Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies

This Christmas cookie recipe is a classic (with a little Rachel Cooks twist, of course!). I make these spritz cookies every year and tuck them away in the freezer for upcoming Christmas events.

Easy Spritz Cookies

Unpretentious. A cookie press does all the fancy work here. These cream cheese spritz cookies are actually very simple cookies with basic baking ingredients found in almost everyone’s kitchen: butter, sugar, vanilla extract, egg, and flour. The cookies taste a lot like a shortbread cookie: buttery, tender, and not terribly sweet. Enjoy them while you’re sipping on your own homemade egg nog! 

“Secret” ingredients. I add a block of cream cheese to the dough to make these spritz cookies extra tender and a little bit tangy. A dash of nutmeg is another ingredient that sets these cookies apart from grocery store cookies. I always add it to my sugar cookie cut-outs, too.

A recipe that kids love to make. Now that my kids are a little older, they love to make these cookies. (When they were younger, I admit that I didn’t have the patience to enjoy having them “help”.) The texture of the dough is a little like Play-Doh and squeezing the dough through the press using the different discs is actually pretty fun! We like to try all of the discs, of course, just to see how the cookies turn out.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter: You’ll need 1 cup of butter, which is 2 sticks. I always use unsalted (sweet) butter for baking. It’s important to soften the butter before making the cookie dough. Take it out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you start. To tell if it’s soft enough, press it lightly with your finger. You should be able to easily make an indentation but the butter should still hold its shape. It shouldn’t be melted or greasy-looking.
• Cream cheese: Choose the right type of cream cheese. The recipe calls for an 8 oz. block of regular cream cheese. Don’t substitute reduced-fat, Neufchâtel, cream cheese spread, or whipped cream cheese because it will make the cookie dough too soft.
• Sugar: You’ll need a cup of white granulated sugar. These cookies are not overly sweet.
• All-Purpose Flour: Use regular flour that you normally bake with. Avoid adding too much flour which will make your cookie dough too dry. Measure the flour carefully by scooping it out of the canister or bag into a measuring cup. Level the flour off with a straight edge (don’t shake it down to level it) to avoid compacting the flour.
• Egg: Separate the egg white from the egg yolk because you only need to use the egg yolk for this recipe. If you add the whole egg, the dough will be too soft.
• Vanilla extract: The warm flavor of vanilla is added to many baked goods. Buy a quality extract, not imitation vanilla.
• Nutmeg: You can purchase nutmeg that’s already ground or you can buy whole nutmegs which have a fresher flavor. Use a microplane to grate the nutmeg.
• Colored sugar: I like to sprinkle colored decorator’s sugar on the cookies before baking them to add festive touch. It’s a fast and easy way to decorate cookies.

Helpful Tips

Choose the correct cream cheese. As I mentioned above, full-fat regular cream cheese is the best choice for this recipe. Other types of cream cheese are too soft, resulting in a soft dough that won’t hold its shape.

Soften the butter and cream cheese. If either item is still chilled and hard, it will be very difficult to blend it smoothly with the sugar. Take both out of the refrigerator at least an hour ahead of time, more if your kitchen is cool. I find that butter takes longer to soften than cream cheese. If you are short on time, chop them into small pieces and spread the pieces apart slightly. The smaller chunks will soften more quickly than a solid block.

Don’t chill the dough. This recipe works better if the dough is not chilled. If the dough is too firm, you won’t be able to push it through the cookie press.

Avoid slippery cookie sheets. You may be used to lining your baking pans with parchment paper when you make cookies. That’s a no-no with spritz cookies. When. you squeeze the dough out of the press, the shaped dough has to be able to cling to the cookie sheet in order to release from the press. Both nonstick baking sheets parchment paper are just too slippery to work well. For the same reason, don’t grease the cookie sheets either.

Fun Recipe Variations

• Add different flavors. Instead of vanilla extract, try a different extract. I like to vary it up with almond extract or lemon extract. If you choose peppermint extract, use less. A quarter teaspoon will likely be enough because peppermint can be overpowering.
• Color the dough. Stir food coloring into the dough to make these cookies festive colors. I prefer gel or paste food coloring because the liquid food coloring may make the dough too wet.
• Add chocolate. Dip the tops of the cookies into melted chocolate or drizzle chocolate on top of the cookies for extra decadence. You can add sprinkles or colored sugar to the chocolate immediately after dipping the cookies.

Storage Tips

Cool cookies completely before storing in an airtight container. Cream cheese spritz cookies will keep well for up to 2 weeks on the counter or in a cool place. They can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for at least a month.

Make ahead tip: Get a head start in your baking! You can bake spritz cookies well in advance of the holidays and freeze the cookies until you need them. I also like to keep a log of slice and bake cookie dough in the freezer, too, like these crispy sand tart cookies, for easy last minute baking.