Strawberry sugar cookies are soft and chewy, with a crunchy sugar crust. They're made from scratch using real strawberries, with no dyes or artificial flavors.
These strawberry sugar cookies are made from scratch, with no artificial dyes or flavors. Plus, they can be made year round - no need to worry about whether strawberries are in season.
Sugar cookies are a quick and easy dessert recipe, mainly due to their short and simple ingredient list. These sugar cookies have one extra ingredient - freeze-dried strawberries.
The freeze-dried strawberries give these cookies a pretty, pale pink color with flecks of red. These cute cookies will be show stoppers at your next birthday party, baby shower, or summer barbecue.
Freeze-dried strawberries
I find freeze-dried strawberries in the produce section of my local grocery store. A quick google search tells me that stores like Target, Walmart, Kroger, and Publix all sell freeze-dried strawberries.
I specifically used Crunchies Freeze-Dried Strawberries which is a .8 ounce bag. The bag sizes vary between brands, from .7 to 1.2 ounces.
If you'd like a stronger strawberry flavor and darker color, try adding extra strawberry powder to your recipe.
To prepare your freeze-dried strawberries, use a food processor, spice grinder, or even a blender to grind your strawberries into a fine powder.
Can I use fresh strawberries?
No - fresh strawberries will not work in this recipe.
If you only have fresh strawberries on hand, I recommend searching for a reliable cookie recipe that has already been tested with fresh strawberries.
This recipe works because the freeze-dried strawberries do not add any extra moisture to the cookie dough.
Adding food coloring
Want a bright red or pink strawberry cookie? These cookies have a lovely natural color, but you may be looking for something more colorful.
Try rolling your cookie dough balls in red or pink sugar sprinkles, instead of granulated sugar.
You're also welcome to add red food coloring to your cookie dough with the wet ingredients. Add a few dots at a time and mix until you've achieved your desired color.
Strawberry Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- .8 ounces freeze dried strawberries
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy, about a minute.
- In a food processor, process freeze-dried strawberries into a powder.
- In a separate bowl, whisk (or sift) together the flour, strawberry powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
- Cover bowl or wrap dough in wax paper. Chill for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours) in the refrigerator. Refrigerating will help the flavors meld and also create a firmer dough to roll into balls.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove dough from refrigerator. Scoop dough using a 1.5 tablespoon scoop or shape by hand into 1.5 inch balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar.
- Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies begin to crack on top. Cookies will not brown on tops or sides. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Cookies will keep for 3-5 days in a sealed container. To help keep cookies fresh, place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. Replace the bread slice as needed.
- Raw cookie dough will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. Cookie dough balls (and baked cookies) freeze well, up to 3 months in a sealed plastic container or freezer bag.
- Freeze-dried strawberry can NOT be substituted with fresh strawberries - freeze-dried strawberries work because they are not adding extra moisture to the cookie dough.
- Optional: add a few dots of red or pink food coloring to dough for a brighter color. Or, roll cookies in red or pink sugar sprinkles instead of granulated sugar before baking.
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