These buttery Strawberry Shortbread Cookies are absolutely delicious and the best strawberry cookie you will ever taste. The recipe is based on my classic shortbread cookie and the freeze-dried strawberries ensure these buttery cookies have an amazing, real strawberry flavor in every bite.
I love the flavor of these cookies and I can never eat just one (or three) because strawberry is one of my favorite flavors. This strawberry cookie recipe is buttery but has an incredibly tart and fruity flavor from the strawberries. I updated the recipe to include even more freeze-dried strawberries for more flavor.
These cookies are so good that even as I write this post I'm trying hard not to get up and go get another cookie.
Since I love shortbread cookies so much I’ve been experimenting with different flavors such as Chocolate Shortbread and Lemon Shortbread Cookies, that I think you'll love.
But if you came for that delicious strawberry flavor then check out my other strawberry desserts such as Homemade Strawberry Sauce, Strawberry Almond Cake, and my famous Strawberry Curd.
Ingredients for Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Here are the ingredients that you will need for these absolutely delicious freeze-dried strawberry cookies:
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: Freeze-dried strawberries are what I use to get that fresh strawberry flavor in the cookies and in the strawberry glaze. I get the strawberries from Trader Joe’s, but check Amazon for other options.
- Unsalted Butter. Butter adds flavor and produces a buttery, tender cookie. You can use salted butter, but don't add the additional salt that the recipe calls for. It's also important to use a good-quality butter that tastes good. I recommend brands like Tillamook butter. And of course Kerrygold is always a good option, but if you use KG, the cookie may spread a little because of the higher fat content. Make sure to use room temperature butter for the best texture and to ensure the dough comes together.
- Granulated Sugar. Granulated sugar produces nice crisp edges and helps with the light browning on the bottom edge of the cookie. A lot of shortbread cookies use powdered sugar, but I prefer the texture that you get from using granulated sugar.
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar is used to make the strawberry glaze.
- Whole Milk: A little milk is used to make the strawberry glaze. Whole milk makes the glaze creamy; however, if you don't have milk, you can use water instead. You will need less water, so start by adding a teaspoon at a time.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Even though these strawberry cookies don’t have a lot of ingredients start out my measuring out all the ingredients before you start making the cookie. Using a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients will ensure the best results and is quicker than measuring by volume (i.e. using measuring cups).
Step 1: Place the flour and the freeze-dried strawberries in a bowl of mini food processor and process until the flour turns pink and the freeze-dried strawberries are finely ground.
Step 2: If using a kitchen scale, place the bowl of a stand mixer on the scale and weigh in the sugar and butter. Next add the salt.
Step 3: Beat the sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and salt on medium speed with a paddle attachment until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Step 4: Next add all of the strawberry flour mixture and mix on low speed until all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the dough comes together.
Step 5: Scrape the strawberry cookie dough onto a lightly floured surface. Press the dough together to knock out any air pockets.
Step 6: Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick.
Step 7: Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into your desired shape.
Step 8: Chill the unbaked cookies for 20 minutes. The cookies can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. If not baking the cookies the same day, cover them with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
Step 9: Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes. The cookie should be done but barely brown on the bottom. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack and let them cool completely before adding the glaze.
How to Make the Strawberry Glaze
Place the powdered sugar and the freeze-dried strawberries in the bowl of a mini-food processor. Process the mixture until it turns pale pink.
Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the milk. Stir together until the glaze is smooth. If you want a thinner glaze add milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Dip the top side of the cooled cookies into the glaze and as you pull it up shake off any excess glaze. Lay the cookies on a wire rack and let the glaze set if serving them for a party of packing them in a box as a giveaway.
What Are Freeze-Dried Strawberries
Freeze-dried strawberries are fresh berries that have been frozen and then placed under vacuum to remove all the moisture. The flavor and nutrients are more concentrated so you only need a little to add the intense fruit flavor to baked goods, like these shortbread cookies or your favorite snacks like yogurt.
And since the water has been removed it is easier to add the strawberry flavor to your baked goods without making the dough or frosting too soft or too wet (see my recipe for Strawberry Mascarpone Buttercream that's part of my Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe).
Pro Tips for Making These Cookies
- For the best results use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. The ratio of flour, butter, and sugar is the key to the cookies keeping their shape. Too much flour will result in a dry, crumbly cookie and too little flour will result in a cookie that spreads.
- Use great-tasting butter. The taste of the butter is very prominent once the cookies are baked so make sure your butter tastes great.
- Bake the cookies on parchment paper instead of Silpat. I noticed that the bottom of the cookies flare out just a little bit when baked on Silpat
- When baking multiple batches, don't place unbaked cookies on a warm baking sheet.
If you make these yummy strawberry shortbread cookies please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Soft and Tender Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 11-1/4 ounces (320 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 ounce (21 grams) freeze-dried strawberries
- 8 ounces (227 grams) unsalted butter room temperature, 65-68 degrees F
- 4 ounces (114 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Strawberry Glaze
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/2 ounce (14 grams) freeze-dried strawberries
- 3-5 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- The recipe for strawberry glaze has been changed to use freeze-dried strawberries instead of fresh strawberries. The freeze-dried strawberries produce a stronger strawberry flavor.
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
- Measure the flour into a medium-sized bowl. Place 1/3 of the flour and the freeze-dried strawberries in a mini food processor and process until the freeze-dried strawberries are completely pulverized. Pour this mixture into the main bowl of all-purpose flour.
- If you don’t have a food processor place the freeze-dried strawberries in a zip top freezer bag. Use a rolling pin to beat the strawberries until they are powdery and fine and you don’t see any large pieces. Pour the strawberries into the bowl ith the flour and whisk to combine.
- Place the butter, sugar, pure vanilla extract, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl and paddle attachment.
- Add all the flour-strawberry mixture at once. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix until all the dry ingredients are combined and the dough forms into a cohesive dough ball. The dough will be crumbly at first but then form into a dough ball.
- Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface. You can turn it out onto a large piece Silpat. Use your hands to shape the dough into a rectangle and lightly flour the top of the dough. Do not use too much flour, just enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking.
- Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on a board or small sheet pan lined. Prick each cookie in the center with the tines of a fork. Pricking the cookies will allow the steam from the butter to escape when the cookies bake and ensure the cookies stay flat when baked.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Chilling the dough will help the cookies hold their shape when baking. The dough can be refrigerated for to 2 days. If not baking the cookies within 2 hours of refrigerating them, cover them with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
- While the cookies are chilling preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper. You can also use Silpat, but I noticed when baking these cookies on Silpat the bottom of the cookies tend to flare out as they bake.
- Place the cookies on a half baking sheet, 2 inches apart (12 cookies in total). Bake the cookies for 20-23 minutes. The baking time will vary
- The goal of baking at 300 degrees F is to bake the cookie without browning it on top, they will have just a little color on the bottom. To check for doneness after 20 minutes, take an offset spatula and gently flip one of the cookies over. If the cookie holds together and there a little bit of browning on the bottom, the cookie is done.
- Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them to a wire rack to completely cool.
- At this point the cookies are ready to eat. If you want to glaze them with a strawberry glaze follow the directions for the strawberry glaze.
Strawberry Glaze
- Place the powdered sugar and freeze-dried strawberries in the bowl of mini food processor and processor until the freeze-dried strawberries are powdery and the whole mixture is a pale pink.
- Pour the sugar-strawberry mixture into a small mixing bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of milk and stir until the mixture is creamy and smooth and there are no lumps. The glaze will be thick. If you want a thinner glaze, add milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Holding each cookie on their sides, dip the top of the of the cookie into the glaze. Press down slightly to ensure the whole of the top side is covered. Lift the cookie up and shake off any excess glaze. Place the cookie back on the wire rack and let the glaze set.
Storing the Cookies
- The unglazed cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days. Shortbread cookies keep remarkably well, so they can be enjoyed for a long period of time.
- The glazed cookies are good at room temperate for 2 to 3 days. The amount of sugar in the glaze stabilizes the little bit of milk that is added so it doesn’t go bad. After 2 or 3 days store the cookies in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Notes
- All-Purpose Flour - 2 1/2 cups
- Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup (16 tablespoons)
- Granulated Sugar - 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons
Trina and Tina says
I need this in my life!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Trina and Tina
Everyone needs a good cookie in their life.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Trina and Tina
Thanks for dropping by the site and so glad that you like the cookie. I do want to add that I think everyone needs a good cookie in their lives.
MoonLightOnWaterT says
I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Cheryl Norris says
Hello
Thank you for visiting my site, I really appreciate it. Please let me know how the recipe turns out for you. I'm always interested in feedback.
Pamela J Neumann says
The icing calls for 'chopped strawberries.' I am assuming that is a fresh not dried. Is that correct?
Cheryl Norris says
Yes, that is correct - use fresh strawberries.
Amber says
The recipe states freeze dried though so has it been updated ?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Amber
In the original recipe I used fresh strawberries in the glaze, but with the update I use freeze-dried strawberries in the glaze instead of fresh.
Thyme evw says
I've made your raspberry cookies several times and loved them! I'm excited to try these now
Thyme eva says
Lol my last name is wrong, sry
Cheryl Norris says
LOL! No worries
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Thyme
Thank for making the raspberry shortbread cookies. I am so happy to hear that you liked them enough to make them more than once. I think you will really enjoy the strawberry version.
Chadi Saleh says
Hello Cheril! How are you? I have a question for you Can I do this amazing recipe wit fresh strawberries? Thank you.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Chadi
Strawberries give off a lot of liquid when cooked which is why I used the freeze-dried strawberries. You can test the recipe with fresh strawberries but I submit that the cookie may spread because of the additionally liquid. If you test this recipe with fresh strawberries I recommend starting with no more than 2 ounces which is about 57 grams.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions or want to discuss something else.
Kathy Watson says
These were so good!
Cheryl Norris says
Thank you Kathy! I'm so glad you enjoyed them.
Miranda says
Cookies are very good! Should the glaze complete dry, as my was still very sticky even after letting it sit over night. Any recommendations?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Miranda
Thank you trying this recipe, I'm glad you are enjoying them. Usually the glaze dries overnight, so I don't know why it would still be sticky. It's possible that your glaze is a thicker. Try sticking them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to see if that dries it completely.
Nancy says
Can I form these in a log to slice and bake?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Nancy
Yes you can. Use the Vanilla Shortbread recipe as a guide for shaping and slicing. Let me know if you have any other questions.
EE says
Can I re-roll the dough with the scraps? Or will that make it a tough cookie?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi EE
Yes, you can reroll the dough with the scraps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Shelli Smith says
I’ve been making these for a year now for family, special occasions and my garden clubs Victorian Tea fundraiser for 165 next month. I love them with or without the glaze.
I’m starting to bake them and plan on freezing the cookies until the day before the tea and glaze them then. In your notes you mention freezing the dough, I would think freezing the baked cookies will be fine. What do you think?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Shelli
First of all, thank you for loving these cookies enough to make them again and again. I am so glad you're enjoying them and that you trust the recipe enough to serve to family and friends. YAAY! Yes, you can freeze the baked cookies. I have detailed instructions in my Lemon Shortbread Cookie blog post on how to freeze baked cookies. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Denise says
My biscuits were a disaster. The temperature is too high and the cooking time too long. I'm so disappointed as this was to before my 70th birthday high tea. I'll use the glaze for another short bread recipe.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Denise
I'm sorry that this recipe did not come out for you, but the cookies should be baked at 300 degrees F, which is about 150 degrees C . If the temperature was too high when you baked the cookies it sounds like your oven temperature was too high, as 300 degrees F is a low temperature for baking cookies. What temperature did you bake them at?
Amber WS says
Hi!
I made these for a church function, but I made a few of modifications that worked really nicely!
I looked at your lemon shortbread and mixed the two together - I made this shortbread in the measurements given, but rolled them to 1/4” instead of 1/2”. I cooked them for 20-22 minutes.
I didn’t refrigerate the dough, and it didn’t make them fall apart at all.
And, I used the lemon glaze, too, which really worked well, kept it from reading as too sweet which I felt the strawberry might. It gave a nice contrast of flavor as well.
I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter too (if you find the set with 3 of them on Amazon, alongside 3 other shapes I used the medium one), and they came out adorable!
A double batch of this, rolled out to 1/4”, with that size cutter, made just over 120 cookies.
I think I tripled the glaze recipe, just to make sure there was enough. Definitely check the thickness of that glaze, for me it took more liquid - I used around a 3:1 ratio of lemon to water, I wasn’t sure how lemony it might be with fully lemon juice in it. Just keep checking. But also don’t put all of it in your glaze-dispensing apparatus. I’m not much of a baker so I used a ziplock baggie with a tiny corner nipped off, but gravity was not on my side and it came out too fast!
I bought freeze dried strawberries and used a spice grinder to blizz them into powder - I advise everyone to not waste money on already-made powder, it’s not worth the cost especially once you realize how good these are! I got a cheap $20 (cdn) one off Amazon and it did the job beautifully.
I had enough leftover cookies to bring a friend some, and he loved them! He doesn’t like baked goods but the lemon glaze made him eat way too many immediately.
Easily a 5/5 recipe (at least with my lemon glaze! No idea about if it was strawberry instead) and I will absolutely make these again for years to come. I’m not much of a baker, but the modifications I made based on your shortbread recipes worked out amazingly!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Amber
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and the detailed explanation of the modifications. This is very clever idea to combine both of these recipes.
Nurul B says
Hi, I live in another continent, and I have no idea what is freeze-dried strawberry. Please help.
Thank you
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Nurul
Freeze-dried strawberries are fresh strawberries that go through special drying process to remove most of the moisture. The flavor, color, and nutrients are preserved, but they are light, crisp, and slightly crunchy (not chewy), with an intense strawberry taste. Here is a link to freeze-dried strawberries on Amazon. Let me know if this helps and if you have more questions.
Katrina Stewart says
Could you add a little Chopped Dark Chocolate to these cookies keeping all other measurements the same?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Katrina
Since I haven't tested this out, I recommend starting small and adding 1-2 ounces of chopped chocolate or dividing the dough in half and adding chocolate to half the dough to see how it does. When you chop the chocolate put it in a fine mesh strainer to remove the chocolate dust, so you don't inadvertently add the equivalent of cocoa dust to your cookie. Let me know how it turns out. You could also dip half the cookie in melted chocolate instead of using the strawberry glaze. Let me know if this helps and how this turns out.
Katrina says
Hi Cheryl, so I decided to add dark chocolate chips to half of the batter. While it baked up fine, the chocolate over powered the strawberry flavor. We preferred the half that was the way you wrote it. They have a fabulous texture once cooled. I’ll definitely make these again!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Katrina
Thanks for letting me know how it turned out. I'm so glad you like these cookies and plan to make these again.
Nurul Subandi says
Thank you Cheryl for your reply. Since is not that simple buying from another country due to custom and tax, is there any replacement to freeze-dried strawberry?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Nurul
I haven't tried this, but you could try oven drying fresh strawberries. Slice fresh berries thin and bake them in the oven at 200°F for 3-4 hours. The berries will be chewy instead of dry and crispy like freeze-dried.
Shannon says
Exactly the recipe I was looking for and only found here. These were super easy to make and turned out great.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Shannon
Thank you so much for trying these cookies and leaving this lovely review. I'm so glad you enjoyed these cookies and this was the recipe you were looking for.
Karen says
Do you think these could be made gluten free using gluten free flour?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Karen
Thanks for that question. I've been working on a gluten free version and I haven't been able to do it successfully, where I like the texture and taste. You can definitely try it, but I can't guarantee the results. Please let me know how it goes.
Annie C says
I found them so easy to prepare and bake with an excellent yummy outcome. I made just a minor tweak by adding some lemon zest to the icing which and helped balance the sweetness of the strawberries and sugar.
I recommend starting to check the doneness of the cookies earlier than 20 minutes (using Cheryl’s suggestion to flip and look at the cookie bottom). My first batch of cookies were in the refrigerator about 30 minutes and were almost overbaked at 18 minutes (bottom was medium brown). The 2nd batch were in the freezer 20- 30 minutes which made them extra cold, but not frozen. At 18 minutes they were perfect.
Like with all shortbread cookies, I found them much better the day after you bake them. They become more moist and the flavors meld together.
Another great recipe from 'Bakes by Broiwn Sugar’ which I will repeatedly use.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Annie
Thank you for making this recipe and the compliment at the end of your review. I so appreciate that. I'm glad you like this cookie and thank you for the tip on the baking time. It can vary based on the oven.
Charli says
Very nice recipe, everything comes together beautifully. My wife likes the cookies unglazed and I prefer the glazed cookies. They cooked to perfection right at 20 minutes in my oven. I used almost 4 tablespoons of milk in the glaze and had some leftover that I mixed in my fresh strawberry smoothie, it was delicious.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Charli
Thank you for trying this recipe and leaving this wonderful detailed review. I'm so glad you and your wife liked them. I do like the extra pop of strawberry flavor from the glaze too!
dev says
Hi there! Does this harden once set, or is it still a bit soft? I am looking to individually wrap cookies for a party favour!
thank you!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Dev
These cookies are soft, but they do set and they are sturdy enough to wrap. The glaze will set overnight. Does this answer your question?
dev says
Yes, thanks very much! I ended up trying it out as well and really liked it! thanks!!