These buttery Christmas Spritz Cookies are easy, delicious, and a festive addition to any cookie platter. You can keep them simple or add festive colors and a touch of edible glitter for an extra holiday shine.
They make an excellent make-ahead treat: bake them the day of your event or prepare them weeks in advance and freeze in an airtight container. Spritz cookies are perfect for busy holiday schedules when you’re juggling guests and shopping.
Begin with a basic Spritz Cookie dough (use your preferred recipe). Choose the press shapes and colors you want to use — there’s lots of room for creativity. Popular choices are Christmas trees, poinsettias, and simple flowers for a classic holiday assortment.
I stick with three favorites every year: green trees, red poinsettias, and white flowers. Those familiar designs have become a tradition in my family, and my daughter especially expects to see them on the holiday platter.
I usually press the green trees first, and there’s a handy reason for this…
Because a small amount of dough remains in the press when you finish, I save the leftover green dough to use as the center of my red poinsettias. I roll a tiny ball from the green scrap and press it into the center of the flower for a cohesive look.
Gently press the little green ball down with your finger until it looks like the flower’s center.
Next, press out the white cookies. I use the leftover red dough for the centers of these white flowers to tie the platter together visually. The colored centers aren’t botanically accurate, but they create an attractive, unified display.
After baking, let the cookies cool on the pan for about five minutes. For extra sparkle, brush on a light coat of edible glitter (also called disco dust). This step is optional, but when applied sparingly it adds an elegant finish that’s surprisingly lovely.
I keep a dedicated food-safe paintbrush for decorating. Dip the brush into the edible glitter and lightly dust each cookie for a subtle shimmer.
The result: beautiful, sparkly Christmas Spritz Cookies ready for your holiday spread.
One of my daughters’ favorite traditions is what I do with the small amount of leftover dough — usually enough for four cookies. I combine the scraps in the press to make tie-dyed, multi-colored cookies that they get to eat immediately. They look fun and are always a hit with the kids.
Those multi-colored leftovers inspired a separate project: multi-colored Spritz Cookies for other holidays. For example, a tie-dyed version made festive fireworks-style cookies for a Fourth of July gathering and was a conversation piece at the barbecue.
Enjoy making these spritz cookies as a family tradition or a show-stopping addition to your holiday desserts. They’re quick to press, easy to customize, and perfect for gifting or displaying on a holiday platter.