These classic Homemade Butter Cookies are crisp around the edges, delicately sweet, and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. Made with just a handful of pantry ingredients, they bake up buttery and tender, with a pretty piped shape.
A soft dough is piped into rosettes, circles, spirals, and flowers, chilled briefly so the shapes hold, and baked until just lightly golden. They are a lovely cookie tin treat for holidays, gifts, and everyday afternoon snacking.
Why You’ll Love These Butter Cookies
- Buttery and delicate: Softened butter and a hint of vanilla create a classic, tender cookie.
- Crisp around the edges: They turn crisper as they cool on a wire rack.
- Just a few ingredients: Butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, and a pinch of salt.
- Pretty piped shapes: Pipe rosettes, spirals, circles, or flowers, or use cookie cutters if the dough allows.
- Makes 30 cookies: A generous batch for sharing or filling a cookie tin.
How These Cookies Come Together
Softened butter and sugar are beaten for 3–4 minutes until creamy and fluffy, then the egg and vanilla are mixed in. Flour and salt are sifted together and added gradually on low speed until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too firm to pipe, a little milk helps, added a little at a time.
The dough goes into a piping bag with a large star tip and is piped onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. The shaped cookies chill for 20–30 minutes to help them keep their shape, then bake for 10–15 minutes until the edges are just lightly golden.
What You’ll Need
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons milk, if needed
- 1 pinch salt
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Chill Time: 20–30 minutes | Total Time: 65 minutes | Makes: 30 cookies
Estimated Nutrition: Approximately 140 calories and 2 g protein per cookie.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Preheat and Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Make the Dough
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar for 3–4 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
Sift the flour and salt together. Gradually add them to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too firm to pipe, add milk a little at a time. Avoid overmixing.
Step 3: Pipe and Chill
Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe rosettes, circles, spirals, flowers, or other favorite shapes onto the prepared baking sheet. You can also shape the dough with cookie cutters if the consistency allows.
Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 20–30 minutes to help them keep their shape while baking.
Step 4: Bake, Cool, and Store
Bake for 10–15 minutes, depending on the size, until the edges are just lightly golden.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will become crisper as they cool.
Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh and crisp.
How to Serve Butter Cookies
Serve the cookies with a cup of coffee or tea, arrange them on a pretty plate, or pack them into a cookie tin for gifting. For more sweets, browse our dessert recipes or try our orange jelly candy for tea time.
Leftovers & Storage
Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh and crisp.
Tips for the Best Butter Cookies
- Use softened butter: It creams into a fluffy, easy-to-pipe dough.
- Beat the butter and sugar for 3–4 minutes: This makes the dough creamy and light.
- Do not overmix the flour: Mix on low speed just until a soft dough forms.
- Add milk slowly: If the dough is too firm to pipe, add it a little at a time.
- Chill the shaped cookies: 20–30 minutes in the refrigerator helps them keep their shape.
- Cool completely before storing: The cookies crisp up as they cool.
Easy Ways to Change It Up
Different Shapes: Pipe rosettes, circles, spirals, flowers, or other favorite shapes.
Cookie Cutters: If the dough consistency allows, shape it with cookie cutters instead of piping.
Larger or Smaller Cookies: Adjust the size to your taste, and bake for 10–15 minutes depending on the size.
Quick Questions
Do I need a piping bag?
A piping bag with a large star tip makes classic shapes. You can also shape the dough with cookie cutters if the consistency allows.
What if the dough is too firm to pipe?
Add the milk a little at a time until the dough is soft enough to pipe.
Why chill the cookies before baking?
Refrigerating the shaped cookies for 20–30 minutes helps them keep their shape while baking.
How long should I bake them?
Bake for 10–15 minutes, depending on the size, until the edges are just lightly golden.
How do I keep the cookies crisp?
Cool them completely, then store them in an airtight container.
A Cookie Tin Classic
There is something timeless about a tin of buttery cookies. Simple ingredients, pretty piped shapes, and a crisp, sweet bite make them a favorite for any occasion.
Bake a batch to share with coffee or tea, or fill a cookie tin for someone special.
“A simple butter cookie and a warm cup of tea can turn an ordinary afternoon into something worth savoring.”
— Ava
Homemade Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar for 3–4 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
- Sift the flour and salt together. Gradually add them to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too firm to pipe, add milk a little at a time. Avoid overmixing.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe rosettes, circles, spirals, flowers, or other favorite shapes onto the prepared baking sheet. You can also shape the dough with cookie cutters if the consistency allows.
- Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 20–30 minutes to help them keep their shape while baking.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes, depending on the size, until the edges are just lightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will become crisper as they cool.
- Store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh and crisp.
