Sand tarts cookies are very thin delicious buttery crisp cookies with just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar that makes them hard to resist.
This classic cookie recipe is on the list of favorite cookies to make during the holiday because they taste so good and are the perfect sweet for a holiday cookie platter!
You don’t have to wait for the holidays to make these tasty tarts, they are perfect to enjoy anytime of the year.
If you’re looking for a cookie that you can dunk in coffee or tea, this is the one!
About These Cookies
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!
Here are some more classic Christmas cookies that you often see at annual cookie swaps are: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Half Moon Cookies, Southern Tea Cakes, and Christmas Cookies.
Basic Ingredients For Sand Tarts
Needed Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Sliced almonds (optional)
Helpful Kitchen Equipment / Tools
- Cookie Sheets – at least 2 (see Top Tips)
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Small bowl – for cinnamon sugar mixture
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Rubber spatula
- Electric mixer – either hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- Oven mitts
- Pancake flipper
- Cooling rack
Sand Tarts Recipe
- In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract and eggs.
- Blend until smooth.
- Sift dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
- Slowly add the flour mixture into the creamed butter sugar mixture.
- Blend throughly until fully combined.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or over night for best results. (see Top Tips)
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake cookies in a pre-heated oven for 8 minutes or until light golden brown.
- Use oven mitts and remove from oven.
- Let these delicious cinnamon sugar cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet.
- Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Top 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.
Storage
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.
If you love this recipe, you have to try more delicious sweets from Join Me In The Kitchen!
- 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!
- White Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cheesecake With Raspberry Topping – no water bath!
The Best Old Fashioned Sand Tarts Cookie Recipe
Sand tarts cookies are very thin delicious buttery crisp cookies with just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar that makes them hard to resist.
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)
Instructions
- Place softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and eggs and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl which helps blend ingredients together.
- Over a different mixing bowl, sift the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking powder) together.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add about 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time into the creamed butter sugar mixture.
- Once all the flour mixture has been added, turn the mixer up to medium speed. Blend throughly until fully combined.
- Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or over night for best results. (see Top Tips)
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar.
- When ready to make, shape a generous teaspoon of chilled dough into a ball.
- Place each ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture and sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon sugar mixture over each small ball of dough or roll the ball in the sugar mix.
- 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 them, place five sliced almonds VERY close together to resemble the design that sand dollars have. (remember, the cookies spread out a lot)
- Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until light golden brown.
- Use oven mitts and remove cookie sheet from oven.
- Let these delicious cinnamon sugar cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet.
- Use a pancake flipper and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Helpful Kitchen Equipment / Tools
- Cookie Sheets - at least 2 (see Top Tips)
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Small bowl - for cinnamon sugar mixture
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Rubber spatula
- Electric mixer - either hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- Oven mitts
- Pancake flipper
- Cooling wire rack
Top 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.
Storage
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.
Jackson Moneymaker
Sunday 16th of July 2023
Cookies! Love these unique twist on cookies, what a dangerous but delicious treat these were.