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Looking for an easy, crowd-pleasing cookie to add to your holiday baking lineup? These Danish Butter Cookies are my go-to as an easy holiday cookie recipe! They’re buttery, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth, just like the ones you grab from that iconic blue tin, only way more budget-friendly! If you’re hosting this holiday season, these cookies are the kind of dessert everyone will reach for first!
why you’ll love this Danish Butter Cookie Recipe
Is anyone else as obsessed as I am with those buttery shortbread cookies that come in a tin? Every holiday season, my grandmother always had those Royal Dansk Danish butter cookies on the counter; they quickly became a favorite tradition. I knew I had to recreate them from scratch. After a few tries, I made the absolutely perfect Danish butter cookie that tastes even better than the store-bought version.
The trickiest part is piping the dough, but don’t let that intimidate you. A piping bag and a quick pencil circle on the back of your parchment paper make it simple to get that classic round shape. You can keep them traditional or dress them up by dipping them in chocolate and adding sprinkles for a festive touch.
Here’s what makes these Danish Butter Cookies crave-worthy:
❥ Unbeatable Flavor – Rich, buttery, and delicately sweet with that signature shortbread-style melt.
❥ Surprisingly Easy – Simple ingredients and straightforward steps, even the piping feels doable with the right tip.
❥ Make-Ahead Friendly – Freeze the dough or baked cookies to stay ahead of the holiday rush.
❥ Customizable for Any Occasion – Dip in chocolate, add sprinkles, or change up the extract to match your holiday vibe.
Ingredients
- Butter: Salted butter adds flavor and richness. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar: Gives the cookies that super delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture!
- Vanilla Extract: Adds an extra depth of flavor.
- Almond Extract: Just a little goes a long way, giving these cookies that signature nutty flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure while keeping the cookies tender!
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and Sprinkles: These are optional for decoration! They make the cookies a little more festive and fun.
How To Make The Best Danish Butter Cookies
✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and full recipe instructions!
Step 1 | Cream the Butter & Sugar
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract together for 1-2 minutes until fluffy and pale (almost white).
Step 2 | Add Dry Ingredients
Add the flour and use a rubber spatula to combine everything until there are no more dry spots. The mixture will be thick.
Step 3 | Pipe & Chill
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large, open star tip (I used a Wilton 1M) and pipe circles onto the parchment paper. Each circle should be about 1 inch across. You can eyeball it, or if you want them to be perfect, use a pencil to draw circles on the parchment paper using a circular cookie cutter or shot glass. Flip the paper over and trace your circles with the cookie dough, working around the inside of the circle rather than the outside to avoid a large hole in the middle.
Freeze the cookies for at least 20 minutes. This will help them keep their shape while they bake.
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Step 4 | Bake & Decorate
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the ridges are just starting to turn golden.
Allow them to cool and set for a few minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Optional: Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is fully melted. If it feels too thick, you can add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to thin it out.
Dip half of the completely cooled cookie into the melted chocolate and place it back on the parchment-lined sheet. Top with sprinkles while still wet and allow the chocolate to harden before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
- Flavor Additions: Swap almond extract for lemon or orange extract for a citrusy twist.
- Gluten-Free Option: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. The texture will be slightly different, but it will still be delicious.
- Add-ins: Fold in finely chopped toasted almonds or pecans for added texture and flavor.
- Decorations: Drizzle with white chocolate or use colored sprinkles for different holidays or celebrations.
Danish Butter Cookie FAQs
Butter cookies are a broad category of cookies made primarily with butter, sugar, and flour, and they can vary in texture. Danish butter cookies are a specific style of butter cookie piped into decorative shapes and sometimes dipped in chocolate or topped with sprinkles. They’re usually richer in butter and lighter in texture than a typical homemade butter cookie.
Danish butter cookies are famous for their rich, buttery flavor. They became widely popular worldwide thanks to the iconic blue tins exported from Denmark, which turned them into a recognizable and nostalgic holiday treat!
What to Serve with Danish Butter Cookies
These Danish butter cookies are perfect with a hot drink like a gingerbread hot chocolate or an eggnog latte! They would also be a sweet addition to a holiday charcuterie board. If you’re hosting a cookie exchange or holiday party, they make a wonderful addition to any dessert table, with other cookies like Santa’s chocolate chip cookies or peppermint meltaway cookies!
More Holiday Dessert Recipes to Try
- Candied Pecans
- Hot Chocolate Brownies
- Christmas Pretzels with Rolos
- Christmas Tree Cake Trifle
- Gingerbread Swirl Fudge
If you are looking for more Christmas Cookie ideas, check out the sweetest season holiday cookie exchange! It’s a fun virtual cookie exchange with some of my favorite food bloggers, and there are so many great holiday cookies to choose from.
Cookies For Cancer
This recipe is part of The Sweetest Season, an annual virtual cookie swap co-hosted by Erin of The Speckled Palate and Susannah of Feast + West. Every year, food bloggers get together to share new holiday cookie recipes to make and give.
This year we are raising money for Cookies 4 Kids’ Cancer, which is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer.
Since 2008, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer has granted nearly $18 million to pediatric cancer research in the form of 100+ research grants to leading pediatric cancer centers across the country. From these grants have stemmed 35+ treatments available to kids battling cancer today.
Help us raise money for this important cause! Donate through our fundraising page.
Another exciting thing is that Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is in a matching window with their friends at OXO, meaning OXO will be matching every dollar raised through the end of 2025, up to $100,000. Whatever money we raise will automatically double on our fundraising page!
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Danish Butter Cookies Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter - 2 sticks, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- Holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract together for 1-2 minutes until fluffy and pale (almost white).
- Add the flour and use a rubber spatula to combine everything until there are no more dry spots. The mixture will be thick.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large, open star tip (I used a Wilton 1M) and pipe circles onto the parchment paper. Each circle should be about 1 inch across. You can eyeball it, or if you want them to be perfect, use a pencil to draw circles on the parchment paper using a circular cookie cutter or shot glass. Flip the paper over and trace your circles with the cookie dough, working around the inside of the circle rather than the outside to avoid a large hole in the middle.
- Freeze the cookies for at least 20 minutes. This will help them keep their shape while they bake.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the ridges are just starting to turn golden.
- Allow them to cool and set for a few minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Optional: Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is fully melted. If it feels too thick, you can add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to thin it out.
- Dip half of the completely cooled cookie into the melted chocolate and place it back on the parchment-lined sheet.
- Top with sprinkles while still wet and allow the chocolate to harden before serving.
Notes
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