Strawberry Sugar Cookies

These Strawberry Sugar Cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with real strawberry flavor from freeze-dried strawberries. They bake with beautiful pink edges and a sweet sugary coating, making them a fun family baking project and a cookie kids absolutely love.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chewy strawberry cookies, freeze dried strawberry cookies, homemade sugar cookies, strawberry cookie recipe, Strawberry Sugar Cookies

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 12

Chilling Time: 1

Total Time: 1 27

Servings: cookies

Calories: 180kcal

Cost: $9

Equipment

1 Food processor or blender Used to grind freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder.
1 Electric mixer Helps cream butter and sugar smoothly.
2 Baking sheets Line with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
1 Cookie scoop Creates evenly sized cookies.
1 Wire cooling rack Allows cookies to cool evenly.

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter Softened to room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 large egg Room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon strawberry extract
½ cup freeze-dried strawberries Ground into powder
2 tablespoons strawberry jam Optional, for extra flavor

For Rolling

½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberries powder

Instructions

Place the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor and pulse until they become a fine pink powder. My daughter Olivia loves watching the berries turn into bright strawberry dust, it smells like summer in our kitchen.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and the freeze-dried strawberry powder. I always let Olivia do the whisking, she calls it “snow mixing.”
In a large bowl, beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer for about 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy. This step makes the cookies soft and tender, Olivia says it looks like pink cloud dough.
Beat in the egg until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Olivia usually cracks the egg while I supervise, sometimes a little shell sneaks in, but that’s part of learning together.
Add vanilla extract and strawberry extract, mixing until everything smells wonderfully fruity.
Mix in the strawberry jam for extra berry flavor. Olivia insists this step makes the cookies taste “extra strawberry-y.”
Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix, the dough should stay soft and fluffy.
Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour. This keeps the cookies thick and chewy. Olivia usually sets a timer and reminds me every ten minutes that cookies are coming soon.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine granulated sugar and freeze-dried strawberry powder in a small bowl to make a sparkly pink coating.
Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Olivia loves rolling these between her palms, it’s the part she calls “making cookie snowballs.”
Roll each dough ball in the strawberry sugar mixture until fully coated.
Gently press each dough ball with the bottom of a glass until about ½-inch thick.
Bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still look soft. Olivia always peeks through the oven window waiting for the pink cookies to puff up.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. This helps them finish setting while staying chewy.

Notes

• For gluten-free cookies: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
• Egg-free option: Replace the egg with 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water.
• Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Freezing: Cookie dough balls can be frozen for 3 months and baked straight from frozen.
• Kid baking tip: Let kids roll the dough balls and coat them in sugar, it’s the easiest and most fun step for little helpers.

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