Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies (Printable)

Tender sugar cookies with real strawberries and a pink glaze, ideal for sweet treats any time.

# Components:

→ Strawberry Sugar Cookies

01 - 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 0.5 teaspoon cream of tartar
04 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
05 - 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 0.5 cup neutral oil
07 - 1 cup granulated sugar
08 - 0.33 cup freeze-dried strawberries, finely crushed
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
11 - 2 tablespoons milk

→ Pink Strawberry Icing

12 - 1.5 cups powdered sugar
13 - 2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberry powder
14 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
15 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
16 - 0.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
17 - Pink food coloring, optional

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter, neutral oil, and granulated sugar together until light and creamy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add crushed freeze-dried strawberries, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix until well combined.
05 - Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with milk, and mix until a soft dough forms.
06 - Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Gently press each ball to flatten slightly.
07 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until edges are just set but centers remain soft. Avoid overbaking.
08 - Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar, strawberry powder, melted butter, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk in a bowl until smooth. Add additional milk for thinner consistency or pink food coloring for deeper hue if desired.
10 - Once cookies are completely cooled, spoon or drizzle icing over each cookie. Allow icing to set before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're soft and chewy in the center with just enough structure to hold that gorgeous pink icing without falling apart.
  • The freeze-dried strawberries give you real fruit flavor without any moisture headaches that fresh berries would cause.
  • You can make the whole batch in under an hour, which means you can bake them on a whim when the craving hits.
02 -
  • Don't overbake these cookies no matter how much your brain tells you they still look too soft, because they'll firm up as they cool and overbaked ones become chalky and sad.
  • The timing between creaming your butter mixture and mixing in the flour matters more than you'd think, because warm dough spreads differently than cool dough.
03 -
  • Crush your freeze-dried strawberries right before mixing them in so they stay vibrant and don't turn to powder from sitting in a bowl.
  • If your icing seems too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time rather than dumping it in, because it's easier to add more than to fix an icing swimming pool.
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