Crumbly, buttery sand cookies are perfect when you're looking for a cookie to decorate or to make a cookie sandwich. They are quick to make with just a few ingredients and egg-free!
What are sand cookies?
Sads cookies are much like shortbread and Pennsylvania Dutch sand tarts. You make them with butter, sugar, and flour, and add flavors like orange or chocolate. Cause they hold their shape while baking in the oven, they're perfect for holiday baking and decoration!
Why you will love my recipe for sand cookies
- Sand cookies are one of the easiest cookies to make, plus you only need three ingredients!
- This recipe is egg-free, so it is allergy-friendly. You could also make them dairy and gluten-free if you have to.
- They hold their shape, making them perfect for decorating.
Ingredients
Flour: for the best results, you need to use a type of flour with the lowest protein content you can find. This will give you the crispy, crumbly texture. By all means, use all-purpose flour, but avoid bread flour.
Butter: Because there are so few ingredients, it is important to use a good-quality butter. I'm from the Netherlands, so all my recipes are made with butter that has a higher fat content. Try to find a European butter like Kerrygold if you can.
Sugar: fine castor sugar works great for this recipe. You don't need fancy sugar; just make sure it isn't too coarse. If you want to, you can use powdered sugar, but I haven't tried this myself.
Variations
Chocolate sand cookies: To make chocolate sand cookies, add two tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa powder to the dough. You can also add a handful of chocolate chips or chopped hazelnuts.
Christmas sand cookies: I love baking during the holiday season, and adding Christmas flavors like cranberries to these cookies is so much fun!
Fruity cookies: Dried fruit is great as a flavoring. Try adding ¼ cup of your favorite dried fruits like dates, candied lemon peel, candied ginger, raisins, or apricots.
How to make sand cookies
I already mentioned these sand cookies are much like shortbread, and to get the perfect texture you want to create as little gluten as you can. That means you want to knead the dough as little as possible. I always do this by hand because it only takes a few minutes, but you can do this in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour. This will give the gluten time to relax and make rolling out your dough a lot easier. When your dough is ready, take it out of the fridge and roll it out u til it is about ¼ inch thick. You can also use this dough to make a thicker cookie. Shape the dough into little balls and press them flat on your baking tray. If you want to make Pennsylvania Dutch sand tarts, you didjeje
Bake your sand cookies for 14-16 minutes un til they start to brown, and let them cool completely before decorating. I like to let my cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to my cooking rack because they are still a bit soft when they come out of the oven.
My tips for the best sand cookies
- Use a European-style butter for a rich, buttery flavor. European butter has a higher fat content, and that will give your cookies a richer flavor and softer texture, but you can use any type of butter or margarine for this recipe.
- Don't skip chilling the dough. Letting the dough rest in the fridge for at least an hour will improve the texture and flavor, but it also helps to create a cookie that holds its shape in the oven.
- Try different flavorings. This recipe is super versatile. Add your favorite flavor or nuts to create the perfect cookie.
Frequently asked questions
Yes and no. The ingredients are the same, but the big difference is how you roll out and shape the cookies. Sand cookies can be cut out using a cookie cutter or rolled into a ball and pressed flat. Pennsylvania Dutch sand tarts are rolled out really thin to create a crisp cookie.
Absolutely. While swapping the butter for a plant-based butter or margarine will affect the flavor, you can make them vegan.
Yes! I added a few of my favorite variations at the top of this post, but you can add almost every flavor you like! I also like to add the zest of a lemon or orange or lemon extract to the dough.
Storage
Homemade sand cookies can be stored for up to a week in an air-tight container. This makes them perfect as a Christmas cookie because you can make them ahead! You can also freeze them. Frozen, they will last for about six months. If you don't need the whole batch, you can also freeze the dough. When you're ready to bake, just take it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Give it a quick knead before rolling it out and cutting out the cookies.
More cookie recipes to try next
Sand Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup butter
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C).
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl.
- With your hands or a stand mixer, knead your dough until you have a smooth, soft dough.
- Form the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap.
- Let the dough rest in the fridge for an hour.
- Take the dough out of the fridge. If you want to use cookie cutters, you need to give the dough a quick knead and roll it out until it is ¼ inch thick.
- Shape your dough into a log and cut it into ¼ inch thick slices.
- Place the cookies on a lined baking tray and bake them in the center of the oven for 24-27 minutes. The cookies will stay soft and white!
- Because the cookies stay soft in the oven, you need to let them cool on your tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make sure to use unsalted butter or omit the salt in the recipe.
- This recipe works with both butter and a plant-based butter or margarine.
- Dutch sand cookies hold their shape while they are in the oven, so they are perfect for Holiday decorating.
- In an air-tight container, these cookies will last for up to five days.
These cookies are so delicious and I love that theyre egg free! Gonna make them again soon!!