Danish Butter Cookies

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The best Danish butter cookies! These Danish cookies are buttery, rich in milky and creamy flavors. This easy Danish butter cookie recipe is fail-proof.

Danish butter cookies in a tray.
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Danish Cookies

Everyone loves those buttery, crispy and addictive Danish butter cookies in tin. They are my favorite butter cookies ever!

This Danish butter cookies recipe is absolutely the best and you have to try baking them!


Danish Butter Cookies Recipe

Danish cookies ready to serve.

This recipe calls for only six (6) basic ingredients that you already have at home:

  • Unsalted butter. Use a high quality butter such as Challenge brand (USA)
  • Fine sugar
  • Powdered sugar
  • Cake flour
  • Salt
  • Heavy whipping cream

The method is very straight forward and novice baker friendly. The recipe is also fail-proof.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.


Secret Ingredient For The Best Danish Butter Cookies

Danish butter cookies in a tin.

The secret ingredient is heavy whipping cream. The whipping cream lends intense milky aroma and creamy flavor to the cookies.

For the flour, cake flour makes the cookies crispier with perfect texture.

The cookies taste just like Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies in blue tin that we all love so much!

Every bite transports you to cookies heaven!


How To Make Danish Cookies

Danish butter cookies recipe with butter, cake flour, sugar and heavy whipping cream.

The method is so simple and involves three (3) easy steps.

First, cream the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.

Next, add in the heavy whipping cream in 3 portion.

Add the cake flour to the butter mixture to form the cookie dough.

Pipe the dough using a star nozzle. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.


Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use salted butter?

Yes, you can use salted butter. Just skip the salt if you use salted butter.

Can I use all-purpose flour?

Yes, you can use all-purpose flour.

Can I use regular milk or regular whipping cream?

For rich, creamy and milky flavors, I strongly recommend using heavy whipping cream. You may use regular whipping cream.
If you are using milk, I suggest you use full milk.

How many calories per serving?

Each cookie is 45 calories.

Buttery Royal Danish cookies.

What To Serve With Danish Butter Cookies

These cookies are great for holidays such as Christmas, Chinese New Year, etc. For an array of festive baking, I recommend the following recipes.

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4.57 from 82 votes

Danish Butter Cookies

The best Danish butter cookies! These Danish cookies are buttery, rich in milky and creamy flavors. This easy Danish butter cookie recipe is fail-proof.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 48 Cookies
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Ingredients  

  • 125 g (4oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 35 g (1¼ oz) powdered sugar
  • 35 g (1¼ oz) fine sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 100 ml heavy whipping cream
  • 180 g (6¼ oz) cake flour, sifted

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). In a bowl, mix together the butter, powdered sugar, fine sugar, and salt. Then whisk until well combined and fluffy.
  • Gradually add the whipping cream in 3 portions, beating on low speed after each addition.
  • Add the cake flour to the butter mixture and mix well. Then, pour the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star piping tip.
  • Pipe the batter onto a lined baking sheet.
    Danish cookies with star shape.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn slightly brown. Do not overbake. Let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

For the best results, please use metric measurement for this Danish Butter Cookies recipe.
If you use salted butter, you can skip salt in the recipe.
Adapted from: Penang Foodie.

Nutrition

Serving: 48cookies, Calories: 45kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 13mg, Potassium: 6mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 96IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 0.04mg

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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58 Comments

  1. Lisa says:

    Are you able to use a cookie press for these?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      No, very hard to use a cookie press as the dough is soft.

  2. Chiang M. S. says:

    Tried your Danish butter cookies, with the exact amount of ingredients as stated.
    However, my cookies are not crispy, instead they turn out too soft. What went wrong? Please advise.
    Thank you.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      I am not sure. They were crispy, perhaps your measurement is off.

      1. Robin says:

        What kind of star tip did you use?

        Thanks, can’t wait to make these.
        Robin

        1. Rasa Malaysia says:

          I just used my Ziplock bag cut at the corner.

    2. Polyna says:

      My first try they also were not crispy and I was thinking of giving up on the recipe, but I then did a few things differently and now I LOVE LOVE LOVE how they turn out light, crisp, yet melt-in-mouth: (1) I actually used the original recipe this one is adapted from, which uses 90 g whipping cream as opposed to 100 mL (which may be the same only one being weighed and the other by volume, but I always prefer to weigh); (2) I lowered the oven temp by at least 25 degrees and baked slower/longer, waiting for that telltale brown on the ridges and edges before pulling them out. I can’t believe what a big difference this made; (3) Another experiment I let them cool completely and then re-baked for an additional 5-6 minutes again in the lower-temperature oven — almost the same as above but possibly even nicer; (4) I sprinkled them lightly with granulated sugar before baking; (5) I used 180 g of regular all-purpose flour plus an extra 20 g of cornstarch; and (6) This one is probably not necessary to crispness, but I added an extra 15 grams of each type of sugar into the recipe itself as that to me most resembles the tinned version of Danish butter cookies we know and love! (Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I’ll probably never go out of my way to eat a tinned Danish butter cookie again now that I can make these!)

      1. Bee Yinn Low says:

        Awesome Polyna, I am so glad that the recipe works for you!

  3. Michelle says:

    Hi! Can I use this recipe as a base for Nutella tarts ?
    Thanks

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      I think it’s too crumbly for tarts.

  4. Amy says:

    Hi Bee , just checking for the whipping cream , can i just use normal whipping cream , as I am unable to find heavy whipping cream . Any brand to recommend , so that I can source it out .

    Thanks in Advance

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Yes fine.

  5. Shanti says:

    May I know the difference between powdered sugar n fine sugar?
    Is powdered sugar the same as icing sugar?
    How is cake flour different? Can I make my own cake flour?
    Thank you for a great recipe.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Powdered is icy sugar. Fine sugar is castor sugar. Cake flour is different and has lower gluten. You can buy at the stores.

  6. Phoebe says:

    I’m surprised how many commenters are unfamiliar with recipes by weight! Serious bakers, including American ones, know that cups and spoon measurements are imprecise. Bee is not in the wrong here. Try googling baking by weight vs volume. https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tools-and-techniques/bakers-cups-or-scales.htm

    1. Meera says:

      Tried these cookies and they are simply amazing!!! I got plenty more than 48, not sure how, but I ain’t complaining. I am planning to include this in my Xmas hamper. Not too sweet & totally addictive! ?

  7. Duncan Moore says:

    Bee, such a simple recipe but with absolutely amazing results.
    Thanks for giving us another one of your great dishes,

    1. Admin says:

      Thanks.

    2. Tricia says:

      Do they have to be piped out or can you spoon them right on to cookie sheet ?

  8. Calvin says:

    I tried the recipe but I can’t get the 48 cookies that you said would yield for one batch. How big is your cookie?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      My cookies are very small. You can make it bigger.

  9. Exsss says:

    May i know whether i can store the cookies up to 1 month?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      I think 1 month is a stretch. I would say max 1 week and you need to use an airtight container.

  10. NickiDE says:

    This would be more inviting to make if the ounce/ml measure were given in cups or teaspoons as many bakers don’t have a scale. Thank you.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      For the best results, you really need a scale to bake. I have done so many experiments before, when I used cups, I came out with mediocre results. 1 cup of flour comes out to a different weight every single time, and sometimes, the difference is huge (tens of grams)! That’s the difference between the best Danish butter cookies (which this recipe delivers if you follow the metric measurement) vs. just OK tasting. Digital scale is not really expensive, you can get it for $12-$15 and it will be the best investment in your kitchen! :)