There’s nothing quite like homemade butter cookies that melt in your mouth. They’re tender, soft, and richly buttery — practically impossible to stop at just one.
These cookies are not only delicious but surprisingly simple to prepare. A handful of pantry ingredients and either a cookie press or a piping bag with a large open star tip are all you need to turn out dozens of delicate cookies.
Use a cookie press if you want consistent shapes and a larger yield, or pipe the dough with a star tip for a classic swirled look — the method my mother favored.
Making Homemade Butter Cookies
Start by bringing the butter to room temperature so it creams easily. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and salt until the mixture is light and fluffy. This aeration gives the cookies their tender texture.
Next, add the egg and the extracts. This recipe uses both vanilla and almond extracts for a subtle, layered flavor that elevates the simple cookie dough.
Finally, stir in the all-purpose flour and mix just until everything is combined. If you’d like a festive touch, you can tint portions of the dough with red or green food coloring. For a chocolate variation, fold in 1 ounce of melted, cooled unsweetened chocolate.
To shape the cookies, either pack the dough into a cookie press or transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip — Wilton 1M or Ateco 826/827 work well. Pipe small rounds onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms are lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container; they stay fresh for several days and also freeze well, making them perfect for preparing ahead of holiday gatherings.
Recipe
Homemade Butter Cookies
15 mins
15 mins
30 mins
72 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets or leave them ungreased.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and salt until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour and mix until combined. Optionally divide and tint the dough with red or green food coloring.
- Pack dough into a cookie press or fill a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (for example, Wilton 1M or Ateco 826/827).
- Pipe rounds or press cookies onto the baking sheets. Bake 12–15 minutes, until the bottoms and edges are lightly golden.
- Let cookies rest a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Using a cookie press produces more uniform cookies and a higher yield — often up to six dozen.
For a chocolate version, stir in 1 ounce of melted and cooled unsweetened chocolate.
Nutrition
Calling all Cookie Monsters
If you enjoy baking cookies, try other favorites from the same collection for more variety and inspiration.
- Italian Spumoni Cookies
- Brown Sugar Praline Cookies
- Chocolate Cutout Cookies
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
- Molasses Crinkles
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