These Danish butter cookies are piped into swirls featuring rich buttery flavor with a soft texture and light crunch.

Why this recipe works

Danish butter cookies are quite similar to Spritz cookies, but the dough is a bit tougher and we use a piping tip to give them shape. They’re soft, delicate, buttery, and melt right in your mouth. These cookies are perfect for those who don’t enjoy overly-sweet treats.

sprinkling powdered sugar on Swedish Butter Cookies

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

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Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

FLOUR – As with all cookie recipes, please make sure you properly measure your flour. To do so, aerate the flour with a spoon, then lightly scoop the flour with a spoon into a measuring cup. Level the measuring cup with the flat end of a knife. Do not pack the measuring cup or tap it on the counter, you will end up with more flour than needed, and much denser, drier cookies. We used all-purpose flour as well as almond flour here. Almond flour adds a touch of sweetness and gentle flavor to the cookies. Feel free to omit the almond flour and substitute it with regular flour if desired.

SUGAR – Powdered sugar is what gives these cookies that melt in your mouth experience. It absorbs moisture in the dough making them deliciously soft and tender.

BUTTER – We are using room temperature unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter on hand, omit the 1/2 tsp of salt called for in the recipe card below. Allow your butter to come to room temperature for around 35-45 minutes so it’s softened before beginning.

How to Make Danish Butter Cookies

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Preheat oven to 325F.
In a large bowl whisk together the flours. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and extract, scraping down the sides as needed. Mix until combined.
Add the flours to the stand mixer and mix thoroughly.
Working in batches, add dough to the piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Create 1-inch squared circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 22 minutes until edges start to brown and cookies are set. Remove and allow to cool on cooling racks.
Dust with optional confectioner’s sugar before packaging as the perfect homemade holiday gift.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Can I freeze these cookies?

Yes, you can easily freeze these cookies. To do so, prepare and pipe the dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to flash freeze the cookies. Once frozen, remove from the baking sheet and place in an air-tight container or large ziptop bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. These are great for making in advance and popping into the oven whenever you feel like it.

Serving Suggestions

Optionally dust the top of your Danish butter cookies with powdered sugar. Though this type of cookie doesn’t typically have any icing added to it, you can certainly dip or drizzle them with white or regular chocolate and top with sprinkles like we did in our butter cookies recipe.

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