Eggless Danish Butter Cookies
Dec 14, 2020, Updated May 07, 2023
Melt-in-mouth eggless Danish Butter Cookies are buttery, crumbly and just the perfect treat for the holidays. Enjoy with coffee! Made with only 5 ingredients!
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Buttery melt-in-mouth Eggless Danish Butter Cookies! These cookies require only 5 ingredients are one of my favorite treats to bake for the holidays.
They are also perfect for gifting to your friends and family.
It’s the season for homemade cookies. I love baking cookies especially during this time of the year.
I didn’t grow up baking cookies for Christmas or for that matter baking anything since we never had oven in our house in India. My memories of Christmas include decorating a small Christmas tree and waiting for Santa to give us gifts.
We studied in a missionary school until middle school so we used to get pretty excited for Christmas. My sister and I would really look forward to decorating the tree but that was about it. We never baked anything!
Dad got us a fruit cake and these Danish Butter Cookies which came in those blue boxes. I am sure so many of us have the memories of those blue cookie filled boxes, isn’t it?
They were my favorite treat and I was always so happy to eat them.
Now of course I bake a lot, we decorate the tree but I miss those wonderful innocent years so much! For so long me and my sister believed in Santa Claus (like most kids) and then one day on Christmas eve, it was raining a lot and the weather was bad and we saw that mom dad couldn’t get out of the house.
The next morning, we found a note under the tree which said “sorry kids, weather was bad so couldn’t get gifts”. We sort of connected the dots that day! Haha, such a fun memory and always makes me smile! 🙂
Anyway coming back to these cookies, these are like the easiest cookies that you can bake.
These Eggless Danish Butter Cookies
✔are buttery and crumbly.
✔made with only 5 basic ingredients!
✔are nut-free and egg-free.
✔easy treat to make for the holidays!
Even if you are new to baking cookies, this is a good place to start since these are so easy to make.
Like mentioned before, you only need few basic ingredients to make these eggless Danish butter cookies.
Cookies Ingredients
Flour: I have used all purpose here. You can probably use atta (whole wheat flour), this cookies might not be as tender and flaky as whole wheat is heavier but you can definitely make them with whole wheat flour.
Powdered sugar: also known as confectioners sugar/icing sugar. Do not use granulated white sugar here.
Butter: I have used unsalted butter for these cookies. You can use salted butter but I prefer using unsalted butter here.
Make sure the butter is at room temperature before you use it in the recipe. You cannot replace butter with oil here.
Cornstarch: or in India corn flour acts as a tenderizing agent as it inhibits some of the gluten-formation making the cookies softer.
Vanilla extract: pure vanilla extract is what I have used here. You can use imitation vanilla if that’s what you have.
Vanilla beans would work great too!
Milk: a little milk helps in piping the cookies easily. You may skip the milk if you are not going to pipe these.
It’s important to chill these cookies before baking, this prevents spreading of cookies in the oven while baking.
I recommend chilling for a minimum of 2 hours, you can even chill overnight in the refrigerator.
Baking time: so, I baked these cookies for 20 minutes at 350 F degrees. At this temperature their bottom had a light brown color and they were just perfect for my taste- little crispy with buttery, crumbly texture.
I would suggest keeping an eye after 15 minutes since every oven is different.
For these cookies I have used a closed star tip to pipe them. You can pipe them in any shape you want, using whatever piping nozzle you have.
Don’t be afraid of getting the perfect shape, just have fun with piping them. Even if you don’t have a piping tip, just roll and flatten them with your hands and bake. Ultimately it’s all about have a good time. And they will taste good irrespective of how you shape them.
Dipping in chocolate: if you want, once the cookies are completely cooled you can dip them in chocolate to make them look more festive.
You can dip these in milk, white or dark chocolate and can also add some sprinkles on top!
Storing the cookies: I like to store these in an airtight container at room temperature. They taste best when fresh and are good at room temperature for 5 to 7 days. These can also be frozen.
Method
1- Using paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or using your hand mixer) beat together room temperature butter until smooth and creamy.
2- Add in the powdered sugar, flour, cornstarch and vanilla and little milk(as needed). Mix until combined.
3- The dough should come together on it’s own, if not just use your hands to bring it together.
4- Now, take a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Transfer the dough into a piping bag lined with a closed star tip/nozzle and pipe the cookie dough into these rosette shapes (starting from the center and making one full round around it).
The dough might feel stiff to pipe at first but keep pressing and pipe and eventually with the warmth of your hands, it will loosen up and you will be able to pipe easily.
Once the cookies are piped, transfer the baking sheet into the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. This will help in preventing the cookies from spreading in the oven.
Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees. Take the baking sheet out of the refrigerator and bake at 350 F degrees for 18 to 20 minutes until the bottom of the cookies start turning light brown in color. I baked mine for 20 minutes.
Transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these eggless Danish Butter Cookies with coffee.
More Eggless Holiday Cookies
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Eggless Danish Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 113 grams (1 stick), at room temperature
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar 40 grams, also known as confectioners sugar/icing sugar
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 115 grams approx
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch 20 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1 & 1/2 tablespoons milk as needed
Instructions
- Using paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or using your hand mixer) beat together room temperature butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the powdered sugar, flour, cornstarch ,vanilla and little milk (as needed) and mix until combined.
- The dough should come together on it's own, if not just use your hands to bring it together.Now, take a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Transfer the dough into a piping bag lined with a closed star tip/nozzle and pipe the cookie dough into these rosette shapes (starting from the center and making one full round around it).The dough might feel stiff to pipe at first but keep pressing and pipe and eventually with the warmth of your hands, it will loosen up and you will be able to pipe easily.Once the cookies are piped, transfer the baking sheet into the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. This will help in preventing the cookies from spreading in the oven.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees. Take the baking sheet out of the refrigerator and bake at 350 F degrees for 18 to 20 minutes until the bottom of the cookies start turning light brown in color. I baked mine for 20 minutes.Transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these eggless Danish Butter Cookies with coffee.
Video
Notes
- Chill the cookies for a minimum of 2 hours to prevent spreading. You can even chill overnight.
- Start with adding 1 tablespoon of milk and add the additional 1/2 tablespoon only if needed. Adding little milk helps in piping these cookies easily. If you are not going to pipe these butter cookies, then you can skip the milk.
- This recipe can be easily doubled.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just made these today. These are very addicting. Could you maybe put for example a smidge of preserves and sandwich two together, would that taste good does anyone think?
yes it will definitely be good 🙂 sorry I don’t have a recipe for it right now but you can google “sandwich jam cookies” and get some options.
Thank you Manali for this yummy recipe. Came out perfect the first time I made it. I chilled them for the whole night and baked them the next morning. Such an easy recipe and I doubled the recipe too😊
glad to hear Liz!
These butter cookies are extremely addicting and so easy to prepare!!! The texture, taste, fragrance are sublime… Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!
glad to know Marianna!
Can the butter be substituted for margarine?
I guess? never tried
Good recipe, worked great. I would suggest 2 tablespoons milk. Otherwise too thick to squeeze thru piping tip. Didn’t chill first, no spreading, nice sharp lines.
Tried baking the cookies and it’s great.. btw can I chill the dough then pipe it? Will it work? 🙂
chilling will make it difficult to pipe so better to pipe first and then chill
Hi..tried the recipe today..it is awsm..love the cookies in texture, flavor, fragrance.
Hi Manali,
I have tried Danish butter cookies for very first time and they melt in mouth and delicious. Only challenge was cookies were far too expanded. I refrigerated for 2-4 hours, yet there are no edges like the one in your pictures, swirls got expanded. How to fix this? Making small size swirls would result in perfect rosette ?
Chill for 24 hours and yes make smaller swirls, that would help
Hi shall I replace corn starch with custard powder?
you can!
If there was a zero for this recipe I would have submitted. THIS IS A HORRIBLE RECIPE TO FOLLOW…wasted ingredients the portions are off it was literally baking sugar cookies the consistency is horrible tasted extremely sweet ..I am disgusted by the results ..I wouldnt recommend
Thanks Laurella for trying, sorry you didn’t like it. I am confident that the proportions are not off, I only post recipes which I have tested several times in my kitchen. Can you please confirm that you used powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar/confectioners sugar , one with cornstarch mixed in) and not white granulated sugar here. Only that can explain the consistency being off. Also sweetness is a personal preference, so many of my readers have made these and liked them. Here’s also a video for you to see me making them , please go through it, maybe you missed some step or there was some confusion regarding the ingredients: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_87a7ei5hzo
Piping them is bit difficult…what can I do
Adding a little milk helps, the mixture loosen as you pipe. else you can always shape with your hands and bake
Thanks manali it’s superbbbb yummy and crunchy too. Now this time is always my favourite. Can I bake same with ajwain cookie means can we add ajwain in this method and make?
here is the recipe for ajwain cookies: https://www.cookwithmanali.com/ajwain-cookies/
Thanks for this delicious recipe . The cookies came out so perfect , grams recipe is perfect even for the beginner. Really crispy ,buttery cookies made my day .
awesome!
I made these cookies and they were the best ones I have ever made. The taste and texture was amazing. Crispy yet buttery.Thankss alot. I just wanted to know that can I replace the vanilla with danish butter essence? If yes then how much?
you may , try 1/2 teaspoon
Hi. I noticed a problem with the ingredient quantity. When I increase the servings quantity, the cup measurement changes but grams stay the same. Could you fix that please
I am aware, it’s a recipe plugin issue (and not an issue at our end) so we will see what we can do.
Ah, okay. I shall try to leave my butter at room temperature for a longer period. Thank you for your reply Manali.
Dear Manali, thank you for sharing this. As someone who has never baked before, my result was not bad. However I would like to ask if I have done anything wrong, my cookies is slightly rough on the texture… is there anyway I could make the cookie come out smoother in texture? Thank you.
it could be that your butter was not at room temperature or it wasn’t creamed well along with the sugar.
I do not have a piping bag..so what can I use?
try rolling the dough and cut with cookie cutters or simple roll between your palms shape into cookie and bake. They will be simple butter vanilla cookies then, since Danish ones always have a swirl
I don’t have hand mixer, is there any alternative to beat butter pls ?
use a wire whisk
Can I bake at another temperature means 180/200 degree.
Hi Manali, going to try this !!
Will you please send the vedio too like how you made the rose petals like …..
don’t have a video, will try to make it 🙂
Can I bake at 180 degree Ya 200 degree for 20-25 minute because I don’t have 350 F. Reply please
Hello Pooja, I live in the US so we use Fahrenheit here. 350 F is 180 C for you, so you bake at 180 C for 20 minutes. hope this helps
Looks great with added bonus of egg and nut free! Added to my 11 year old baker’s list 🙂