Strawberry shortbread cookies are made with freeze-dried strawberries for real strawberry flavor. They're tender, buttery, and topped with a simple strawberry icing.
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Tender, buttery shortbread filled with fresh strawberry flavor. Topped with a thin layer of sweet strawberry icing.
Key ingredient: Freeze-dried strawberries add strawberry flavor without added moisture. You'll need a spice grinder or food processor to blend them into a powder.
Yield: 24 three-inch cut out cookies
Similar to: Strawberry Sugar Cookies, Iced Lime Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients and substitutions
- Wet ingredients - Unsalted butter and confectioner's sugar add flavor and moisture to the cookie dough. Unsalted butter and the listed salt can be substituted with salted butter if desired.
- Dry ingredients - Flour and salt balance with the wet ingredients and add structure. I've only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour so I can't say how the recipe would turn out with flour substitutes.
- Freeze-dried strawberries - To give these cookies their strawberry flavor, freeze-dried strawberries are a must. Fresh strawberries will not work in this recipe, and will make the dough very wet. This recipe is written to include a dry ingredient, like freeze dried strawberry powder. To make plain shortbread cookies, simply omit the strawberry powder.
- Icing - A simple strawberry icing is made with confectioner's sugar, freeze-dried strawberries, milk, and vanilla extract. Freeze-dried strawberries can be omitted for a simple vanilla icing.
How to make strawberry shortbread cookies
- If you have whole freeze-dried strawberries on hand, add them to the bowl of a food processor or spice grinder.
- Pulse until you have a fine powder.
- Add butter and sugar to a large bowl and beat until creamed and fluffy.
- Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then mix into wet ingredients until combined.
- Form into a disc and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling out into a ¼ inch sheet.
- Use cookie cutters to cut dough into shapes.
- Place cookies 1 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake until cookies look set on top and edges barely begin to brown.
- While cookies cool, prepare icing in a small bowl.
- Use a spoon or knife to add icing to the top of each cooled cookie. Allow cookies to air-dry until icing is set.
Heather's Top Tip
For accurate results every time, use a kitchen scale to measure flour by weight. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method. Stir the flour (especially if it's been packed down in a bag/container), then gently spoon into the measuring cup, leveling off the top with a knife. Scooping with a measuring cup compacts flour into the cup and adds up to 25% extra to the recipe, resulting in dry, bland cookies that don't spread properly.
Tips and tricks
Texture of shortbread - Shortbread cookies are dense, delicate, and buttery. They don't contain eggs or leavening agents, so they don't puff up in the oven or have the chewy texture of a chocolate chip cookie. The dough will look a little crumbly once you're done mixing but holds together when pinched between two fingers. This is normal.
Dough too sticky? - If it's sticking to the bowl and hard to roll into a ball, it needs more flour. If your dough presses easily into a ball without sticking to your hands, it's just right.
Dough too dry? - If your dough looks very dry and doesn't hold together at all, too much flour was added. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until the dough comes together.
Use parchment paper - Instead of greasing your baking sheet, use parchment paper. Adding grease to a cookie sheet makes the cookies spread more in the oven.
Cool cookies before icing - Warm baked goods will icing and frosting. Allow your cookies to cool completely before adding icing.
Frequently asked questions
You can find freeze-dried fruits in either the produce section or the nuts and seeds section of your local grocery store. If you can't find them locally, freeze-dried strawberries or powder can be purchased on Amazon:
Nature Restore Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder, 8 Ounces
MUNCHBERRY Freeze Dried Strawberries [2oz Bags - 2 Count]
Homemade shortbread cookies will keep for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature. To help keep your cookies fresh for longer, add a slice of bread to the cookie container. The cookies soak up the moisture of the bread, helping them stay fresh and tender.
Yes, strawberry shortbread cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place on the countertop (uncovered) and allow to thaw for 1-2 hours.
No, fresh strawberries or strawberry jam will not work in this recipe. Dry ingredients can't be substituted with wet ingredients.
Yes, this recipe will work with other freeze-dried fruits like blueberries, raspberries, or mango.
Recommend
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¼ cup (34 g) freeze-dried strawberry powder, or 1.2 ounces
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (85 g) confectioner's sugar
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, *measured properly
- ½ teaspoon salt
Icing
- 1 cup (113 g) confectioner's sugar
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) freeze-dried strawberry powder, about 0.2 ounces
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- If you have whole freeze-dried strawberries on hand: In a spice grinder or food processor, grind freeze dried strawberries into a powder. Divide and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add butter and confectioner's sugar and mix with a hand mixer until creamed and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients: freeze-dried strawberry powder, flour, and salt. Whisk to combine and remove clumps.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix with a hand mixer until ingredients are just incorporated. Your dough may look thick and crumbly, but holds its shape when pinched between two fingers.
- Shape dough into a disc and wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Dust counter top and rolling pin with flour, then roll dough to ¼" thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into shapes. Carefully transfer cookies with a spatula to prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until cookies look set/dry across the tops and begin to very lightly brown around the edges.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring off baking sheet. Shortbread cookies are very delicate and need time to cool before handling.
Icing
- In a small bowl, add confectioner's sugar, strawberry powder, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Once cookies have cooled completely, use a knife to ice each cookie with a thin layer of icing. Allow to dry at room temperature until icing has set.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- * How to measure flour properly: Use a kitchen scale to measure flour for accurate results every time. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method. Stir the flour (especially if it's been packed down in a bag/container), then gently spoon into the measuring cup, leveling off the top with a knife. Scooping with a measuring cup compacts flour into the cup and adds up to 25% extra to the recipe, resulting in dry, bland cookies that don't spread properly.
- Storage: Leftover cookies will keep for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container. To keep fresh longer, place a slice of bread in your cookie container. The cookies soak up the moisture from the bread and stay tender longer.
- Can I use fresh strawberries? No, freeze-dried strawberries cannot be substituted with any sort of wet strawberry ingredient (jam, fresh strawberries, etc). Strawberry powder can be substituted with other freeze-dried powders like blueberry or raspberry. Try my chocolate chip shortbread cookies if you'd like to make shortbread cookies without added fruit powders.
- More tips: Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cookies, based on reader comments and questions!
I'd love to make your Strawberry Shortbread Cookie recipe. What adjustments do I need to make for higher altitude? I live at 5,300 ft above sea level.
Hi Donna, I don't have any experience with high altitude baking, but this article from King Arthur Baking may be helpful (there's a section specifically for cookies): https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
It looks like you'll want to increase the temperature of your oven by about 15 degrees, decrease the baking time slightly (maybe 2 minutes or so), and you may also want to add about a tablespoon of water to your dough to help it come together (if it looks dry). If you give the recipe a try, let us know how it goes!