These homemade Danish butter cookies are festive Christmas cookies! Unlike the store-bought version you may be used to, these are soft in the center with irresistible buttery vanilla and almond flavors. Make lovely designs with a large piping tip and dip in chocolate and sprinkles for a festive touch!
Welcome to Sally’s Cookie Palooza, my annual Christmas cookie countdown tradition. Tuck away your pie crust recipe and break out all your cookie baking tools!
These Butter Cookies Are:
- Not your regular butter cookies
- Mega flavorful with almond and vanilla
- Super buttery and soft like snowball cookies
- Crisp on the edges
- Piped with a piping tip like meringue cookies
- Quick—only 30 minutes of chill time
- Extra festive with chocolate, cherries, and/or sprinkles
This butter cookie recipe is adapted from my spritz cookies and sugar cookies, both well-loved recipes on my website. You already know you’re in for something incredible!
Butter Cookies Video Tutorial
Let’s watch and learn how to make butter cookies. You’ll notice that this cookie dough comes together easily with only 8 ingredients. You need a mixer for the dough, plus a piping bag and large tip to pipe the cookie dough.
Aren’t they pretty?
Ingredients in Butter Cookies
This is a 1-bowl cookie recipe! There’s no leavening, so the texture is closer to a shortbread cookie. The dough is like my spritz cookies, but with a little milk to make it pipe-able.
- Butter: 1 cup of butter adds flavor, structure, and buttery goodness in each bite. Make sure it’s properly softened to room temperature before beginning.
- Sugar: Like many cookie recipes including these dreamy shortbread cookies, creamed butter and sugar is the base of today’s dough.
- Vanilla & Almond Extract: Flavor and more flavor! Almond extract is a welcome addition. If you’re not a fan of almond, see my recipe notes below.
- Egg: 1 egg adds structure, stability, and flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Add the flour directly to the wet ingredients. No need to mix it up in a separate bowl.
- Salt: By offsetting the sugar, salt adds flavor.
- Milk: I don’t usually add milk to cookies like this, but we need to thin out this cookie dough so it flows through the piping tip. You don’t need much, about 1–2 Tablespoons.
How to Pipe Butter Cookies
As you saw in this video tutorial above, this cookie dough is piped onto the baking sheet. That’s how the butter cookies get their lovely shape.
Line the cookie sheet? Some swear by using a PLAIN cookie sheet, but lining with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat is fine. (I use silicone baking mats for all my cookies and these are no different.) If you don’t line the pan, don’t grease it either.
2 Success Tips:
- Start Small: Place the cookie dough in the piping bag. Start with a little bit of dough so you can determine if it’s creamy enough to pipe. If it’s too thick, it’s impossible to pipe and you’ll have to put the dough back in the bowl and add a little more milk.
- Chill: I find it’s easiest to stick with simple designs like a swirl or even just a line. Whatever design you pipe, I highly recommend chilling the piped cookies on the baking sheet for at least 20–30 minutes before baking. Without this chill time, the cookies will likely lose their piped shape.
Best Piping Tips to Use
The cookie dough is thick, so it’s imperative to use a large piping tip with about a 1/2-inch opening. (That’s big!) The smaller the size, the harder it will be to pipe. I highly recommend an open star piping tip, but I actually use Ateco 849 which is a closed star tip. The opening is so large that it still works wonderfully!
Here are some options:
The popular Wilton 1M works too, but you may need to add more milk to the cookie dough to thin it out since the piping tip is smaller. Remember, the more milk you add, the longer you need to chill the shaped cookies or else they will over-spread in the oven.
Don’t forget your piping bags, too! (Disposable or Reusable)
By the way, these piping tips and a set of bags would be a great holiday gift for any baker. I always include them in my Holiday Baking Gift Guide!
3 Butter Cookie Varieties!
Make 3 varieties from 1 batch. 🙂
- Dip baked cookies into melted chocolate and add sprinkles.
- Stick a maraschino cherry in the center before baking.
- Add sprinkles or coarse sugar before baking.
If you love chocolate, don’t miss these chocolate butter cookies. And for even more flavors of butter cookie dough, you’ll love these mint chocolate checkerboard cookies, pinwheel cookies, and neapolitan cookies.
See Your Homemade Butter Cookies!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
PrintButter Cookies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Danish
Description
Using just 8 basic ingredients and a large piping tip, make these soft vanilla-almond-flavored butter cookies. There’s no leavening, so the texture is similar to shortbread cookies. I recommend chilling the piped cookies for at least 20–30 minutes before baking.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1–2 Tablespoons (15–30ml) milk
Optional Toppings
- 4 ounces (113) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped*
- maraschino cherries
- sprinkles or coarse sugar
Instructions
- Read through the recipe and recipe Notes before beginning. Make room in your refrigerator for a baking sheet so the shaped cookies can chill for 20–30 minutes. Without chilling, the piped cookies will over-spread. If you chill the dough prior to shaping, the dough will be too cold/stiff to pipe.
- Line 2–3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, or leave unlined. If unlined, do not grease the pan.
- In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- On low speed, beat in the flour and salt. Turn up to high speed and beat until completely combined. On medium speed, beat in 1.5 Tablespoons of milk. You want a dough that’s creamy and pipe-able (but still thick), so you may need up to 2–2.5 Tablespoons of milk. The more milk you add, the more the cookies will spread, so chilling in step 6 is imperative. I recommend keeping the amount of milk small and using a large enough piping tip, like the ones I suggest in the post above.
- Add your large piping tip to the piping bag. Spoon a little bit of dough into the piping bag and pipe a 1–2-inch swirl or line on the prepared baking sheet. The reason I suggest only a little bit of dough to start is because the dough may still be too thick to pipe. If it’s too thick, transfer that dough back to the mixing bowl and add another 1/2 Tablespoon of milk. If the dough is creamy enough to pipe, continue piping the dough in 1–2-inch swirls or lines, 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. See video for a visual if needed. If desired, place a maraschino cherry in the center of the swirl or sprinkle the dough with sprinkles and/or coarse sugar.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator and chill the shaped cookies for 20–30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake the chilled cookies for 12–15 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The cookies will spread like all cookies do, but not completely lose their shape, especially if you chilled the shaped dough. If the cookies are smaller, they will take closer to 12 minutes. Keep your eye on them. They’re done when the edges lightly brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional Chocolate: You can melt the chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Melt in 20-second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Dip the cookies in chocolate and top with sprinkles, if desired. Allow the chocolate to set completely at room temperature for about 1 hour or in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Plain cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cookies with chocolate or cherries stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can chill the shaped cookies on the baking sheet in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking. If chilling for longer than 30 minutes, cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Sometimes I pipe all the swirls close together on 1 baking sheet, then refrigerate for up to 2 days. (Since my refrigerator can’t fit 2-3 sheets at once.) After chilling, the shaped dough is cold, so you can use a flat spatula to pick up the cold shaped dough and arrange on 2-3 baking sheets. You can also freeze the un-baked shaped dough for up to 2-3 months. Bake the frozen shaped dough (no need to thaw) for an extra couple minutes. Baked cookies, with or without chocolate/cherries/sprinkles, freeze well for up to 3 months.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Large Piping Tip (such as Ateco 849 (pictured), Wilton 8B, Ateco 826, or Ateco 827) | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler (optional for melting chocolate)
- Almond Extract: Almond extract adds such a wonderful flavor and I don’t recommend skipping it. If desired, you can leave it out completely or add another 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract in its place. You can also substitute with 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, 1 teaspoon lemon extract, or another flavor extract you enjoy. (Some are more potent than others.) Adding 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon is delicious too!
- No Piping Tip & Using a Cookie Press: This recipe is similar to my spritz cookies where I use a cookie press. If you don’t have a large piping tip and/or you want to use a cookie press, make the spritz cookies (they do not need the milk). If you don’t have a cookie press or large piping tip, snip a 1/2 inch corner off the end of a plastic bag and pipe lines/flat swirls.
- Optional Chocolate: For the best results, use a 4 ounce “baking chocolate” bar found in the baking aisle. I prefer Bakers or Ghirardelli brands. You can use semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate. Candy melts or almond bark work too. Do not use chocolate chips, as they contain stabilizers preventing them from melting into the proper consistency. After you melt it, if the chocolate is too thick for dipping, stir in 1 teaspoon of canola oil to help thin it out.
I made these cookie recipe for the first time and they were delicious and crispy on the edges and not too hard in the middle. Just right for my taste. I also added cream cheese and strawberry jam in the middle and turned out even better!! Thank you for your wonderful recipe. Wish I can post my turn out. My family ate them quick!
If you are familiar with NY Italian bakery butter cookies, these are them! Incredible! If you follow Sally’s exact instructions you will get a most perfect butter cookie. I stacked some of mine to make a cookie sandwich with a very thin layer of raspberry jam Inside and dipped the end in chocolate and sprinkles ( NY bakery style).
If you’re considering making start with a double batch of dough. 🙂
Super good and very easy to make! I definitely noticed a difference between the first batch that I baked and the second as far as how much they spread. The first batch came out a bit better and I think that’s because the second one had been subjected to more heat from my hands on the pastry bag. Nonetheless, even though they spread more, they were still delicious! I dipped them in chocolate and added pink and blue sprinkles as I plan on having these at a baby shower.
I followed the instructions but the cookies turned out to be raw inside. Any idea what might have gone wrong?
Can I freeze the dough and use it later?
Hi Mimi, You can freeze the un-baked shaped dough for up to 2-3 months. See the make ahead instructions in the recipe notes for details.
Dear Sally, thank you so much for the detailed recipe. Had tried it out and it was incredibly yummy.
I just made these and added cinnamon…….I’m glad they’re for a graduation party otherwise I would be eating them all!! Delish! Thank you, I also made your banana muffins but did cupcakes instead. Perfect too well done 🙂
Hi, question here! I’m going to make these cookies but was thinking of adding royal icing once done? Would that pair well?
You certainly could, just keep in mind if you are planning to make desings that the royal icing won’t lay smooth on the tops the cookies depending on how you pipe them like it would on flat sugar cookies.
These were delicious! Had no problem piping the dough with a larger tip. We refrigerated the shaped cookies before baking like you suggest. I dipped the cookies in white chocolate and sprinkled with chocolate sprinkles. Kids loved them. Will definitely make them again.
No, I don’t recommend liquid sweetener. Stick with granulated sugar.
Can I put chocolate chips in them?
Hi! Mini chocolate chips should be ok, but make sure the piping tip opening is large enough to pipe out dough with the chips.
Even with the large piping bag and tip you suggested, I found this to be way too almondy and floury tasting. Didn’t get butter at all. They held their shape fine and were on the smaller side but not the best recipe I have tried. Love your site but this one wasn’t for me.
I chilled and they still spread 🙁
Try chilling them longer. How long did you chill them for? And also, how much milk did you add?
These cookies are amazing! I have tried to copy these danish type cookies from a restaurant in the Bloomingdale’s Mall on Michigan Ave in Chicago. I followed, to the letter, your recipe and instructions. They turned out fantastic! My husband made a delighted moan sound when he bit into one for the first time. Thank you for sharing!!!!
These cookies are amazing! I have tried to copy these danish type cookies from a restaurant in the Bloomingdale’s Mall on Michigan Ave in Chicago. I followed, to the letter, your recipe and instructions. They turned out fantastic! My husband made a delighted moan sound when he bit into for the first time. Thank you for sharing!!!!
The cookies came out amazing, (even though we didn’t have the right sized piping tip, it was a smidge too small) the texture and flavor are great. This recipe will definitely be on our cookie line up and holiday cookie baking.
Can I use a cookie press like the one that OXO makes or some other kind?
Hi Susan, If using a cookie press, I recommend my recipe for spritz cookies!
Hi, I was wondering if one could put a small dollop of jam in the middle
Some readers have added a little jam to the centers with success, yes!
hello, sally,
All I have with me today are margarine blocks instead of butter.
Should I use them, or will the taste be ruined?
Thanks!
Hi Sally, I made this recipe with very accurately weighed out ingredients, I ended up adding around 2.5 tbsp milk because the batter didnt feel loose enough to pipe even in a giant ateco 282. They piped beautifully. Chilled for about an hour. They’ve just turned into puddles, I’m gutted because this was my second go after trying a different recipe. Any ideas what this could be down too? Is it a dough chilling issue or an ingredients issue? Maybe I added too much milk but they still felt stiff to pipe. Thanks!
Hi Emma, The cookie dough should be pretty thick, so it’s imperative to use a large piping tip with about a 1/2 inch opening. (That’s big!) If you are trying to use a smaller tip and need to thin out your dough just remember, the more milk you add, the longer you need to chill the shaped cookies or else they will over-spread in the oven.
Sally you are so amazing. With my little baking experience. I tired this recipe and it came out so so good and perfect. Friends kept coming back for more and finished it in a blink of an eye. Thank you so much for this easy recipe. Lots of Love from Nigeria
Emma I have tried twice with this recipe, I have to add milk or cant even pipe, no matter what I have tried they ALWAYS spread out and are flat. I have weighted flour and sugar, room temp egg, Have you found anything that works? Im beginning to think something is missing or misprinted
Hi! I did find one that worked out better for me, still not perfect and it was hard to pipe but it was possible and they held their shape! I used the same Ateco 828 nozzle which is a big one, for pastry. Try upping the flour to 300g, up the butter to 250g and use 100g icing sugar instead of 150g granulated sugar (confectioners sugar if you are US based). I should add Sally’s recipe tasted incredible and even though they were totally misshapen for me, I ate them anyway.
I just bought 828 nozzle and a new canvas pastry bag on amazon today . I will be trying all your suggestions In a week or two. I made 2 batches last week, all came out completely flat, and we still ate them. But I’m hoping to perfect them by Christmas. Thanks for the reply
Hi Joanne, I have tried another recipe like this which came out puddles, it didn’t have any egg in it. I suggest you check the size of your egg or maybe add a bit of vinegar, that might stabilize the dough.
Sally thanks for the tips and analysis on every recipe, its good to know not only what to add to a recipe but also what the purpose of every ingredient and every step of the method is.
Thanks for an excellent baking experience!
I had the same results as Emma they looked great when I put them in the fridge but turned to puddles in the oven. I weighed everything on my scale and followed the directions.
Hi! I made these cookies a few days ago, and I have to say, they are AMAZING!!!! They are easy to make and the flavor is delicious! One of my new favorite recipes!! Will definitely be making them again .
Hi! Receipe and steps were given well and could easily follow! Tasted great! But mum prefer it to be alittle bit denser. What i made was alittle bit brittle. Any tips?
It tastes really good! But it came out a bit dry for me. Not sure how to improve it for next time. Any suggestions?
I don’t consider myself a novice baker and followed recipe exactly as well as ensuring tip size, butter temp, and chilled dough according to recipe. The piping was a breeze and they looked perfect , i only added half the milk to make great consistency. into the oven they went and flay pools of butter they came out………very frustrating. Ive made many other recipes from your site and never had this much trouble
They turned out perfect
My dough was super sticky and impossible to pipe but they baked up nicely and tasted like the perfect little snacking cookie!
These are wonderful cookies!! I made them for a holiday party to rave reviews. I would like to try making them again for someone who can’t have flour – do you have any recommendations for how to use almond and/or coconut flour in this recipe instead? Thank you, Sally!
These were amazing cookies. I added lemon zest to my batch with the almond and vanilla. The pairing was yummy. It just gives a hint of orange. Going to trying lemon zest next time.
Why I waited months to make these cookies after you first posted the recipe is beyond me! Great cookie to keep us busy this weekend and my kids loved helping with the sprinkles on top. Wilton 1M worked for us. These are totally delicious.
My husband does not really like sweets but these cookies are absolutely perfect for him since they are more buttery than sweet. We eat them with our afternoon tea. The first time I made these they only lasted a couple of days, we couldn’t put them down! I top mine with a little sugar in the raw and they look so pretty. I can’t wait to try out the different flavor options! Thank you for another wonderful favorite ❤️