Butter Cookies

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These Butter Cookies are buttery, lightly sweet, and perfectly crisp around the edges with tender centers. The dough pipes into those pretty swirls you know and love, making them just as fun to make as they are to eat. Add them to a holiday cookie tray, package them up for gifting, or enjoy a few with your afternoon coffee.

 

Butter Cookies vs. Shortbread Cookies

Butter cookies typically contain more sugar and ingredients such as egg yolk, giving them a lighter, crisper texture and making the dough soft enough to pipe. Shortbread has a simpler dough and a higher butter-to-flour ratio, giving it a denser, more crumbly texture.

If you love buttery cookies, you’ll also want to try these Shortbread Cookies for another crisp, buttery treat.

Ingredient Notes

A few simple ingredients create these butter cookies’ soft, tender texture and classic buttery flavor.

• Salted Butter: Use very soft butter so it creams easily with the sugar.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cookies and helps give them lightly crisp edges.
• Egg Yolk: Bring it to room temperature so it blends smoothly into the dough.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds a little extra flavor and brings out the buttery taste.
• All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cookies their structure while keeping them tender.
• Cornstarch: Helps make the cookies soft and delicate.
• Whole Milk: Add as needed to bring the dough together if it feels too thick.
• Coarse or Sparkling Sugar: Optional, but adds a pretty finish and a little crunch on top.

How to Make Butter Cookies

These butter cookies are really simple to make, and once the dough is mixed, all that’s left is piping, chilling, and baking. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Prep the Oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two light-colored baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugar

Add the butter and granulated sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Step 3: Add the Egg and Vanilla

Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is evenly combined.

Step 4: Add the Dry Ingredients

Add the flour and cornstarch and mix on low just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.

Step 5: Add the Milk

Mix in the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is soft enough to pipe but still thick enough to hold its shape.

Step 6: Pipe and Chill

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large open-star tip. Pipe 2-inch swirls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. Sprinkle with coarse or sparkling sugar, if desired.

Refrigerate the piped cookies for 20–30 minutes before baking. This helps the swirls hold their shape in the oven.

Step 7: Bake and Cool

Bake for 10–13 minutes, until the edges begin to turn lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Tips for the Best Butter Cookies

• Cream the butter and sugar well. This helps create a lighter, more delicate texture instead of dense cookies.
• Measure the flour carefully. Too much flour can make the dough stiff and the finished cookies dry.
• Don’t overmix once you add the flour. Stop as soon as the dough comes together for tender, buttery cookies.
• Use good-quality vanilla. It’s a simple ingredient, but you’ll notice the difference in the flavor of these cookies.
• Use a light-colored baking sheet. Dark pans can brown the bottoms too quickly before the cookies are ready, so stick with lighter baking sheets for more even results.
• Pipe with steady pressure. Keep the piping tip close to the baking sheet and release the pressure before lifting the bag to keep the swirls neat.
• Watch the bottoms as they bake. The cookies should stay pale overall, with just a hint of color around the edges.
• Let them cool completely before serving. The texture firms up as they cool, giving you that crisp, delicate bite.

What to Serve With Butter Cookies

These cookies are great on their own, but they’re even better with something sweet and creamy on the side.

• Lemon Curd — The tart lemon flavor balances the buttery sweetness.
• Vanilla Ice Cream  — Creamy vanilla pairs well with crisp butter cookies.
• Strawberry Jam — Sweet berries add a bright, fruity contrast.
• Banana Pudding — Creamy banana pudding pairs nicely with their delicate texture.
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread — Pumpkin spice and tangy cream cheese complement the rich cookies.
• Nutella Hot Fudge Sauce — Chocolate and hazelnut flavors complement the butter cookies.

I hope you try these butter cookies! They’re simple, buttery, and just the right amount of crisp. The full recipe is in the printable recipe card below.

Tools You’ll Need

A few basic tools are all you need to make these Butter Cookies.

• Stand mixer – makes creaming the butter and sugar quick and easy, especially since you want the mixture light and fluffy.
• Baking sheet – gives the cookies enough space to bake evenly and keeps those pretty piped shapes intact.
• Piping bag – makes piping the dough much easier and helps you get those beautiful swirls and ridges.
• Large open-star piping tip – the little secret to those pretty ridges that make butter cookies look extra special.

More Cookie Recipes to Try!

• Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
• Christmas Shortbread Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Thumbprint Cookies
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Sugar Cookies

How to Store Butter Cookies

Cool the cookies completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place parchment paper between layers if stacking.

Freezing: Freeze cooled cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tag me @laurens_latest.