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 chocolate swirled 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 complete guide of Holiday Gifts for Bakers!
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. 🙂
Butter 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I tried this recipe for the first time. I used salted butter by mistake. They came out pretty good meaning it flatten just a bit. But they taste so delicious. I wonder if instead of using 1 cup of butter could you use 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of butter flavored shortening?
Hi Mary, we don’t recommend using shortening. It has a different makeup than butter so we’re unsure of the results using shortening. Best to stick with butter here!
Do you have to put almond extract?
Hi Mary, See the recipe on on almond extract for our recommendations.
My cookies spread too much and fell apart! What am I doing wrong?
Hi Carmen! I’m happy to help. Sorry these cookies spread for you – while spreading is inevitable with all cookies, they shouldn’t completely lose their shape. If you decide to try the recipe again, you may want to reduce the milk to only 1 Tablespoon. Make sure the butter you are using is cool at room temperature and not overly soft. Bake only 1 sheet at a time and try freezing the piped/shaped cookies for 1 hour, then transferring them to a room temperature baking sheet. I hope this helps!
Hi Sally, would these cookies freeze ok? I like to make all my Christmas cookies in advance, freeze them and decorate closer to Christmas or as and when needed.
Hi Lisa, they sure do! See recipe notes make ahead instructions for different freezing options.
I added close to three tablespoons of milk and it was still nearly impossible to pipe. Any tips?
Hi Suzanne! You can add more milk but risk the cookies spreading while baked. They can be tricky to pipe but worth it in the end!
I just discovered this recipe while browsing past cookie paloozas. I’ve always loved butter cookies, but like most store bought cookies they always leave an aftertaste. This was my first experience with homemade butter cookies and wow!! They did not last long! My dad even ate several after saying he’s never liked butter cookies!
What is the diameter of these cookies?
Hi Lisa, these cookies are just a few inches in diameter (1-3 inches, depending on how large you pipe them).
A little late to the Danish butter cookie party, but curious if you can add cocoa to this recipe? I want to mail them and not dip on chocolate since it could take a few says to get there. Could you add a half cup of dutch processed cocoa and reduce the flour?
Hi Stacey! We haven’t tried making a chocolate version ourselves, but we would start as you mention by replacing some of the flour with cocoa. It may take a bit of experimenting, because cocoa is not always a 1:1 swap with flour. Let us know what you try!
I made these instead of the November Baking Challenge recipe, and I loved them. I spread some with caramel icing, and they came out just as good as those dipped in chocolate. My dad will only eat cookies with nuts, and since it has almond extract, I pressed some chopped almonds in the top of some of them. He loved them! I might bake them a little longer next time to get them more crispy, but even 3 days later they were delicious.
I first made these last year and they have become one of my very favorites. They truly taste like they were made by a professional bakery. The buttery flavor is so delicious. I will be making another batch this weekend. They make a great addition to any cookie tray. Thanks Sally for this recipe and all of your recipes. I know they will always be successful because you take the guesswork out.
So I made these last year and they came out sooooo good I had dreams about them lol. I decided to make them for thanksgiving tomorrow. I pipped them and chilled them for about 40 min and they totally spread and lost their shape! I can’t figure out what I did wrong. Maybe I creamed the butter too long?? Would that cause this to happen?
Hi Erin! Cookies will spread if the butter is too warm or if the fat to dry ingredient ratio is off – can you think of anything you did differently? Here’s more tips to keep cookies from spreading!
Wowza awesome cookies, instructions perfect! I haven’t baked in yrs with kids grown and gone, ,forgot, ,you need some muscle for piping lol. Forget the gym, it’s cookie making for me.
can these cookies be rolled for baking? rolled into balls
Hi Suzanne, these cookies are not ideal for rolling. If you don’t have a large piping tip, you can snip a 1/2 inch corner off the end of a plastic bag and pipe lines/flat swirls.
What brand of butter do you use for baking?
Hi Lori, it varies. I usually just pick up what’s on sale or use my grocery store’s brand. I like Challenge and Land O Lakes too.
These cookies were delicious! I had no trouble piping them although I had to do so with a baggie with the corner tip cut because I do not have a piping device. The only thing I will do next time is cook them a little longer because I did not wait for them to be golden brown. It took longer than I thought and I was afraid of over cooking them. They were a little soft but everybody raved about them. Thank you so much!
Hi. I haven’t made these yet, but I am planning on it, as I LOVE butter cookies, and these look delicious.
I am wondering, can I add raspberry/apricot jelly and make sandwich cookies and then dip them in the melted chocolate, like you would find in a bakery?
Definitely! Let us know how they go, Gina
Hi ! Thanks so much ! Had the distinct honor of tasting these cookies and they are irresistibly delicious !
I’d like to try with vegan butter , egg alternative and a tad almond milk. The dough won’t be runny for piping but for cookie cutters. Would you like to advise me or comment before I attempt please ?
Hi Wan, it’s great to hear that you enjoyed these cookies! We haven’t personally tested any of those substitutes, so we’re unsure of the results they’ll create. We don’t recommend this dough for cookie cutters though — our best sugar cookies would be better, if you’re interested. Let us know what you try!
hi
can I replace the granulated sugar with the exact amount of powdered sugar?
Super disappointing -I had to add a lot more milk than the recipe suggested to make them pipeable – I tried again and again and they still wouldn’t pipe (and I have a large piping bag and large tip) and finally just gave up because I realized they would spread too much when they finally were the right consistency. Not recommended.
UGH had the same issue, so disappointing 🙁 I hate wasting ingredients.
Kelly, My best guess is that you had too much flour. I suggest googling how to measure flour. If flour is packed in the measuring cup it weighs more than if you stir your flour and spoon it into your measuring cup. Professional bakers weigh their flour with a food scale so it is consistent and always the same.
Hi Sally! Everything about this butter cookie is perfect! But is there something i can do to make it a little bit more crunchy?crispy?A special request from my little one.Should i bake it longer? Thank you so much! Hope you could help me out. I bought one of your cookbooks by the way.
Hi Nikki, we’re so glad you and your little one enjoyed these so much! Correct, if you’re looking for a bit more crunch, you can try baking them for a minute or two longer (keep a close eye on them) and even try piping them a bit smaller, too. Thank you as well for purchasing one of Sally’s cookbooks — we’d love to know what you decide to make from it first!
Hi Sally,
I bet these will come out awesome… I would just like to ask you if it is okay to use brown sugar instead of the white refined ones?
Thank you!
You know, we haven’t tested the cookies using brown sugar instead of white. If you want to try it, let us know how they turn out!
Thank you! Will let you know once I have tried it…
Just an update
Hi! Got the chance to try out this recipe but I used brown sugar… So, it didn’t spread as expected (I guess it’s because brown sugar has more molasses content) I guess I should have added more milk to make it into a more pippable consistency… However, it still tastes really good!!! If you are on the sweet tooth side maybe make the brown sugar 1 cup (packed) and add more milk or butter…
Thank you again for your recipes…
I just made this recipe had they completely melted in the first five minutes of baking in the oven. I followed the recipe exactly, and I chilled piped cookies. However, I may not have chilled them enough time. According to the recipe, they may “overspread”. These, however, completely melted and had to be discarded. Would an extra 15 min of chill time make such a difference?
Hi Katherine, I’m happy to help. Sorry these cookies spread for you– while spreading is inevitable with all cookies, they shouldn’t completely lose their shape. If you decide to try the recipe again, you may want to reduce the milk to only 1 Tablespoon. Make sure the butter you are using is cool at room temperature and not overly soft. Bake only 1 sheet at a time and try freezing the piped/shaped cookies for 1 hour, then transferring them to a room temperature baking sheet. I hope this helps!
My first sheet of these cookies spread, so now I’m still chilling the 2nd sheet and I’m going to make another batch after this 2nd sheet bakes. So disappointed as I too followed the directions correctly. I’m reading Sally’s response to you.
Hello Sally
Can I leave the egg out? If so should I adjust other ingredients such as butter or flour?
Thank you so much!:)
Christine
Can I ask , why is it ok to incorporate the flour , without worrying of over mixing it? That confuses me…is it because a certain ingredient isn’t present in this cookie recipe, as opposed to a Different white type of sugar cookie? Thank you!
hi! what’s the difference between a spritz cookie and a butter cookie?
thanks!
Hi Amy, it depends on the recipes but for mine– not much difference in terms of taste and texture, just how they’re shaped on the baking sheets. (Cookie press vs piping bag/tip.)
I realized as I was about to pipe the cookies I missed the egg. I looked around and saw that either the cookies would be more dense of I could add later with some milk. I tried the latter but I was never able to get the dough to a piping consistency. If I’m ever in the situation again and realize I’ve left out an ingredient what do you recommend to rescue it?
Hi Kate, how much milk did you add? The cookie dough should eventually thin out as you mix in more milk– even just slightly– so that it can be piped.
These were really fun. We tried all 3 varieties. Surprisingly kids loved the cherry version the best. My first batch is definitely underdone but after I got the hang of letting them brown up, the rest came out much better.
So nice and delicate! Perfect butter cookies 🙂
Hi Sally, I made this for Thanksgiving and I am making for Christmas how can I shrink the ingredients to make less cookies?
Hi Ashley, you can simply halve the ingredients to make a half batch of cookies. To use half of one egg simply crack it into a seperate bowl, mix it, and then add half to the dough.
how can i down size the other two main ingredients?
One of my favorite holiday traditions is buying a tin of these cookies to share with my mom. I was excited about this recipe because I’d love to be able to make them myself. This recipe did not disappoint! They were so easy to make and they taste amazing! I’ll definitely be making another batch (or three!) of these before Christmas!