Cream Cheese Spritz Cookie Recipe (2024)

Christmas, , Holidays, Recipes ·

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It’s a holiday tradition in the TCL household to bake this most delicious Cream Cheese Spritz Cookie Recipe. I make mine with lemon zest or almond extract, lots of butter and of course cream cheese. They almost have a shortbread taste that makes them the most addicting Christmas cookie I make. Almost as addicting at my Dad’s famous Peanut Butter Fudge.
Cream Cheese Spritz Cookie Recipe (1)

Cream Cheese Spritz Cookie Recipe

Spritz cookies are a Christmas classic cookie recipe using my favorite ingredients, butter, and cream cheese! Using a cookie press with all the different plate templates is how you make all the different shapes.

I remember being mesmerizedby the cookie press and its different shapes. I would study the packaging which showed eachdisc and what shape it would make. My favorite cookie press was an old metal one I found at a garage sale years ago and somehow, I must have misplaced it. So I bought a new one and I hate it. I’ll be investing in a new one soon.

Cream Cheese Spritz Cookie Recipe (2)

This year I made the tree shape with green sprinkles and two other shapes that look like snowflakes and poinsettias after I added the colored sugar crystals.

How to Make Cream Cheese Spritz Christmas Cookies

Supplies needed

  1. Following the recipe, one of my secrets is to really cream together the butter and cream cheese so it’s really smooth.
  2. After you’ve mixed up your cookie batter, this is when you need to decide if you want to make colored shapes, like green Christmas trees. If the answer is yes, then divide your batter and mix in the color desired.
  3. Form cookie dough into log shapes and fill the cookie press. If the dough is too warm, you may have issues with it releasing from the press. This is when I place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  4. Press cookies onto your cookie sheet.
  5. I have found the most success by pressing and lifting directly up. The cookie should have stuck to the pan.
  6. Before baking, sprinkle for color.

Cream Cheese Spritz Cookie Recipe (3)

Can you make spritz cookies without a cookie press?

Yes! Drop Spritz Cookies are just as tasty. Although they are traditionally made using a cookie press, you can skip that step and just scoop by the spoonfuls directly onto your cookie sheet and bake accordingly.

Cream Cheese Spritz Cookie Recipe (4)

Cream Cheese Spritz Cookie Recipe

Yield: 4 doz

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies are a holiday tradition. This classic Christmas cookie will melt in your mouth.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 1 (3oz) package softened cream cheese
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cream butter and cream cheese together. I use a mixer to get it as smooth as possible.
  3. Add sugar, mixing until light and fluffy.
  4. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon peel and mix well.
  5. Gradually add flour and salt to cream together.
  6. Shape dough into small logs to place into cookie press.
  7. Press onto an ungreased cookie sheet or line with a baking mat.
  8. If you're having difficulty with the shapes, try chilling your dough for about 30 min before pressing.
  9. Baking time is 12 min.

Notes

- If you want to make green trees or any other colored shapes, separate the dough and add food coloring before pressing.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 48Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 77Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 55mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram


Cream Cheese Spritz Cookie Recipe (9)

Other flavors for Spritz Cookies

A popular flavor choice is using almond extract. I’ve also used orange zest instead of lemon. You can make gingerbread spritzcookies or even chocolate spritz by adding cocoa. It’s a pretty versatile holiday cookie recipe. Just google with your flavor idea.Cream Cheese Spritz Cookie Recipe (10)

What is the difference between Spritz and Shortbread Cookies?

Spritz cookiesare tender and have an enriched dough. You can take mostspritz cookieandshortbreadrecipes and side by side the onlydifferencein ingredients is a single egg. … The egg inspritz cookiesmakes thecookiedough more pliable and therefore easy to shape into a number of designs” The Kitchn

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Be sure to pin this Cream Cheese Spritz Cookie Recipe, because it will no doubt become one of your holiday favorites.

If you make these, please take a photo and tag me on Instagram! @TodaysCreativeLife – I’d love to see your creations!

Follow along onInstagram | Pinterest | Facebook

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FAQs

What is the difference between a spritz cookie and a butter cookie? ›

What is the difference between spritz and butter cookies? These cookies are nearly identical, except for one ingredient: egg. Egg makes the Spritz cookie dough a bit easier to work with, but it also helps the cookies keep their shape when baked.

Why won t my spritz cookies come out of the press? ›

Too cold and it won't release, too warm and your cookies may lose their shape. If you find the dough has gotten too warm, put it in the fridge for a couple minutes until it's at the right consistency. Once your dough is ready, simply roll it into a log shape. This will make it much easier to load into the press.

Why are my spritz cookies tough? ›

Simply adding the flour to the stand mixer and beating it in runs the risk of overdeveloping gluten and giving you a tough or dense cookie (not what you want after all that work with the creaming). Instead, the best method is to add the flour and mix it in by hand, stopping as soon as no dry flour remains.

When making spritz cookies do you decorate before or after baking? ›

If you decide to use icing make sure the cookies are cooled completely before decorating them and don't add any sprinkles before baking. This spritz cookies recipe bakes quickly so keep an eye on them, you don't want them to brown they should just be starting to turn ever so slightly golden at the edges.

What is the best cookie sheet for spritz cookies? ›

Insulated Cookie Sheets

Pros: Cookie sheets are insulated to prevent the bottoms of the cookies from browning too much or too quickly and are ideal for when you're baking thin or delicate cookies, or treats should be lightly colored, such as spritz cookies and shortbread.

Why do my spritz cookies taste like flour? ›

Generally that floury taste can be attributed to several things. Too much flour, bad recipe, improper mixing or underbaking, but the most common culprit is too much flour. Too much flour is most usually caused by scooping with the measuring cup and is probably the most common kitchen mistake made today.

Should you use parchment paper when baking spritz cookies? ›

No do not use parchment paper and do not grease the cookie sheet either. Spritz are butter cookies so they need something grippy to grip onto. And since there is so much butter in the recipe they come off the cookie sheet very easily.

Should I use parchment paper for spritz cookies? ›

Begin with cool, ungreased cookie sheets. You can even skip parchment paper or a silicone mat, which may encourage spreading. Keep it simple.

What is the trick to using a cookie press? ›

Here are some tips whether you're using a manual or electric cookie press.
  1. Allow sufficient time. ...
  2. Use only cookie press recipes. ...
  3. Don't grease your cookie sheet. ...
  4. Remove air from the press. ...
  5. Hold the press flat on the baking sheet. ...
  6. Don't overload the cookies. ...
  7. Practice. ...
  8. Pause before lifting.
Oct 30, 2019

What consistency should spritz cookie dough be? ›

*Perfect spritz dough has a soft malleable texture that is not too sticky or stiff. Creamed butter and sugar is the foundation of great spritz cookies.

Why did my spritz cookies spread in the oven? ›

Warm Cookie Sheets

If you're batch baking your cookies, make sure you're placing cookie dough on cooled cookie sheets. If the cookie sheets are too warm, they can cause the cookies to spread.

Why are my spritz cookies going flat? ›

Sugar is solid at room temperature, but it liquefies when heated. If you're heavy-handed when measuring, that extra sugar means extra liquid and more spread when baking in the oven. Using too little flour could lead to flat cookies, too.

What's the difference between shortbread and Spritz? ›

Spritz cookies are tender and have an enriched dough.

You can take most spritz cookie and shortbread recipes and side by side the only difference in ingredients is a single egg. An egg doesn't seem like anything extraordinary, but in a recipe with only four other ingredients, that single egg changes a lot.

How do you get decorations to stick to spritz cookies? ›

Decorating spritz cookies jimmies, sugars or nonpareils.

If you add sprinkles after baking the cookie dough your sprinkles will not stick to your cookies without using melted candy or icing. Oftentimes, shaped sprinkles will melt in the oven so sticking with jimmies, sugar and nonpareils are best.

Why is it called a spritz cookie? ›

The name spritz comes from the German word spritzen, meaning "to squirt" because the soft dough is squirted or pushed through a cookie press to make fancy designs. Butter is responsible for the tender, rich texture and flavor of these incredible cookies.

What is the difference between a spritz cookie and a shortbread cookie? ›

Spritz cookies are tender and have an enriched dough.

You can take most spritz cookie and shortbread recipes and side by side the only difference in ingredients is a single egg. An egg doesn't seem like anything extraordinary, but in a recipe with only four other ingredients, that single egg changes a lot.

Why are they called butter cookies? ›

Butter cookies, also known as Danish butter cookies, are cookies originating in Denmark consisting of butter, flour, and sugar. They are similar to shortbread cookies. The butter cookie is often categorized as a "crisp cookie" due to its texture, caused in part by the quantity of butter and sugar.

What is the difference between spritz and sugar cookies? ›

What are the differences between spritz cookie dough and sugar cookie dough? Mainly texture. Sugar cookie dough is firm enough to be rolled out and cut. Spritz dough has to be soft enough to extrude through a press.

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