Irresistible Strawberry Shortbread Cookies: Your New Favorite Easy Recipe

Step into a world of vibrant flavor and delicate texture with these stunning Strawberry Shortbread Cookies. Far from your average shortbread, this recipe introduces a beautiful and bright twist to the classic, elevating it into an unforgettable treat. We take a traditional, buttery shortbread base and infuse it with the magical essence of freeze-dried strawberries. This not only gives the cookies a captivating fruity tang that bursts with natural berry flavor but also bestows upon them a gorgeous, natural pink hue. To complete this elegant dessert, each cookie is adorned with a delicate coating of sparkling sugar, adding a delightful crunch and shimmer. The best part? Despite their gourmet appeal, these cookies are incredibly easy to make, making them accessible to bakers of all skill levels!

Why You’ll Fall in Love with This Strawberry Shortbread Recipe

• Effortlessly Simple & “Slice and Bake”: This strawberry cookie recipe is designed for ease. With just 7 essential ingredients, you’ll find the process straightforward and enjoyable. The “slice and bake” method means minimal fuss – just shape the dough, chill, slice, and bake. It’s perfect for busy schedules!
• Bursting with Authentic Strawberry Flavor: Unlike recipes relying on artificial flavors, these shortbread cookies are packed with genuine strawberry goodness thanks to freeze-dried strawberry powder. This secret ingredient delivers an intense, natural fruit taste and a beautiful pink color that’s truly captivating.
• Fantastic Make-Ahead Option: One of the greatest advantages of this recipe is its flexibility. You can prepare the dough in advance and refrigerate it for up to a few days, or even freeze it for longer storage. This allows you to bake fresh, warm strawberry butter cookies whenever a craving strikes or guests arrive.
• Gourmet Touch with Sparkling Sugar & White Chocolate: The optional additions of sparkling sugar for a shimmering crust and a delicate drizzle of melted white chocolate transform these simple cookies into an elegant, bakery-worthy treat. These elements not only enhance the visual appeal but also add delightful layers of texture and sweetness.
• Perfect for Any Occasion: Their festive pink color and delightful flavor make them an ideal fruity addition to holiday cookie boxes, Christmas gatherings, Mother’s Day brunches, Valentine’s Day treats, or even just a special everyday snack. They add a touch of cheer to any spread.
• A Fruity Spin on a Beloved Classic: If you’re a fan of my popular Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies, you’ll adore these cookies. They offer a similar fruity and sweet indulgence but in a delightful, buttery shortbread format.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Strawberry Shortbread

• Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature): The foundation of any great shortbread is high-quality butter. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt content precisely. Ensure it’s at room temperature (soft but not melted) for easy creaming, which helps incorporate air and creates a tender crumb.
• Granulated & Powdered Sugar: This recipe cleverly combines both granulated and powdered sugar. Granulated sugar provides sweetness and a slight crispness, while powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) contributes to the cookies’ signature melt-in-your-mouth texture and delicate crumb, preventing them from being too chewy.
• Freeze-Dried Strawberry Powder: This is the superstar ingredient that gives these strawberry sugar cookies their vibrant flavor and beautiful color! Freeze-dried strawberries are intensely flavored, and when ground into a powder, they distribute evenly throughout the dough without adding excess moisture that could alter the shortbread’s texture. You can typically find whole freeze-dried strawberries near the dried fruit section of your local grocery store, or you can easily order strawberry powder online.
• All-Purpose Flour: The primary dry ingredient, providing structure to the cookies. For best results and consistent texture, always measure your flour by weight using a kitchen scale, or by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off.
• Vanilla Extract: A touch of vanilla extract enhances the overall sweetness and complements the strawberry flavor beautifully, adding a warm, aromatic depth.
• Salt: Just a pinch of salt is crucial for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors, making the strawberry notes pop.
• Sparkling Sugar (Optional): While optional, rolling the dough in sparkling sugar before baking adds a gorgeous, glittering crust and a pleasant, subtle crunch. It elevates the visual appeal and texture, making them feel extra special.
• White Chocolate (Optional): An optional drizzle of melted white chocolate provides a creamy counterpoint to the tartness of the strawberries and adds another layer of indulgence, perfect for a more decadent finish.

See the complete recipe card below for precise measurements and detailed instructions.

Creative Substitutions & Delicious Variations

This recipe offers a wonderful foundation for culinary creativity. Here are some ideas to adapt it to your taste or what you have on hand:

• Explore Other Fruit Flavors: It’s incredibly simple to transform these into different fruit-flavored shortbread cookies. Just swap out the strawberry powder for equal amounts of other freeze-dried fruit powders like raspberry, blueberry, or even mango! Each will impart its unique flavor and color.
• Classic Shortbread: For a traditional shortbread experience, simply omit the strawberry powder and substitute it with an equal amount of all-purpose flour. You’ll get a pure, buttery shortbread that’s equally delicious.
• Citrus Zest: Add 1-2 teaspoons of finely grated lemon or orange zest to the dough with the butter and sugars for a bright, aromatic lift that pairs wonderfully with berries.
• Almond Extract: Replace half of the vanilla extract with almond extract for a delicate, nutty undertone that complements strawberry beautifully.
• Chocolate Chips: Fold in a handful of mini white chocolate chips or finely chopped milk chocolate into the dough before chilling for an extra layer of sweetness and texture.
• Shaped Cookies: Instead of rolling into a log and slicing, you can roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to create various shapes, perfect for themed parties or holidays. Just be sure to keep the dough very cold!

Please note: This recipe has been thoroughly tested with the original ingredients. If you choose to replace or add any ingredients, we’d love to hear how it turned out in the comments below! Sharing your culinary experiments helps other bakers.

How To Make Easy Strawberry Shortbread Cookies: Step-by-Step

Creating these delightful strawberry shortbread cookies is a straightforward and rewarding process. Follow these simple steps for perfectly baked, flavorful treats.

Step 1: Cream the Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the softened, room-temperature unsalted butter with the granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and freeze-dried strawberry powder. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and takes on a beautiful pale pink hue. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well combined.

Step 2: Incorporate Dry Ingredients. Add the vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix briefly. Then, gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt. Mix on low speed until a cohesive dough begins to form. Be careful not to overmix; stop as soon as the flour is just incorporated, to ensure the cookies remain tender.

Step 3: Form and Chill the Dough. Transfer the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Using your hands, gently roll the dough into a uniform cylinder, approximately 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the parchment paper tightly around the log, then chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or ideally, overnight, until it is firm to the touch. This crucial step prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.

Step 4: Add Sparkling Sugar (Optional). If you desire a glittering crust, take the chilled dough log out of the refrigerator. It may need to soften slightly at room temperature (about 5-10 minutes) to allow the sparkling sugar to adhere. Roll the entire log in sparkling sugar, pressing gently to ensure an even coating. This step is entirely optional if you prefer a less sweet or simpler finish.

Step 5: Slice and Arrange for Baking. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Using a very sharp knife, carefully slice the chilled dough log into individual strawberry shortbread cookies, each about ¼ inch thick. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about 1 inch of space between each cookie to allow for slight spreading.

Step 6: Bake and Garnish. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 11-15 minutes. Shortbread cookies should not brown significantly; they are done when the surface looks dry and the edges are just barely set. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once fully cooled, drizzle with melted white chocolate if desired for an extra touch of elegance.

Expert Baking Tips for Flawless Shortbread

Achieving perfect shortbread is simple when you know a few tricks. These tips will help ensure your Strawberry Shortbread Cookies turn out beautifully every time:

1. The Importance of Chilled Dough: This is arguably the most crucial tip! Chilling your dough until it is firm and cold all the way through is essential. Cold butter in the dough prevents excessive spreading in the oven, helping your cookies maintain their perfect circular shape and classic delicate crumb when sliced and baked. Don’t skip or shorten this step!
2. Sparkling Sugar Application: While you can try to roll the dough in sparkling sugar before chilling, you might find it easier to do so after the dough has chilled for a while, but allowed to soften just slightly at room temperature (about 5-10 minutes). This makes the surface tacky enough for the sugar to adhere without losing the firm shape of the log.
3. Use a Sharp Knife for Clean Cuts: When it comes to slicing your chilled cookie dough, a very sharp knife is your best friend. A dull knife will require more pressure, which can flatten and distort the cookies, resulting in unevenly shaped treats. While misshapen cookies will still taste delicious, a sharp knife ensures a neat presentation.
4. Avoid Overbaking at All Costs: Shortbread is known for its pale color. Resist the temptation to overbake these strawberry butter cookies. Take them out of the oven as soon as the surface appears dry and the edges are just barely set, with no significant browning. They will firm up further as they cool, retaining their tender, crumbly texture.
5. Measure Flour Correctly: For consistent results, especially with shortbread, accurately measuring your flour is key. Weighing flour in grams with a food scale is the most precise method. If you don’t have a scale, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it with a straight edge, rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can compact the flour and result in too much.
6. Even Thickness is Key: When slicing the dough log, aim for uniform thickness (about ¼ inch). This ensures that all cookies bake evenly, preventing some from being undercooked while others are overbaked.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Storage & Freezing Instructions

Room Temperature Storage

Once completely cooled, store your berry shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will maintain their delicious flavor and delicate texture for up to 5 days. For optimal freshness, place a piece of parchment paper between layers of cookies if stacking.

Freezing Baked Cookies

To extend their shelf life, fully cooled strawberry shortbread cookies can be frozen. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to flash freeze for about 30 minutes, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Freezing Cookie Dough

You can also freeze the raw cookie dough log! Wrap it tightly in several layers of plastic wrap, then an additional layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then slice and bake as directed, or slice the still-frozen dough (it will be harder to cut) and add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

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