Easy to make and fun to eat, cream cheese spritz cookies are a Christmas classic that are a fantastic addition to any cookie platter.
I’m finally coming through with a Christmas cookie recipe, and it’s a classic. With a little Rachel Cooks twist, of course! I tuck these away in the freezer for all the upcoming Christmas events.
You’ll need a cookie press for this recipe – I’ve had mine forever but only use it at Christmas. This is the one I have and I have no complaints about it, but there are a lot of different brands to choose from.
Beyond the cookie press, these cream cheese spritz cookies are very simple. Lots of butter, full-fat cream cheese, sugar, flour. Paula Deen would be proud. You have to eat them while you’re sipping on your own homemade egg nog!
I add my own twist by sprinkling in some nutmeg. I adore the flavor that nutmeg gives to otherwise simple cookies. I always add it to my sugar cookie cut-outs. The nutmeg is what sets these apart from cookies you buy at the grocery store. It’s the ingredient that will have people asking for the recipe after they try one of these cookies.
Spritz cookies also a super fun cookie to have the kids help with because of the press and sprinkling on the sugar. I didn’t have my kids help because I’m the worst type-A mom ever, but for a mom (or dad!) with patience in the kitchen I’m sure it would be fun.
Fun twists on these Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies:
- Add different extracts instead of vanilla. Try peppermint (1/4 teaspoon will likely be enough, it’s potent), almond, or lemon.
- Add food coloring to make these cookies festive colors!
- Dip into chocolate for extra decadence.
Enjoy these fun cookies! Did I mention that they freeze beautifully? Cool them completely and store in an airtight container for up to a month. Take some of the pressure off by doing a little baking well in advance. I 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.
More great Christmas cookie recipes:
Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies for Christmas
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2sticks)
- 1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened (full-fat is best)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- decorator's sugar, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer and cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light in color and fluffy.
- Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Add flour, nutmeg, and salt and stir until all ingredients are combined.
- Using a cookie press, press the cookies out onto (unlined) baking sheets about an inch apart from each other. If desired, sprinkle with colored decorator's sugar.
- Bake for 15 minutes -- they will still be light in color when baked.
Notes
- Don't use parchment paper lined baking sheets for this recipe as it will make it very difficult to use the cookie press.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
sounds easier than a recipe I used in the past.
Awesome!
My mother made canisters and canisters of a very similar recipe every Christmas when I was a child. I made this recipe for the first time this past December (as my mother’s recipe has somehow disappeared) and they brought back a very happy memory. I just made a batch of hearts for Valentines Day. Thank you so much!
I love how food is tied to memories! Thank you for sharing that with me.
I just made this recipe. I was able to make 10 cookies but once I reloaded the cookie press I had a problem with the dough appearing to be gummy and thick which would not allow the dough to express.
What could have happened?
Hmm, it could be the dough got too soft and sticky. Was it quite warm in your kitchen?
The same thing happen to me. But it wasn’t that warm in the kitchen. I have no idea how to fix this. The first batch I did get done was tasted wonderful!
Try popping it in the fridge for a bit and see if that helps!
Been making there for years. Always a staple of my Christmas and Work cookie exchange.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe! (I don’t have a cookie press and so I shape them by hand)
So glad you like them! They look great!
I made these for the first time today. They came out great!! I had a bit of trouble with the electric press, so I just pushed the dough out manually, but the recipe was perfect. They stuck to the baking sheet just like they are supposed to. I’m currently living in the EU, in a country that doesn’t have brick style cream cheese. They only have cream cheese in containers, and that type of cream cheese has a higher water content than US brick style. What we have to do, even when making cream cheese frosting , is to add corn starch to the sugar. I’m wondering if those people who’ve had issues with the dough used container style cream cheese vs a block.
Great thought, you might be right!
Im making this recipe tonight, but wanted to comment on when you change the cookie count you want to make. In increments of 30, the amount of butter needed goes from .5 cup for 30, 1 cup for 60, and 1.5 cups for 90 cookies and so on. However, on the same line for butter, as the amount needed goes up .5 cups for 30, the number of sticks of butter never changes. It always stays at 2 sticks.. The same is true for the cream cheese. It alwa stays at 8 oz. This could be causing issues if someone inadvertantly goes by this when they adjust the number of cookies they want to make.
Thanks for pointing it out! That has been fixed. :)
Phenomenal! Just made these today. Came out perfectly!! Glad you said that they will be light when done. I would have baked longer and ruined them. Hubby loves them. I had never made them with cream cheese and I love them too. I also used my mom’s vintage cookie press from the 60s or 70s. She was looking down smiling on me for sure! Thanks Rachel!
I love that you used your mom’s press, how special! Thanks for taking the time to share a photo, they look great!
Great recipe! I had wanted to try these but knew that sometimes they just didn’t work out! Worked beautifully! Merry Christmas!
I’m so glad they were a success for you! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
this recipe did not work for me. the dough was not sticking to my pans at all. all it did was smear all over the cookie press. I have a wiltons cookie press. I follwed the directions to a tee. very disappointed. I also have non stick pans. i was only able to get 2 pans worth which was not a whole lot
I think the nonstick pans might be the problem. The dough needs to kind of stick to the baking sheet in order to come off the press. I’m sorry they weren’t a success for you, I know how frustrating that can be.
Very delicious! No issues with using cookie press. Cookies came out perfect!
So happy to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!