This golden delicious walnut butterhorn cookie recipe is tender, flaky, and filled with a sweet walnut-sugar swirl that melts in your mouth. The rich flavor comes from sour cream, cold butter, and egg yolks and the flakey texture is easy to achieve with a food processor. Add these to your Christmas cookie boxes and be prepared to get compliments!
Why You’ll Love This Butterhorn Cookie Recipe
- Buttery, flaky dough that turns out perfectly the first time
- Easy to roll, shape, and freeze ahead
- Simple recipe you can make with a food processor or hand mixer
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Butter Horns Are The Perfect Christmas Cookies
If you are anything like me, you take your Christmas baking seriously. I'm always looking for cookies that are interesting and different so the end result is a a good mix of flavors, textures and shapes.
These Butterhorn Cookies, along with these anise scented Biscochitos, and these Coconut Pecan Oatmeal Cookies always make the cut. Just be prepared to share the recipe, because people always ask me for " the cresent roll cookie recipe" anytime I gift these!
Yield for This Butterhorn Cookie Recipe
One batch of this butterhorn recipe makes 48 crecent roll shaped cookies. I like to bake 12 at a time on a baking tray. You can easily double this recipe if you are baking in bulk. This dough can also be prepared advance. Check out the storage and make ahead tips below.
Ingredients & Ingredient Tips
These cookies consist of two parts: the dough and the filling. You'll want to start early because the dough needs to chill for at least 30 minutes.
For the Dough
- Alll-purpose flour – Use a spoon-and-level method so the dough stays tender.
- Cold unsalted butter – Cut into cubes; I pulse mine in the food processor for perfect flakes.
- Sour cream – Thick, high-fat brands like Daisy or Tillamook work best. Avoid “light” sour cream.
- Egg yolks – Bring to room temperature before mixing for a smooth dough.
- Granulated sugar – Just enough to balance the tangy sour cream.
- Salt – Use fine non-iodized salt for even distribution.
- Baking powder – Gives a little lift to the buttery dough.
- Almond extract – Optional, but adds that classic "bakery-flavor"
- Course sugar or powdered sugar- For topping cookies
While the dough is chilling, you can mix the filling.
For the Walnut Filling
- Sugar – White granulated sugar gives the right caramelized sweetness.
- Ground walnuts – Pulse in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Cinnamon – Complements the walnuts perfectly.
- Egg white – Lightly beaten to bind the filling. (Save the yolk to brush over cookies before baking)
Apricot Variation: For a nut-free cookie you can swap the nut filling for ½ cup thick apricot jam or preserves.
Tools You’ll Need
- Food processor or pastry cutter
- Rolling pin
- Pizza cutter or sharp knife
- Mixing bowls (large and medium)
- Plastic wrap for chilling
- Prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Powdered sugar for dusting
How to Make This Butterhorn Cookie Recipe
Combine dry ingredients, cut in butter, and add sour cream and egg yolks.
Divide dough, wrap, and chill for 2 hours.
Mix walnut filling.
Roll out dough, cut into equal wedges, and fill near the wide end.
Roll each piece and place seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet.
Brush with egg wash and bake at 350°F for 18–22 minutes, until lightly golden brown
Allyson’s Tips
- Keep the dough cold. If it softens while you work, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- For uniform crescents, use a pizza cutter to divide the dough into even wedges.
- Don’t overfill. The sugar mix expands as it bakes. A teaspoon per cookie is plenty.
- Add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top before baking for extra sparkle.
- Package cooled cookies in a cellophane bag or tin for holiday gifting.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Store cookies in an airtight tin for up to 4 days.
- To freeze unbaked cookies, arrange shaped cookies on a tray, and freeze solid. Once fully frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes to bake time.
The Best Butterhorn Cookies You'll Ever Make
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 egg yolks save whites for filling
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup course sugar or powdered sugar for topping cookies
For the Walnut Filling
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup walnuts
- 1 egg white leftover from dough.
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in cold butter until it looks like coarse crumbs. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and egg yolks. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and blend just until clumps begin to form.
- Press the dough together and shape dough into two equal balls. Flatten into discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Chilling lets the butter firm up and makes the dough easier to handle.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, ground walnuts, cinnamon, and 1 egg white. (half of the egg whites you saved) Mix until it resembles damp sand.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll one half of a piece of dough into a 9-inch circle. Use a pizza cutter to cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Spoon a small amount of filling near the wide end of each wedge. Roll into crescents, place on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
- Brush each cookie with an egg wash made by combining the remaining egg white with 1 tablespoon warm water. Sprinkle with course sugar and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–22 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. If desired, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
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