These almond spritz cookies are made with a cookie press and are buttery, tender, adorable cookies to make for Christmas and the Holiday season. You can decorate them with festive sprinkles or icing and color the dough with food coloring! These will become a favorite of your family, guests, and even Santa himself.
If you love almond, try almond brownies and almond cupcakes next!
Christmas cookie season is here once again and I'm ready to bake! These classic almond spritz cookies are perfect to make for cookie exchanges or holiday parties. They're buttery, soft, and made into fun, festive shapes with a cookie press.
These bite-sized German cookies are similar to Danish butter cookies and can be decorated with green and red sprinkles, icing, and food coloring. They are shareable and make a great gift!
This recipe is made possible by Heinen's. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dollop of Dough possible!
For more Christmas cookie recipes, make molasses crinkle cookies, brown butter pecan chocolate chip cookies, olive oil sugar cookies, salted brownie crinkle cookies, chocolate marble cookies, and eggless double chocolate chip cookies.
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Why You'll Love These
- Bite-sized cookies- The cookies are buttery, soft, and the perfect size to pop in your mouth! The dough is similar to my apricot thumbprint cookies.
- Shaped cookies- Spritz cookies are called Spritzgebäck in Germany. The name comes from the German word "spritzen", which means "squirt". According to the original recipe, the cookies are made with a cookie press to create their shape.
- No chill- The cookie dough is ready to go at room temperature!
Watch How to Make This Recipe
Ingredients
Here are some notes about the ingredients used. For quantities, see the recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter- Use high quality butter that is at room temperature and softened slightly. Make sure it is pliable but not melting.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg- Make sure it's room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract- This is what gives the cookies their delicious flavor.
- All purpose flour- There is no almond flour in this recipe because of its graininess. Regular all purpose flour has the best texture.
- Salt- To enhance all the flavors.
- Optional garnishes- Sprinkles, sanding sugar, frosting, chocolate chips, melted chocolate, candied fruit, and more can be used to decorate the cookies. They'd be delicious with the almond frosting from my cream cheese Christmas cookie recipe.
Substitutions and Variations
- Coconut sugar can be used instead of white sugar. This will change the flavor slightly.
- Not a fan of almond? Try adding more vanilla extract, lemon extract, or peppermint extract instead.
Helpful Equipment and Tools
You will need measuring cups, measuring spoons, baking sheets, silicone baking mats (optional), and a stand mixer or electric hand mixer to make this recipe.
The most important piece of baking equipment you'll need is a cookie press. Cookie dough is loaded into the tool and pressed through the stenciled metal plate inside. It makes beautifully shaped cookies!
If you don't have a cookie press, you can pipe the dough onto a baking sheet with a piping bag and piping tip.
How to Make Almond Spritz Cookies
Here are step by step instructions to make almond spritz cookies! Before you start, preheat the oven to 350F and line 2-3 baking sheets with silicone baking pads. If you don't have any, use unlined aluminum baking sheets.
STEP 1: Cream the wet ingredients. In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Then add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat on medium-high until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
STEP 2: Add the dry ingredients. Gradually mix in the flour and salt on low speed until fully combined. Add a few drops of food coloring to the dough if desired.
TIP - Separate the dough into two bowls and mix green food coloring into one bowl and red food coloring into the other for more Christmas cheer.
STEP 3: Prepare the cookie press. Fit your cookie press with a decorative metal plate by following the manufacturer’s directions. Then, scoop some of the cookie dough into the cookie press. Hold the cookie press perpendicular to the cookie sheet and press the cookies out, leaving 1-2 inches between each.
TIP - If the dough gets too warm while you’re working, chill it for a few minutes.
STEP 4: Bake. Add sprinkles or sanding sugar to the cookies before baking so that they'll stick. Bake each tray for 7-10 minutes. The cookies should be pale but slightly golden around the edges.
STEP 5: Cool and enjoy. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack. When they’re completely cool, decorate them with cookie frosting or icing if desired and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Make sure the dough is not too thick or thin. If it's too thin, the cookies will spread too much and the shapes will get distorted. If it's too thick, you won't be able to get the dough out of the cookie press.
- Use any spritz templates you like! I used the Christmas tree, wreath, and snowflake templates for wintery Holiday vibes.
- If you don't have a cookie press, you can use a pastry bag fitted with a ½ inch piping tip (I love the star tip). Fill the bag with dough like you would with frosting and pipe the cookies 3-4 inches long. You can also pipe them into small circles to look like wreaths.
- Do not use parchment paper! I learned this the hard way. The cookie dough needs something to stick to when it squirts out of the cookie press. Use a silicone pad or leave your cookie sheets unlined.
How to Store
Store spritz cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Cookie dough will keep in the freezer wrapped tightly for up to 2 months. Form the dough into logs and double wrap them with plastic wrap or store them wrapped in an airtight container or freezer bag. Double wrapping helps to prevent freezer burn.
When ready to bake, let the dough to thaw for at least an hour on the counter or 6 hours in the fridge. Fill your cookie press with the dough, press, and bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! The dough can be refrigerated for up to 4 days before going through the cookie press. Remember to let it come to room temperature before putting through the press.
You probably pressed out too much dough. Press as little dough through the cookie press as possible to get the cleanest shapes.
They last for up to 4 days at room temperature. They make a perfect holiday gift wrapped in a pretty box with a ribbon.
More Christmas Recipes
📖 Recipe
Almond Spritz Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Sprinkles optional
- Icing optional
- Food coloring optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line 2-3 baking sheets with silicone baking pads. If you don't have one, use unlined non-stick baking sheets.
- In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium-high until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.1 cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Gradually mix in the flour and salt ½ cup at a time on low speed until fully combined. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired.2 ¼ cup all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, Food coloring
- Fit your cookie press with a decorative metal plate by following the manufacturer’s directions. Scoop some cookie dough into the cookie press. Hold the cookie press perpendicular to the cookie sheet and press the cookies out, leaving 2 inches between each.
- Add sprinkles or sanding sugar to the cookies before baking so they stick. Bake each sheet for 7-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden but not brown.Sprinkles
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Once completely cool, decorate them with cookie frosting or icing if desired.Icing
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