Name: Festive Danish Butter Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup (8oz/225g) butter, softened; ½ cup (4oz/115g) granulated sugar; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 large egg; 2 cups (10oz/284g) all-purpose flour; Granulated or sanding sugar, (for sprinkling)

A top-down view of my Danish butter cookies in a tin.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

Around Christmas time, it isn’t unusual to find squat, round tins around in the shops, filled with delicious looking Festive Danish Butter Cookies. But my homemade Danish Butter Cookie recipe is so unlike those unfilling store-bought cookies! And they would make an even better gift for family and friends!

If you check out my Holiday Baking Headquarters you will see an abundance of Holiday cookie recipes like my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies or my famous Classic Austrian Linzer Cookies which are always a hit! But if your more of a shortbread fan then these cookies are light, simple, buttery with a vanilla flavor, and they just melt in your mouth. They are so incredibly tender on the inside, and they have just a slight crisp on the outside.

[ Looking for my German Spritz Cookie recipe? Click here! ]

Were you ever the kid who was excited to see a tin of these at your mum’s or grandmother’s house — only to open it up and realize that it was just full of sewing supplies? These Danish butter cookies taste the opposite of how that felt!

What Are Danish Butter Cookies?

They are a crispy, vanilla-flavored cookie that gets their crisp texture from the amount of butter and sugar used in the recipe. They come in many shapes and sizes, depending on who controls the piping bag, and can be flavored or topped with other sweets like chocolate or coconut.

What You Need To Make Danish Butter Cookies

Measuring Cups and Spoons
Electric mixer
Piping bag with large star tip
2 baking sheets
Parchment paper

How To Make Danish Butter Cookies

Making these homemade Danish butter cookies is easier than prying the lid off of those store-bought tins! (Why do they make them so difficult to open?) Here’s how you make them (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
To make the dough, beat the butter, sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer.
Add in the vanilla extract and the egg and beat until it is combined.
Gradually add in the flour and beat until just thoroughly combined.
Scoop the dough into a pastry bag that is fitted with a large, open star tip. Pipe about 2-inch (5cm) circles onto the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with the granulated or sanding sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through until the edges are light brown. Allow them to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Danish Butter Cookies

Keep an eye on the cookies while you are baking them. They should only be a very pale golden when they are done.
These cookies make great gifts! Line a tin with paper cupcake liners and stack two or three cookies in each liner. It will look just like a classic tin of Danish butter cookies!
The primary flavors in this cookie are butter and vanilla, so you’ll want to use good quality ingredients!
Use colored sanding sugar for a festive touch!
You can dop these cookies into melted milk, dark or white chocolate.
Go big on homemade! Make them with homemade vanilla extract and handmade butter!

How Do I Store Danish Butter Cookies?

These cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost the cookies at room temperature for an hour before serving.

Make More Holiday Cookies At Home!

Don’t miss my New Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook available now!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Festive Danish Butter Cookies Recipe

4.73 from 92 votes

Print Recipe

My Festive Danish Butter Cookies recipe is for shortbread cookies that are light, simple, buttery with a vanilla flavor, and they just melt in your mouth.

Author: Gemma Stafford

Servings: cookies

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

My Festive Danish Butter Cookies recipe is for shortbread cookies that are light, simple, buttery with a vanilla flavor, and they just melt in your mouth.

Author: Gemma Stafford

Servings: cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (8oz/225g) butter, softened
½ cup (4oz/115g) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cups (10oz/284g) all-purpose flour
Granulated or sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
With an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and the egg, and beat until combined.
Gradually add the flour until just thoroughly combined.
Scoop dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip and pipe 2-inch (5cm) circles onto the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with the granulated or sanding sugar.
Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until the edges are light golden brown. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
These cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature for an hour.

174 Comments

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Helle Petersen

2 years ago

Oh it makes me so happy to see a Danish cookie recipe. This is a stable in our Christmas baking.
If you would like a traditional Danish recipe, for the original Danish version, just let me know 🙃

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Jeanne Stone

Can you use a cookie press for this recipe?

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Kristal Robb

1 year ago

Too thick not happy its impossible to squeeze

Rita

Hi Gemma – love your site and your helpful tips! I can’t wait to try these but I have been reading all of the comments about the difficulties with piping. I’m a little confused by one of your responses – you mention that it is important to really whip up the sugar and butter till it’s fluffy but in another response you said that whipping too much can break down the fats and cause the cookies to spread. I understand not overmixing once you put in the flour because it will make a tough cookie but I guess I am… Read more »

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Ruweena Deen

Oh so happy I finished making the best ever butter cookies. They came out well. Thank you Gemma for giving us these recipes.

Saj Uvais

Turned out perfect on the first try!!! love ur recipes Gemma.. they always work out 100% for me.

Arooj

Hi Gemma… Is there no video of these cookies?

gale miko

2 months ago

can you make this into chocolate butter cookies?

Linda

23 hours ago

What do you mean when you say rotate the pans? I’m not a baker so does this mean turn them around or remove one after 7 and add the other sheet for 7 mins and then put it back in? I know it sounds silly but I don’t bake at all and want to try this.

Katie

2 days ago

I made these and they taste absolutely amazing! My issue is that when I bake them they don’t keep their shape! Any help? I tried baking them after piping them onto the pan and then putting them into the fridge for a bit but it didn’t help!