Almond spritz cookies are German bite-sized pressed cookies with melt-in-your-mouth texture. With just 6 ingredients, including almond extract, they’re quick and simple to make for the holidays!
I know I’m not alone when I say these almond spritz cookies are one of my favorite childhood holiday dessert recipes! These festive cookies are a cross between a buttery shortbread and a sugar cookie, and they use a cookie press to make the dough into adorable shapes.
Oftentimes, these cookies can look very decorative and ornate, but I promise they’re super simple to make in one bowl with no chilling required! My kids even love helping decorate with sprinkles.
If you’ve only tried store-bought spritz cookies, you’re in for a sweet surprise. The homemade version is so much better than the ones in a tin, with a soft, buttery texture and subtly sweet flavor.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- 6-ingredient bakery cookie. These spritz cookies are always sold in bakeries and grocery stores during the holidays. But I’ll be the first to say, they’re easy to make with pantry ingredients and taste so much better from scratch!
- A cookie press cookie recipe your kids will love to help with. This is a dessert recipe the whole family will want to join in on helping with. Whether it’s making the fun shapes with the press or decorating with sprinkles.
- One bowl and no chilling of the dough required! When I mean simple, it’s truly simple to make. Nothing fancy is needed and you don’t have to refrigerate before baking either.
Shinee’s tip
Get creative with decorating here! These spritz cookies are a blank canvas to use all different sanding sugars, holiday sprinkles, or even food coloring.
What are spritz cookies?
Spritz cookies are small butter cookies made into fun shapes using a cookie press. They originated in Germany; the term “spritz” comes from the German word “spritzen” which means to squirt. The term fits because the cookie dough is scooped into a cookie press and pressed into shapes on the baking sheet.
They are often almond in flavor, thanks to almond extract. But you can use other extracts as well. We like to decorate them with festive sprinkles, food coloring is another popular option too.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter – Spritz cookies are a type of butter cookie, which means they have a high ratio of fat-to-flour which gives them a melt-in-your-mouth texture. If you only have salted butter, omit the salt from the recipe.
- Powdered sugar – To sweeten the cookies and give them a softer texture than white sugar does.
- Egg white – An egg white binds the cookie dough so it’s buttery like shortbread, but not crumbly.
- Almond extract – If you don’t like almond extract, omit it from the recipe or swap with vanilla instead.
- All-purpose flour – I recommend weighing the flour with a kitchen scale to get the exact amount. If you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method to measure it instead. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off with the flat edge of a butter knife.
- Almond flour – Adds a slight nutty flavor and texture to the pressed cookie!
- Salt – A small amount of salt rounds out the sweetness.
- Sprinkles – Try DIY colored sugar, jimmies, non pareils, holiday sprinkles, or sugar pearls!
How to make almond spritz cookies
Before you start, preheat your oven to 350ºF, and line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
1. Make the cookie dough
- Cream the butter & sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and powdered sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute. Alternatively, you can use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer.
- Add the egg white & almond extract and continue to beat for another minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Add the dry ingredients, then mix until combined. The dough should be soft.
2. Press & bake the spritz cookies
- Scoop the batter into a cookie press. Press the cookies at a 90-degree angle, straight down, onto the prepared sheets. The handle will click once the dough has been dispensed. Give each cookie its space so it can bake evenly.
- Decorate the cookies with desired sprinkles before you bake them.
- Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly brown on the bottom.
- Let the cookies set up on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- If you don’t have a cookie press, use a piping bag instead. Pipe rosettes with a fine star tip into holiday shapes. Avoid using a large star tip like M1 or the star will spread and lose its shape.
- When looking for a great cookie press, I recommend the OXO cookie press. It’s easy-to-master design comes with twelve adorable cookie patterns. Simply choose your pattern and insert it into the bottom of the press, top with cookie dough, then screw on the handle.
- Swap the almond extract for another flavor. If you don’t like almond flavoring, swap it with peppermint, vanilla, maple, lemon, or coconut extract instead!
- Color the dough for a festive touch. Use a couple drops of gel food coloring until you reach the desired color.
- Make sure your ingredients are at the correct temperature before mixing. You want to make sure you butter is room temperature as well as your egg white so that the dough mixes evenly.
Storage
Let the cookies cool completely before you store them. Transfer them to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week, or up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
For longer storage, use a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Classic spritz cookies are a great make-ahead holiday treat! You can make a big batch of them and freeze for holiday parties or gifts. Freeze the cookies for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. Thaw them at room temperature until they are ready to serve.
FAQs
Spritz cookies are small, intricately shaped butter cookies often decorated with sprinkles. Spritz comes from the German term spritzen which means to squirt. The term fits because the cookie dough is scooped into a cookie press and u0022squirtedu0022 or pressed onto the pan.
Both cookies have a high fat-to-flour ratio which gives them a melt-in-your-mouth, buttery texture. However, shortbread cookies don’t typically have an egg, while spritz cookies do. This means shortbread cookies are crumbly, while spritz are more like a soft sugar cookie.
You have to use spritz cookie dough! Traditional cookie dough will be too thick for the press. Spritz cookie dough is slightly softer and doesn’t spread as much.
More Delicious Christmas Cookie Recipes:
Almond Spritz Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup (75 g) powdered sugar
- 1 (35 g) egg white at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract Note 1
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- sprinkles, sugar, chocolate for decorating optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350°F (177°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or silicone mats.
- In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, beat butter and powdered sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add the egg white and almond extract and continue to beat for another minute. Scrape the bowl halfway through.
- Add the flour, almond flour, and salt and mix until just combined.
- Transfer the batter into a cookie press. Press the cookies at a straight angle on the prepared sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- If desired, decorate with sprinkles, or colored sugar before baking.
- Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
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Tips & Notes
– Let the cookies cool completely before you store them. Transfer them to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week, or up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
– For longer storage, use a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Let thaw at room temperature, then serve.
Nutrition
I want to know if you have a recipe for the Almond Cookies that most Chinese restaurant’s used to have as a dessert? I wondered if the East Almond Flour Cookies would be like the ones I am trying to find, maybe just not put in the ad ins. Thanks so much, I do enjoy your recipes, I make many copies almost every day.
Hi, Joan! Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ve ever had those cookies. And I can’t say how these cookies would compare those in Chinese restaurants. If you decide to give this recipe a try, let me know your thoughts. 🙂