Traditional German Butter Cookies (Butterplätzchen)
Make traditional German butter cookies, aka Butterplätzchen, with only 5 staple ingredients. These old-fashioned sugar cookies simply make the best Christmas cookies. Enjoy them plain or decorated with your favorite icing for a delicious treat this Christmas season.
This is my family’s go-to Christmas cookie recipe. Here’s why:
- Small batch: This recipe makes about 36 cookies.
- Kid-friendly: Quick and easy cookie recipe – perfect for baking with the kids.
- Perfect dunkers: If you love melt-in-your mouth German spritz cookies, Heidesand, or shortbread cookies, you’ll enjoy these delicate butter cookies as well.
You can learn more about how Germans enjoy the holiday season, aka Weihnachtszeit in German, in my comprehensive Weihnachten guide. For more authentic German Christmas cookie recipes, check out my German gingerbread cookies, Stollen cookies, and Coconut macaroons as well.
If you loved this German Butter Cookie Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating below. Thank you!
Traditional German Butter Cookies (Butterplätzchen)
Learn how to make these traditional German butter cookies with only 5 staple ingredients. Enjoy them plain or decorated with your favorite icing for a delicious treat this Christmas season.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the soft butter and sugar until light and fluffy, using a hand mixer or stand mixer.1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar
- Beat in the vanilla extract and the egg until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is mixed evenly.1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 egg
- Gradually add sifted all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Be careful not to overmix; stop as soon as the dough comes together.2 cups all-purpose flour
- For easier handling, chill the plain dough in two portions wrapped in clingfilm in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Shape the dough into discs to be able to roll it out easily once chilled.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Take one portion of the chilled dough and roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out different shapes. Place the cut-out cookies onto the prepared baking tray, leaving some space between each.
- Bake the shaped cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes on the middle rack, or until the edges are lightly golden. Keep a close eye on them to prevent overbaking and adjust the cooking time based on your oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, you can decorate them with icing, sprinkles, or colored sugar to add a festive touch.
- Store the shaped butter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They can be stored for several days.
Video
Notes
Don’t over-mix: Once the dough forms stop mixing to prevent over-mixing and the dough not staying together properly.
Even if you’re in a rush, it’s important to chill the dough for easy handling. You will have much more success if you chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Double batch and freeze half of the dough for fresh butter cookies later on in the Christmas season.
Storage: Store the baked cookies in an air-tight container or cookie tin at room temperature. These cookies can last up to 2 weeks in a cool and dark container. You can freeze this dough to use later. Before freezing, form the dough into a disc shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator before shaping.
Nutrition
Calories: 61kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 22mgPotassium: 10mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 86IUCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.3mg
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5-ingredient sugar cookies
- Butter – Softened lightly salted butter is best for this recipe. Use high-quality butter for this recipe. You can’t substitute it with margarine. Unsalted butter works but you will need to add a pinch of salt.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar is used in this recipe to sweeten the dough.
- Vanilla extract – For a rich flavor throughout, use vanilla extract, fresh vanilla beans, vanilla syrup, or essence if needed. You can also use Dr. Oetker vanilla sugar if you’re in Germany.
- Egg – Eggs act as a leavening agent and help bind the dough. When baking, try to use room-temperature eggs for best results and choose free-range eggs if possible.
- Flour – All-purpose flour or plain flour works best for this recipe.
Variations
Make these holiday butter cookies your own by trying out these fun variations:
- Dipped and drizzled: Dip the butter cookies in melted chocolate. You can even drizzle the top with melted chocolate for a decorative look. Use milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate. Allow the chocolate to set before serving.
- Cookie sandwiches: Use the cutout cookies to make a tasty cookie sandwich. Use a creamy filling like buttercream frosting, chocolate ganache, or even raspberry jam.
- Almond: Give these Butterplätzchen an almond flavor by substituting the vanilla for almond extract.
- Christmas tree ornaments: Turn these German butter cookies into edible decorations.
How to make German butter cookies
- Cream: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar.
- Add wet ingredients: Beat in the vanilla extract and egg until an even mixture is formed.
- Mix: Gradually add in the all-purpose flour and mix until a dough forms.
- Chill: Form the dough into two discs and wrap each disc in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Then chill the disc in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Serving
There is a wide variety of ways to serve authentic German butter cookies. They make great gifts during the holiday season for neighbors and friends. Place them in a tin container for a fun look. You can also make this a fun family activity by decorating the cookies with fun icings, sprinkles, and Christmas-themed candies.
Serve with a hot Christmas drinks such as this alcohol-free mulled wine or winter spiced tea.
This butter cookie recipe is a keeper! So easy to follow, and the cookies taste just like the ones I remember from home. Thank you for sharing!
That’s great to hear. Thanks Elena!