Recipe

Rich and Savory Butter Cookies

Deeply buttery, lightly sweet-salty, and crisp at the edges with a tender snap. These are the grown up butter cookies you keep “testing” until half the batch disappears.

By Matt Campbell

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A single real photograph of a plate stacked with golden butter cookies with crisp edges and flaky salt, next to a small cup of coffee on a kitchen counter in warm natural light

Jump to Recipe

Butter cookies get treated like the quiet kid at the dessert table. Polite. Basic. Safe.

Not today.

This is the rich and salty-forward version, meaning: big butter flavor, a pinch more salt than you expect, and a little extra structure so you get those crisp edges with a tender snap. If you have ever bitten into a butter cookie and wished it tasted like the best part of toast with salted butter (with just enough sweetness to behave), you are in the right place.

No fancy ingredients, no drama. Just a dough you can pipe, slice, or scoop, plus a couple small tricks that make the flavor pop.

A single real photograph of butter cookie dough being piped in a spiral onto a parchment lined baking sheet, with a hand holding a piping bag in a home kitchen

Why It Works

Butter-forward flavor that tastes like you used better butter, even if you just used the good stuff from the grocery store.
Sweet-salty balance from a deliberate salt level plus an optional touch of black pepper for that “wait, what is that?” moment.
Clean shape and texture thanks to a quick chill and a mixing method that avoids tough cookies.
Flexible format: pipe classic swirls, slice logs for tidy rounds, or scoop for easy craggy edges.

Pairs Well With

Hot coffee or espresso
Earl Grey or black tea
Strawberry jam or lemon curd
Vanilla ice cream sandwich style

Storage Tips

Room temp: Store cookies in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days. If they soften, you can leave the lid cracked for 30 minutes in a dry kitchen. For a more reliable fix (especially in humid weather), re-crisp on a baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes at 300°F, then cool completely.

Freeze baked cookies: Freeze in a zip-top bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature. For fresh-from-the-oven vibes, warm for 3 to 4 minutes at 300°F.

Freeze the dough: Shape into logs or pipe swirls onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 3 minutes as needed.

Refrigerate slice-and-bake logs: Keep wrapped logs in the fridge for up to 3 days. Slice and bake as needed.

Common Questions

Why are my butter cookies spreading?

Most spreading comes from butter that is too warm, dough that is not chilled, or a baking sheet that is still hot from a previous batch. Chill the shaped dough for 20 to 30 minutes and always start with a cool pan.

Can I use salted butter?

Yes. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon. Instead of tasting raw dough, bake off one small test cookie, then adjust salt to taste. You want it pleasantly salty, not snack-pretzel salty.

Do I need a piping bag?

No. Piping gives you that classic look, but slice-and-bake logs are the easiest way to get uniform cookies. Scoop-and-flatten works too, just expect a more rustic shape.

How do I get crisper cookies?

Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer and let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a rack. Crispness sets as they cool. Also make sure you measured flour correctly. Too little flour can contribute to cookies that bake up softer and a bit greasy.

Can I make these ahead for holidays?

Absolutely. Freeze the dough logs or piped shapes and bake as needed. Fresh-baked butter cookies make you look like you planned your life, even if you did not.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Stand mixer or hand mixer
Mixing bowl and rubber spatula
Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale)
Baking sheets
Parchment paper
Wire cooling rack
Optional: piping bag with a large star tip (like Ateco 826)
Optional: fine microplane for lemon zest

I used to think butter cookies were the definition of “fine.” Then I started treating them like I treat pasta and potatoes: season them like you mean it. The first time I pushed the salt just a little and finished with flaky salt on top, I had that mid-bite pause. You know the one. Suddenly the cookie tasted less like a polite tin-cookie and more like a bakery situation.

These are the cookies I make when I want something low-drama but still impressive. They show up for after-school snacks, coffee breaks, and the very serious job of standing between me and whatever I was about to impulse-bake at 9 pm.

Rich and Savory Butter Cookies

( Reviews)

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings About 28 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch (your finger should leave an indent, but the butter should not look shiny or greasy)
2/3 cup (80 g) powdered sugar
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (use 1/4 teaspoon if using salted butter)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, optional but excellent
1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional for brightness
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 tablespoons cornstarch (for that tender snap)
1 to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, only if piping and the dough feels too stiff (do not exceed 2 tablespoons)
Flaky salt, for finishing (highly recommended)

A single real photograph of butter, flour, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt arranged on a kitchen counter with a mixing bowl in the background

Instructions

Line your pans. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Cream butter and sugar. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. You are not trying to whip it super fluffy.
Add flavor. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, fine salt, pepper (if using), and lemon zest (if using). Scrape the bowl.
Add dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk flour and cornstarch. Add to the mixer and mix on low just until no dry streaks remain. If piping and the dough is too stiff, add 1 tablespoon milk or cream at a time, up to 2 tablespoons total.
Shape. Choose your adventure:
- Pipe: Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 2 inch swirls directly onto the parchment, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Slice-and-bake: Divide dough in half, roll into 2 logs about 1.5 inches thick, wrap, then slice into 1/4 inch rounds.
- Scoop: Scoop 1 tablespoon portions and gently flatten to about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick.
Chill, then preheat. Chill shaped cookies for 20 to 30 minutes. When you are about 10 minutes from baking, heat oven to 350°F.
Bake. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 13 minutes, rotating front-to-back halfway through, until edges are lightly golden and the centers look set.
Finish like you mean it. Immediately sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky salt on each cookie.
Cool. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Texture improves as they cool, so try not to judge them while they are still warm and soft.

Nutrition information is estimated.

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