Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts are crisp, addicting little cookies that I grew up eating every year at Christmas. I thought everyone's family made sand tart cookies, and little did I know that it was a very regional cookie introduced by the Pennsylvania Dutch.
Lancaster County, PA, has a large Amish and Mennonite population, and sand tarts are a favorite Christmas cookie for this region. They are fun cut-out cookies to make with the kids. And the beauty of the sand tart cookie is how thin and crisp it is, which makes it so addicting. You can never stop with just one or two.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tart Cookies
- Ingredients
- How to Make Sand Tart Christmas Cookies
- Old Fashioned Sand Tarts
- Can I Freeze Sand Tart Cookies?
- What's the Difference Between Amish Sand Tart Cookies and Cut-out Sugar Cookies?
- Holiday Cookie Traditions
- More Amish Christmas Cookie Recipes
- 📖 Recipe Card
Why You'll Love Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tart Cookies
- Classic PA Dutch tradition: A beloved recipe passed down through PA Amish and Mennonite families.
- Thin, crisp, and irresistible: Their light texture and delicate crunch makes them a cookie people keep reaching for.
- Perfect for holiday cookie plates: They add a beautiful, festive variety.
- Kid-friendly: Rolling, cutting, brushing, and decorating make this a fun family activity.
- Easy-to-work-with dough: Rolls thin without becoming sticky or difficult to handle. Perfect for cut-out cookies.
Ingredients
- Butter - Gives the cookies their classic buttery flavor and helps them bake up crisp. (I use salted.)
- Sugar - Sweetens the dough and encourages a lightly golden, caramelized edge.
- Eggs - Add moisture and structure and help the dough hold together.
- Vanilla Extract - Adds warm, sweet flavor that complements the buttery dough.
- All-Purpose Flour - Provides structure and keeps the cookies sturdy when rolled very thin.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder - A small amount of both helps the cookies bake evenly and prevents them from becoming too dense. (Now I know that some PA Dutch sand tart recipes do not include any leavening, but trust me, it adds just the right touch.)
- Salt - Balances the sweetness and enhances overall flavor.
- Egg Wash - Brushed onto the tops for a glossy finish and to help cinnamon sugar, sprinkles, or nuts stick.
- Cinnamon-Sugar or Nuts (Optional) - Traditional toppings that add flavor, crunch, and festive color.
These ingredients work together to create the flavor, texture, and appearance of sand tart cookies.
How to Make Sand Tart Christmas Cookies
Cream the butter and sugar and beat in the eggs. Add the flour mixture and mix. Wrap the dough in parchment paper and plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours. You can chill the dough overnight, but you may have to let it warm up a bit to be able to roll it out.
Place the chilled dough on a well-floured surface. Sprinkle the top with flour, and roll the dough with a rolling pin to no more than ⅛" thick (add flour as necessary to avoid cookies sticking).
Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes and carefully transfer them to a greased cookie sheet. Brush the top of each cookie with egg wash, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture or Christmas sprinkles.
Bake cookies for 8 - 12 minutes (depending on thickness and size). Baking them longer will create a more crisp cookie, but you don't want them too dark either. Cool them on a wire rack and store in airtight containers.
I prefer most of my cookies soft and chewy, but Amish sand tart cookies are the best when they are thin and crunchy.
Old Fashioned Sand Tarts
Various sand tart cookie recipes are available, and some are for drop sand tarts. But we always made cut-out sand tarts. It's so much fun using Christmas cookie cutters and cutting cookies into cute shapes.
Some sand tart recipes, however, are hard to handle. If the dough is too soft and sticky, it's impossible to create a nice cut-out cookie.
I wished that I had my mom's recipe for traditional sand tarts, but sadly I never got it. So I went on a hunt for a perfect Amish sand tarts recipe.
My first batch of Pennsylvania Dutch sand tart cookies was tough to work with. Even after chilling the dough for several hours, they were just too soft. So I tried another recipe, and I ended up playing with the recipe to create a dough that was easier to work with. And they still taste great!
So if you have despaired of baking Sand Tart Christmas Cookies, try this recipe. This is an Easy Sand Tart Cookie Recipe.
Can I Freeze Sand Tart Cookies?
Yes, you can freeze these Amish sand tart cookies. Cool your baked cookies, place them in an air-tight container, and freeze them for up to a month or two.
What's the Difference Between Amish Sand Tart Cookies and Cut-out Sugar Cookies?
There's not a lot of difference between sand tarts and sugar cookies. However, sand tarts are usually rolled thinner and brushed with egg wash. This creates a thin and crispy cookie. Sugar cookies are usually thicker, more cake-like cookies that get covered with frosting.
Amish sand tarts are typically brushed with egg wash, then sprinkled with a cinnamon-sugar mixture, and have a walnut or pecan half on the top. However, this is optional. Most of my sand tart cookies get sprinkled with Christmas sprinkles because it makes them look pretty.
Holiday Cookie Traditions
I'm not sure where the tradition of baking cookies for Christmas started. However, according to some historians, this tradition may have started already in the 16th century, originating in Medieval Europe. I think it's a great tradition! 🙂
Of course, we eat far too many sweets over the holidays, and that's probably not a good thing. But there's something about holiday traditions that bring the family together.
Our kids love family traditions and creating special memories during the holiday season. We always bake lots of cookies, such as sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms, snowtop cookies, mint surprise cookies, etc. I love having an array of different kinds of festive cookies so I can create holiday cookie platters to pass out.
We also love making homemade candies such as copycat Lindt truffles, crispy peanut butter balls, chocolate peanut butter fudge, or soft caramels. We love shopping, walking around the park to admire the Christmas lights, attending family parties, and singing carols. The atmosphere is filled with excitement, and it truly is the most wonderful time of the year!
(Read about our Christmas Traditions with my Amish family here)
More Amish Christmas Cookie Recipes
A quote from my eleven-year-old son, after helping me make two batches of these holiday sand tart cookies, "The process is fun, the outcome is delicious."
I hope you enjoy these tasty sand tarts cookies as much as we do. If you try this recipe, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
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📖 Recipe Card
Sand Tart Cookie Recipe, PA Dutch Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks softened butter (½ lb.)
- 2 c. white sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 c. all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture: optional
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Pecans or Walnuts for the top, optional
Instructions
- Cream butter, add sugar and beat until fluffy.2 sticks softened butter (½ lb.), 2 c. white sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.2 large eggs, beaten, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Combine dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Mix until combined.3 c. all-purpose flour, ½ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. baking powder, ⅛ tsp. salt
- Wrap the dough into parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Spread the chilled dough onto a floured countertop. Roll it out to no more than ⅛" thick (adding flour as needed to keep the cookies from sticking).
- Using cookie cutters, cut them into shapes and carefully transfer the cookies to greased or parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Brush each cookie top with well-beaten egg wash.1 egg, beaten for egg wash
- Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with cinnamon/sugar mixture and place a pecan or walnut halve on top, or sprinkle with chopped nuts. Or if you prefer, sprinkle the tops with Christmas sprinkles.3 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon
- Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Let them rest for about a minute then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- Store in an airtight container.
Denise Railey
This seems to be the recipe that my grandmother used to use. Although\n I don't remember eggs going into the cookie batter. They were always good. First thing to know when the cookies dough was ready.It had to be wet , but dryFirst thing to know when the cookie dough was ready, it had to be wet, but dry. What when you touched, it would drive it when you rolled it in your hands. It was dry and didn't leave any cookie batter on your hands.
Pam
In step 3, do you stir in flour mixture by hand or use the mixture? Thank you!
My grandma made these, but her recipe was lost.
Anna
It doesn't matter which way you do it. I use my stand mixer and stir it in with the mixer. You just don't want to overmix it.
christine mitchell
I also have fond memories of sandtarts. My Pennsylvania Gram always made them when my Dad and his siblings were little and the tradition was passed down. Great memories of my childhood with Mom and Gram rolling and cutting my Uncle “gooeying” and me adding the cinnamon and nut. My Dad and Grandpa manned the oven!! I am in my 70’s so you can guess how long ago this tradition started in my family. I had the original recipe but it was lost a few years back. It made hundreds of cookies! In the old recipe, butter, flour and sugar were measured in lbs and eggs in dozens!! (My kids took up the tradition and loved to help their gram out. Since my Mom died, they expect to get them from me each Christmas.) We had first rolling and second rolling. The firsts couldn’t be eaten until Christmas but the seconds were fair game!!! I am anxious to try your recipe to see if I can recreate the wonderful recipe of my childhood. You are right! You can’t just eat one - you eat them by the handful!!!
Anna
Enjoy!
Anna
Yummy!
Elmer
These look good..... and even though I like a not really thick, but yet, softer "and tart," Actually traditional sand tarts do not use baking powder or soda.. Traditional Sand tarts do not rise.. They are traditionally rolled very thin baked until a little brown around the edges. When finished and cooled... They should basically be hard, not soft.. They should *snap* when broken in half, and be crunchy when chewing.
Dianne
Do you have a recipe for original sand tart cookies with just flour,butter,sugar and eggs? I would appreciate it greatly. Also baking methods. Thanks!
Anna
I'm sorry, but I can't seem to find any like this in any of my Amish cookbooks.
Jennie Barney
Sand Tarts
These were made every Christmas by Grandma Pearl Trolin. Her family was from Pennsylvania. These are a Pennsylvania Dutch cookies. These were a Black (maiden name) family tradition. They are a recipe from the Amish community.
4 cups flour (sifted) bake at 350 degrees for 8 - 11 minutes
3 cups sugar
1 lb. butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg yolks (use egg whites to brush top of cookies)
Cream the butter, sugar, and beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mix. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Lay down saran wrap sprinkle with flour or sprinkle flour on counter. Sprinkle the top with flour and roll the dough with a rolling pin to no more than ⅛" thick (add flour as necessary to avoid cookies sticking).
Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes and carefully transfer them to a greased cookie sheet. Brush the top of each cookie with egg wash, and sprinkle with colored sugar.
Bake cookies for 8 - 11 minutes. Baking them longer will create a more crisp cookie, but you don't want them too dark either. Cool them on a wire rack and store in airtight containers.
Janelle
Can the dough be frozen and used at a later date If I only bake 1/2 the dough for cookies?
Anna
I haven't tried it, but that should work. Let it thaw in the fridge, and then you may have to let it soften a bit at room temperature so you can roll it.
Anna
Thank you for leaving that info! I appreciate it!
MaryCarol Chapman
I made these cookies today. They are delicious! Since I haven't made cutouts in a long time there was a bit of a learning curve for me. But I persevered, and the cookies kept their shape! I am delighted that I found you!
Anna
Yay! So glad it worked for you.
Donna
I'm from Lebanon County, PA, and my Mom and Grandma made them every year for Christmas. I have my Mom's recipe but have not made them in years, but don't know why. Thank you for posting the recipe to remind me of them! I guess I will have to whip up a batch this year.
Bonnie Dietrich
What can you use if you don't have butter in the house
Anna
Margarine or shortening should work.
Elmer Zink
Lard or tallow.. It will be a different flavor than using butter.. Not sure about coconut oil..
The fats I use for cooking and baking are butter, lard, and bacon fat. I don't use any of the hydrogenated fats like margarine or shortening.... or that are made with soy or canola oil. Vegetable oil is soy oil. Butter, Lard, and bacon fat are the best things to use..
sandra mays
hi iam trying subscribe to your news letter ok i dont what u mean by a list can u help me please thank you sandie
Anna
To subscribe, you just type your email address in the bar and enter.
Donna
We just came home from Lancaster. We love visiting the area. I just tried the sand tarts for the first time. They are delicious! I can’t wait to try your recipe!!
Anna
I love them too. Preferably crispy. You can achieve that by rolling thin and baking longer.
Elmer
I Love them, too.