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Butter Cookies - the BEST butter cookies recipe ever! These butter cookies are buttery, crumbly, melt in the mouth. Best cookies for Christmas and holidays.
Butter Cookies Recipe
This is the BEST butter cookies recipe you’ll find online! They are extremely buttery, crumbly and practically melt in the mouth.
They are similar to Danish butter cookies and perfect for any holidays: Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, or any day of the year!
Ingredients For Butter Cookies
This is an easy recipe that calls for simple ingredients:
- Unsalted butter.
- Powdered sugar.
- Egg yolk.
- All-purpose flour.
- Cornstarch.
- Vanilla essence.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How Can I Make My Cookies Better
How to make butter cookies? Here are my baking tips, tricks and secret techniques for the best 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
This recipe yields about 100 cookies. They last for two (2) weeks or longer if the cookies are stored in an air-tight container.
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.
This recipe is only 41 calories per cookie.
What To Serve With This Recipe
For a delightful afternoon tea party, 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 Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Butter Cookies
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these cookies today. When i baked it, it kinda breaks during first 10mins. I wonder what went wrong
I just read some,not all comments,incase someone has already asked this question:
Please I want to know, what type of oven do you use (fan convection or convectional oven),and what’s your brand of oven.Because I love the way your cookies come out in little time,without burning or turning deep brown from the under part.My gas oven convectional takes so much time to bake cookies at 180°C,like almost an hour and the bottom turns brown,I had to scrape off burnt part.I need a better gas oven,electric one is not an option for me because I use a pre-paid meter,it will use up so much electricity.
Please what brand and type of oven would you recommend for medium commercial baking,preferably gas type oven.
Thanks so much,your my friend when it comes to food etc.Love your blog,style and bakings,I’m a fan of your milk cookies in Christmas theme.
Expecting your reply soon.
I have a KitchenAid oven.
Hello Bee
1 qn: I would like to have colored cookies.
Using the same recipe, can I add some cocoa powder to turn the dough brown? Would it affect the taste much? Thank you!
I think you can but I am not sure how it affects the taste.
They would make a chocolate cookie. You would leave out some of the flour or the consistency will be funny. Chocolate butter cookies are really good tho~
Rasa where have you been all my life???
Wooow these taste like heaven. I can’t thank you enough
You are an Angel, a millions thank you
You poor thing. I cannot believe the comments and questions on here. This is a fabulous recipe, the cookies are yummy. The recipe is written wonderfully. I bake a lot of recipes by cups and ounces but sometimes in baking as in bread, some cakes and these cookies you need to weigh to get more precise measurements which gives precise wonderful cookies. Thanks for the recipe
Hi Trimelda, thanks for your sweet comment. I appreciate your support! :)
Hi love love your recipes, re these cookies – is it possible to add more powdered sugar if we like more sweet? Would it harm the texture ?
Thanks Billy, I think it should be fine.
I made them just now and WOW AMAZING! Best ever! I used the exact measurements except I added about 2 Oz sugar powder for us sweet tooth.,
I like your cookie pattern – can u recommend where to get these kind of cookie cutters?
That’s great that you love my butter cookies recipe. I am so happy. I think I got them online!
Thank you Rasa for sharing your yummy recipe.
I can’t believe some of the ridiculous questions asked…. This is not a cooking class.
Ladies, just make Rasa’s perfect butter cookies by following her instructions; they are the best.
Might as well make ur own recipe if u want to sub any of the ingredients. If ur missing the ingredients, go out and buy them. PLUS, putting another recipe on Rasa’s site in recipe comments is very rude!
Hi MA thanks for your support. I do believe this butter cookies recipe is really very good and the best in my mind! :)
Oh I so agree.
For goodness sake, just use the recipe. The poor girl must be nearly driven mad with people wanting to change, substitute and have measurements explained. Google measurements for goodness sake. Take some responsibility for finding out yourself.
If you want something else get another recipe.
Rant over. Must stop reading comments is my new resolution?
Hi,
May I check with you, if I would like to bake it in green tea/chocolate flavor instead, do I just decrease the all purpose flour and add in appropriate amount of green tea/cocoa powder? Thank you!
Hi,
How long can this cookies store?
And is it suitable for royal icing decorating?
Thanks ;)
It stores for 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container. Yes.
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe. How long can this cookies store? And is this recipe suitable for royal icing decoration?
Thanks :)