It only takes a short list of ingredients to make these delicious Danish Butter Cookies!
For years, I wanted to make my own Danish Butter Cookies. I’ve had my fair share of the kind in the tins at Christmas time, but I really wanted to try baking them myself.
So, as I tend to do, I did a good bit of reading about different ways to make them. And let me tell you that there are a whole lot of opinions out there, from the type of butter to use to how to shape them and a whole lot in between.
Ultimately, I feel that these should be very simple cookies. A short list of ingredients and a no-fuss method are what make them so good.
Of course, quality ingredients are always key, especially when the ingredient list is short. Some bakers prefer to make these cookies European butter, which has a higher fat content. I generally don’t bake with anything other than standard butter, and I imagine that is what most home bakers use. However, either kind should serve you well for this recipe.
When it comes to how to shape the cookies, I like to pipe them in simple circle with a large star tip. I’ll be the first to tell you that my piping skills aren’t great. But this is a simple shape that even I can manage to make. I use a Wilton 1M open star tip, and I highly recommend you not try to use anything smaller than that. The dough is thick but that size tip works fine with a little effort. Experiment with other tips and shapes if you like. Have fun!
Don’t be shy when sprinkling the cookies with sugar. The cookies themselves aren’t very sweet, so you need that extra sugar for sweetness. You can use granulated sugar, sanding sugar, or a combination of the two. If you’re looking for something more festive, try a colored sanding sugar.
One last tip I’ll offer is to be careful not to over-bake these cookies. It’s very easy to do that. Take the cookies out of the oven just as they’re beginning to brown around the edges.
I’m a complete convert for these homemade Danish Butter Cookies! They are SO much better than the cookies in the tin. And you’ll love how easy they are to make! This is one cookie recipe I’ll be making for years to come!
More Cookie Recipes with a Short List of Ingredients
Danish Butter Cookies
Danish Butter Cookies are made simply and easily with a short list of ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (110g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- about 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liner.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour, mixing just until combined.
- Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.* Pipe the dough into circles about 2 inches in diameter. Leave about 2 inches between cookies.
- Sprinkle each cookie with granulated sugar or sanding sugar.
- Refrigerate the pans of cookies for 15 minutes.
- Bake, one pan at a time, 14 to 18 minutes, or until the edges are just browned.
- Cool on the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*The cookies pictured were made with a Wilton 1M tip. Most any tip at least that large should work. If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped instead.
Recipe slightly adapted from McCormick.
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17 Comments on “Danish Butter Cookies”
I do not have Wilton tips or anything like that. Do you think I could use the dough as drop dough and slightly flatten them before baking? Or just use as drop dough cookies? Or forget it altogether?
Thanks.
Maybe you could roll them in a small log and make it into a circle? They sound too good for forget. Good luck!
Hi, Nancee. I’ve not tried it, but I think you could scoop them like drop cookies and flatten them. They don’t spread much, so keep that in mind when you shape them.
What about using a cookie press? Would this dough work in one?
Hi, Kate. I think the dough would work in a cookie press. If you try it, let me know how it works.
Did I miss the “Yield” somewhere?
I often bypass recipes that don’t list it. Saves having a “What do you mean it just cost me $9.00 to make 16 cookies? ” conversation with myself as I beat my head against the wall.
So please…. SHOW yields.
Many of us live on very tight budgets & need to get the biggest “bang for our bucks”. Thanks!
The yield is at the top of the recipe in a red banner.
I thought Danish butter cookies have coconut in them?
Hi, Sue. Some do have coconut, but I have found many variations of this recipe out in the world!
Yield is in a red banner above the title, kind of hard to miss…
These sound great and I can’t wait to try them. How do you suggest we could modify the recipe if we wanted the coconut too? I assume it would be a simple substitution of some coconut flour in place of a percentage of the regular flour? Your thoughts? Thanks!
Hi, Peter. Coconut flour isn’t usually a 1:1 substitution for wheat flour, so I can’t really say with any certainty without some experimenting. If I were going to add coconut, I might just try some very finely chopped unsweetened coconut to the dough to keep things simple.
For anyone that doesn’t have a pastry bag, try a disposable ziplock bag, cutting off a bottom corner.
Am I missing something?? Is there no baking powder or soda in this recipe??
No, you won’t need any leavening agents for this recipe.
Can I just butter the pan? Would that work okay?
Hi, Adalia. Lining pans will give you a more consistent result, but you can use butter if you like. Just be sure not to use too much, or that can cause the cookies to spread too much.