Swedish Butter Cookies (Traditional Recipe)

Ah, the buttery crunch and melt-in-your-mouth goodness of Swedish butter cookies. These delightful morsels have been a beloved treat for centuries.

There’s something special about these timeless cookies. Biting into one activates all sorts of nostalgic, comfort food feelings. 

The whole process is magical, from gathering the ingredients to shaping and baking them. It requires minimal effort but yields divine results.

In other words, if you want to try a new buttery dessert, you can’t go wrong with these Swedish butter cookies. 

Easy Swedish Butter Cookies Recipe

If you aren’t familiar with Swedish butter cookies, you’re in for a real treat.

You’re about to experience a little taste of Heaven. A taste of Heaven you can whip up with just six ingredients. 

The very act of eating these cookies is enjoyable. I don’t know about you, but these guys are the whole package to me. 

Ingredients 

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• Butter. The buttery flavor of these cookies is what makes them so good. I use salted butter for that little extra oomph. Be sure to let it soften to room temperature before adding it.

• Sugar. Cookies just wouldn’t be cookies without the sweetness that sugar provides. Together with the butter, sugar is what makes these cookies great.

• Maple syrup. Although the syrup adds some rich flavor notes, it’s more for texture. Adding syrup helps hold the cookies together and enhances their natural texture.

• Flour. All-purpose flour works well for this recipe. It adds structure and heft. 

• Baking soda. Baking soda ensures the cookies are light and fluffy – almost delicate.

• Confectioners’ sugar. Dust the cookies in confectioners’ sugar for that bit of extra decadence. It makes them look nicer, too. 

How to Make Butter Cookies

These cookies are unbelievably simple to make. You’ll barely even break a sweat whipping them up! Here’s what you’ll do: 

1. Preheat the oven. You want to give it plenty of time to warm up before you stick the cookies in it. Doing so will ensure they bake evenly. 

2. Use two bowls to mix the ingredients. In one bowl, you’ll combine the butter and sugar. Mix the flour and baking soda in a separate bowl.

Then, combine the two mixtures and stir well.

3. Shape the logs. Create eight cookie logs with the dough.

You’ll start by separating them into eight distinct balls of dough. Then, shape those balls into logs. 

4. Bake. Add the logs to an ungreased baking sheet and bake them for 25 minutes. The logs will flatten out and turn light brown when they’re ready.

5. Slice, sugar, and serve. Slice the logs into cookies. Allow those cookies to cool before dusting them with confectioner’s sugar.

Then, they’re ready for you to enjoy! 

Tips for the Best Cookies

Here are a few final tips for these cookies: 

• Make the dough ahead of time. Wrap the unbaked dough in aluminum foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. Or wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 3 to 4 days.

• Serve them with hot tea, coffee, or cocoa. These cookies taste best when paired with something warm. You’ll also enjoy dipping them into the hot beverage. 

• Add a little extra flavor or toppings. If you like, you can mix some vanilla or almond extract into the recipe. You may also enjoy topping them with nuts or maraschino cherries. 

• Use corn syrup instead of maple syrup. Don’t have any maple syrup on hand? No problem! Use corn syrup instead. It won’t change the flavor much, and the texture will remain the same.

How to Store 

Storing these cookies is as easy as making them. You have two options:

• Store them at room temperature. Place them in Ziploc bags or an airtight container. They should last for about a week.

• Freeze them. Again, place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container. (Or freezer bags with the air removed.) Freeze for up to 3 months.

More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread
Ginger Cookies
Cinnamon Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Swedish Butter Cookies (Traditional Recipe)

Servings

72

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

47

kcal

These Swedish butter cookies are so delicious and authentic! Made with butter, sugar, maple syrup, flour, baking soda, and confectioner’s sugar, they’re a simple and classic treat.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons maple syrup

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150°C).
• Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix them gently until the mixture is light and fluffy. It should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the syrup.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Once it’s well mixed, add that mixture to the creamed mixture. Mix well.
• Separate the prepared dough into eight equal-sized portions. Roll each one into a log approximately 9 inches long.
• Transfer the logs to ungreased baking sheets. Ensure there are at least 3 inches of space between them.
• Bake for 25 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The logs should be light brown when ready.
• Cut the baked logs into 1-inch slices. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Dust them with confectioners’ sugar. Serve, and enjoy!

Notes

• You can make the dough up to 4 days ahead and refrigerate it. You may need to add a couple of minutes to the baking time.

NaTaya Hastings

NaTaya Hastings is a food and recipe writer for Insanely Good Recipes. She’s an educator, boy mom, dog mom, and whatever-stray-enters-the-yard mom. As a result, she's constantly cooking for both humans and animals.

Luckily, she enjoys it!

Though born, raised, and still living in Alabama, her specialty is NOT down-home Southern cooking. Instead, she loves to experiment with Asian, Mexican, Italian, and other ethnic cuisines. She has two mottos when it comes to cooking. “The more spice, the better!” and “There’s no such thing as too much garlic!”

She’s also pretty good with desserts. Especially the easy, no-bake ones.

Her favorite things are cuddling with her four giant dogs, traveling, reading, writing, and hanging out in nature. She’s also pretty excellent at Dominoes.

See Full Bio

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