Butter Cookie Wreaths

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Crisp and light Butter Cookie Wreaths!

Share a platter of these Butter Cookie Wreaths at your next gathering and watch them disappear!

These delicious butter cookies are crisp and light, with a crunchy sugar topping that is completely irresistible. Without a doubt, classic butter cookies have worldwide appeal. One of the most famous is the Danish Butter Cookie which is piped into swirls before baking.

You’ve probably eaten a few Danish Butter Cookies from thefamous blue tin found at almost every store during the holidays. Instead of buying a tin this year, try our recipe for butter cookie wreaths and see for yourself why homemade is best!

Can you make this cookie dough ahead of time?

This butter cookie dough requires refrigeration before rolling out, so it’s great for making ahead. If refrigerated longer than an hour, the dough needs to rest at room temperature to warm slightly before being rolled out, cut and baked.

Can you freeze these butter cookie wreaths?

These butter cookie wreaths are perfect for freezing ahead. They’re also great for packing in pretty cookie tins, or boxes, for gifting. If well packed, these cookies are also great for shipping to loved ones. Freeze first, then pack and ship immediately. Freezing gives these cookies a little longer shelf life.

If you don’t need to freeze for later use, they keep well at room temperature for up to a week.These cookies disappear quickly so you really don’t need to worry about long term storage. Just saying!

Tips for making delicious butter cookies:

Use any style cookie cutter such as wreaths, stars, rounds or flowers.
For this recipe I rolled my cookie dough to 1/6-inch thickness. Feel free to roll them out to 1/4-inch for a thicker cookie, or 1/8-inch for a thinner cookie. Watch the baking time and adjust for thickness.
Don’t skip the sparkling or coarse sugar topping. The baked on sugar offers a nice textural feature and a little extra sweetness.
This cookie dough was designed to be rolled out, not piped. It has not been tested using a cookie press or piping bag.
If the dough cracks or splits while rolling out, leave it at room temperature for a few more minutes to soften.
Dust the work surface with plenty of flour to prevent sticking. You can also roll them out on a piece of heavily floured parchment paper.
Don’t overbake the cookies. They are best when just set and lightly browned on the edges.
Lightly brush the unbaked cookies with an egg wash just before baking. Allow the egg wash to dry for a minute before topping with sugar. If the sugar topping gets too ‘wet’ it will melt slightly and not have the defined sugary crunch.
Don’t skip the pinch of salt in the egg wash. The salt adds flavor and also helps the egg white break down for easier brushing.
For this recipe I used Bob’s Red Mill Decorative Sparkling Sugar as a topping.

These cookies have a rich, unforgettable buttery flavor.

When baking butter cookies use the best quality, unsalted butter you can buy. For all our baked goods, we use grade AA unsalted butter. According to King Arthur Flour, grade AA butter is18% water, at least 80% butterfat, and 1% to 2% milk solids andhas the most buttery in flavor of all three grades: AA, A, and B.

It also has a light, fresh flavor and smooth texture making it a perfect butterfor baking. Good butter rules in these cookies!

Butter Cookie Wreaths are made with just a few good quality ingredients.

In addition to using great unsalted butter, we also like to add the bestVanilla Bean Paste from Nielsen-Massey. You can find vanilla bean paste in better grocery stores near the vanilla extracts, or purchase on Amazon.

I often use vanilla bean paste in baking, but especially in a cookie like this where you’re able to see little vanilla beans throughout the finished product.

Whatever products you use, I’m sure everyone will love these cookies. I’d be surprised if they don’t become one of your most requested cookies, year after year. They’re really that good!

Thanks for PINNING!

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Yield: 48 cookies

Course: Cookie, Holiday

Equipment

2 ½-inch round fluted cookie cutter, ¾-inch round fluted cookie cutter

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened (8-ounces or 226g)
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (284g)
¾ cup granulated sugar (170g)
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk (white reserved for topping)

For topping:

coarse decorative or sparkling sugar for topping
1 egg white mixed with a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, sugar, salt, 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again until blended. Add the vanilla and blend on low until incorporated.
Add the flour and mix on low just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough together. Divide the dough in half and form each into an 8-inch round disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a large, well floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to ⅙-inch thick. Using the larger cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible. Cut out the center of each cookie using the smaller ¾-inch cutter. Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1-inch apart. Refrigerate the baking sheet, with unbaked cookies, for 15 minutes.
Gather the dough scraps and form into a dish. Refrigerate while baking the rolled out cookies.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg white with a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon water, to make an egg wash.
Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and using a pastry brush, gently brush each cookie with the egg wash. Allow the egg wash to dry a minute or two then sprinkle each cookie generously with coarse sugar.
Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough by rolling, shaping, baking and cooling.
Cookies may be stored at room temperature for up to a week, or frozen until needed.

Recipe Notes

Cookies can be made with any of your favorite cookie cutters i.e. stars, circles, wreaths, etc.
Roll the dough to 1/8, 1/6 or 1/4-inch thick depending on desired thickness. Adjust baking time as needed
Makes 48 to 60 cookies depending on size and thickness

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

SRFD’s favorite rolling pin for cookie dough:

Create uniform sized cookies with this inexpensive essential kitchen tool. The adjustable rolling pin flattens the dough to an even thickness for uniform baking. With 1/16, 1/6, 1/4, and 3/8-inch removable discs. Click on the photo for more information or to purchase from Amazon.

Saving Room for Dessert is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program ~ I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog.

Here are a few more recipes you might also enjoy:

Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

Chocolate Sugar Cookie

Old-World Linzer Cookies

Butter Cookie Wreaths - Saving Room for Dessert Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you use melted butter instead of softened for cookies? ›

It all makes a difference. Our control cookie, as with most cookies, uses softened butter, and this recipe tends to be a bit cakier. A cookie made with the same amount of melted butter will give you a fudgier, chewier cookie. It helps it spread out more and gives you some nice divots to catch more chocolate.

Read On ›

Should butter be room temperature for cookies? ›

In pie, butter must be refrigerator-cold. In cookies, for the purpose of creaming with sugar, butter is best at room temperature.

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What happens to cookies with too much butter? ›

But one unexpected error bakers can make is adding too much of a good thing, butter. Although butter generally makes it all better, bakers who go overboard with it are dooming their cookies to a greasy and crumbly texture.

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How do you decorate a sugar cookie wreath? ›

Using piping bag with plain white Royal Icing, pipe an outline along both edges of each cookie. Let dry for 5 minutes. Fill in center using white Royal Icing in squeeze bottle. Immediately pipe small green dots to left and right of center of ring using small piping bottle.

Learn More Now ›

Can I use melted butter in place of softened butter? ›

Softened butter and melted butter are not the same. Using melted butter will change the texture of whatever you're baking. If you only want the butter to soften for spreading, microwave it on the Defrost setting (30%) in 5-second increments until it's softened as desired.

Get More Info Here ›

Why can't I use melted butter instead of softened? ›

In cookies, softened butter will result in a cakier and airier cookie than using melted butter. This is due to the fact that softened butter will create air bubbles that expand in the oven during baking. Melted butter will make your cookies delightfully dense on the inside and crisp on the edges.

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Can I leave butter out overnight to soften for cookies? ›

It's fine to leave unsalted butter out on the counter for a few hours if you're planning to bake with it, but if you're going to leave any butter out at room temperature for an extended period of time, make it salted. That's because the salt in salted butter adds extra protection against any sort of bacterial growth.

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How long should butter sit out before baking cookies? ›

To soften butter, we recommend leaving it on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes to an hour. Keep in mind that the speed at which your butter will soften depends on the temperature of your kitchen. If it's wintertime, you might need to leave your butter on the counter overnight to fully soften.

What happens if you melt butter for cookie dough? ›

Melted butter is important in cookie making because it helps create a unique texture and flavor that cannot be achieved with solid butter. During the melting process, the butter's water content evaporates, leaving only fat behind. This results in a more concentrated flavor and a softer texture in your cookies.

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Does melted butter cause flat cookies? ›

The Problem: The Butter Is Too Soft

Room temperature butter is just the right consistency to incorporate air when it's creamed with sugar. These trapped air pockets result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise.

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Does butter need to be soft for cookies? ›

“Most people think the butter should be so soft that it's broken down, but the most important thing is that you want a little bit of give to the butter.” If you want to get technical, she says the precise temperature should be between 63 and 68 degrees — where it's cool to touch, but your finger can leave an indent.

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