There’s something utterly delightful about buttery, tender cookies that melt in your mouth—especially when they’re spritzed into charming little shapes. This Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe combines a rich cream cheese base with that classic spritz cookie charm to make treats that are both flavorful and fun to decorate. Trust me, these will quickly become a favorite on your cookie plate!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This recipe holds a special place in my heart because it’s that perfect balance of buttery richness and subtle tang from the cream cheese. Plus, spritz cookies are such a nostalgic treat, but this twist takes them to a whole new level of moistness and flavor. Once you try it, you’ll understand why I keep coming back to it—especially around the holidays.
- Buttery and Tender: The cream cheese adds moisture that gives the cookies a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture you don’t get with ordinary spritz cookies.
- Easy to Customize: You can play with colors, shapes, and toppings, making these perfect for every occasion—birthday parties, holidays, or just an afternoon treat.
- Simple Ingredients: You probably have everything in your pantry already, so no need for a special run to the store.
- No Chilling Required: Skip the long wait times that most spritz cookie recipes demand—you can pipe and bake right away!
Ingredients & Why They Work
Each ingredient in this Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe plays an important role in the flavor and texture. Here are some quick tips and why they’re ideal for this cookie:
- Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter lets you control the saltiness, and the butter gives the cookies their classic richness and tender crumb.
- Cream cheese: This is the star that keeps these cookies moist and adds that signature tangy flavor that balances the sweetness perfectly.
- Granulated sugar: Provides sweetness and helps with the cookie’s structure and browning.
- Egg yolk: Adds richness and helps bind everything together smoothly without drying the dough out.
- Orange zest: A fresh aroma and subtle citrus zing that elevates the flavor beyond the ordinary.
- Vanilla extract: Classic flavor enhancer that deepens the overall taste.
- Kosher salt: Just a pinch to balance sweetness and bring out the flavors.
- All-purpose flour: The base for structure; just the right amount keeps the dough pliable for piping and holds the shape baked.
- Colored sugars, sprinkles, gel food coloring: Fun decoration options that let you personalize the cookies for the season or your mood.
Make It Your Way
I love that this recipe is a blank canvas for creativity. You can easily divide the dough into different bowls and tint them with gel food coloring for a colorful cookie platter. Or skip the orange zest if you prefer a more classic vanilla cookie. The dough holds up well to all kinds of spritz shapes, so pick your favorite cookie press designs and have fun!
- Variation: One of my favorite tweaks is swapping the orange zest for lemon zest—it gives the cookies a bright, summery twist that’s refreshing and unexpected.
- Dietary Tip: For a slightly lighter version, try half butter and half cream cheese, but I find full butter keeps them tenderest.
- Seasonal Fun: Add festive colored sugars or sprinkles to match holidays like red & green for Christmas or pastels for Easter.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Cream the Butter, Cream Cheese, and Sugar
First things first, get that butter and cream cheese softened—room temp is best. Using your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar on medium speed. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything blends evenly. This step really lays the groundwork for soft, tender cookies, so take your time here.
Step 2: Add the Egg Yolk, Zest, Vanilla, and Salt
Now add the egg yolk, orange zest, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Mix again for about a minute until combined and fragrant. The zest adds an amazing fresh note, so if you haven’t tried spritz cookies with citrus before, get ready for a nice surprise!
Step 3: Incorporate the Flour and Optional Coloring
Next, add the flour in two batches to prevent a floury cloud—mix slowly at first, then mix just until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix here; you want the dough to be smooth but not tough. If you want to play with color, now’s the time to add gel food coloring. You can add it directly to the whole dough or split it into portions for multiple colors. Mixing the color in at this stage keeps the dough pliable and ready for the cookie press.
Step 4: Pipe Your Cookies and Decorate
Fit your cookie press with your favorite shape and start piping directly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave about an inch of space between cookies so they don’t stick together as they bake. Decorate them with colored sugars or sprinkles immediately so they stick in the oven. If you don’t have a cookie press, a large star-tip pastry bag works wonders too.
Step 5: Bake and Cool
Bake at 325°F for 10-12 minutes—keep a close eye after 10 to make sure they don’t brown; these cookies are best lightly baked without color change. Let them cool on the sheet pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cooling this way prevents breaking. Pro tip: If you’re baking multiple batches, cool your pans completely between batches to avoid spreading.
Top Tip
From my experience, mastering spritz cookies takes a little patience but a few key tricks made all the difference for me. Once you get the hang of the dough consistency and baking time, these will become your go-to cookies for every occasion.
- Butter & Cream Cheese Temperature: Make sure both are at room temp—not warm, just soft enough for easy mixing—to get a smooth, airy dough.
- Don’t Overmix the Flour: Mix on slow speed and stop as soon as the flour is just combined to keep the cookies tender, not dense.
- Cookie Press or Pastry Bag: Whether you use your cookie press or a pastry bag, practice piping a few shapes on parchment before baking to get comfortable with pressure and speed.
- Baking Temperature is Key: Keep it at 325°F; higher temps make the cookies spread too much or brown too quickly, ruining their pretty shapes.
How to Serve Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I love sprinkling colored sugars on top right after piping, so they stick well during baking and add that festive sparkle. Sometimes I add tiny nonpareils or edible glitter for birthdays—it’s an instant wow factor! For a little extra flair, drizzling melted white chocolate over cooled cookies tastes amazing and looks stunning.
Side Dishes
Serve your spritz cookies with a simple cup of tea or coffee—the subtle citrus and cream cheese flavors pair perfectly with a milky latte or a bright green tea. For a holiday party, I like offering them alongside a vibrant fruit salad or light lemon sorbet to balance the richness.
Creative Ways to Present
One year, I arranged a platter in a rainbow pattern using different dough colors—it was such a crowd-pleaser! Another fun idea is making mini ice cream sandwich cookies with spritz cookies as the “bread,” filled with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for a cool treat. Wrapping individual cookies in clear bags tied with a ribbon makes for a charming gift.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once completely cooled, I store these cookies in an airtight container layered with parchment paper to keep them from sticking together. They stay fresh and tender for up to a week, so they’re perfect for making ahead of parties or gifting.
Freezing
I’ve frozen both the raw dough and baked cookies. For dough, pipe the shapes on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. When you want fresh cookies, bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to baking time. Baked cookies freeze well too—just thaw at room temperature.
Reheating
If your cookies soften after storing, a quick 3-4 minute warm-up in a 300°F oven revives them to that just-baked crispness. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t brown or dry out.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can use regular full-fat cream cheese, which works best for this recipe by giving rich flavor and moisture. Neufchâtel could be substituted but may slightly change texture due to lower fat content.
No chilling needed! This Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe is designed to be piped and baked right away, which saves you time and still results in cookies that hold their shape beautifully.
Absolutely! Almond extract is a great alternative if you want a slightly nutty, aromatic twist. Use it sparingly—about half the amount of vanilla—to keep the flavor balanced.
For fun and easy decorating, sprinkle colored sugars or nonpareils right after piping so they stick during baking. You can also drizzle melted chocolate after cooling for a polished look. Just avoid decorating too heavily, as it can weigh down delicate cookie shapes.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, this Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe has been a game-changer in my baking routine. They’re straightforward enough to whip up on a busy day but special enough to impress friends and family. The cream cheese twist keeps them irresistibly tender, and the endless decorating possibilities turn cookie making into a creative celebration. Give these a try—you’ll love the way they make your kitchen smell and your cookie jar look.
Print
Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 48 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delightful and buttery cream cheese spritz cookies, perfect for holidays and special occasions. These tender cookies are flavored with orange zest and vanilla, decorated with colorful sugars or sprinkles, and made easy with a cookie press or pastry bag.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 8 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Decorations
- Colored sugars
- Sprinkles
- Gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it's ready for baking the cookies at the right temperature.
- Cream Butter, Cream Cheese, and Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again to ensure an even blend.
- Add Egg Yolk and Flavorings: Add the egg yolk, orange zest, vanilla extract, and kosher salt to the bowl. Mix again for about one minute until well combined. Scrape the bowl sides once more to incorporate all ingredients.
- Incorporate Flour: Add half of the all-purpose flour to the mixture and blend at a slow speed to prevent flour from flying out. Then add the remaining flour and mix just until incorporated. If desired, divide dough and add gel food coloring to create colored dough.
- Shape Cookies: Using a cookie press with your chosen design, pipe the dough onto sheet pans leaving at least an inch between cookies to allow for spreading. Alternatively, use a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip to pipe dough shapes. Decorate with colored sugars or sprinkles as desired.
- Bake: Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and edges are firm but not browned. If baking multiple batches, let sheet pans cool completely before piping the next batch to prevent spreading.
- Cool: Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 2 minutes after baking, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- For softer cookies, do not overbake; remove as soon as they are set and not browned.
- If you don’t have a cookie press, a pastry bag with a star tip works well for piping shapes.
- Gel food coloring can be added to the dough for festive multi-colored cookies.
- Letting the cookie sheets cool between batches helps maintain cookie shape and prevents excessive spreading.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week for best freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 90 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
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