These authentic German Butter Cookies are a classic for Christmas and should be baked at least once in Advent. It's an easy cookie recipe for kids. Quick to prepare, perfect for cookie cutters and easy to decorate with just eggwash and sprinkles.
For me, one of my first childhood memories is making butter cookies with my mother. I spent ages selecting the cookie cutters, and it was so fun cutting them. After that, I would decorate them brush on egg wash and add a variety of sprinkles on top.
How to make German Butter Cookies?
This recipe is super easy to make. The ingredients are butter, sugar, a pinch of salt, lemon peel, egg yolks, and plain flour. Ensure that you have measured the ingredients accurately.
Mix the butter, sugar, salt, and lemon peel with a dough hook. Add the egg yolks one by one. Now sieve the flour and combine with the mixture. Leave to cool in the fridge for an hour.
This cookie dough is quite elastic and not very crumbly. It is good for rolling and shaping with cookie cutters. We have two sets of cookie cutters at home, one for Christmas and one for Easter.
The dough is made of sweet crust pastry. Once baked the butter cookies are hard, not soft like shortbread cookies. To make soft butter Christmas cookies, I would recommend my Heidesand cookies recipe.
How to use cookie cutters?
It all starts with rolling out the dough. If you cover your work surfaces and rolling pin in flour in advance, your dough shouldn't stick.
There are two tips I want to share with you to avoid the dough from sticking.
- Firstly place a sheet of clingfilm over the dough when rolling it out.
- Secondly buy an inexpensive silicone baking mat. They prevent you from having to scrape the cookie dough from your work surface later and you can wash them in the dishwasher.
Roll out the dough so that it is around 3 mm thick. Now you can cut out the cookies, by pressing the cutters in the dough. Carefully lift them onto a prepared tray lined with baking parchment.
Can I use whole eggs please? If so, how many? Please let me know
Hi Malou, thanks for your comment. Replacing the egg yolks with the whole egg will change the texture. As egg yolks make the cookie more crumbly.
To alter the recipe just up the butter to 200 g / 7 oz. Cream with the sugar and then just add 1 whole medium egg. Let me know how you get on.
Amazing recipe. Reminds me of my childhood as I grew up in Germany and I know this is the authentic recipe ! Delicious, my family loved it.
Hello Shumaila! Thanks so much for your feedback and I am glad this cookie brought some joy to your family. Happy Christmas Baking!
I love german cookies but si haven‘t try this one! Very timely i would like to try 🙂 Thanks for sharing
i hope you will enjoy the recipe
No cookie lasts a long time at our house, especially the Christmas ones! I’m saving your recipe for this year’s Christmas cookies:)
I am pleased, thank you. let me know what you think of them.
I never knew I needed this recipe until I found yours! My guy lived in Germany for a while as a kid and will love these for the holidays!
Hope he will enjoy them x
These cookies like delicious! I’ve never tried German butter cookies, but I want to now!
Great recipe and always welcome all year long
Thanks
Yes they are. We use this recipe a lot.
Easy recipe. I made them with my kiddo as a homeschool project. Delicious learning opportunity!
Thank you so much for your feedback x
Nice recipe! I would definitely cook with my kids this holiday season. Thanks for sharing
Thank you! Let me know how it works out x
These look fantastic, I’ll be adding these to my holiday baking list. I think I might be able to figure out a low carb version. Thanks for the thorough instructions!