Searching for a traditional German Christmas cookie to make? German spritz cookies – known as Spritzgebäck – are always a holiday hit!
With this Spritzgebäck recipe – using simple ingredients – you can make light, sweet cookies that can be formed into all different shapes and sizes.
Because of the unique texture and design, these piped spritz cookies look great on any holiday dessert table.
In fact, you’ll find other spritz cookies across Europe such as in Italy and Norway!
Spritz cookies – sometimes also known as German “S” cookies – are a popular cookie to make in the family home because they are so easy and fun to make with kids. And you get to dip them in chocolate!
Another reason these cookies are popular to make with kids is that they can spell their own names. This is something Lisa (and her sister) did growing up.
Recipe Tips
Before you head off to the kitchen to make authentic German spritz cookies, have a read through these recipe tips so that you know what to expect!
- Make sure that the butter is very soft – otherwise it will be difficult to work with. Either let the butter sit on the counter for a few hours to soften or cut it up and place it in the microwave for a few seconds until it has softened but not melted (this is important!).
- Use eggs that are at room temperature. Again, either take them out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter for a while. Alternatively, place the cold eggs into a small bowl of warm – not hot – water and let them warm up for around 20 minutes.
- To shape the spritz cookies, you can use a piping bag or cookie press (or a meat grinder if you want to be quite traditional). Ideally you use a star-shaped tip with a larger opening as this makes it easier to squeeze the dough out than through a small tip.
- Bake the spritz cookies one baking sheet at a time. If you have multiple baking sheets full of cookies in a conventional oven at the same time, the cookies might bake unevenly.
How to Make German Spritz Cookies – Step by Step Instructions
For the complete instructions on how to make German spritz cookies, you can follow the recipe process photos with instructions in this section.
This way, you can see exactly how we make our spritz cookies each step of the way!
Add the very soft (but not melted) butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl.
Using your hand or stand mixer with the normal beaters, mix everything for around 4 minutes until creamy.
Now, add the large egg and egg yolk to the bowl and keep beating for 2-3 minutes until they are mixed in.
Make sure to not accidentally add two eggs. You want to add one whole egg and just the egg yolk of another egg.
This is what the butter-egg mixture should look like.
That’s why it is so important that the butter and eggs were at room temperature. Otherwise, the consistency might not be as “creamy”.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Give everything a quick stir.
Now, switch your mixer attachment to the spiral dough hooks.
Then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in small increments while beating.
Keep mixing until the flour is fully mixed in.
Next, cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. If you are using a piping bag or a cookie press, let the dough rest at room temperature.
If you’re using a meat grinder for this recipe, place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes so it can chill.
Once the time is up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
Now, prepare your piping bag, cookie press, or meat grinder – we usually use a piping bag. You’ll want to use a star tip or similar with your piping bag or a cookie press.
If the dough is soft, it’ll be easier to squeeze it out of the piping bag.
Shape the spritz cookies. You can make whichever shapes you want. Circles with an open hole in the middle, S-shapes, or straight lines are classic choices for Spritz cookie shapes.
Some people also like to write their names with the cookie dough. Just make sure to create the letters large enough (and leave enough space in between) since the cookies will rise/expand a bit in the oven.
Place the cookies on the parchment paper and bake them one baking sheet at a time in the oven for 12-16 minutes until the ends are slightly brown.
It takes exactly 13 minutes in our oven but since every oven cooks differently, your baking time might vary slightly.
When taking the cookies out of the oven they might still feel a tiny bit soft – that’s fine (as long as the bottom is lightly browned). They’ll harden once cooled.
Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place them on a cooling rack.
Once the cookies have cooled, you can prepare the chocolate glaze by melting chocolate chips either in the microwave, in a pot on the stove, or in a hot water bath. Keep in mind that this step is optional!
You can use any type of chocolate chips (depending on how sweet you want it to taste). We like using semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Once the chocolate chips are fully melted, carefully dip parts of the cookies into the melted chocolate.
Then place the dipped cookies back onto the cooling rack (place some of the parchment paper underneath for easier clean-up).
Let the chocolate glaze fully harden before consuming or storing the cookies. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
Once these German Spritzgebäck cookies have cooled fully, you can store them in cookie tin with a lid in a cool and dry place. A cold bedroom, the basement or garage are usually good options.
Properly stored, they’ll last for around 3 weeks – but you probably won’t have them for that long anyway.
FAQ
Have question about German spritz cookies? We have some answers about these popular holiday cookies!
Spritz cookies are German in origin. However, they are enjoyed in many places across Europe like Italy and in Scandinavian countries like Norway.
German spritz cookies – or Spritzgebäck – get their name from the German verb spritzen which means “to squirt” since the soft, buttery dough is piped through a bag or through a cookie press!
No, holiday spritz cookies are not the same as shortbread. While both doughs include a lot of butter, the biggest difference is that Scottish shortbread cookies do not include egg.
Yes, you can bake spritz cookies on parchment paper.
Related Recipes
If you loved these spritz cookies, check out these other popular German holiday cookie recipes:
- Butterplätzchen (German Butter Cookies)
- Lebkuchen (Authentic German Gingerbread Cookies
- Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Crescent Cookies)
- Pfeffernüsse (German Spice Cookies)
- Zimtsterne (German Cinnamon Stars)
German Spritz Cookies (Spritzgebäck)
Ingredients
The Dough
- 3/4 cup butter, very soft (but not melted!)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- a pinch of salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
The Chocolate Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup chocolate chips, possibly more
Instructions
- Add the very soft (but not melted) butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Using your hand or stand mixer with the normal beaters, mix everything for around 4 minutes until creamy.
- Add the egg and egg yolk to the bowl and keep beating for 2-3 minutes until they are mixed in.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Give everything a quick stir.
- Switch your mixer attachment to the spiral dough hooks. Then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in small increments while beating. Keep mixing until the flour is fully mixed in.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. If you are using a piping bag (the same kind of bag also used for cake/cupcake decorating) or a cookie press, let the dough rest at room temperature. If you’re using a meat grinder for this recipe, place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes so it can chill.
- Once the time is up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
- Now, prepare your piping bag, cookie press, or meat grinder – we usually use a piping bag. You'll want to use a star tip or similar with your piping bag or cookie press. The softer the dough, the easier it'll come out of the piping bag.
- Now shape the spritz cookies. You can make whichever shapes you want. Circles with an open hole in the middle, S-shapes, or straight lines are classic choices for Spritz cookie shapes. Some people also like to write their names with the cookie dough. Just make sure to create the letters large enough (and leave enough space in between) since the cookies will rise/expand a bit in the oven.
- Place the cookies on the parchment paper and bake them one baking sheet at a time in the oven for 12-16 minutes until the ends are slightly brown. It takes exactly 13 minutes in our oven but since every oven cooks differently, your baking time might vary slightly. When taking the cookies out of the oven they might still feel a tiny bit soft – that’s fine (as long as the bottom is lightly browned). They’ll harden once cooled.
- Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place them on a cooling rack.
- OPTIONAL: Once the cookies have cooled, you can prepare the chocolate glaze by melting chocolate chips either in the microwave, in a pot on the stove, or in a hot water bath. You can use any type of chocolate chips (depending on how sweet you want it to taste). We like using semi-sweet chocolate chips. Once the chocolate chips are fully melted, carefully dip parts of the cookies into the melted chocolate and then place them back onto the cooling rack (place some of the parchment paper underneath for easier clean-up). Let the chocolate glaze fully harden before consuming or storing them. Enjoy!
Notes
- You don’t want the dough to become too thick, that’s why it’s important to use the “spoon and sweep” method for measuring your flour.
- It’s important that the butter is quite soft but not melted. This will make it so much easier to work with. Leave it out on the counter for a couple of hours or cut it up and place it in the microwave for a few seconds until it is soft – but has not melted!
- At the same time, it’s important that the eggs are at room temperature. If you use them straight out of the fridge, they will harden the butter again – making it more difficult to work with the dough. If you forgot to take out the eggs from the fridge early enough, you can place them in a bowl of warm (not hot!) water and let them sit for around 20 minutes.
- If you’re having trouble squeezing the dough through the piping bag, add a little bit of milk to the dough.
- We’d recommend only baking one baking sheet full of cookies at a time. If you’re trying to bake two or more baking sheets of cookies in a conventional oven at a time, they might cook unevenly. So it’s best to just bake them one after the other.
- If you’re using a cookie press with an attachment other than a simple star shape to form cookies in the style seen above, you’ll likely need more dough. In that case, feel free to double the recipe. Keep in mind that cookies using more dough will likely have a slightly longer cooking time.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
