Buttery Orange-Cinnamon Snowflake Spritz Cookies

These Snowflake Spritz Cookies are the kind of holiday cookie I’m always happy to add to my Christmas baking rotation. They’re buttery, crisp around the delicate edges, and tender in the center, with cream cheese giving the dough a little extra richness. Orange zest adds a fresh citrus aroma, while cinnamon brings just enough warmth without overpowering that classic spritz-cookie flavor.

What makes this collected recipe such a keeper is how festive it looks without requiring complicated decorating. A snowflake cookie press does most of the work, and the cookies bake quickly enough for a busy afternoon of holiday baking. I especially appreciate that the dough uses an egg yolk rather than a whole egg; it helps create a richer, more delicate cookie that still holds those pretty pressed details.

They’re also wonderful make-ahead Christmas cookies because the baked cookies freeze beautifully. Serve them with coffee or hot cocoa, tuck them into cookie tins, or add them to a holiday dessert tray.

Love this recipe? Pin it to your Christmas Cookies board on Pinterest so you don’t lose it!

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp finely grated orange zest

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Leave your cookie sheets ungreased so the pressed dough can grip the surface properly.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, salt, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl until evenly distributed.
3. Cream the butter and cream cheese. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until completely smooth and creamy.
4. Add the sugar and yolk. Beat in the granulated sugar and egg yolk until the mixture becomes noticeably lighter and fluffy.
5. Add the flavorings. Mix in the vanilla and finely grated orange zest until fragrant and evenly incorporated.
6. Finish the dough. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until a soft, uniform cookie dough forms. Avoid excessive mixing once the flour disappears.
7. Press the cookies. Load the dough into a cookie press fitted with a snowflake disk. Press the cookies directly onto ungreased, cool baking sheets, leaving a little room between each one.
8. Bake. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the raised edges and bottoms are lightly golden. Avoid waiting for the entire cookie to brown.
9. Cool. Carefully transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to a wire rack while they are still warm. Let them cool completely before storing.

Cooking Notes

Use softened, not melted, butter and cream cheese. Overly warm fat can make the snowflakes spread and lose their definition.

Do not grease the baking sheet or line it with a very slippery surface when using a traditional cookie press. The dough needs enough grip to release cleanly from the press.

If the dough seems too soft to hold a snowflake shape, chill it briefly. If it becomes very cold and difficult to press, allow it to soften slightly at room temperature.

Finely grate only the orange-colored portion of the peel. The white pith underneath can introduce bitterness.

Watch the bottoms closely near the end of baking. Spritz cookies can go from delicately golden to overbaked quickly.

For freezing, cool the cookies completely, arrange them in an airtight freezer container with parchment between layers, and freeze.

Nutrition

Yields: 72 cookies, or approximately 36 servings of 2 cookies each

A two-cookie serving is appropriate for these small, rich butter cookies. The estimated finished batch weighs roughly 2 lb after normal moisture loss during baking.

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

Calories: 105 kcal
Fat: 6.4 g
Carb: 11.3 g
Protein: 1.1 g

Nutrition is an estimate and can vary with the butter, cream cheese, flour measurement, cookie size, and exact number of cookies produced.

Recipe Science

Spritz cookies are a high-fat, relatively low-moisture cookie designed to retain a pressed shape during baking. Butter supplies most of the characteristic flavor and crisp-tender texture, while cream cheese contributes additional milk solids, fat, and moisture. The egg yolk provides fat and emulsifiers without introducing as much water as a whole egg. Orange zest supplies aromatic oils, and cinnamon contributes warm spice without substantially changing the dough structure.

Creaming the butter, cream cheese, and sugar incorporates small pockets of air, helping the finished cookies feel lighter despite their rich formula. Flour provides enough structure to preserve the snowflake pattern, while limited mixing after adding the flour helps prevent excessive gluten development. Baking at 175°C / 350°F allows the cookies to set and develop lightly browned edges within roughly 12 to 15 minutes.

The recipe is practical for holiday batch baking because the dough can be shaped quickly with a cookie press and the finished cookies freeze well. Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container, or freeze them with parchment between layers. Because these cookies are rich, portion size matters. A two-cookie serving is not estimated to exceed 20% of the FDA Daily Value for saturated fat, sodium, or added sugar, although actual values depend on ingredient brands and cookie size.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Beautiful Without Complicated Decorating: A snowflake cookie press creates an instantly festive Christmas cookie with minimal finishing work.
• Buttery and Delicate: Butter, cream cheese, and egg yolk produce a rich cookie with crisp edges and a tender bite.
• Fresh Holiday Flavor: Orange zest brightens the dough, while cinnamon adds subtle seasonal warmth.
• Freezer-Friendly: Bake these ahead of holiday gatherings and freeze them until you need them.
• Perfect for Cookie Tins: Their small size and pretty shape make them especially nice for Christmas cookie assortments and homemade gifts.

FAQ

• Why won’t my spritz dough release from the cookie press? Press directly onto a clean, cool, ungreased metal baking sheet. Grease and overly slippery liners can prevent the dough from sticking to the pan as it releases.
• Why are my snowflakes spreading? Your butter or dough may be too warm. Chill the dough briefly and make sure the baking sheet has cooled before pressing the next batch.
• Can I make these without orange zest? Yes. You can omit it for a more traditional vanilla-and-cinnamon spritz cookie. Lemon zest can also provide a different citrus note.
• Can I make the cookies ahead? Absolutely. Once completely cooled, keep them in an airtight container or freeze them for longer storage.
• How do I know when spritz cookies are done? Look at the raised points and undersides. They should be lightly golden rather than deeply browned; the cookies will continue to firm as they cool.

Conclusion

These Snowflake Spritz Cookies bring together everything I want from holiday baking: pretty presentation, straightforward preparation, and that irresistible buttery cookie-tin flavor. Remember, baking is a journey, so don’t be afraid to adjust the citrus or spice and make this collected recipe your own.

Would you keep the orange-and-cinnamon combination, or add another holiday flavor to your batch? Happy baking, friends!