Almond Spritz Cookies recipe made with a cookie press is a classic treat for Christmas. This soft and buttery dessert is super easy to make to celebrate the Holiday Season!
Holiday season is here, which means that it’s time to bake cookies!
Christmas celebration cannot be complete without classic Almond Spritz Cookies. These are soft and buttery cookies, usually made with a cookie press or piped with a piping bag.
You might also like these Christmas Cookies:
- Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Orange Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brownie Cookies
- Apricot Rugelach
- Danish Butter Cookies Recipe
- Pistachio Cookies
- Orange Cranberry Biscotti
Spritz Cookies History
These cookies have their origin in Germany, Spritzgebäck, and are usually made for Christmas. The name comes from German word spritzen, which means to squirt. According to the original recipe, these patterned cookies are made with a cookie press or a piping bag and piping tips to create a shape.
How to make Almond Spritz Cookies
Spritz Cookies are pretty much regular sugar cookies but have softer texture so you can pipe them out from a cookie press.
To start, you need to beat together softened butter and sugar very well, so it’s pale and fluffy, and increased in volume. That can take up to 5 minutes.
Then add an egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat again until smooth consistency.
Then add dry ingredients (flour and salt) and mix again on low speed so not to overmix the dough. You want to keep the dough light and airy!
If you are using a cookie press, just follow the manufacture instructions to fill the dough. Then press the dough on a baking sheet.
Do not use parchment paper! The reason is the dough needs to stick to the surface. Since it doesn’t stick to the parchment paper, you need to press it directly to the baking sheet.
Make sure that the dough is not too thin or too think. If it’s too thin, the cookies will spread and lose their shape. If the dough is too thick, you won’t be able to press it out of the cookie press.
Put the baking sheet with the pressed cookies to the refrigerator for 10 minutes. It will help them to keep their shape while baking.
Bake at 350°F for about 7-9 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are light golden color. Let them sit on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
How to make Spritz Cookies without a cookie press
If you don’t have a cookie press, you can use a piping bag with a piping tip, like a star or a basket weave tube.
Just fill the piping bag with the dough as you would do it for icing and pipe out the cookies about 3-4 inch long.
How to store Spritz Cookies
You can store the cookies in an air-tight container for about 5 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
If you want to freeze them, you can do that in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks. It’s not recommended to freeze the cookies if you are using icing on top.
Did you make this recipe?!? I’d love to know how it turned out! leave a comment and a rating below👇 thank you!
Almond Spritz Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Beat together softened butter and sugar very well, so it’s pale and fluffy, and increased in volume. That can take up to 5 minutes.
- Then add an egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat again until smooth consistency.
- Add dry ingredients (flour and salt) and mix again on low speed so not to overmix the dough. You want to keep the dough light and airy!
- If you are using a cookie press, just follow the manufacture instructions to fill the dough. Then press the dough on a baking sheet (do not use parchment paper!)
- Put the baking sheet with the pressed cookies to the refrigerator for 10 minutes. It will help them to keep the shape while baking.
- Bake at 350°F for about 7-9 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are light golden color. Let them sit on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- You can store the cookies in an air-tight container for about 5 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
- If you want to freeze them, you can do that in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks. It’s not recommended to freeze the cookies if you are using icing on top.
Nutrition
Can I use recipe with small cookie cutters?
Hi there,
Could I substitute the butter with vegan butter?
I never tried this recipe with vegan butter. Let me know if that works out for you.
I love love love spritz cookies, but I feel like I can never get the dough right and I always struggle with my cookie press. I’m going to use some of your tips and try it again!
Hi Veronica, thank you for those recipe. I am following a keto lifestyle and am wondering if you have ever tried making these and substituting with almond flour and a sugar substitute such as erythritol? I know by reading that you have expertise in this area because my first attempt last year at making regular spritz cookies with my new cookie press was an epic failure because I couldn’t seem to get the dough to detach from the press. It wasn’t until the last few cookies that I realized it wasn’t the press that was the issue it was because I was trying to use parchment paper and because the dough doesn’t stick to it, it doesn’t pull it away from the cookie press. Once I discovered that little caveat making the cookies was soooo fast and easy! No where in the recipe that I was using said not to use parchment or silicone mats! I couldn’t believe it just a plain old pan with nothing on it was the true secret to making the perfect spritz cookies!!! Soooo since you have that knowledge and was so wonderful about sharing it with us, I’m hoping you may also have some experience with almond flour and a sugar substitute? I really appreciate any feedback you can provide before I waste money on good quality ingredients.
Yum, these cookies look delicious! They would be perfect for a holiday bake-off! Can’t wait to try these soon.
I have this old cookie press from the 1950s…now I have to find it so I can make these spritz cookies. They look so perfect!
Perfect holiday treat. These looks so beautiful and delicious. I want to try this soon.
Every year our family makes spritz cookies. It’s been a tradition since I was a kid and they always look elevated on a cookie platter. My favorite Christmas cookie of all time!!!
I’ve always thought that spritz were such delicate cookies. Perfect on a cookie tray during the holidays. I love their buttery taste and the light almond taste. It’s been years since I made them. Thank you for the tip about NOT putting them on parchment paper – I would have. Can’t wait to make them.
Beautifully done Veronika!! I love the patterns! This calls for me to get a cookie press!!
These are jyst too cute. Would love them at our festive table. They look so tender and melt in your mouth good. Just need a tea or glass of milk.
Cheers!
These are perfect little Christmas cookies! Love all the tips you have shared too, great post x
I love classic cookie recipes and this looks like one! I need to save it because those tend to be my favorite cookie recipes. I love the Christmas tree shape to these… makes them look fluffy!
Could these look any more perfect? Growing up in Germany Spritzgebaeck was a staple and my granny made them each year! With granny not being around anymore, I am now recreating all of her old recipes and tweak them to my taste! I love the idea of adding almond essence to make them a bit more Christmas-y! Saved!
I have always wanted to buy a cookie spritz. Now after looking at this recipe…I will go out and get one. Perfect cookies for the holiday tray.
These are so pretty…a perfect gift for the holidays! My kids would have so much fun making them to give to family and friends! 🙂