Name: Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 ounces unsalted butter softened (2 sticks); 4 ounces cream cheese softened; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 egg yolk; 1 teaspoon orange zest; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour; Colored sugars; Sprinkles; Gel food coloring

There's something irresistibly delightful about delicate, buttery cookies that practically melt in your mouth. This Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe brings a soft, tender crumb thanks to the cream cheese, making each bite a little celebration of flavor and texture you'll want to bake again and again.

The image shows a white plate with three colorful Christmas cookies on top arranged closely together. The front cookie is shaped like a green Christmas tree, with layers forming the branches and sprinkled with green sugar. Behind it to the left is a cream-colored snowflake cookie sprinkled with red sugar, and to the right is a bright red star-shaped cookie also sprinkled with red sugar. The plate sits on a white marble surface, and in the background there is a glass of milk and an out-of-focus cooling rack with more cookies. The cookies have a soft, slightly textured surface with piped details. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I’ve made spritz cookies many times, but adding cream cheese took them to a whole new level—super tender and just a little tangy. It’s a fun recipe that feels fancy but is easy enough for everyday baking.

Unmatched tenderness: The cream cheese makes the dough incredibly soft, creating a tender crumb you don’t get with regular spritz cookies.
Flavor boost: A touch of orange zest brightens the buttery base, adding a subtle, refreshing twist.
Easy to customize: Whether you want colorful sprinkles or dyed dough, it’s a versatile base for your creative touch.
Perfect for any occasion: These cookies look pretty on a holiday platter but are also a sweet everyday treat.

The image shows a large mix of Christmas cookies in three shapes and colors stacked closely together on a white marbled surface. There are green Christmas tree-shaped cookies with textured lines and green sugar sprinkles, cream-colored snowflake-shaped cookies decorated with red and green sprinkles and red sugar dust, and bright red flower-shaped cookies with detailed petal textures and sprinkled with red sugar crystals. The cookies are layered with some overlapping each other, creating a full and colorful festive display. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

Each ingredient in this Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe plays a special role, combining to create that melt-in-your-mouth texture and subtle flavor lift. Here’s a quick rundown on the key players and some handy tips before you start shopping.

Flat lay of a small block of unsalted butter, a wedge of cream cheese, a small white ceramic bowl of granulated sugar, a single whole brown egg, a small white bowl with fresh orange zest, a small white bowl with clear vanilla extract, a small white bowl of coarse kosher salt, a mound of all-purpose flour on a simple white ceramic plate, and a small white bowl filled with colorful sprinkles and colored sugar crystals, all arranged in perfect symmetry on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Unsalted butter: Using unsalted lets you control the salt level perfectly, and softened butter creams beautifully with the cream cheese.
Cream cheese: Softens the dough and adds a slight tang that brightens the rich butter flavor.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens without overpowering and helps with a nice tender texture.
Egg yolk: Adds richness and binds the dough, making it easier to press into shapes.
Orange zest: A fragrant burst of citrus that lifts the cookie aroma and flavor—fresh zest is best!
Vanilla extract: Classic flavor enhancer that makes everything taste a little more homemade.
Kosher salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavor depth.
All-purpose flour: Forms the structure; measure carefully to avoid dry or tough dough.
Colored sugars, sprinkles, gel food coloring: For decorating and customizing your cookies with fun colors and texture.

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

I love customizing these cookies depending on the season or my mood, and it’s one of those recipes that responds really well to fun tweaks. You can keep it classic or play with colors and flavors effortlessly.

Variation: Try adding a teaspoon of almond extract instead of vanilla for a lovely nutty twist—I did this once for a cookie exchange and everyone couldn’t stop asking about the flavor!
Dietary Modifications: You can swap regular flour for a gluten-free blend but watch for slight texture changes since classic spritz dough relies on gluten structure.
Color Play: Divide dough to dye with gel food coloring—it makes your cookie platter extra festive and perfect for holidays or birthdays.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Cream Butter, Cream Cheese & Sugar Until Silky

Start by softening your butter and cream cheese—room temp is key here. I usually leave them out about an hour before starting. Then, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Don’t rush past this step because it sets the stage for tender cookies. A sticky or grainy mixture means you might need to mix a little more.

Step 2: Add Egg Yolk, Zest, Vanilla & Salt

Scrape the bowl sides so everything mixes evenly. Add your egg yolk, orange zest, vanilla, and salt, then mix for another minute. The dough should smell fragrant and look creamy. The orange zest here really wakes up the mixture, so don’t skip it!

Step 3: Slowly Incorporate Flour

Add half your flour and mix on low speed to avoid a flour cloud in your kitchen 😉 Once that’s incorporated, add the remaining flour and mix just until combined. At this point, you can drop in gel food coloring if you want colored dough—mix just enough to swirl the color without overworking the dough.

Step 4: Pipe Your Cookies & Decorate

Fit your cookie press with your favorite shape disk and pipe the dough onto ungreased baking sheets, leaving about an inch between cookies. If you don’t have a press, a pastry bag with a large star tip works great too. Add colored sugars or sprinkles right after pressing for a festive finish.

Step 5: Bake & Cool

Bake at 325°F for 10-12 minutes, just until the cookies look set but haven’t started to brown. If you’re doing multiple batches, make sure baking sheets cool fully before pressing the dough again—warm sheets can cause spreading. Let cookies cool on the pans for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Patience here preserves shape and texture!

Top Tip

From making these cookies dozens of times, I’ve picked up a few little secrets to get that perfect tender crumb and neat shape every time.

Room Temperature Dairy: Always soften your butter and cream cheese well ahead of time to avoid lumps in your dough.
Slow Flour Mixing: Adding flour slowly on low speed prevents airborne flour, keeping your kitchen neater and your dough less dense.
Cool Baking Sheets: Don’t rush to reuse pans straight from the oven; warm sheets make cookies spread too thin.
Don’t Overbake: The moment they’re set but not brown, pull them out—carryover heat finishes the baking, ensuring softness.

How to Serve Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe

cream cheese spritz cookies - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

I’m a sucker for simple colored sugar crystals sprinkled just before baking. The sparkle makes the cookies feel festive, and those little pops of color brighten the crunchy edges while keeping the centers soft.

Side Dishes

These cookies pair wonderfully with a cup of rich coffee or a warm mug of hot cocoa. For holiday treats, I like offering them alongside peppermint bark or spiced nuts to round out the sweet flavors.

Creative Ways to Present

For special occasions, I’ve arranged these spritz cookies on tiered trays with fresh citrus slices and sprigs of rosemary—makes for a gorgeous and fragrant display that guests always notice and love.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Store your spritz cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh and tender for up to a week, but honestly, they rarely last that long in my house!

Freezing

You can freeze the dough pre-shaped or the baked cookies. I like piping and freezing the raw dough shapes on a parchment-lined tray, then transferring them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready, bake straight from frozen—just add a couple more minutes to the baking time.

Reheating

If you want to refresh day-old cookies, pop them in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes. This warms them through and revives that fresh-baked softness without drying them out.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer?

Absolutely! A hand mixer with paddle or standard beaters works well. Just make sure your butter and cream cheese are very soft so the mixing is smooth and you get that fluffy texture.

What if I don’t have a cookie press?

No problem! Use a large star tip fitted to a pastry bag and pipe the dough onto your baking sheets. The shapes won’t be as precise, but they’ll taste just as amazing.

Can I skip the orange zest?

You can, but the zest adds a wonderful burst of fresh citrus flavor that balances the richness. If you don’t have it, try a tiny bit of lemon zest or just a little extra vanilla.

Will these cookies hold their shape when baked?

Yes! Thanks to chilled dough and controlled baking temperature, these spritz cookies hold their lovely shapes when baked. Just avoid warm baking sheets, and pipe on cool trays.

Final Thoughts

This Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies Recipe has become a sweet staple in my kitchen, especially when I want something classic with a tiny twist. It’s friendly for bakers at any level, and you’ll find yourself tweaking it just a bit here and there as you make it your own. Go ahead, grab that cookie press, and enjoy the simple joy of homemade spritz cookies that truly stand out.