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The Sweet Occasion » Recipes » Cookies

Easy Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

Published: May 25, 2023 · Modified: Jul 9, 2025 by Maria Pagiotas · 7 Comments

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These pretty-in-pink Strawberry Shortbread Cookies are buttery, crisp, and completely melt in your mouth. Made with freeze-dried strawberries, they pack a bold, fresh berry flavor—no artificial ingredients needed! They’re simple, sweet, and just about as easy as cookies get.

Round pink strawberry shortbread cookies with freeze dried strawberries sprinkled around.

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If you love delicate, buttery cookies like classic shortbread, this strawberry version is a fun and fruity twist. And while they may look fancy, they come together with just a few ingredients and no chill time—making them the perfect quick bake when you’re craving something sweet.

As a trained pastry chef, shortbread is one of my go-to base recipes. It’s incredibly versatile and makes an excellent canvas for creative spins—like this strawberry version! And if you’re as obsessed with strawberry cookies as I am, be sure to check out my soft and chewy strawberry sugar cookies or my ultra-indulgent strawberry cheesecake cookies for more ways to enjoy this berry flavor.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

  • Fresh, strawberry flavor. Freeze-dried strawberries give a fresh flavor to these cookies (just like in my strawberry crunch cupcakes) and a lovely pink hue. No artificial ingredients necessary!
  • Short chilling time. No need to chill for more than 30 minutes. Often, shortbread recipes call for at least 1-2 hours of chilling, but this recipe has just the right amount of flour to prevent spreading.
  • Fresh for at least 2 weeks. Shortbread cookies keep well in an airtight container. They’re perfect for a sweet treat or dipping in your morning coffee.

What Are Shortbread Cookies?

Basic shortbread cookies are easy to make using one part sugar, two parts butter, and three to four parts flour. They have a crisp and crumbly texture and melt in your mouth. Basic shortbread is excellent for mixing in your favorite flavorings like my cranberry orange shortbread cookies.

Ingredients You'll Need

Ingredients for strawberry shortbread cookies.
  • Unsalted butter. Use good quality room temperature unsalted butter for the best flavor and texture.
  • Granulated sugar. The sugar granules give the cookies crisp edges and lightly brown edges.
  • Vanilla. Always use pure vanilla extract when possible for the best flavor.
  • Freeze-dried strawberries. Add a fresh strawberry flavor and pink hue to the cookies. Use a food processor to transform the strawberries into a powder.
  • All-purpose flour. I recommend using good quality, unbleached all-purpose flour.

Note: Do not substitute fresh or frozen strawberries for the freeze-dried strawberries. The freeze-drying process eliminates the moisture and, therefore, will not affect the texture of the cookies.

How To Make Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder

  1. Add freeze dried strawberries to a blender or food processor. 
  2. Process. Blend the strawberries into a fine powder. Sift to remove the strawberry seeds.
Food processor with freeze dried strawberries.
Whole freeze dried strawberries.
Food processor with processed freeze dried strawberries into a powder.
Freeze dried strawberries processed.

Notes: You can find freeze dried strawberries at Trader Joe’s, Target or online. You can also purchase freeze dried strawberries in a powder version online.

How To Make The Cookies (Step-By-Step Instructions)

  1. Cream the butter, sugar, and flavorings. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and strawberry powder in a mixer until a smooth and creamy consistency.
  2. Mix in flour. Add the flour to the mixer and mix on low speed until it forms a dough.
Stand mixer bowl with creamed butter, sugar, vanilla, and strawberry freeze dried powder.
Creamed butter, sugar, vanilla, and strawberries.
Stand mixer bowl with strawberry shortbread cookie dough.
Final dough mixed with the flour.
  1. Roll the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and lightly dust the top with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to a ⅜-inch thickness.
  2. Cut the dough. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the dough into cookies and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet spacing the cookies 1 inch apart.
Strawberry shortbread dough rolled on a silicon baking mat with a rolling pin.
Roll the dough to ⅜-inch thickness.
Strawberry shortbread cookie dough rolled and cut with round cookie cutter.
Cut 2-inch rounds.
  1. Refrigerate and bake. Refrigerate the cookies and then bake them in a preheated 350°F/177°C oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges are lightly browned.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

  • Weigh your ingredients. Measuring ingredients by weight produces the most consistent cookies. Measuring the flour incorrectly can lead to crumbly dough (too much flour) or cookies that spread (not enough flour).
  • Use a rolling pin with removable rings. Adjustable rings allow you to roll the dough to an even thickness for the perfect baked cookie.
  • Minimize re-rolling the dough. Cut your strawberry cookies as close together as possible to minimize the scrapes. Every time you re-roll the dough, the cookies become less tender.

Recipe Variations

  • Use powdered sugar. Replace equal amounts of granulated sugar with powdered sugar for a softer and more tender texture.
  • Add texture. Mix in mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts for a crunchy texture.
  • Use your favorite berries. Freeze-dried blueberries and raspberries are also easy to find and can replace freeze-dried strawberries.
  • Add almond extract. Substitute ¼ teaspoon of almond extract for the vanilla extract for a delicious twist.
Stack of round pink strawberry short bread cookies with freeze dried strawberries sprinkles around and milk in the background.

Serving Tips

Strawberry butter cookies are a delicious treat on their own, but here are some fun ideas for serving:

  • Strawberry sandwich cookies. Similar to my lemon butter cookies, you can sandwich these strawberry shortbread cookies with a filling. Strawberry jam, chocolate hazelnut spread, and lemon cream are all great options!
  • Chocolate-dipped cookies. Dip these cookies into melted dark, semi-sweet, or white chocolate for a fun variation and presentation.
  • Summer treat. Make mini ice cream sandwiches using homemade vanilla ice cream or no-churn chocolate brownie ice cream.

Storage Tips

Strawberry shortbread cookies will stay fresh for a long time!

  • Keep the cookies stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
  • Store the cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before freezing.

Note: Because of their long shelf life, shortbread cookies are great for mailing to family and friends for holidays or an unexpected treat!

Pink strawberry shortbread cookies cut into rounds with one cookie in a bowl of freeze dried strawberries.

FAQ

Do I have to chill the shortbread dough?

Although it’s not necessary to refrigerate the dough, I recommend refrigerating the cut cookie dough for 30 minutes before baking to hold its shape perfectly.

What is the difference between using granulated sugar and powdered sugar?

Powdered sugar produces a tender, soft cookie, and granulated sugar produces a more crisp cookie that browns slightly on the bottom and edges.

What is the difference between sugar cookies and shortbread cookies?

Sugar cookies are made with a leavening agent and eggs and are ideal for cutting and decorating. Shortbread is more dense and made with three ingredients.

Can I make these cookies in advance?

Yes! Make the dough up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate or freeze for up to 3 months.

More Strawberry Recipes You'll Love

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❤️ Made This Recipe & Love It? ❤️
I hope you enjoy this recipe and that it becomes a family favorite! I would love for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! And please tag me on social @thesweetoccasion!

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Round pink strawberry shortbread cookies with freeze dried strawberries sprinkled around.

Easy Strawberry Shortbread Cookies


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Maria Pagiotas
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 24 cookies 1x
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Description

These pretty-in-pink Strawberry Shortbread Cookies are buttery, crisp, and completely melt in your mouth. Made with freeze-dried strawberries, they pack a bold, fresh berry flavor—no artificial ingredients needed! They’re simple, sweet, and just about as easy as cookies get.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 226 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 110 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberry powder*
  • 280 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, and strawberry powder on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  3. Add the flour and mix on low speed until a dough forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and lightly dust with flour, just enough so a rolling pin doesn't stick to the dough (too much flour will dry out the dough).
  4. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a ⅜-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheet allowing 1-inch between each cookie. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
  6. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown.
  7. Cool for 5 minutes on the hot sheet pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Freeze-dried strawberry powder*: In a food processor, process freeze dried strawberries until a powder forms and sift to remover the seeds. You can also purchase freeze dried strawberry powder.
  • Storage: Keep the cookies stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
  • Freeze: Store the cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before freezing.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Chill Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baking

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thesweetoccasion on Instagram so we can see your creation!

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  1. KM says

    January 29, 2024 at 5:09 pm

    Have you ever frosted these with royal icing?

    Reply
    • Maria Pagiotas says

      January 29, 2024 at 6:19 pm

      Hello! I haven't frosted them with royal icing, but it would be a delicious combination! You could even add a bit of ground freeze dried strawberries to your royal icing to tint it pink and add some extra strawberry flavor!

      Reply
  2. Kristen says

    August 08, 2023 at 2:24 am

    These cookies were delicious. I've made other recipes before but this strawberry flavor is pronounced. I will be making these again!

    Reply
    • Maria Pagiotas says

      August 08, 2023 at 8:00 pm

      Hi Kristen! I'm so happy you loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  3. Joanna says

    June 21, 2023 at 9:40 am

    Such a fun alternative to traditional shortbread cookies. The freeze-dried strawberries added such a lovely flavor! Next time I will try freeze-dried raspberries too 🙂

    Reply
    • Maria Pagiotas says

      June 24, 2023 at 1:59 am

      Hi Joanna! So happy you enjoyed this recipe! I love using freeze-dried strawberries in baking. It adds so much flavor. Raspberries sounds delicious too! Happy Baking!

      Reply

Hello! I'm Maria, a professionally trained pastry chef, blogger, and photographer. Here at The Sweet Occasion, you'll find easy and impressive baking recipes for everyday occasions that save you time. My goal is to inspire home bakers to bake from scratch.

More about me →

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