Beautiful pink strawberry shortbread cookies are crispy and buttery with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. It’s an easy-to-make treat made with freeze dried strawberries for a fresh berry flavor.
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Melt-in-your-mouth strawberry shortbread cookies are a fun twist on traditional shortbread. They’re buttery and one of the easiest cookies you’ll ever make.
As a trained pastry chef, I love shortbread as a staple recipe. It can easily transform into a variety of cookies (just like I’ve done with these!) and makes an excellent base layer for many bar cookie recipes.
Strawberry shortbread cookies have a fresh berry flavor like my strawberry sheet cake and strawberry filled cupcake recipes. However, unlike those two recipes that use fresh berries, these cookies use freeze dried strawberries (no artificial ingredients used!)
These shortbread cookies compete with strawberry cheesecake cookies for the ultimate berry cookies.
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
- 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
- Add freeze dried strawberries to a blender or food processor.
- Process. Blend the strawberries into a fine powder. Sift to remove the strawberry seeds.
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)
- Cream the butter, sugar, and flavorings. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and strawberry powder in a mixer until a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Mix in flour. Add the flour to the mixer and mix on low speed until it forms a dough.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 the freeze dried strawberries.
- Add almond extract. Substitute ¼ teaspoon of almond extract for the vanilla extract for a delicious twist.
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!
FAQ
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.
Powdered sugar produces a tender, soft cookie, and granulated sugar produces a more crisp cookie that browns slightly on the bottom and edges.
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.
Yes! Make the dough up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate or freeze for up to 3 months.
Please leave a starred rating and comment below if you make these Strawberry Shortbread Cookies. I love reading your feedback! And if you’d like to make this recipe later, don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest! Happy Baking!
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Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Description
Beautiful pink strawberry shortbread cookies are crispy and buttery with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. It's an easy-to-make treat made with freeze dried strawberries for a fresh berry flavor.
Ingredients
- 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
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown.
- 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
KM says
Have you ever frosted these with royal icing?
Maria Pagiotas says
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!
Kristen says
These cookies were delicious. I've made other recipes before but this strawberry flavor is pronounced. I will be making these again!
Maria Pagiotas says
Hi Kristen! I'm so happy you loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Joanna says
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 🙂
Maria Pagiotas says
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!