Holiday and Christmas Butter Cookies
These Butter Cookies are my absolute favorite because they are the best cookies ever: extremely buttery, crumbly and practically melt in the mouth.
They are best for any holidays: Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, or any day of the year. You don’t really need a special occasion to enjoy these amazing cookies,
These buttery, crumbly, melt-in-your mouth sweet butter cookies are simply the BEST in the world, and this butter cookies recipe is my ultimate keeper.
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Ingredients for Butter Cookies
What I love most about this recipe is the simple ingredients it calls for:
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Egg yolk
- All-purpose flour
- Corn starch
- Vanilla essence
Baker’s Tips
How to bake butter cookies? Here are the tips, tricks and secret techniques for perfect cookies every time:
- To make the cookies extra crumbly, add some Pam cooking spray to the dough. The cooking spray makes the cookies even better with melt-in-the-mouth texture. Trust me!
- Chill the cookies (after they are cut into shapes) in the fridge to form the shape. This will ensure the cookies retain the shape after baking.
- Use cookie cooker instead of cookie press for the best results. I find cookie press a hit-or-miss, it all depends on the cookie press you use. Sometimes the dough is stuck on the cookie press and it’s very hard to form the beautiful shape. With cookie cutter, you can control how the cookies look easily but cutting out the shape you desire.
How Many Calories Per Serving?
This recipe is only 41 calories per serving.
How Long Do Butter Cookies Last?
This recipe yields about 100 cookies that can last for two weeks, if stored in an air-tight container.
Butter Cookies Recipe
This is the easiest and best butter cookies recipe ever! These butter cookies are buttery, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. They are the perfect cookies for Christmas, holidays and everyday!
Ingredients
- 10 oz unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks)
- 1 tablespoon Pam cooking spray, (optional)
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 oz + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 11 oz all-purpose flour
- 4 oz cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons whole milk (full cream milk)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
-
1
Cream butter with Pam cooking spray (if using), sugar, egg yolk, salt and vanilla extract until fluffy. Add in the milk and mix well.
-
2
Fold in the all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Using your hands, mix until dough become soft and not stick on hands.
-
3
Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into rounds or whatever shapes you wish using cookie cutters. Assemble the scrap and roll in with the remaining dough.
-
4
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape after baking.
-
5
Bake for 15 minutes, or until cookies are lightly brown. Cool on rack. You may keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Recipe Notes
Use cookie cutters for the best results. DO NOT use cookie press.
Latest Recipes:
Rosita
Hello, these sound delicious and easy!! How far in advance can I make the dough without compromising the texture and flavor?
Thank You for your wonderful recipes!!
Rasa Malaysia
I think you can make the dough a few hours before shaping them into cookies.
Mary Bostow
Just reading ‘butter cookie’ makes me mouth water a little. I”m so sure they’d melt in my mouth! Perfect cookie to gift, Bee!
Joanne
The best butter cookies online! So pretty.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks yes I agree these butter cookies are the best!
Lauren
Are the dry ingredients measured using the volume cup system where 1 cup is 8 oz. ? Did you use a liquid measuring cup or did you buy measuring spoons with a 3 oz. measurement for example)?
Rasa Malaysia
I just used regular measuring cups for baking, not volume cup. For the weight, I used a scale.
Suzie Ralph
I would like to make this cookie. The recipe stated “Cream butter with Pam cooking spray (if using), sugar, egg yolk, salt and vanilla extract until fluffy. Add in milk and mix well.”
Do i need to beat butter with sugar until fluffy ( turn white) and then add it egg yolk, salf and vanila extract?
Please advise.
Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you can. :)
Simplee
Did this today, followed the recipe to the letter. had to use a kitchen scale for the ingredients- too lazy to convert anything into cups, haha. I also had to knead the dough for some time before they became less sticky. It’s been a while since i kneaded anything…But the workout for the arms was worth it- the cookies turned out GREAT! P.S. i am in love with your cookie cutters!
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, these are the best butter cookies ever! I am so glad the recipe works out for you. :)
SL Gan
I wish to know what’s Pam cooking spray, please. Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
It’s a product of oil spray in the USA. You can skip if you don’t have it.
Mei Ling
Hi Bee, thank you for your recipe. I never made butter cookies before until I read your recipe. I made them for my 2,5 yo girl and she loved it so much. My husband loved them too. But actually I was the one who ate the most, lol. I even let her to roll and cut them used her favorite shapes. I used stand mixer though to make it easier :p. I skipped the Pam spray, used less sugar. I had no problem with cutting them, maybe because I used mixer and made them in winter, the air was very dry, so the butter wouldn’t melt that easy. I used converter for the dry ingredients, just searched it using Google. It wasn’t hard at all.
Once again, thank you for your recipe. My little family loved it.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome, I am happy that you all love my butter cookies recipe. Do try out more recipes on my site, they are all good!
Ida
So yummy and melts in the mouth. My son ate 3/4 of the first batch. I had to stop him. Mine could not be rolled and cut. So I made into balls, press them to desired thickness and made patterns with a fork.
Rasa Malaysia
That works!! Did you chill the dough. You can add a little bit of flour to help you roll, if the dough is too soft.
Molly
Some people just need to buy cookies from the store. It might be easier for you.
Donna Tullberg
I only have self rising flour, will that work ? If so do I still use the salt?
Rasa Malaysia
I am not sure about self-rising flour. Please follow the recipe exactly. Thanks Donna.