Name: The Best Old Fashioned Sand Tarts Cookie Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 4 h 5 min
Yield: 60
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup butter (2 sticks) unsalted and softened; 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar; 2 large eggs at room temperature; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour; 1 teaspoon cinnamon (for dusting dough balls); Additional 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (for dusting dough balls); Sliced almonds (optional)

Jump to Recipe

Old-fashioned sand tarts are a beloved holiday classic. Very thin delicious buttery crisp cookies with just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar. Perfect for cookie trays, gifting, or enjoying with a cup of coffee on a cozy winter day.

There is a white round decorative plate with six light brown cookies on it. There are slivered almonds on top of each cookie. Plate is on a white marbled surface.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Chill time: At least 3 hours
Bake time: 45 minutes for all cookies to bake
Servings: Approximately 60 cookies
Prep level: Beginner +

What You’ll Love

A treasured family classic – These thin, crisp cookies bring back the comforting, nostalgic flavors of old family baking traditions.
Simple pantry ingredients – Just butter, sugar, eggs, and flour come together to create these delicious cookies.
Light, buttery crunch – The dough bakes up beautifully crisp around the edges with a delicate, melt-in-you-mouth center.
Easy to make in big batches – Great for cookie trays, holiday gatherings, or gifting.
Make-ahead friendly – These cookies stay crisp for days, making them ideal for make-ahead baking.

Fun Fact

Amish sand tarts original recipe dates back to the Pennsylvania Mennonite population of the mid 1800’s. It is believed that these Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts were originally called “Saint hearts”.

Many decades later and many different names, this once very regional cookie has become one of those favorite cookie recipes everyone loves during the holiday season across the United States.

Ingredient Notes

There are nine bowls of different sizes. The largest white bowl has white flour in it. There are 2 medium size white bowls. One has white sugar in it, the other has two brown eggs in it. There are two small clear bowls. One has white sugar in it, the other has sliced almonds in it. There are four small clear ramekins. One has white salt in it, one has white baking soda in it, one has brown ground cinnamon in it and the forth one has, vanilla extract. There are two sticks of butter laying in front of the bowls. Items are on a white marbled surface.

Unsalted butter: Use softened butter for a smooth, well-blended dough. Butter is the key to the cookie’s delicate flavor and crisp texture.
White sugar: Adds sweetness while helping the cookies bake up light and crisp.
Large eggs: For best results, use room temperature eggs.
Vanilla extract: Add depth and warmth to the cookies.
All purpose flour: Provides structure while keeping the cookies tender in the center. Measure carefully to avoid a dense dough.
Ground cinnamon: Mixed with sugar for the classic cinnamon sugar topping that gives sand tarts their signature warm flavor.
Sliced almonds: (optional) Placed on top of each cookie before baking. They toast beautifully and add a subtle crunch and nostalgic look.

Light green oval platter with two rows of light brown cookies. One row of cookies has sliced almonds on it, the other row does not. There is a white cloth napkin next to the platter. Items are on a white marble surface.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Cream, sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl for cookies.

Butter and sugar mixture with eggs in a mixing bowl on a marble surface.

In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add vanilla extract and eggs. Blend until smooth.

Flour and baking ingredients on a white marble countertop.

A creamed butter mixture and flour in bowls on a marble surface.

Sift dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
Slowly add the flour mixture into the creamed butter sugar mixture.

Cookie dough in mixing bowl, on a marble surface.

Cookie dough ball in a bowl of cinnamon sugar mixture.

Blend throughly until fully combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or over night for best results.
When ready to make, shape a generous teaspoon of chilled dough into a ball.
Sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon sugar mixture over each small ball of dough.

Round cookie dough balls on parchment paper ready for baking.

Unbaked sand tart cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Place balls of cookie dough on prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

Use a flat bottom glass to lightly press down to slightly flatten the dough. (see Top Tips)

Optional – Before you bake the cookies, place five sliced almonds VERY close together to resemble sand dollars. The cookies spread out a lot.

There is a black rectangular wire baking cooling rack with nine light brown cookies on it. Cooling rack is on a white marbled surface.

Bake cookies in a pre-heated oven until light golden brown.
Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet.
Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

See the recipe card below for complete measurements and bake time.

There is a stack of light brown cookies on a clear glass plate. There is one cookie leaning up against the stack of cookies. There is a red cloth napkin laying next to the plate. Items are on a white marbled surface.

Laura Belle’s Tips

This cookie dough is buttery and very soft. The longer you can let it chill the easier it will be to work with.
This recipe makes a lot of cookies, so refrigerate the dough in between baking batches to keep it chilled (firmer).
Use only a generous teaspoon of dough for each cookie. Trust me when I say they spread out to a perfect size!
If the bottom of the glass you use to press the dough ball down becomes sticky, press it in the cinnamon mixture before placing it on the dough.
Let the cookie sheets completely cool down before making the next batch of cookies. If you use a warm cookie sheet, the cookie dough will begin to melt and spread prior to baking them.

Storaging

Baked sand tart cookies keep well in an airtight container for a week on the counter, a couple weeks in the fridge, or up to two months in the freezer.

More Must-Try Sweet Treats

Mini Pecan Raisin Tarts – super easy and so delicious!
Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie With Caramel – Kids love this cookie!
Easy Raspberry Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies – so fun to make!
Easy 5 ingredient Delicious Meltaway Cookies -Family favorite.
Peanut Butter Paw Print Cookies – from Cooking with Carlee

Yield: 60 cookies