🍓 Strawberry Sugar Cookies
Soft, buttery strawberry sugar cookies bursting with real strawberry flavor from freeze-dried strawberries. These bakery-style cookies have crisp edges, tender centers, and stay soft for days. Perfect on their own or topped with fluffy strawberry buttercream.
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 215kcal
Cost $6 for entire recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- electric mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Food processor or blender
- cookie scoop
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Whisk
- wire rack
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Sugar Cookies
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup (15–20 grams) freeze-dried strawberries finely ground into powder
- Pink gel food coloring optional
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling
Optional Strawberry Buttercream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and strawberry powder. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat until smooth and fully combined.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing only until incorporated.
- If desired, add a small amount of pink gel food coloring and mix until evenly distributed.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions and roll into balls.
- Roll each dough ball in the additional granulated sugar.
- Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and gently flatten the tops.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the optional frosting, beat the butter until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, strawberry powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix in enough heavy cream to create a smooth, fluffy frosting. Spread or pipe onto the cooled cookies.
Notes
Use freeze-dried strawberries for the best flavor.
Freeze-dried strawberries provide concentrated strawberry flavor without adding excess moisture to the dough. Fresh strawberries can make sugar cookies cakey or cause them to spread too much during baking. Grind the strawberries into a fine powder.
A food processor, blender, or spice grinder works best. Finely ground strawberry powder distributes evenly throughout the dough and creates consistent flavor in every bite. Chill the dough before baking.
Refrigerating the dough for at least 1 hour helps prevent spreading and creates thicker, softer strawberry sugar cookies with a bakery-style texture. Don't overbake.
For soft strawberry sugar cookies, remove them from the oven when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underbaked. They will continue to cook and firm up as they cool on the baking sheet. Measure the flour carefully.
Too much flour can make cookies dry and dense. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife rather than scooping directly from the bag. A little almond extract goes a long way.
The small amount of almond extract enhances the strawberry flavor without making the cookies taste like almonds. If preferred, you can replace it with additional vanilla extract. For stronger strawberry flavor, add a strawberry buttercream frosting.
A simple strawberry buttercream made with freeze-dried strawberry powder adds even more berry flavor and gives the cookies a beautiful bakery-style appearance. Use gel food coloring for a brighter pink color.
The cookies will naturally have a light pink hue from the strawberries, but a few drops of pink gel food coloring can make them more vibrant for holidays, parties, and special occasions. Store properly for the softest texture.
Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If frosted, store them in the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature before serving. Make them ahead of time.
The cookie dough can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake, making these strawberry sugar cookies perfect for entertaining and holiday baking. 🍓🍪
Freeze-dried strawberries provide concentrated strawberry flavor without adding excess moisture to the dough. Fresh strawberries can make sugar cookies cakey or cause them to spread too much during baking. Grind the strawberries into a fine powder.
A food processor, blender, or spice grinder works best. Finely ground strawberry powder distributes evenly throughout the dough and creates consistent flavor in every bite. Chill the dough before baking.
Refrigerating the dough for at least 1 hour helps prevent spreading and creates thicker, softer strawberry sugar cookies with a bakery-style texture. Don't overbake.
For soft strawberry sugar cookies, remove them from the oven when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underbaked. They will continue to cook and firm up as they cool on the baking sheet. Measure the flour carefully.
Too much flour can make cookies dry and dense. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife rather than scooping directly from the bag. A little almond extract goes a long way.
The small amount of almond extract enhances the strawberry flavor without making the cookies taste like almonds. If preferred, you can replace it with additional vanilla extract. For stronger strawberry flavor, add a strawberry buttercream frosting.
A simple strawberry buttercream made with freeze-dried strawberry powder adds even more berry flavor and gives the cookies a beautiful bakery-style appearance. Use gel food coloring for a brighter pink color.
The cookies will naturally have a light pink hue from the strawberries, but a few drops of pink gel food coloring can make them more vibrant for holidays, parties, and special occasions. Store properly for the softest texture.
Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If frosted, store them in the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature before serving. Make them ahead of time.
The cookie dough can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake, making these strawberry sugar cookies perfect for entertaining and holiday baking. 🍓🍪