Danish Butter Cookies Recipe: Easy Homemade Holiday Cookies

Danish Butter Cookies Recipe

Every holiday season, the smell of butter and vanilla tells me it is finally cookie time. These homemade Danish butter cookies are the ones I bring to every cookie exchange, and they rarely make it home.

They bake up crisp on the outside with a soft, tender center, then part of each cookie gets dipped in melted chocolate and finished with sprinkles for that classic festive look.

If you have ever made spritz cookies, you are already close. This recipe is very similar to my Almond Spritz Cookies, with one small change that matters.

A couple of teaspoons of milk go into the dough to make it easier to pipe, and that small amount of liquid turns a stiff cookie dough into one that flows smoothly through a piping bag while still holding a swirl.

The dough comes together quickly with butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, and salt, so nothing here is fussy. What makes these cookies feel special is the shape and the finish. A 2 inch swirl, a glossy chocolate dip, and a scatter of sprinkles turn a simple butter cookie into something that looks like it came from a bakery tin.

I like to mix a double batch when my bowls are already dirty, because these cookies freeze well and travel well to potlucks, church bake sales, and neighborhood gatherings. One batch makes 22 cookies, which fills a small tin and scales up easily when you need more for a crowd.

If you have been searching for a butter cookie that keeps its shape, tastes rich, and looks dressed up with very little effort, start right here. These are the cookies I hand out first, and they always come back on an empty plate.

How to make it

Set out your butter and egg ahead of time so both are at room temperature. Cold butter will not cream properly, and cold dough is much harder to pipe.

Step 1. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream together 1 cup butter and ⅔ cup granulated sugar for a few minutes. The mixture should be light and airy.

Step 2. Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix again until well combined.

Step 3. Add 2 cups all purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon salt and mix on low speed until just combined.

Step 4. Add 2 teaspoons milk and mix. The dough should be pipeable but not runny. You can add more milk if needed, but try to use as little milk as possible.

Step 5. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large piping tip.

Step 6. Pipe 2 inch swirls on a baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart. Do not line the sheet with parchment paper.

Step 7. Place the baking sheet with the piped cookies in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes. This extra step helps them keep their shape while baking.

Step 8. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 9. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, until they are golden brown on the sides.

Step 10. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 11. While the cookies cool, prepare the chocolate. You can melt it in a double boiler or in the microwave. Put the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each one.

Step 12. Dip about two thirds of each cookie into the melted chocolate and place it on parchment paper. Decorate with sprinkles and let them dry completely.

The creaming step is worth a few extra minutes. When the butter and sugar turn pale and fluffy, the cookies bake up lighter instead of dense, and the dough pipes far more smoothly. Scrape down the bowl once so nothing gets left behind at the bottom.

For the swirls, hold the piping bag straight above the baking sheet with the tip just touching the surface. Squeeze until the dough builds a ring, then stop the pressure and lift. Piping directly on the metal sheet helps the dough grip the pan, and that grip is what keeps the ridges sharp.

Chilling is the step most people skip, and it is the one that decides whether your swirls stay defined. Cold dough spreads much less in the oven.

One batch makes 22 cookies, so if you are feeding a crowd, pipe two sheets and chill one while the other bakes. Keep an eye on the first tray, since every oven runs a little different.

Tips for Best Results

A wide piping tip does more work here than you might expect. Ateco 849 or Ateco 826 handles a thicker dough without straining your hand, and thicker dough is what holds its shape in the oven. When the dough stays firm, the ridges from the star tip stay visible after baking.

If the only tip in your drawer is a classic Wilton 1M, you can still make these cookies, but you will need to add more milk to thin the dough enough to push it through the smaller opening. That is a lesser option, because a wetter dough spreads more. Expect rounder, flatter cookies rather than tall swirls.

Pipe right onto the baking sheet instead of parchment paper. The dough grips the metal, so the swirls hold their shape instead of sliding or settling while they wait for the oven.

If your dough is too thick to pipe, do not fight it. Scrape it back into the bowl, mix in 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk, refill the piping bag, and try again. A little milk goes a long way, so add it slowly.

Refrigerate the piped cookies before baking. I find that those 15 to 20 minutes in the fridge make all the difference in keeping their shape while baking, and it is an easy step to work in while the oven preheats.

A few more habits that help. Measure your flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off, keep the swirls the same size so they bake evenly, and leave 3 inches between cookies so the hot air can move around them.

Use a shallow bowl for the sprinkles so you can press them on while the chocolate is still wet. The chocolate firms up quickly as it cools, so decorate each cookie right after you dip it.

Cold dough, a wide tip, and a bare baking sheet. Those three habits keep the swirls sharp.

Ingredients

Have everything at room temperature before you start, and remember that this batch makes 22 cookies.

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 3 oz semi sweet or milk chocolate
• 3 tablespoons sprinkles

The milk is the one addition that sets this dough apart from a standard spritz recipe, and it exists purely to make the dough pipeable. For the chocolate, semi sweet or milk chocolate both work, so use what you keep in the pantry.

Instructions

Bake the chilled cookies at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until they are golden brown on the sides. Let them rest on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

Notes

The piping tip you choose shapes the final cookie. A wide tip such as Ateco 849 or Ateco 826 is the best choice, because it moves a thicker dough easily and the cookies keep their shape in the oven. You get defined ridges and a swirl that still stands up after baking.

If you do not own a large tip, a classic Wilton 1M will work, but the dough has to be thinned with more milk to pass through the smaller opening. The trade off is spreading. A looser dough relaxes in the oven and flattens, so those cookies come out wider and lower than the ones made with a wide tip.

Either way, the dough itself stays the same. Use as little milk as possible, chill the piped cookies, and bake them directly on the baking sheet.

Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies keep well for up to one week. For longer storage, let the chocolate set completely, then freeze the cookies for up to three months.

Recipe details

This batch comes together quickly once your butter is soft. The recipe card lists 20 minutes of prep, 15 minutes of baking, and 55 minutes total, which leaves room for the chill time in the fridge.

Each cookie comes in around 148 calories, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of fat, and 7 grams of sugar.

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Danish Butter Cookies

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Danish Butter Cookies Recipe Every holiday season, the smell of butter and vanilla tells me it is finally cookie time. These homemade Danish butter cookies are the ones I bring to every cookie exchange, and they rarely make it home.

• Total Time: 55 min
• Yield: 22 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons milk
3 oz semi-sweet or milk chocolate
3 tablespoons sprinkles

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Instructions

1-Using a stand mixer with a paddle: Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer, cream together 1 cup butter and ⅔ cup granulated sugar for a few minutes. The mixture should be light and airy.
2-Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla: Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix it again until well combined.
3-Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and ¼: Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and ¼ tsp salt and mix on low speed until just combined.
4-Add 2 teaspoons milk and mix: Add 2 teaspoons milk and mix. The dough should be a pipeable consistency but not runny. You can add more milk if needed, but try to use as little milk as possible.
5-Transfer the dough to a piping bag: Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a large piping tip.
6-Pipe 2-inch swirls on a baking sheet: Pipe 2-inch swirls on a baking sheet (don’t use parchment paper!), 3 inches apart.
7-Place the baking sheet with piped cookies: Place the baking sheet with piped cookies in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. This extra step will help them keep their shape while baking.
8-Preheat the oven to 350°F: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
9-Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes: Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until they are golden brown on the sides.
10-When done, remove from the oven and: When done, remove from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool off completely.
11-While they are cooling off, we can: While they are cooling off, we can prepare the chocolate. You can melt it on a double boiler or in a microwave. Put the chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl and microwave in 20 seconds increments, stirring after each increment.
12-Dip ⅔ of the cookies into melted: Dip ⅔ of the cookies into melted chocolate and place on a parchment paper. Decorate with sprinkles and let them dry off completely.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 148kcal
• Sugar: 7g
• Sodium: 31mg
• Fat: 9g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Carbohydrates: 16g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 2g
• Cholesterol: 30mg