Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies (Print Version)

Tender sugar cookies infused with strawberries, topped with a delicate pink glaze. Perfect for any occasion.

# Components:

→ Strawberry Sugar Cookies

01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
03 - ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - ½ cup neutral oil such as canola or vegetable
07 - 1 cup granulated sugar
08 - ⅓ cup freeze-dried strawberries, finely crushed
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
11 - 2 tablespoons milk

→ Pink Strawberry Icing

12 - 1½ cups powdered sugar
13 - 2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberry powder
14 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
15 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
16 - ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
17 - Pink food coloring, optional

# Directions:

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 the 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 the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Gently press each portion to flatten slightly.
07 - Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are just set but the centers remain soft. Avoid overbaking.
08 - Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, strawberry powder, melted butter, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth. Adjust milk quantity for desired consistency and add pink food coloring if desired.
10 - Once cookies are completely cool, spoon or drizzle icing over each cookie. Allow icing to set before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like a strawberry dream but come together in under an hour, so you can actually make them on a whim without planning a week in advance.
  • The texture is that rare combination of crispy edges and melt-in-your-mouth center that people always ask about.
  • The pink icing looks fancy enough for a bakery counter but requires nothing fancier than a bowl and a whisk.
02 -
  • Don't overbake these, the moment the edges set while the center looks just barely underdone is the sweet spot, they'll harden as they cool and that's exactly what you want.
  • Freeze-dried strawberries are a game-changer because they give concentrated flavor without the moisture issue of fresh strawberries, I learned this after a failed batch where I used regular berries and ended up with a sticky mess.
03 -
  • Let your butter soften at room temperature before starting, soft butter creams faster and incorporates air better than cold butter or melted butter.
  • The strawberry powder in the icing needs to be finely ground, if yours is chunky, run it through a small sieve or process it a bit more before adding to keep your icing smooth and elegant.
Return