Butter Cookies

4.49 from 260 votes
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This simple butter cookies recipe is my go-to for Christmas and the holidays. They’re buttery and crumbly—just the best for adding a festive touch to any celebration. Follow this easy recipe with a step-by-step video and make your own soft buttery cookies at home!

Melt in your mouth butter cookies on a serving tray.
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Best Butter Cookies Recipe

This is the best butter cookies recipe you’ll find online! These cookies are just as buttery and crumbly as Danish Butter Cookies. They’re incredibly rich, practically melt in your mouth, and perfect for any holiday—Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, or any special occasion.

With their delightful texture and flavor, they’re sure to be a hit with everyone. I just love making these cookies—they bring back so many memories of festive celebrations with family and friends. I always make sure to have a batch ready to share. Be sure to check out my tips and tricks below to make the most of this soft butter cookies recipe.


Why I Love This Recipe

Freshly baked Christmas butter cookies.
  • Melt-in-your-mouth texture. The full-fat ingredients make these cookies irresistibly rich, buttery, and crumbly—just the way I like them! They practically melt in your mouth.
  • Buttery goodness. The unsalted butter gives these cookies a deep, rich flavor that’s perfect for any celebration. It’s that touch of buttery goodness that makes every bite irresistible!
  • Quick prep time. I love that I can whip up a batch of these soft, delicious cookies in no time, making them perfect for last-minute treats during the holidays!
  • Perfect for newbies. This recipe is a breeze to follow, with simple steps, a recipe video, and tips right below to help you make the best cookies!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients for butter cookies.

This is an easy recipe that calls for simple ingredients:

  • Unsalted butter – Use room temperature butter.
  • Pam cooking spray – For the best melt-in-your-mouth texture, stick with pam cooking spray—other sprays may not give the same results.
  • Powdered sugar
  • Egg yolk – Use room temperature egg yolk. Don’t throw away the egg whites—use them for my Vanilla Meringue Cookies!
  • Salt
  • Vanilla extract – I wouldn’t recommend using vanilla essence—it just doesn’t have the same rich, natural flavor as pure vanilla extract. 
  • Whole milk – Use whole milk or full-fat milk. If you use reduced-fat, skim, or almond milk, the cookies will not have the same rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
  • All-purpose flour
  • Cornstarch

Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.


How To Make Butter Cookies

Butter cookie dough.

Start by creaming the butter with a little Pam cooking spray (if you’re using it), sugar, egg yolk, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix until it’s light and fluffy. Then, add the milk and stir everything together until smooth.

Butter cookie dough.

Next, fold in the all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Use a spatula first, then your hands to gently mix the dough. At first, it might look a little crumbly, but keep working it until everything comes together nicely.

Butter cookie dough.

Keep mixing the dough until it’s soft and no longer sticks to your hands—this should take about 10 minutes. Once it’s ready, cover the dough with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. This will help it firm up a bit.

Butter cookies dough cut into different shapes with cookie cutter.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick (5mm) and use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes—rounds are classic, but feel free to get creative! If there are any scraps, just gather them up and roll them back into the remaining dough to keep making cookies.

Butter cookies in a tray.

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 15 minutes, or until they turn a very light brown color and the insides are cooked through. Once they’re done, let them cool completely before you dive in! If you want to keep any extras, just pop them in an airtight container—these cookies will stay fresh for up to two weeks.


Secrets To Perfect Butter Cookies

Simple butter cookies recipe with butter, sugar, flour and egg.

Here are my baking tips, tricks and secret techniques for the best butter cookies every time:

  • Use a good quality butter. I use Challenge brand butter for all my baking recipes. It’s the BEST butter to use for baking cookies.
  • Do not use granulated sugar as they don’t melt in the dough and result in a grainy texture.
  • To make the cookies better and more 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 on this!
  • Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes. This will ensure that it’s easier to roll out and cut into shapes.
  • Use cookie cutters 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 shapes. With cookie cutters, you can control how the cookies look by cutting out the shape you desire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these cookies ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can make the cookie dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 3 days before baking.

Can I make these cookies without cornstarch?

No, you can’t make these cookies without cornstarch. It’s what gives them their soft, crumbly texture. Without it, the cookies may not be as tender or have the same light, delicate quality.

How long do butter cookies last?

This recipe yields about 100 cookies. They last for two (2) weeks or longer if the cookies are stored in an air-tight container.

Can I freeze or refrigerate cookies?

I don’t advice freezing or keeping the cookies in the refrigerator. It won’t help with the freshness or shelf life of these soft cookies. Plus, they won’t taste good after freezing. You might have to heat them up in a toaster oven before eating. The best way to store cookies is to leave them in an air-tight container at room temperature, in the pantry or inside your kitchen cabinet.

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 41 calories per cookie.

Best butter cookies in star and flower shapes.

What To Serve With Butter Cookies

Serve the cookies with other festive desserts and cookies. I recommend the following recipes.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram for new updates.


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4.49 from 260 votes

Butter Cookies

This simple butter cookies recipe is my go-to for Christmas and the holidays. They’re buttery and crumbly—just the best for adding a festive touch to any celebration. Follow this easy recipe with a step-by-step video and make your own soft buttery cookies at home!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 100 Cookies
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Ingredients  

  • 10 oz. (280g) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon Pam cooking spray, optional
  • 3 oz. (90g) powdered sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk, full cream milk
  • 11 oz. (311g) all-purpose flour
  • 4 oz. (125g) cornstarch

Instructions 

  • Cream butter with Pam cooking spray (if using), sugar, egg yolk, salt, and vanilla extract until fluffy. Add in the milk and mix well.
  • Fold in the all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Use a spatula and your hands to mix the dough. At first, the dough will look crumbly.
  • Continue mixing the dough until it becomes soft and no longer sticks to your hands, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough to 1/4 inch (5mm) thick and cut into rounds or any desired shapes using cookie cutters. Assemble the scraps and roll them in with the remaining dough.
  • Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, or until they turn very light brown in color and the inside is cooked through. Cool the cookies before eating. You may store the cookies in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Video

Notes

  • Use a good quality butter. I use Challenge brand butter for all my baking recipes. It’s the BEST butter to use for baking cookies.
  • Do not use granulated sugar as they don’t melt in the dough and result in a grainy texture.
  • To make the cookies better and more 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 on this!
  • Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes. This will ensure that it’s easier to roll out and cut into shapes.
  • Use cookie cutters 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 shapes. With cookie cutters, you can control how the cookies look by cutting out the shape you desire.  
For the best results, please use the metric measurement.
I have converted the recipe to US measuring cups. 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup cornstarch.
 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 100cookies, Calories: 40kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 7mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Rasa Malaysia

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





178 Comments

  1. Mary Bostow says:

    5 stars
    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!

  2. Joanne says:

    5 stars
    The best butter cookies online! So pretty.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Thanks yes I agree these butter cookies are the best!

  3. Lauren says:

    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)?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      I just used regular measuring cups and measuring spoons for baking, not volume cup. For the weight, I used a scale.

  4. Suzie Ralph says:

    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.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Yes, you can. :)

  5. Simplee says:

    5 stars
    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!

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Awesome, these are the best butter cookies ever! I am so glad the recipe works out for you. :)

      1. SL Gan says:

        I wish to know what’s Pam cooking spray, please. Thank you.

        1. Rasa Malaysia says:

          It’s a product of oil spray in the USA. You can skip if you don’t have it.

  6. Mei Ling says:

    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.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Awesome, I am happy that you all love my butter cookies recipe. Do try out more recipes on my site, they are all good!

  7. Ida says:

    4 stars
    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.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      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.

  8. Molly says:

    Some people just need to buy cookies from the store. It might be easier for you.

  9. Donna Tullberg says:

    I only have self rising flour, will that work ? If so do I still use the salt?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      I am not sure about self-rising flour. Please follow the recipe exactly. Thanks Donna.

  10. June says:

    5 stars
    I just made a batch today. I followed the recipe exactly using hand to mix and
    it turned out perfect. Thanks for the easy cookie recipe.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi June thanks for trying my butter cookies recipes.