Butter Cookies are a classic favorite holiday cookie but they’re also great all year around! Crisp, buttery cookies with melt-in-your-mouth interiors, these are super simple with just 6 ingredients and no chilling required!
These are one of my favorite Christmas cookies, simpler to make than decorated Sugar Cookies and amazing when dipped in dark chocolate (and decorated with sprinkles!).
Crisp on the Outside, Soft on the Inside, Buttery Butter Cookies
These butter cookies are one of the simplest cookies to ever grace the face of my blog and yet they are one of my all-time favorites. Maybe because they’re so easy?
But they’re not just one of my favorites… my mom helps me with my baking and recipe development (and dishes!) almost every day of the week. She and my little sister leave my house with tons and tons of spare desserts, and often dessert fails, too.
So you would think she might want a break from sugar and flour and butter and even cookies when she goes home, but no. The day we finally nailed this butter cookie recipe (and there days and days of fails beforehand), she went home and made herself (and my siblings) another batch of these cookies.
That’s how good these butter cookies are.
And I know that I mentioned they’re easy, but really, 6 basic ingredients (7 if you want to dip them in chocolate, which you do), no chilling, no frills… I think you’re going to love these.
How to Make Butter Cookies
- Cream together butter and sugar.
- Stir in egg, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Gradually stir in flour until completely combined.
- Place half of the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large tip and pipe in a circular design onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I don’t line my baking sheets with parchment paper).
- Bake until edges are just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Allow to cool, then dip in melted chocolate and decorate with sprinkles.
What is the Difference Between Sugar and Butter Cookies?
The biggest difference between sugar cookies and butter cookies is that sugar cookies are often rolled thin and cut out using cookie cutters. While butter cookies will hold their shape while baking, the dough is much softer and for best results should be piped onto a baking sheet and then baked. Butter cookies (probably unsurprisingly) also contain a higher percentage of butter while sugar cookies have a higher flour to butter/fat ratio. Here is my favorite recipe for sugar cookies (and it’s a good one, just check out all those 5 star ratings!).
Shortbread cookies are another similar cookie, they are more crumbly and tender than butter cookies and bake at a lower temperature.
How Long Do Butter Cookies Last?
Butter cookies will keep for up to 2-3 weeks. Be sure to store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tips for Making Butter Cookies
These cookies are simple, but here are a few little tips and tricks to help you on your way!
- Your butter should be softened, but not so soft that it’s melt-y or oily on the outside. I’ll usually set mine outside of the fridge about 45-60 minutes before I begin baking.
- “Regular” butter will work perfectly in this recipe, but I love splurging on European butter for an even better taste! This recipe has so few ingredients that using the best quality really makes a difference!
- Only place about half of your cookie dough in the piping bag at a time. It makes it easier to pipe and less likely that you’ll bust open your piping bag!
- I used the Ateco 827 tip and made these butter cookies into simple swirls. If you make your swirls smaller or larger the cookies will need to bake for less or more time, respectively. Keep an eye on them! Also, if you use a different tip your baking time will vary (and smaller tips will be much harder to squeeze the dough through).
- Dipping your cookies in melted chocolate is optional, but it adds a nice touch. I recommend adding a small bit of shortening to the chocolate to ensure that it’s thin enough so that it dips well and you can still see the details of the cookie. If you use a premium chocolate like Ghirardelli, you can probably get away without adding the shortening, but I’ve found some less expensive chocolate just stays much too thick.
- Placing your butter cookies in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes after dipping in chocolate will expedite the hardening of the chocolate! Don’t leave them in for too long, though, or they will start to dry out.
Enjoy!
More Classic Cookie Recipes:
Let’s bake together! Follow me on my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 200 recipe videos that you can watch for free! I’ve included a short version of the video in today’s post, but for the full-length Butter Cookie video please see my YouTube channel. 💜
Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour¹ 265g ("plain flour" in the UK)
For Chocolate (optional)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips 170g
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable shortening I use Crisco
- Nonpareil sprinkles optional
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven 375F (190C)
- In a large bowl (or, preferably, in the bowl of a stand mixer), combine butter and sugar and beat together with an electric mixer until creamy and very well-combined.
- Add egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt and beat well. Pause to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are well incorporated.
- With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour until the flour is completely combined. Again you should pause to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Fit a large piping bag with Ateco 827 piping tip and portion half of the cookie dough into the bag².
- Pipe cookies into swirl shapes on an unlined, ungreased cookie sheet. Transfer to 375F (190C) preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges of cookies are just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool for 10 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.
- Do not pipe cookie dough onto a hot or warm cookie sheet.
- Once cookies have cooled completely, dip in chocolate (if desired).
Chocolate
- Combine chocolate chips and shortening in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring well in between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Dip cookies in chocolate and transfer to a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Decorate with nonpareils or other sprinkles, if desired.
- Allow chocolate to harden before enjoying. You can speed up this process by placing the cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
Notes
Help! I don't have the right piping tip OR My dough ended up too stiff to pipe
Don't have an Ateco 827? Don't kill your hand trying to use a smaller tip! You can instead drop the cookie dough by rounded 1 1/2 Tablespoon onto the baking sheet and use the tines of a fork to make a criss-cross pattern (like if you were making peanut butter cookies) and bake as directed. As mentioned above, the most likely reason for being unable to pipe the dough is if the flour was over-measured (see notes above), the ingredients weren't combined well enough (especially if the butter and sugar weren't well-creamed), or if you're trying to use a piping tip that is too small. Some people have reported success with adding a splash of milk to the dough (though keep in mind that because you have lowered the ratio of butter to other ingredients the cookies may not be as buttery/flavorful) or you can also try warming the dough in the piping bag between your hands by squeezing it before piping.How to Store
Butter Cookies will keep for up to 2-3 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.Nutrition
Sharon says
Can I make the dough the day before and refrigerate and take out next day?
Sam says
It might be too difficult to pipe after chilling overnight so I wouldn’t recommend it, I’m sorry 🙁
Susan says
Hi – just found your site and this recipe looks like just what I’m looking for! Question – have you ever made sandwich cookies with this recipe? I was thinking of adding jam between two and then dipping in chocolate. Thoughts?
Sam says
While I haven’t tried this myself that honestly sounds delicious and I think it would work well. I’d love to hear how it turns out for you if you try it, Susan! 🙂
Rebecca says
Best flavor ever but… my cookies came out thin and would not hold shape as well as turned brown on edges after just 8 mins. Help!
Sam says
O no! It sounds like they may have needed a little more flour in them. 🙁
Concetta says
Fantastic cookies. I make all kinds of cookie for Christmas and this is the best cookie ever, I also had trouble piping the cookie so I made perfect balls and pressed them lightly with a fork baked them and them let them cool and dipped them in melting chocolate all I can say they were fantastic God Bless
Sam says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Keoki B says
“The best butter cookie I’ve ever had!” So says my wife and I agree. Great recipe I am adding them to my Christmas cookie list.
Chris says
My cookies turned out perfect….followed the recipe as written. Thank you!
Leesa says
I tried this recipe and the cookies tasted great! I couldn’t get the dough to pipe so I used round balls, flattened slightly with the bottom of a 1.5 inch glass then decorated when cooled. Not bad for my first attempt. Will definitely buy the right tip and try again. Thanks for sharing your recipe and baking tips!
Sam says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Leesa! 🙂
June says
I had the right tip but the dough is too stiff to work with so I just made round balls and did a fork design I will still did them in chocolate also I don’t have crud I can I use a little canola oil
Alissa says
Mine didn’t hold their shape. Any recommendations?
Sam says
I am so sorry this happened, Alissa! Did you make any substitutions here? This should be a pretty stiff dough.
Alissa says
Definitely baker error. My second batch turned out beautifully! The only thing I can think of is that I accidentally used the egg white instead of the yolk. The first batch tasted fine, they just didn’t look very pretty. Thank you for sharing such a yummy recipe! We will definitely be putting this one in our cookie rotation!
Sam says
I’m so glad they turned out the second time! I hope you love them for years to come. 🙂
Ti says
Someone said Do not use parchment paper, do not grease cookie sheet for these butter cookies. I have always used parchment paper for all my other cookies. What do you recommend? Thanks
Sam says
Hi Ti! I almost always use parchment paper with my other cookie recipes, but with this recipe it makes it a bit hard to pipe the cookies. If you really want to use it you can, you might just struggle with the parchment sliding a bit. Definitely do not grease the pan, though. I hope that helps, and I Hope you love the cookies!
Dianne says
Hi! I cant find the ateco tip, is there any wilton tip you recommend to use? Thanks!
Sam says
Hi Dianne! The Wilton 8B tip will work here. 🙂
Sue ann says
Can younuse salted butter and just reduce added salt amount?
Sam says
I would omit the salt entirely here if using salted butter. 🙂
Trish says
Can I freeze these after baking? I will dip in chocolate closer to Christmas
Sam says
Hi Trish! That should work just fine! 🙂
Pat O says
I do not comment enough on your many fabulous recipes and for that I’m sorry but you should know that yours is my favorite website. Thank you!!!!
Sam says
Thank you so much, Pat! I am so glad you enjoy everything so much! 🙂
Gail says
Tastes very good but I could not get the dough to pipe out. I used the tip you recommend. I weighted my ingredients and still it was way to stiff. I ended up making little logs and running a fork over them to get the ridges
JZ says
Me neither! Dough is way to dry and stiff to pipe!
Sam says
O no! Did you happen to weigh your flour? It sounds like somehow there was too much added here. 🙁
Grace says
Hi just wondering if this cookie dough can be made ahead of time and frozen. I’m looking for recipes that I can freeze in dough form and then take out and bake (I have 6 kids so I need to be able to prepare lol!)
Sam says
Hi Grace! Since you still have to pipe this dough it’s probably going to be quite the hassle. I would probably recommend using my icebox cookies. They are very similar in taste. 🙂