I absolutely love this Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies Recipe because it brings instant festive cheer with every buttery, melt-in-your-mouth bite. When the holidays roll around, I find myself reaching for this recipe again and again—it’s classic, simple, and perfect for making memories with friends and family while decorating those adorable cookies together.
You’ll find that the dough is super easy to work with, and pressing out shapes feels like a little creative moment in your day. This Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies Recipe is not only a joy to bake, but it also holds up beautifully for gifting or party platters. Plus, the buttery flavor is just dreamy, making it a definite crowd-pleaser!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: The dough comes together quickly, which means less fuss and more festive fun.
- Perfect Texture: Light, buttery, and crisp but tender—this balance keeps everyone coming back for more.
- Customizable Designs: Use your favorite cookie press discs to make holiday shapes as unique as your celebrations.
- Kid-Friendly: A great activity to enjoy with little helpers without worrying about complicated steps.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The magic of this Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies Recipe lies in its simple, pantry-friendly ingredients that combine beautifully for a classic holiday cookie. Each component plays a role in creating the perfect texture and flavor, so choosing quality ingredients can really elevate your final treat.
- Unsalted butter: Softened to room temperature for easy creaming; using unsalted lets you control the salt level perfectly.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create that slight crisp edge on the cookies.
- Large egg: Binds the dough and adds richness for tender cookies.
- Vanilla extract: The classic flavor enhancer that makes the butter pop just right.
- Green food coloring: Go for gel for more vibrant color with fewer drops, but liquid works if that’s what you have.
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure so your cookies hold their festive shapes beautifully.
- Kosher salt: Just a pinch to balance sweetness and round out flavors.
- Sprinkles or colored sugar: For decorating and adding a fun, festive sparkle.
Variations
I love how versatile this Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies Recipe is—you can keep it classic or jazz it up with your favorite flavors and festive touches. Don’t be shy about playing with colors or even adding a little almond extract for a different twist. It’s your cookie canvas!
- Classic Red and Green: I often alternate the dough color between red and green to create a more colorful holiday platter that my family absolutely adores.
- Spiced Twist: Adding a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or nutmeg to the flour mix gives a cozy warmth that’s perfect for chilly evenings.
- Gluten-Free Version: Swapping all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour works well, though the texture will be slightly different—still delicious!
- Decorate with Icing: Once cooled, pipe simple royal icing or drizzle white chocolate for an elegant cookie that looks fancy but tastes homemade.
How to Make Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar Until Fluffy
Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F—this step sets you up for perfectly baked cookies right from the start. Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, usually about 3-4 minutes. This is key! I discovered that taking this time to properly cream gives your cookies that tender crumb and delightful texture.
Step 2: Add Egg and Flavorings
Next, beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined and smooth. Then add your green food coloring—start with a few drops and mix slowly, so you don’t go too intense with the color. Personally, I stick with about four drops of gel coloring for a fresh, pale green look; anything darker and I feel like it gets a bit “Grinch-y,” which is fun but not for everyday eats!
Step 3: Mix in Dry Ingredients
Stir in the all-purpose flour and salt with a wooden spoon till just combined. The dough will firm up and become ready to press. A quick tip: don’t overmix here; just combine until you see no more flour streaks to keep your cookies tender instead of tough.
Step 4: Press and Decorate Your Cookies
Load the dough into your cookie press fitted with your favorite disc—wreaths and trees are holiday classics, but don’t hesitate to get creative with fun shapes! Press cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing them about an inch apart. I’ve found that not greasing or lining the sheet helps the dough release perfectly from the press, which can be a little sticky at first but totally worth it. Sprinkle with colored sugar or festive sprinkles right after pressing for that extra sparkle.
Step 5: Bake and Cool
Bake your cookies for 7 to 9 minutes until the bottoms start to turn a light golden color. I always keep a close eye towards the end of baking to avoid over-browning. Once baked, transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before storing to keep their crisp texture intact.
Pro Tips for Making Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies Recipe
- Perfect Butter Temperature: Let your butter sit out until soft but not melting—too warm and the dough gets greasy and hard to press.
- Cookie Press Prep: If your press gets sticky, a quick rinse and drying between batches keeps shapes clean and defined.
- Color Control: Add food coloring slowly to avoid an overly dark tint and test on a piece of dough before pressing.
- Baking Watch: Cookies bake fast and can burn quickly—start checking at 7 minutes and remove as soon as edges turn golden.
How to Serve Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I love sprinkling these cookies with traditional red and green sugar crystals or multicolored nonpareils for that festive sparkle. Sometimes, I go for a light dusting of powdered sugar for a snowy effect. Simple, pretty, and delicious!
Side Dishes
Pair these butter cookies with a cozy cup of hot cocoa, spiced apple cider, or even your favorite holiday tea. They’re perfect nibbling alongside rich desserts or after-dinner coffee—trust me, your guests will be sneaking them from the snack table all night.
Creative Ways to Present
For holiday parties, arrange your Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies Recipe on a pretty platter lined with evergreen sprigs or place them inside clear cello bags tied with festive ribbons for easy gifting. I once made a wreath-shaped cookie display on a cake stand with fairy lights underneath—it was a total conversation starter!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, layering parchment paper between them to keep their shapes pristine. They usually stay fresh and crisp for about a week, though they rarely last that long in my house!
Freezing
If you want to bake ahead, you can freeze unbaked pressed cookies right on a cookie sheet, then transfer them to a freezer bag. When ready, bake them straight from frozen—just add an extra minute or two to the baking time. This trick has saved me many busy holiday mornings!
Reheating
To refresh slightly stale cookies, I pop them into a warm oven (around 300°F) for 3-5 minutes to regain crispness. It’s like magic bringing freshly baked joy back to life without changing the flavor at all.
FAQs
-
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted for this recipe?
Yes, you can use salted butter, but I recommend reducing or skipping the added kosher salt in the recipe. Salted butter varies in salt content, so adjusting helps keep the cookies balanced and not overly salty.
-
What if I don’t have a cookie press—can I still make spritz cookies?
While this recipe shines with a cookie press, you can shape the dough into small balls and flatten them with a fork or your fingers for a more rustic but still delicious cookie variation. Alternatively, roll and cut with cookie cutters after chilling.
-
How do I avoid cookies spreading too much in the oven?
Make sure your butter isn’t melted and that you don’t overmix once flour is added. Also, chilling the dough briefly before pressing can help, and avoid using a greased baking sheet to maintain shape.
-
Can I replace green food coloring with natural alternatives?
Absolutely! You can use matcha powder for a natural green tint, but keep in mind it will add a subtle earthy flavor. Spinach or spirulina powders are other options, but start with small amounts and taste the dough as you go.
-
How long do these spritz cookies stay fresh?
When stored properly in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies stay fresh for up to a week. For longer storage, freezing is best and doesn’t compromise taste or texture.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, this Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies Recipe has become a holiday staple that I look forward to every year. It’s simple enough to make with kids or on a last-minute whim, but the results feel truly special. Once you try these, I bet you’ll keep coming back to that buttery, festive goodness—and your holiday traditions will feel just a little brighter because of it. So grab your cookie press, preheat that oven, and get ready to fill your home with the sounds, smells, and smiles of Christmas baking!
Print
Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 7-9 Minutes
- Total Time: 22-24 Minutes
- Yield: About 4 dozen cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Delight in these festive Spritz Butter Christmas Cookies, perfectly buttery and lightly sweetened with a vibrant green hue. These classic holiday treats are easy to make with a cookie press, decorated festively with sprinkles or colored sugar. Ideal for sharing across your holiday celebrations, these cookies deliver a tender texture and cheerful appearance.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Green food coloring (liquid or gel)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For Decorating
- Sprinkles or colored sugar, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to get ready for baking the cookies.
- Beat butter and sugar: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is fluffy and light in color.
- Add egg and vanilla: Incorporate the large egg and vanilla extract into the butter and sugar mixture, beating until fully combined.
- Add food coloring: Slowly add green food coloring drop by drop while mixing to achieve a pale green shade. Typically, 4 drops of gel food coloring create the perfect hue without looking overly artificial.
- Combine dry ingredients: Stir together the all-purpose flour and kosher salt, then add them to the wet ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to gently combine the dough until it forms.
- Shape the cookies: Pack the dough into a cookie press fitted with your preferred design disk (wreaths, trees, etc.). Press the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing each cookie about 1 inch apart. Do not grease or line the sheet, as the cookie’s stickiness helps release the shapes.
- Decorate: Immediately decorate the pressed cookies with sprinkles or colored sugar as desired.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden on the bottom.
- Cool down: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely before storing.
- Store properly: Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for freshness.
Notes
- Using gel food coloring results in more vibrant color with fewer drops compared to liquid food coloring.
- Do not grease or parchment line the cookie sheet; the dough’s stickiness aids in easy removal of shapes from the press.
- For best results, ensure butter is at room temperature to achieve proper mixing and texture.
- Decorate cookies immediately after pressing dough for sprinkles to adhere properly.
- These cookies keep well at room temperature for several days in an airtight container.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approximate)
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 5.5g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
