Cookies
3 Ingredient Butter Cookies
Light, crisp butter cookies made with butter, powdered sugar, and flour, piped into small swirls and baked until lightly golden.
By PedroPublished August 8, 2026 · Updated September 14, 2026i
Estimated total time. This covers the full recipe from start to finish, including preparation and any resting, chilling, baking, or cooling. Some of that time is hands-off.
A short ingredient list doesn’t have to mean a plain-looking cookie. These butter cookies have piped swirls and lightly golden edges, with a tender crumb underneath. If you enjoy the buttery part of a cookie more than the chocolate or toppings, there’s plenty to like here.
The flavor stays simple: butter, powdered sugar, and flour, with nothing else competing for attention. The piping takes a little care, so I’d leave myself time for that rather than treat these as a quick scoop-and-bake batch. Once they’ve cooled, you can pick one up without breaking that delicate middle.
Ingredients for 3 Ingredient Butter Cookies
I use butter that is softened and only slightly melted, plus powdered sugar and all-purpose flour. With just three ingredients, their texture and exact weights matter: the butter provides richness, the powdered sugar keeps the crumb delicate, and the flour gives the cookies their structure.
- 220 g buttersoftened and slightly melted
- 110 g powdered sugar
- 250 g all-purpose flour
From my kitchen
Watch me make 3 Ingredient Butter Cookies
See the recipe come together, then follow the written steps below.
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How to Make 3 Ingredient Butter Cookies
Line two baking sheets before you begin. The cookies need a 30-minute chill after piping, then bake one tray at a time on the middle rack.
Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Beat butter and sugar
Put the softened, slightly melted butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is very pale, light, and fluffy.
Mix in the flour
Add the flour gradually, mixing on low speed at first. Once most of it is incorporated, increase the speed slightly and mix only until the dough changes from dry and crumbly to soft, smooth, and cohesive. It should hold its shape when piped.
Fill the piping bag
Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large plain or open star tip.
Pipe the cookies
Pipe small round cookies or swirls directly onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between them.
Chill the trays
Refrigerate the baking sheets for 30 minutes so the piped cookies keep their shape in the oven.
Bake and cool
Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for about 15 minutes, until the edges begin to turn lightly golden. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before moving them because they are delicate while warm.
Tips that make a difference
- Beat the butter and powdered sugar for the full 5 minutes because the pale, fluffy mixture is the starting point for a dough that pipes cleanly.
- Stop mixing as soon as the dough is soft and cohesive because it only needs to be firm enough to hold its shape in the piping bag.
- Chill the piped cookies for 30 minutes so they keep their shape during baking.
- Cool the cookies fully on the baking sheet because they are delicate and crumbly while warm.
I like the quiet simplicity of these cookies. A short ingredient list still leaves you with something that looks carefully made once the edges turn lightly golden.
The Finished Piped Cookies
I let the baked cookies settle before moving them from the sheet. The ridges should still be clear, the edges lightly golden, and the center delicate enough to break without becoming dry.
Save this recipe
3 Ingredient Butter Cookies
Light, crisp butter cookies made with butter, powdered sugar, and flour, piped into small swirls and baked until lightly golden.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 2Beat butter and sugar
Put the softened, slightly melted butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is very pale, light, and fluffy.
- 3Mix in the flour
Add the flour gradually, mixing on low speed at first. Once most of it is incorporated, increase the speed slightly and mix only until the dough changes from dry and crumbly to soft, smooth, and cohesive. It should hold its shape when piped.
- 4Fill the piping bag
Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large plain or open star tip.
- 5Pipe the cookies
Pipe small round cookies or swirls directly onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between them.
- 6Chill the trays
Refrigerate the baking sheets for 30 minutes so the piped cookies keep their shape in the oven.
- 7Bake and cool
Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for about 15 minutes, until the edges begin to turn lightly golden. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before moving them because they are delicate while warm.
Questions you might have
Why does the butter need to be softened and slightly melted?
The recipe uses softened, slightly melted butter so the dough becomes smooth enough to pipe after it is beaten with the powdered sugar.
Do I need to chill the piped cookies?
Yes. Refrigerate the baking sheets for 30 minutes so the cookies keep their shape while baking.
Why should the cookies cool on the baking sheet?
They are delicate and crumbly while warm, so let them cool completely on the baking sheet before moving them.
