Everyone remembers the iconic blue tin of Danish Butter Cookies at Christmastime! This recipe is so cozy and nostalgic and will bring you right back to all of your favorite holiday memories.
It’s so easy to create delicious homemade cookies that taste just like the ones in the Royal Dansk tin. These melt-in-your-mouth cookies come together with just 6 simple ingredients.
Did you have a favorite butter cookie shape? Mine was always the pretzel-shaped cookies from the blue tin with the crispy coarse sugar on the outside!
Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies are famous around the world and are a popular treat and gift for Christmas.
You can certainly still buy these, but we all know that homemade Christmas cookies are always going to taste better than anything store-bought.
Nestle these crisp, buttery shortbread cookies in white muffin liners and place them in your favorite holiday cookie tin. They make a wonderful edible gift.
Looking for more classic, must-make holiday cookie recipes? You will love my Snickerdoodles, Peanut Butter Blossoms, and Classic Italian Butter Cookies too!
Danish Butter Cookies Recipe Highlights
- One Bowl, Easy Recipe– These are essentially crisp shortbread cookies, which means that they are made with very few ingredients. Mix everything together in the correct order, and you’ll have this cookie dough ready in just a few minutes.
- Classic Flavor and Texture – These are exactly like the Royal Dansk cookies that you remember, but even better because you made them yourself! Get ready for ultra buttery, tender, and crisp vanilla cookies.
- Have Fun With These! You can decide what shapes you want to make your butter cookies in. Use a large round piping tip to make simple round cookies, or a star tip to pipe swirls, crescents, or my favorite, pretzel shapes!
Ingredients In Danish Butter Cookies
Here’s what you need to make these 6-ingredient shortbread cookies:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Butter: This is the most important ingredient in butter cookies, of course. Use fresh, unsalted butter. The better the quality of your butter, the better these will be.
- Sugar: This adds the perfect amount of sweetness and helps to create the best slightly crunchy texture.
- Egg: While traditional shortbread would be egg-free, I found that 1 large egg was needed here as a binder to keep the dough together.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is perfect.
- Vanilla Extract and Salt: To balance and enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
How To Make Recipe
There’s no need to chill this cookie dough, so before you start mixing, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Tip!
I usually use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment to make cookie dough, but you can also make this recipe with a hand-held electric mixer.
Recipe Tips
- Pay attention to your measurements. The key to this recipe is having the ideal ratios of butter, flour, and sugar. Check out my measuring tips if you need a refresher.
- For even more flavor, use an equal amount of vanilla paste in place of the vanilla extract. If you want to get creative, you can also add a small amount of almond extract or even peppermint extract to the dough to create a whole new flavor!
- Piping the dough: This is the fun part! Use a large piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (like a Wilton 1M) to make cookies with ridges. For flat, round cookies, use a large round tip such as Wilton 2A.
- Keep and eye on these while they bake: The exact baking time will depend on your oven and on how you’ve piped the shapes. Pull the cookies out of the oven when they are no longer wet on top. They shouldn’t be golden brown.
- Cool completely: Like most baked goods, you should let these cool down completely on a cooling rack at room temperature before placing them in a tin or a container. If they’re warm when you put them away, they’ll create steam and get soft.
- Create the perfect gift: Pack your homemade Danish butter cookies into cookie tins, with white cupcake liners holding each one. Holiday cookies make a great gift for neighbors, teachers, friends, and family!
Storage Tips
Once completely cooled, danish butter cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
You can also freeze these cookies. Place them in a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.
I love having cookies already made in the freezer! I just leave them to thaw on the counter for an hour or two before serving.
More Christmas Treats!
I have so many amazing Christmas recipes for you to make this holiday season, and Christmas Desserts are always my favorite. Add some of these to your menu this year:
- Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies
- Snowman Cupcakes
- Turtle Cheesecake
- Christmas Crack
- Christmas Layer Cake
- Chocolate Cherry Cordials
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate Fudge
Recipe FAQs
Can I make these without a piping bag and tips?
You can make simple round cookies with this dough without any fancy equipment! Add the dough to a gallon-sized freezer bag and snip off one of the corners. Use this setup as a make-shift piping bag.
Can I add toppings to Danish Butter Cookies?
Yes! Coarse sanding sugar or holiday sprinkles can be added to the cookies before baking and will add a lovely crunch to these delicate treats. After baking, you can dust the cookies with powdered sugar for a pretty snowy look.
Will this recipe work for cut-outs?
I haven’t tested it, but I do think that you can shape this dough however you want to! Roll it out and make cut out cookies, or press it with a cookie press, similarly to how you’d make spritz cookies.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
Italian Wedding Cookies
Kolaczki (Polish Cookies)
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Did you enjoy making these shortbread cookies? After you’ve mastered this recipe for Danish Butter Cookies, you can try my Chocolate Shortbread Bites and Shortbread Lemon Curd Cookies next!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Danish Butter Cookies
Equipment
- Large piping bag fitted with a large tip
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- ½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), or 160°C for a fan oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg, and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the flour and mix until smooth.
- Use a piping bag and open the star tip or round tip to pipe desired shapes onto prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until they have puffed up and are no longer wet-looking on top.
Notes:
- Pay attention to your measurements. The key to this recipe is having the ideal ratios of butter, flour, and sugar.
- For even more flavor, use an equal amount of vanilla paste in place of the vanilla extract. If you want to get creative, you can also add a small amount of almond extract or even peppermint extract to the dough to create a whole new flavor!
- Piping the dough: This is the fun part! Use a large piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (like a Wilton 1M) to make cookies with ridges. For flat, round cookies, use a large round tip such as Wilton 2A.
- Baking Time: The exact baking time will depend on your oven and on how you’ve piped the shapes. Pull the cookies out of the oven when they are no longer wet on top. They shouldn’t be golden brown.
- Cool completely: Like most baked goods, you should let these cool down completely at room temperature before placing them in a tin or a container. If they’re warm when you put them away, they’ll create steam and get soft.
- To Store: Keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Create the perfect gift: Pack your homemade Danish butter cookies into cookie tins, with white cupcake liners holding each one. Holiday cookies make a great gift for neighbors, teachers, friends, and family!
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
netty says
Hi could I freeze them before baking? to then bake at a later date/ thank you
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I think that you could freeze the formed cookies on a sheet pan, then transfer them to a freezer bag for storage. Bake from frozen, but add an extra minute or two to the time. Enjoy!
Ellen Lockwood says
these look soo good. Can I use a cookie gun for these instead of piping them, or is the dough not stiff enough?
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I haven’t tried these with a cookie gun, but I think it should work just like making spritz cookies!