Crispy Sand Tart Cookie With Cinnamon

Sand tart cookies

 The Spruce

Prep: 12 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 32 mins
Servings: 30 servings
Yield: 30 cookies

Sand tarts are thin, crispy butter cookies that are hard to resist. Eat one and you may quickly find yourself munching more than expected. They're a holiday tradition in many families and this recipe makes a few dozen, so there's plenty to share.

These cookies are rolled out and cut into shapes using your favorite cookie cutters. If you use a simple round cookie cutter, you'll notice that they look just like sand dollars, which is how they supposedly got their name.

While sand tarts are as easy as sugar cookies, there is one trick that sets them apart. The key to a great sand tart is to roll the cold dough very thin, right around 1/8-inch thick. This also makes them easier to burn, so watch carefully and pull them out of the oven as soon as they're lightly golden brown.

Before the cookies are baked, you can adorn them with delicious toppings. Almonds and pecans are a great choice, but you can skip the nuts if you like (or have allergies). Don't, however, skip the egg white! It's what gives these little morsels their crispness. The cinnamon sugar adds holiday flavor and makes them perfect for winter baking.

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • 2 cups (9 ounces) all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 large egg whitelightly beaten

  • 12 to 18 blanched almonds, split, or 24 to 36 pecan halves, optional

For the Cinnamon Sugar:

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Sand Tart Cookies recipe
     The Spruce
  2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar and stir in the egg.

    Sand Tart Cookies recipe
     The Spruce
  3. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together.

    Sand Tart Cookies recipe
     The Spruce
  4. Blend the flour mixture into the creamed mixture to make a soft dough. Set in the refrigerator to chill, about 3 hours.

    Sand Tart Cookies recipe
     The Spruce
  5. Preheat the oven to 275 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with cooking spray.

    Sand Tart Cookies recipe
     The Spruce
  6. Place the cold dough between lightly floured sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper. Roll it out to about 1/8-inch thick. Knead in more flour if needed.

    Sand Tart Cookies recipe
     The Spruce
  7. Cut into decorative shapes with cookie cutters and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. 

    Sand Tart Cookies recipe
     The Spruce
  8. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon until well-mixed.

    Sand Tart Cookies recipe
     The Spruce
  9. Place one split nut on each cookie, if desired.

    Sand Tart Cookies recipe
     The Spruce
  10. Brush the cookies with a lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.

    Sand Tart Cookies recipe
     The Spruce
  11. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

    Sand Tart Cookies recipe
     The Spruce
  12. Serve and enjoy!

Tip

Recipe Variation

  • While cinnamon sugar is traditional, you can use a colored sugar if you like and really dress the sand tarts up. Mix it with cinnamon if you want to keep the flavor or use the sugar on its own.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
90 Calories
3g Fat
14g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 30
Amount per serving
Calories 90
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 38mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 22mg 2%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 15mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)