The holidays can be hectic, especially when you’re making dozens of cookies for a family cookie swap. These easy Almond Spritz Cookies are the perfect solution—quick to prepare, festive, and delicious.
Spritz cookies are a type of buttery cookie made using a cookie press to create decorative shapes. They are a holiday classic, and the name comes from the German word spritzen, meaning “to squirt,” a nod to the way dough is pushed through the press.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ingredients and substitutions
- Tools you’ll need
- How to make almond spritz cookies
- More baker’s tips
- Storage
- FAQs
- More holiday cookie recipes
- Almond Spritz Cookies Recipe
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple and consistent – the cookie press forms uniform shapes so your cookies look great with minimal effort.
- Buttery and flavorful – the base is a tender butter cookie that carries flavor well; here we highlight almond extract, but you can swap in other extracts.
- Easy prep and cleanup – one bowl plus a cookie press keeps the process quick and the cleanup minimal.
Ingredients and substitutions
The full ingredient list and quantities are in the recipe card below. Notes and alternatives:
- Butter – use 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter at room temperature. Avoid salted butter; this recipe needs only a pinch of salt.
- Flour – all-purpose flour gives the right texture. Cake flour (with added starch) makes a softer, more melting cookie that isn’t ideal for spritz shapes.
- Sugar – regular granulated sugar is perfect here.
- Salt – just a large pinch of kosher salt to enhance flavor.
- Almond extract – this recipe uses almond extract. Vanilla, peppermint, orange, or maple extracts also work well for different holiday variations.
- Egg yolk – one yolk adds richness; save the white for another use.
- Sprinkles – optional, but fun for holiday decorating.
Tools you’ll need
- A stand mixer or electric hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar.
- A cookie press to create the classic spritz shapes.
How to make almond spritz cookies
These steps outline the process; refer to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
1. Soften the butter to room temperature. It should give slightly when pressed with a finger.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and almond extract and beat until combined.
3. Sift the flour into a small bowl and stir in the salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture gradually to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. The dough should be soft and easy to handle.
4. Fill your cookie press with dough. Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment. Hold the press perpendicular to the sheet and press cookies about 1–2 inches apart.
Note: the photo above was part of testing different bake surfaces—silicone mats performed best overall.
5. Decorate with sprinkles or colored sugar if desired. Chill the formed cookies briefly in the fridge or freezer while the oven heats to 375°F.
6. Bake 8–10 minutes. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
More baker’s tips
- Filling the press – roll the dough into a log slightly smaller than the press barrel to make loading easier.
- Bake surface – silicone baking mats gave the most consistent results; parchment paper works too but can lift while pressing if not held down.
- Press amount – two clicks on the cookie press produces a good size. That amount yields about 22 cookies with this recipe.
- Scale up – double or triple the recipe for larger batches during the holidays.
Storage
Store baked Almond Spritz Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–5 days. You can also freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
FAQs
If the dough is too cold, it won’t extrude—use room-temperature dough. If you’ve added too much flour, the dough may be dry and difficult to press; in that case you can reshape by hand into small rounds and flatten them on the baking sheet before baking.
Silicone baking mats worked best in testing. Parchment paper is an acceptable alternative—hold it down when pressing so it doesn’t lift with the dough. Test what works for your equipment and cookie press.
Yes. Try vanilla, peppermint, orange, or even a chocolate spritz variation. You can also add citrus zest for extra brightness.
More holiday cookie recipes
- Pie Crust Cookies
- Brown Butter Macadamia Snowball Cookie
- Snickerdoodles
- Marzipan Filled Rugelach
- Pistachio Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Hungry for more?
Join the newsletter for weekly recipes, inspiration, and occasional subscriber giveaways.
Almond Spritz Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Press
Ingredients
- 4 oz unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 g)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (137 g)
- A large pinch of salt
Instructions
- Cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and almond extract and beat until combined.
- Sift flour into a small bowl and mix in salt. With mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Dough should be soft and easy to handle.
- Fill the cookie press with dough and line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment. Hold the press perpendicular to the sheet and press cookies about 1–2 inches apart.
- Add sprinkles or colored sugar as desired. Chill cookies briefly while preheating the oven to 375°F.
- Bake 8–10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a hand mixer or cream by hand with a whisk and fold in dry ingredients with a spatula.
- Silicone baking mats give the most consistent results; parchment paper works too—hold it down when pressing to prevent lifting.
- Depending on how much dough you extrude per cookie, this recipe yields roughly 22 cookies with two clicks per cookie; it can make up to about 3 dozen smaller cookies.
- Double or triple the recipe for larger holiday batches.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!This post may contain affiliate links. For more details on how affiliates and sponsored content are used, see the site’s disclosure. Thank you for your support, which helps keep new recipes coming.