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Home » Christmas » German Spritz Cookies

German Spritz Cookies

Published: Nov 30, 2020 · Modified: Nov 15, 2023 by Arlene Mobley · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Cherry Butter Cookies on a cookie sheet.
A cookie plate piled high with German Spritz cookies, also known as Butter cookies

German Spritz Cookies or Spritzgebäck as they are called in German are a traditional German butter cookie served at Christmastime.

A holiday plate with a variety of German Christmas cookies made with a German Spritz Cookies recipe

German butter cookies are traditionally made in a round shape, an s shape or with a spritz cookie press.

The crisp buttery spritz cookie melts in your mouth.

Ingredients to make German Spritz Cookies

  • softened unsalted butter
  • granulated sugar
  • ground almonds
  • unbleached all purpose flour
  • pure vanilla extract
  • candied cherries (to make candied cherry butter cookies)
  • chocolate chips to make chocolate dipped cookies (optional)
  • chopped nuts to make chocolate dipped with nut cookies (optional)
  • Christmas Sprinkles (optional)
A cookie plate piled high with German Spritz cookies, also known as Butter cookies

Before you start

  • You will need to grind the almonds before starting the recipe. I like to use a food processor but you could use a blender or a coffee bean grinder.
Overhead photo of ground almonds in a food processor bowl.

How to make German Spritz Cookies

Cream the butter in a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar and beat the sugar into the butter until light and creamy.

Overhead photo of a glass bowl with creamed butter and sugar.
creaming butter and sugar

Next, add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat for 1 minute.

An egg and vanilla extract added to bowl of creamed butter and sugar.


Add ½ the flour and half of the ground almonds to the bowl.

Adding flour to the bowl of cookie batter.

Beat the flour and ground almonds in to the sugar and butter mixture.

ground almonds and flour in a mixing bowl as making a German Spritz Cookie recipe
mixing the flour and ground almonds as I am making the spritz cookie dough


Add the remaining flour and ground almonds and beat until the mixer can no longer handle the thick batter.

German Spritz Cookie dough in a bowl.


Switch to using a wooden spoon and mix until the batter is evenly combined.


Fill a cookie press with dough and press the cookies out onto an ungreased aluminum baking sheet.

over head photo of pressed Sprtiz cookies shaped like a flower on a aluminum baking sheet before they go in the oven.
Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies

Bake in a preheated 350 F. degrees. for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden.

baked cookies on a cookie sheet.
German Spritz Cookies baked until the edges are golden brown


Remove cookies from the oven and cool cookies on a baking rack for 5 minutes.

After five minutes using a thin metal spatula remove the cookies from the baking sheet and cool completely before decorating.

Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between German Spritz Cookies and American Spritz cookies?

A German Spritz Cookie recipe is made with ground nuts. The rich and buttery spritz cookie dough can be made with ground almonds, ground hazelnuts or even ground walnuts.

Basic Cookie Baking Supplies Needed

  • Mixing bowls should be large enough to mix the cookie dough or icings.
  • My Favorite Christmas Cookie Cutters for cut out cookies.
  • Large Baking Sheets: I have 4 of these and they really make baking cookies so much easier.
  • Cookie Dough Scoops: This is the secret to making perfectly shaped cookies every time.
  • Parchment Paper: Keeps cookies from sticking and over browning. Makes clean up a breeze.
  • Wooden Rolling Pin: A good rolling pin is a must for rolling out perfect Christmas cookies every time.
  • Cooling Racks: Cookies need to cool and a cooling rack allows air to circulate and helps the hot cookies cool quicker. It also makes drizzling baked cookies with melted chocolate or powdered sugar drizzle easier.
  • Thin Metal Spatula: A wide flat metal spatula helps lift the cookies off the baking sheet without damaging the edges and keep the hot cookies from breaking when transferring them to the cooling rack.
  • Spritz Cookie Press: A must have for making tradition Spritz Cookies for Christmas.
  • Christmas Cookie Boxes: Planning a cookie exchange or love to share your Christmas cookies? Cookie Gift Boxes are perfect to keep the cookies from getting crushed.
A cooling rack filled with freshly baked candied cherries topped butter cookies for Christmas.
Candied Cherry Butter Cookies

Candied Cherry Butter Cookies

German Spritz Cookie dough can be use to make the most amazing buttery cookies that are topped with a candied cherry.

These cookies are so good you will have to hide them.

Seriously, I had to hide the candied cherry butter cookies from my husband so I could take some of these pictures.

Serving plate of butter cookies that have been decorated with chopped nuts and sprinkles
German Butter Cookies

How to decorate Spritz Cookies

Spritz cookies are delicious and you could eat them any time of the year without decorating them.

But since it is Christmastime it is so satisfying to be able to serve a pretty serving platter of gorgeous Christmas cookies.

If you want to decorate these easy to make traditional German butter cookies I have two very simple but amazing ways to decorate Spritz cookies without breaking the band.

a tray of chocolate dipped butter cookies as the melted chocolate hardens
Chocolate Dipped Christmas Cookies

Step 1: One way to decorate these butter cookies is to press them out into a flower shape with a Spritz Cookie Press and push a half of a candied cherry down into the middle.

Step 2: Secondly, you can melt a small bowl of chocolate chips and dip one end of the Ribbon Spritz Cookie into the melted chocolate. You can then sprinkle the melted chocolate with chopped nuts or Christmas sprinkles for a festive look.

More Christmas Cookie Recipes

Check out my other Christmas cookie recipes below.

  • red, green and white Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies decorated with a powdered sugar glaze and Christmas sprinkles
    Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies
  • Cherry Blossom Cookies on a pink glass cookie stand.
    Cherry Blossom Cookies
  • A plate of decorated Almond Spritz Cookies
    Almond Spritz Cookies Recipe
  • Christmas Sandwich Cookies
    Christmas Sandwich Cookies

Email questions or recipe requests to flouronmyface@gmail.com. Follow me on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

A holiday plate with a variety of German Christmas cookies made with a German Spritz Cookies recipe

German Spritz Cookies Recipe (Spritzgebäck)

Arlene Mobley - Flour On My Face
German Spritz Cookies Recipe or Spritzgebäck as they are called in German are a traditional German butter cookie made at Christmas. These buttery cookies are made with ground almonds or hazel nuts and have a delicious nutty flavor. 
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Total Time 27 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Servings 60 Small Cookies
Calories 78 kcal

Equipment

  • Food Processor
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Hand Mixer
  • Aluminum Cookie Sheets
  • Cookie Press
  • Spatula
  • Wire Cooling Racks

Ingredients  

  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 oz almonds (finely ground)
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used my homemade vanilla extract)
  • candied cherries (optional)
  • 1 cup chocolate chips or candy melts (optional)
  • ¼ cup chopped nuts (optional)
  • Christmas sprinkles (optional)
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Instructions 

  • Cream the butter in a large bowl.
  • Add the granulated sugar and beat until creamy.
  • Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat for 1 minute.
  • Add ½ the flour and half of the ground almonds to the bowl. Beat the flour and ground almonds in to the sugar and butter mixture.
  • Add the remaining flour and ground almonds and beat until the mixer can no longer handle the thick batter.
  • Switch to using a wooden spoon and mix until the batter is evenly combined.
  • Fill a cookie press with dough and press the cookies out onto an ungreased aluminum baking sheet.
  • Bake in a preheated 350 F. degrees. for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden. 
  • Remove cookies from the oven and cool cookies on a baking rack for 5 minutes. After five minutes using a thin metal spatula remove the cookies from the baking sheet and cool completely on a cooling rack.

Video

Recipe Expert Tips

Decorating Cookies
  • German Spritz Cookies can be made into many different shapes when you use a cookie press to form the cookie dough. You can also make these cookies into the traditional S-shape by pressing the buttery Christmas cookie dough through a large bag with a piping tip.
  • One way to decorate these butter cookies is to press them out into a flower shape with a Spritz Cookie Press and push a half of a candied cherry down into the middle.
  • The second way is to melt chocolate chips and dip one end of the ribbon spritz cookie into the melted chocolate. You can then sprinkle the melted chocolate with chopped nuts or Christmas sprinkles for a festive look.

Nutrition

Serving: 1CookieCalories: 78kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 28mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 99IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Share a picture on Instagram and tag @flouronmyface2

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About Arlene Mobley

Arlene Mobley author of Flour On My Face-a Food & Lifestyle website helping busy families get dinner on the table by serving easy recipes every week.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. LB

    February 02, 2021 at 10:46 pm

    Hi, is it just 1 egg please? The list of ingredients does not mention egg. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Arlene Mobley

      February 03, 2021 at 10:02 am

      Hi Laura yes one egg. Sorry for that. I updated the recipe card.

      Reply
  2. Gail H

    December 10, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    Sorry for the obvious question - how do I grind the nuts that fine? Or is that almond flour you can buy?

    Reply
    • Arlene Mobley

      December 11, 2019 at 12:18 am

      Hi Gail I used a food processor to grind the nuts. I don't think almond flour would work the same it is ground much finer. You could probably also use a coffee bean grinder.

      Reply
5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Cherry Butter Cookies on a cookie sheet.
A cookie plate piled high with German Spritz cookies, also known as Butter cookies

Hi, I'm Arlene Mobley the cook & photographer here at Flour On My Face. I have been cooking for my family for over 40 years. I love sharing recipes to help busy families get dinner on the table.

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Cherry Butter Cookies on a cookie sheet.
A cookie plate piled high with German Spritz cookies, also known as Butter cookies

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