Spritz Cookies

ByEmily Rider Updated
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This spritz cookie recipe is made with lard for a soft but yet crisp, clean-edged buttery cookie with a texture that holds its shape through the cookie press and stays long after it comes out of the oven. Flavored with both vanilla extract and almond extract for the classic combination that makes these taste like the holiday tin your grandmother kept on the counter.

The dough comes together quickly in a stand mixer, chills until firm enough to press, and bakes in small batches on an ungreased baking sheet, which helps every shape release cleanly and hold its edges through the bake.

These belong on the same holiday tray as Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies Recipe and Sourdough Animal Crackers Recipe and pair naturally with a warm mug from our Easy Creamy Crockpot Hot Chocolate on any slow December afternoon.

Hand holding a butterfly-shaped spritz cookie over a floral china plate with more spritz cookies, with a full plate of assorted spritz cookies blurred in the background on a pink linen

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Lard produces a crispier, cleaner edge – Lard is 100% fat with no water content which means the dough holds the intricate shapes from the cookie press through the entire bake without spreading or softening at the edges. Butter-based spritz cookies are good but lard-based spritz cookies hold their shape in a way that makes every star, tree, and wreath look intentional on the plate.
  • Almond extract and vanilla together – Most spritz cookie recipes use one or the other. Using both gives the finished cookie a flavor that is immediately recognizable as the classic version most people grew up eating – the one that tastes like it came from someone’s grandmother’s kitchen rather than a grocery store tin.
  • A recipe that has been in our cottage kitchen for as long as I can remember – My daughter and I make these every December with our vintage cookie press, and a vintage recipe has never needed changing. That is the standard a vintage spritz cookie recipe has to meet.
  • Works with any cookie press – The dough consistency is designed to work with vintage metal presses, modern plastic presses, and electric presses alike. The tips section covers exactly how to adjust if your dough is too soft or too firm for your specific press.
Labeled overhead ingredient flat lay for spritz cookies showing unbleached all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, lard or shortening, a large green egg, baking powder, fine salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, a copper and silver cookie press with disc attachments, and white baby's breath on a pink eyelet linen with crochet lace.

Ingredients

  • Lard or shortening – Lard is the traditional fat for a classic spritz cookie and produces a crispier, more defined shape than butter alone. It is 100% fat with no water content which means the dough holds every detail of the cookie press disc without spreading during baking. Shortening works as a direct substitute with a very similar result. If you only have butter, the cookies will be good but the edges will be slightly softer and the shapes less defined.
  • Granulated sugar – Sweetens the dough without adding extra moisture that would soften the texture. The amount is measured carefully – too much sugar and the cookies spread, too little and they taste flat against the almond extract.
  • Almond extract – The flavor that makes this spritz cookie recipe taste genuinely classic. Almond extract has a slightly sweet, floral depth that pairs with the vanilla in a way that neither extract achieves alone. Use a good quality extract – the difference is noticeable in a cookie this simple.
  • Vanilla extract – Rounds out the almond extract and gives the cookie a warm, familiar sweetness. For a homemade version that makes every batch taste noticeably better, read Homemade Vanilla Extract for the full recipe.
  • Unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted – Sifting removes any lumps and aerates the flour slightly which contributes to the delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture these cookies are known for. Measure after sifting for the most consistent result.
  • Baking powder – A small amount gives these cookies a very slight lift that keeps them from being completely dense. Too much and the shapes puff and lose their definition – the quarter teaspoon in this recipe is intentional.
  • Fine salt – Balances the sweetness and sharpens the flavor of both extracts. Added with the dry ingredients so it distributes evenly through the dough.
    Large egg – Binds the dough and adds just enough richness to give the finished cookie its slightly tender interior despite the crisp exterior. One whole egg rather than just the yolk gives this recipe a different texture than the yolk-only versions.
Overhead view of two floral china plates of spritz cookies in assorted shapes on a pink eyelet linen, with a hand reaching to pick up the smaller plate and baby's breath in the corners

Variations & Add-Ins

  • Chocolate spritz cookies – Add ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and reduce the flour by the same amount. The chocolate version works beautifully with the almond extract and holds its shape as well as the plain version.
  • Lemon spritz cookies – Replace the almond extract with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest and ½ teaspoon of lemon extract for a bright citrus version that feels right for spring cookie trays as well as holiday tins.
  • Cinnamon ginger spritz cookies – Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of ground ginger to the dry ingredients for a warm spiced version that pairs with the almond and vanilla in a way that reads as gingerbread-adjacent without being overpowering.
  • Freshly milled flour version – Replace the all-purpose flour with freshly milled soft white wheat, sifted through a #60 fine mesh sieve. The texture will be slightly more rustic, and the flavor will have a mild nutty depth. For tips on converting any recipe to fresh milled flour, read Converting Recipes to Freshly Milled Flour.

Recipe Tips

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes – Lard-based dough needs to be cold to press cleanly through the disc. Warm dough is too soft and slides rather than releases, producing shapes without definition. After mixing, cover the bowl and refrigerate for a full 30 minutes before loading the press. If you are working in batches and the dough warms up between batches, return it to the refrigerator for 10 minutes before pressing again.

Always use an ungreased baking sheet – The dough needs to grip the pan surface to release cleanly from the press and hold its shape during baking. A greased or parchment-lined sheet causes the dough to stick to the press rather than the pan and produces misshapen cookies that slide and spread. An ungreased sheet is non-negotiable for spritz cookies.

Fix dough that is too soft – If your dough is so soft it will not hold a shape when pressed, add flour one tablespoon at a time, mixing between each addition, until the dough holds together and releases cleanly from the disc. Do not add more than 3 tablespoons total or the dough will become too stiff.

Fix dough that is too firm – If your dough is crumbling or tearing when you press it, add milk one teaspoon at a time and mix briefly between each addition until the dough is pliable and releases smoothly from the press.

Press onto a cold baking sheet – If your baking sheet is warm from a previous batch the dough will soften immediately on contact and lose its shape before it reaches the oven. Let the sheet cool completely between batches or rotate between two sheets so one is always at room temperature.

Decorate before baking, not after – Sprinkles and colored sugar pressed gently onto the shaped cookies before they go in the oven fuse to the surface during baking. Adding them after the cookies come out means they sit on top rather than bake in and fall off more easily in the tin.

Watch the edges not the tops – Spritz cookies do not change color dramatically on top during baking. Watch the edges of the cookies and pull the pan when the edges show the faintest golden color. The cookies will look underdone in the center but they set as they cool and overbaked spritz cookies are chalky rather than crisp.

Overhead view of finished spritz cookie dough in a stand mixer bowl, ready to load into a cookie press, on a pink eyelet linen
Hand pressing a copper cookie press onto a silver baking sheet already lined with unbaked heart, butterfly, and flower-shaped spritz cookies
Overhead flat lay of a silver baking sheet filled with unbaked spritz cookies in heart, butterfly, and flower shapes, with a copper cookie press resting in the corner on a lace doily
Overhead view of a full silver baking sheet of baked spritz cookies in heart and butterfly shapes on a pink linen and lace doily

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven – Set your oven to 350°F. Prepare two ungreased baking sheets and set aside. Do not line with parchment paper or grease the surface.
  2. Cream the fat and sugar – In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the lard or shortening and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the egg and extracts – Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the creamed mixture and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and the mixture looks smooth and slightly pale.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients – In a separate bowl sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt until evenly combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the fat mixture on low speed, mixing until the dough just comes together with no dry flour remaining. Do not overmix.
  5. Chill the dough – Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until the dough is firm enough to hold its shape when pressed through the cookie press disc.
  6. Load and press – Fit your cookie press with your desired shape disc and fill it with the chilled dough. Hold the press firmly against the ungreased baking sheet and press each cookie directly onto the cold pan surface. Leave about 1 inch between each cookie.
  7. Decorate before baking – Press sprinkles, colored sugar, or small decorations gently onto each shaped cookie before they go into the oven. They will fuse to the surface during baking.
  8. Bake until the edges are lightly golden – Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges of the cookies show the faintest golden color. The tops will look pale and slightly underdone – that is correct. Do not overbake.
  9. Cool completely – Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They firm up and crisp fully as they cool. Do not move them while still warm or they will crumble.
Hand holding a butterfly-shaped spritz cookie over a floral china plate with heart and flower-shaped spritz cookies, with a full plate of spritz cookies blurred in the background on a pink linen

Gifting Ideas

  • Holiday Cookie Tin – Pack cooled spritz cookies in a metal tin with parchment paper between each layer and hand it to someone without a word of explanation. A tin keeps the texture crisp through transit, looks like something worth opening, and says everything a gift tag never quite manages to.
  • Cookie Exchange Box – Press every disc in the set, use a different color of sugar on each shape, and pack the finished box so it looks like a window into December itself. Tuck a small handwritten card with the recipe inside and give someone the gift of making these themselves next year.
  • Hostess Gift – A dozen spritz cookies wrapped in a cellophane bag and tied with a ribbon is the kind of thing a hostess sets on the counter and does not hide away. Pair with a bag of good coffee or a cocoa mix and it becomes the gift people mention when they talk about that party later.
  • Gift Alongside Hot Chocolate – Package a small tin of spritz cookies with a jar of our Hot Cocoa Mix and give someone the gift of a slow December afternoon. The almond and vanilla in the cookies meet the chocolate in a way that feels like a holiday treat.

Freezing and Storage

  • Room temperature – Store completely cooled spritz cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Layer parchment paper between the cookies if stacking to prevent the shapes from pressing into each other.
  • Cookie tin – A metal cookie tin keeps spritz cookies crisp longer than a plastic container. The tin allows just enough air circulation to maintain the texture without drying the cookies out completely.
  • Freezer – Freeze baked spritz cookies in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. They crisp back up beautifully as they come to temperature.
  • Freeze the dough – Shape the dough into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator until pliable enough to load into the cookie press before baking.

FAQ

A spritz cookie is a classic butter cookie made by pressing dough through a cookie press fitted with a shaped disc to create uniform decorative shapes. The name comes from the German word spritzen meaning to squirt or spray, which describes the pressing motion. Traditional spritz cookies are crisp, buttery, and lightly flavored with vanilla, almond extract, or both. This version uses lard instead of butter for a crispier texture and cleaner shape definition from the press.

Lard is 100% fat with no water content which means the dough holds the intricate shapes from the cookie press disc without spreading during baking. Butter contains up to 20% water which creates steam in the oven and softens the edges of the shapes. Lard-based spritz cookies have a crispier texture, a cleaner edge, and hold their shape better in a cookie tin over several days. The flavor difference is minimal because the almond and vanilla extracts carry the cookie — the lard provides the texture the butter version cannot quite achieve.

Spreading usually means the dough or the baking sheet is too warm. Chill the dough for a full 30 minutes before pressing and let the baking sheet cool completely between batches. Never use a greased or parchment-lined sheet — the dough needs to grip the pan surface to release cleanly from the press and hold its shape during baking. If spreading continues, add flour one tablespoon at a time until the dough firms up enough to hold its shape when pressed.

Yes. Roll the dough into small balls about the size of a marble and flatten gently with the bottom of a glass or the tines of a fork before baking. The texture and flavor are identical — only the shape changes. You can also roll the dough to about a quarter inch thickness and cut with small cookie cutters for a more traditional cut-out result. Bake time remains the same.

The dough sticking to the press rather than the pan almost always means the dough is too warm or the baking sheet has been greased. Make sure the dough is fully chilled before loading the press and use an ungreased baking sheet. If the dough still sticks, refrigerate it for another 10 minutes and try again. A clean, dry press disc also helps — wash and dry completely between flavor batches.

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Hand holding a butterfly-shaped spritz cookie over a floral china plate with heart and flower-shaped spritz cookies, with a full plate of spritz cookies blurred in the background on a pink linen
5 from 4 votes

Spritz Cookie Recipe

Author: Emily Rider
This spritz cookie recipe is made with lard for a crisp, clean-edged cookie that holds every shape from the cookie press, flavored with vanilla and almond extract for the classic combination.
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep:10 minutes
Cook:10 minutes
Additional Time:30 minutes
Total:50 minutes
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 Dozen

Equipment

  • 1 Stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • 2 ungreased baking sheets
  • 1 cookie press with shape discs
  • 1 Wire Cooling Rack
  • 1 fine mesh sifter

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lard or shortening 205 grams
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 grams
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract 5 grams
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
  • 2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 270 grams (sifted before measuring)
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder 1 gram
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt 1.5 grams
  • 1 large egg 50 grams (room temperature)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven – Set your oven to 350°F. Prepare two ungreased baking sheets and set aside. Do not line with parchment paper or grease the surface.
  2. Cream the fat and sugar – In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the lard or shortening and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the egg and extracts – Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the creamed mixture and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and the mixture looks smooth and slightly pale.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients – In a separate bowl sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt until evenly combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the fat mixture on low speed, mixing until the dough just comes together with no dry flour remaining. Do not overmix.
  5. Chill the dough – Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until the dough is firm enough to hold its shape when pressed through the cookie press disc.
  6. Load and press – Fit your cookie press with your desired shape disc and fill it with the chilled dough. Hold the press firmly against the ungreased baking sheet and press each cookie directly onto the cold pan surface. Leave about 1 inch between each cookie.
  7. Decorate before baking – Press sprinkles, colored sugar, or small decorations gently onto each shaped cookie before they go into the oven. They will fuse to the surface during baking.
  8. Bake until the edges are lightly golden – Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges of the cookies show the faintest golden color. The tops will look pale and slightly underdone – that is correct. Do not overbake.
  9. Cool completely – Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They firm up and crisp fully as they cool. Do not move them while still warm or they will crumble.

Video

Notes

Always use an ungreased baking sheet – The dough needs to grip the pan surface to release cleanly from the press and hold its shape during baking. A greased or parchment-lined sheet causes the dough to stick to the press instead of the pan.
Chill the dough fully before pressing – Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before loading the press. If the dough warms between batches return it to the refrigerator for 10 minutes before continuing.
Fix dough consistency before pressing – If the dough is too soft add flour one tablespoon at a time. If it is too firm add milk one teaspoon at a time. Both fixes take effect immediately after mixing.
Watch the edges not the tops – Pull the pan when the edges show the faintest golden color. The tops will look pale and slightly underdone but the cookies firm up and crisp completely as they cool on the rack.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 1750kcal, Carbohydrates: 183g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 106g, Saturated Fat: 27g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 30g, Monounsaturated Fat: 43g, Trans Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 383mg, Potassium: 188mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 76g, Vitamin A: 122IU, Calcium: 65mg, Iron: 7mg

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Emily Rider

Home miller since 1999 with fresh-milled flour & sourdough experience. Sharing from-scratch recipes and traditional kitchen skills, rooted in the seasons and inspired by everyday cottage living and seasonal rhythms.

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