spritz cookies are my annual reminder that butter is a personality trait. The first time I made them, I greased the pan like I was doing a good deed, then watched every single cookie slide around like it was auditioning for a figure skating team. Once I learned the ungreased pan trick, it became my favorite kind of baking: fast, a little fussy in a satisfying way, and wildly rewarding.

One small, boring grown-up note: this dough has a raw egg, so if you are a dough-taster (no judgment), use a pasteurized egg or save your “quality control” for the baked cookies. For science.