Chocolate Spritz Cookies

published on November 23, 2022

Chocolate Spritz Cookies are a classic holiday cookie recipe made with soft, chocolate cookie dough formed into holiday shapes with a cookie press.

Chocolate Spritz Cookie on a white platter

Spritz cookies are classic Christmas cookies made with butter, eggs, flour, and sugar, and formed into cute holiday shapes with a cookie press. This chocolate spritz cookie recipe adds a little cocoa powder to the traditional recipe for a chocolatey cookie that no one can resist!

Decorating these cookies with royal icing adds that extra holiday sparkle. Not only are these cookies delicious, but they are a great way to make holiday memories with your loved ones!

Spritz cookies are addition to any holiday gathering, along with our Christmas wreath cookies, eggnog cookies, plaid sugar cookies, and soft gingerbread cookies. These are guaranteed to be the hit of the holidays!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Butter– Use unsalted if possible. If you have to use salted, decrease the amount of salt you add in, or your cookies will be too salty.
Sugar – You’ll use granulated white sugar for this recipe.
Eggs – Large eggs
Vanilla extract
Flour – All-purpose flour
Unsweetened cocoa powder – A big scoop gives these cookies their chocolatey flavor.
Salt – We use table salt for this recipe. The small granules mix well into the dough.
Royal Icing and sprinkles -Optional for decorations and taste. See below for a good icing recipe.

If you like spritz cookies try these delicious cream cheese cookies!

Wilton cookie press Chocolate Spritz Cookie Recipe

Instructions

Step 1 – Preheat – Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 2 – Chill baking sheet – Place ungreased cookie sheet in the refrigerator to chill.

Step 3 – Cream – Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of your mixer.

Step 4 – Add eggs and vanilla – Add eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Some people like to use almond extract instead of vanilla.

Step 5 – Mix dry ingredients – In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt.

Step 6 – Make dough – Slowly add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl until the dough is formed.

Step 7 – Press cookies – Load the dough into your cookie press and press the dough onto a chilled, ungreased, baking sheet. Leave 1 – 1 ½ inches between each cookie.

Step 8 – Bake – Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Step 9 – Let cookies cool – Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 10 – Decorate – Decorate with royal icing and sprinkles or enjoy plain. See below for a good icing recipe.

decorated Chocolate Spritz Cookie on platter

Royal Icing for Decorating

Royal Icing ingredients:

Powdered sugar – Confectioner’s or powdered sugar is what you’ll need to get the perfect consistency for this icing.
Meringue powder – This will help set the icing. You can find this in most grocery stores on the cake aisle.
Water – This helps to tin the icing to the right consistency. Be aware you may not use all of it.
Vanilla extract

How to make Royal Icing

Step 1 – Mix water and vanilla – In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Step 2 – Mix powdered sugar and meringue powder – In the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large bowl if you are using a hand mixer) combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Whisk together gently so it is well mixed.
Step 3 – Mix icing – Add the water and vanilla extract mixture to the powdered sugar mixture and begin to mix on low until the icing starts to come together.
Step 4 – Add water – Using 1 teaspoon at a time, slowly add additional water to the icing until it reaches a thick but pipeable consistency. You may not use all the water listed in the ingredients, go slowly and mix well in between every additional teaspoon.
Step 5 – Decorate – Once it has reached the consistency you want add it to a piping bag and decorate your cookies.

Should spritz cookies be decorated before or after baking?

If you want to decorate with royal icing like our recipe calls for then you’ll decorate after the cookies have been baked and cool completely.

If you’d like to decorate with simple sprinkles, you can sprinkle the cookies before they go into the oven if you wish.

Why Are They Called Spritz Cookies?

This classic recipe is called Spritz cookies as a short form of the word ‘spritzen’, which is a German word meaning ‘to squirt’. This is a reference to how the cookies are “squirted” onto the cookie sheet via the cookie press.

A cookie press can be electric or manual and both are simple to use with a little practice. Since I only make my Chocolate Spritz Cookies once a year, I use my trusty Wilton cookie press and it never lets me down!

Remove the air from the press – Before using your cookie press make sure to press it in a few times until the dough is firmly packed inside of it, with no space. I like to press out one or two test cookies to get out any air bubbles.
Use an unlined, ungreased baking sheet – You want the dough to stick to the pan to help form the shape, so you don’t want to add any grease, butter, or parchment paper to the cookie sheet. Don’t worry, they will easily come off the baking sheet once they are baked.
Chill your baking sheet – Place your baking sheet in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes to chill it. This helps the dough stick.
Press the cookie press firmly, and flatly, against the baking sheet – Pressing down firmly and squeezing the trigger helps the dough form the perfect shape and stick firmly enough to the baking sheet to help the dough neatly break away from the press.

How do you release cookies from a cookie press?

You may need to practice a bit with your cookie press before you feel comfortable with it, but they are very easy to use. Make sure you are holding your cookie press flat against the baking sheet. When you let go of the lever and lift your press up, there should be a little cookie squirted on the baking sheet.

If you are having trouble with your cookies not releasing from the cookie press, use your finger or knife to free the cookie.

If you are having lots of trouble getting your cookies to release, you may have too much liquid and not enough flour. Make sure to get your ingredients measured correctly to prevent these issues.

Why do my spritz cookies not stick to the pan?

If you are having trouble getting your cookies to stick to the pan so they release from the cookie press, you need to make sure you’re using a clean pan with no grease or oil on it.

The pan needs to be chilled in the refrigerator or freezer. Chilling the pan will cool the dough as it’s pressed out of the cookie press and make it stick.

Make sure you wipe off the baking sheet in between batches and let it cool completely. You will probably want to put it back in the refrigerator to chill.

We suggest having three baking sheets so you can keep rotating through them as you the spritz cookies.

Chocolate Spritz Cookie on white platter

How Make Dough Ahead of Time

Yes, you can make this dough ahead of time!

Refrigerator – If you are making your spritz cookie dough ahead of time, you can refrigerate for 3-5 days. You will need to let it come to room temperature before placing it in your cookie press.

Freezer – If you want to make it further in advance, you can make your dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and then seal in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To use, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then let it come to room temperature before using.

How to Store

To store your cookies, line the cookies in layers between wax paper and place in an airtight container.

You can store them for up to 3 days at room temperature of in the fridge. They will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

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Servings: 24

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 45