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- December 23, 2022
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One of my favorite cookie recipes! These are my mom’s old-fashioned spritz butter cookies – a recipe that has been in our family for over 30 years! They’re made with a special ingredient – mayonnaise. It’s a unique ingredient but it works so well. These cookies are extra rich, buttery, and melt in your mouth. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea! You can enjoy them plain or garnish them with sprinkles, chocolate, and/or nuts.
These butter cookies are great year-round and are especially great for the holiday season! They make great Christmas cookies.
Watch My Spritz Cookie Video Tutorial
Watch my YouTube butter cookie video tutorial for step-by-step instructions and watch how I make these at home. Want to stay up to date on the latest recipes? Make sure to subscribe to my website email list and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!
Ingredients for Spritz Butter Cookies
Here are my tips for the main ingredients you’ll need to make these delicious butter cookies. Find the full list of ingredients with measurements in the printable recipe card below.
- Unsalted Butter: soften the butter at room temperature for about 30 to 45 minutes, until it’s softened but not melted.
- Mayonnaise: I like to use a creamy, avocado oil-based mayonnaise for the best tasting cookies.
- Vanilla Extract
- White Granulated Sugar
- All-Purpose Flour: pre-sift the flour before adding it into the cookie batter to ensure a smooth mixture.
- Chocolate Melts: these are an optional item you can use for garnishing the cookies.
Need some supplies or tools to make these spritz cookies at home? Shop my Amazon Affiliate links for the items I use in my kitchen and recommend. Using these links won’t cost you extra and I’ll earn a small commission.
- Spritz Cookie Press: makes perfect little cookies with a variety of different shapes.
- Glass Mixing Bowls
- Handheld KitchenAid Mixer: great for smaller baking jobs.
- Chocolate Melts
- Holiday Sprinkles
- Disposable Pastry Bags: you can use a pastry bag instead of the cookie press for shaping the batter.
- Decorating Tips
How to Make Old-Fashioned Spritz Butter Cookies
These spritz cookies are super quick and easy to make! They’re a fun activity for everyone and even little kids can participate. Here’s how to make them.
- Preheat your oven to 325F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Prepare your cookie press, or pastry bags; whichever one you prefer.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugar for a few minutes, until the butter is extra light and fluffy.
- Next, add in the vanilla extract, egg, and mayonnaise. Beat again for a minute, until the egg is well beaten.
- Stir the baking powder into the flour, then add the flour to the batter. Mix until a smooth cookie batter forms. Note: if you’re using a cookie press, add an additional ¼ cup flour (2 cups total).
If you want to make colorful green or red cookies, add concentrated gel food coloring into the cookie batter and mix well.
Using a Cookie Press or Pastry Bags
For Cookie Press: chose your cookie design, insert the cookie disc into the press, then add your batter. Press the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart. If you want to make different designs, don’t add all the batter into the press at once. Add a little at time, then switch out the discs as needed.
For Pastry Bags: if you don’t have a cookie press, a pastry bag tipped with a star tip will work great, too! I used two different tips – French star tip #4 and Ateco tip #847. Divide the cookie batter between your pastry bags, then pipe various designs and shapes on the baking sheet.
If desired, sprinkle some decorative sprinkles or diced nuts over the cookies before baking.
Baking Instructions for Butter Cookies
Bake the spritz butter cookies at 325F, just until they’re slightly golden around the edges; 14 minutes for smaller cookies, up to 18 minutes for larger cookies.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then gently transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Garnishing with Chocolate & Nuts
Once the cookies are cooled, you can garnish them with chocolate, if desired. Melt the chocolate wafers in the microwave until smooth, then dip in the cookies and tap off any excess. If desired, sprinkle some diced nuts over the chocolate before it sets.
Storage Instructions for Cookies
Store the spritz cookies at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 1 week. These are best enjoyed fresh, but you can freeze them for later, too.
More Recipes to Try!
Enjoyed this easy and delicious spritz butter cookie recipe? Check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy!
- Raspberry Pistachio Rogaliki – soft and buttery Polish cookies with raspberry jam and pistachio filling.
- Chocolate Caramel Waffle Cones – crispy waffle cones dipped in chocolate filled with caramel buttercream!
- Sugar Cookies with Raspberry Buttercream: these are great for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day! Heart-shaped cookies with the best raspberry frosting.
- Italian Biscotti Cookies: these are the best! Another recipe from my mom. Crispy, twice-baked cookies with nuts, covered in chocolate.
- Rugelach Rogaliki Cookies: my family’s recipe for fluffy, crescent shaped cookies filled with jam. These are great for Christmas time.
Mom’s Old-Fashioned Spritz Butter Cookies (video)
15 minutes mins prep + 14 minutes mins cook
36 cookies
The best recipe for spritz cookies! Mom's old-fashioned spritz butter cookies, garnished with sprinkles, chocolate and/or nuts.
IngredientsUS Customary – Metric
US Customary – Metric
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Optional Garnishes:
1/2 cup dark chocolate melts
1/4 cup diced pistachios, or other nuts
sprinkles
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325F/163C and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Prepare your cookie press, or pastry bags; whichever one you prefer.
Making the Cookie Batter:
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugar for a few minutes, until the butter is extra light and fluffy.
Next, add in the vanilla extract, egg, and mayonnaise. Beat again for a minute, until the egg is well beaten.
Stir the baking powder into the flour, then add the flour to the batter. Mix until a smooth cookie batter forms.
If you want to make colorful green or red cookies, add concentrated gel food coloring into the cookie batter and mix well.
Pressing the Cookies:
For Cookie Press: chose your cookie design, insert the cookie disc into the press, then add your batter. Press the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart. If you want to make different designs, don’t add all the batter into the press at once. Add a little at time, then switch out the discs as needed.
For Pastry Bags: if you don’t have a cookie press, a pastry bag tipped with a star tip will work great, too! I used two different tips – French star tip #4 and Ateco tip #847. Divide the cookie batter between your pastry bags, then pipe various designs and shapes on the baking sheet.
If desired, sprinkle some decorative sprinkles or diced nuts over the cookies before baking.
Baking Instructions:
Bake the spritz butter cookies at 325F/163C, just until they’re slightly golden around the edges; 14 minutes for smaller cookies, up to 18 minutes for larger cookies.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then gently transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Garnishing & Storing:
Once the cookies are cooled, you can garnish them with chocolate, if desired. Melt the chocolate wafers in the microwave until smooth, then dip in the cookies and tap off any excess. If desired, sprinkle some diced nuts over the chocolate before it sets.
Store the spritz cookies at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 1 week. These are best enjoyed fresh, but you can freeze them for later, too.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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Cuisine:
- American
Holiday:
- Christmas
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20 comments
- Angie
Hi,
Can you substitute the mayonnaise with another ingredient.
Thanks
- Reply
- Dalila
Hi Tatyana! 🌸
A great recipe for butter cookies!
I’m glad you’re sharing your mom’s recipe with us.
These butter cookies will look amazing on our “sweets” table for company.
Seems like not one single person can walk away from cookies in our group.
I’m actually thinking of making a triple batch just to make sure that I get some…LOL!
Have a lovely Christmas with hubby, family and friends!
🎄Merry Christmas!🎄- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi Dalila! Thank you! I hope they’re a huge hit with everyone. Cookies are essential for Christmas!
I would definitely make a triple batch, too! These are so good, they disappear in no time!
Merry Christmas and happy new years!- Reply
- Roshani
Tatyana my cookies spread and flattened while baking. Any idea what I am doing wrong? Should I put them in the fridge to cool before baking?
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi! Sorry that happened! They do spread just a little bit but you can try adding 1/4 cup more flour to thicken the batter.
- Reply
- Vanessa
Can you use regular majonaise instead of the avocado
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi Vanessa! Absolutely. I’ve made this recipe with just about every type of mayo and they all work great. Enjoy! 🙂
- Reply
- Maariyah
Hi Tatyana.
I tried these and they turned out so amazing! I was skeptical about the mayonnaise 😄 but love your recipes so I knew to trust you.
I’ll be making these in bulk for Eid in April hopefully.
Would you recommend freezing the batter to prep in advance or freeze the cookies after they’re baked?
Thanks!- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi Maariyah! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! These are my favorite. The mayo is indeed a strange ingredient but it works!
I think both the dough and the cookies will freeze nicely. Freezing the dough might be more of a hassle since you’ll need to defrost it and the make the cookies. Make sure to keep the cookies very well sealed.- Reply
- Debi Tyler
Hello!
I can not wait to try this festive yummy recipe. I do have one question though. Your recipe calls for a 1/2 cup of butter but in your video it appears to me that you are using a 1/2 stick. So should I use 1/2 stick?
Thank you so much!
Debi from Maryland- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi Debi! I’m so glad you found my recipe. You’ll need 1/2 cup of unsalted butter. Have fun baking and enjoy!
- Reply
- Debi Tyler
Thanks !
- Reply
- Jacqueline
Nice tasting cookies and easy to put together. I used the 1 3/4 C of flour but unfortunately the cookies spread.
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi Jacqueline! So sorry they spread out. Make sure the cookie dough isn’t too warm. You can refrigerate for 30 minutes if it’s too soft. You can also add additional flour; 1 to 3 tablespoons will do the trick!
- Reply
- Mabeline Gidez
Thank you for sharing your recipe and detailed information! I am always worried about how brown the backs of my cookies look. Could you please offer photos of the back of your cookies so I know what to aim for with your next recipe? Thank you in advance!
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi Mabeline! It’s my pleasure. I hope you love the cookies!
I don’t have an image of the back of the cookies; mine are barely golden. You don’t want them to be too dark. Try raising your oven rack to a higher position to prevent them from browning too much. You can also line your baking sheet with a silicon mat, or use aluminum baking sheets. I find that using dark, non-stick pans causes food to dark faster. Hope this helps!- Reply
- K
It says 2C of flour for the standard recipe, then also says to add 1/4C if using a press, for a total of 2C. So is it 2.25C total if using a press or 2C total? Thanks!
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi! I would add the additional 1/4 cup, to total 2 1/4 cups. I find that a slightly thicker cookie batter works better for the press. Enjoy!
- Reply
- Susan McGee
Do they bake up crispy, or what is the texture of these cookies?
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi Susan. No, these will not be super crispy. They get slightly hard on the outside, but still very soft and buttery on the inside. The outside just forms a very thin shell. Enjoy!
- Reply
