Buttery Lemon Spritz Cookies

If you ask me, spritz cookies are one of the best things to make when you need a little pick-me-up.

These lemon spritz cookies are light and buttery with a bright citrus flavor that makes them perfect for spring or summer. The lemon zest and fresh lemon juice give them a real zing that wakes up your taste buds.

They’re pressed through a cookie press into fun shapes and sprinkled with colorful sanding sugar before baking. The result is a tender cookie with crisp edges that practically melts in your mouth.

It’s an easy recipe that looks fancy but comes together quickly, perfect for sharing with friends or keeping all to yourself with a cup of tea.

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What Kind of Butter Should I Use?

For spritz cookies, unsalted butter is definitely the way to go since it gives you better control over the salt level in your dough. Make sure your butter is truly at room temperature – it should be soft enough to leave an indent when you press it, but not greasy or melted. If your butter is too cold, your dough will be stiff and won’t press through the cookie press smoothly, and if it’s too warm, the cookies won’t hold their shape. A good trick is to leave your butter out on the counter for about 30-45 minutes before you start baking, or you can cut it into smaller pieces to speed up the softening process.

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Options for Substitutions

These cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need to make substitutions:

• Unsalted butter: You can use salted butter if that’s what you have – just skip the added salt in the recipe. Margarine works too, though the flavor won’t be quite as rich.
• Lemon zest and juice: Fresh lemon is best for that bright citrus flavor, but in a pinch you can use 1 teaspoon of lemon extract instead of the zest and juice combined. The flavor will be a bit different but still tasty.
• Granulated sugar: You can swap this with caster sugar without any changes to the recipe. Avoid using powdered sugar though, as it will change the texture of your cookies.
• All-purpose flour: This is one ingredient you’ll want to stick with – spritz cookies need all-purpose flour to hold their shape when piped. Other flours won’t give you that classic crisp texture.
• Sanding sugar: If you don’t have sanding sugar for decorating, regular granulated sugar works fine. You could also skip the decoration entirely or use sprinkles instead.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making spritz cookies is using butter that’s too soft or melted, which makes the dough too loose to hold its shape when pressed through the cookie press – your butter should be at room temperature but still firm enough to hold a fingerprint.

If your cookies aren’t sticking to the baking sheet and keep coming off with the press, try skipping the parchment paper and pressing directly onto an ungreased cookie sheet, or lightly chill your dough for 15-20 minutes to firm it up.

Another common issue is overmixing the dough after adding the flour, which develops too much gluten and makes the cookies tough instead of tender and crisp.

For perfectly shaped cookies, hold the press perpendicular to the baking sheet and lift straight up after pressing – any twisting motion will distort the pretty design you just created.

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What to Serve With Lemon Spritz Cookies?

These buttery lemon cookies are perfect alongside a hot cup of tea or coffee for an afternoon pick-me-up. I love serving them at spring gatherings with fresh lemonade or iced tea, since the bright lemon flavor really shines through. They also make a great addition to a cookie platter with other simple treats like shortbread or sugar cookies. For a fancier dessert, try pairing them with vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet – the crisp cookie texture contrasts nicely with something cold and creamy.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your lemon spritz cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Layer them between sheets of parchment paper so they don’t stick together and the sanding sugar stays pretty.

Freeze: These cookies freeze really well for up to 3 months. Just stack them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers. They thaw quickly at room temperature in about 20 minutes, making them perfect for unexpected guests or when you need a quick treat.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2250-2400
• Protein: 22-26 g
• Fat: 95-105 g
• Carbohydrates: 320-340 g

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 2 tbsp lemon zest (finely grated for best flavor)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)

For decorating:

• pink sanding sugar
• yellow sanding sugar (or any bright colors you prefer)

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Preheat

• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Start by preheating your oven to 400°F.

While it heats, gather all ingredients and ensure your butter and egg are at room temperature—this helps them incorporate smoothly into the dough for a better texture.

Finely grate your lemon zest (I find a microplane works best for getting the bright flavor without the bitter white pith) and squeeze your lemon juice fresh if possible, as it makes a noticeable difference in the final taste.

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

This combines your leavening agent evenly throughout and prevents dense pockets in your cookies.

Set this mixture aside for now.

Step 3: Cream Butter, Sugar, and Lemon Zest

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon zest

In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, sugar, and lemon zest for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale.

This creaming step is crucial—it incorporates air into the dough, which helps the cookies spread slightly and bake evenly.

The lemon zest added here infuses the dough with bright citrus flavor from the start.

Step 4: Incorporate Wet Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Beat the room-temperature egg into the butter mixture, then add the lemon juice and vanilla extract.

Mix until fully incorporated and the dough looks smooth and slightly glossy.

Using room-temperature eggs prevents the mixture from seizing and ensures everything blends seamlessly.

Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures

• dry ingredient mixture from Step 2

Add the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 to the creamed wet ingredients and fold together until just combined.

Don’t overmix—you want a cohesive dough that comes together without any visible flour streaks.

Overworking the dough can make the cookies tough, so stop mixing as soon as everything is incorporated.

Step 6: Pipe Cookies and Add Sanding Sugar

• piped dough from Step 5
• pink sanding sugar
• yellow sanding sugar

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a star or fluted tip (this creates those classic spritz cookie shapes).

Pipe small, uniform cookies directly onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them about an inch apart.

Immediately sprinkle pink and yellow sanding sugar over each cookie while the dough is still sticky—this helps the sugar adhere and creates a beautiful, sparkly finish.

Step 7: Bake and Cool

Bake in your preheated 400°F oven for 6-8 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden brown but the centers still look slightly underbaked.

The cookies will continue to set as they cool.

Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (this allows them to firm up enough to move without breaking), then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

I like to bake a test batch first to see how your oven runs—every oven is slightly different, and you want these cookies tender and delicate, not crispy.

Buttery Lemon Spritz Cookies

Delicious Buttery Lemon Spritz Cookies recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 8 minutes mins

Cook Time 16 minutes mins

Total Time 24 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2325 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the dough:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 2 tbsp lemon zest (finely grated for best flavor)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)

For decorating:

• pink sanding sugar
• yellow sanding sugar (or any bright colors you prefer)

Instructions

 

• Start by preheating your oven to 400°F. While it heats, gather all ingredients and ensure your butter and egg are at room temperature—this helps them incorporate smoothly into the dough for a better texture. Finely grate your lemon zest (I find a microplane works best for getting the bright flavor without the bitter white pith) and squeeze your lemon juice fresh if possible, as it makes a noticeable difference in the final taste.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. This combines your leavening agent evenly throughout and prevents dense pockets in your cookies. Set this mixture aside for now.
• In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, sugar, and lemon zest for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale. This creaming step is crucial—it incorporates air into the dough, which helps the cookies spread slightly and bake evenly. The lemon zest added here infuses the dough with bright citrus flavor from the start.
• Beat the room-temperature egg into the butter mixture, then add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated and the dough looks smooth and slightly glossy. Using room-temperature eggs prevents the mixture from seizing and ensures everything blends seamlessly.
• Add the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 to the creamed wet ingredients and fold together until just combined. Don't overmix—you want a cohesive dough that comes together without any visible flour streaks. Overworking the dough can make the cookies tough, so stop mixing as soon as everything is incorporated.
• Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a star or fluted tip (this creates those classic spritz cookie shapes). Pipe small, uniform cookies directly onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them about an inch apart. Immediately sprinkle pink and yellow sanding sugar over each cookie while the dough is still sticky—this helps the sugar adhere and creates a beautiful, sparkly finish.
• Bake in your preheated 400°F oven for 6-8 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden brown but the centers still look slightly underbaked. The cookies will continue to set as they cool. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (this allows them to firm up enough to move without breaking), then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. I like to bake a test batch first to see how your oven runs—every oven is slightly different, and you want these cookies tender and delicate, not crispy.