These melt-in-your-mouth Strawberry Shortbread Cookies are buttery, soft, and flavor-packed! Topped with a simple powdered sugar glaze and freeze-dried strawberries, they are incredibly delicious and sure to be a crowd-pleasing treat at any gathering!
With spring only a few weeks away, I thought it would be a good time to share this Strawberry Shortbread Cookie recipe, which I adapted from my Lemon Shortbread Cookies and Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies!
They’re packed with tons of strawberry flavor thanks to freeze-dried strawberries processed into a powder. They’re easy to make, require eight ingredients (no eggs needed!), and are a wonderful treat to welcome the warmer temperatures! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
For more freeze-dried strawberry recipes, check out my Mini Strawberry Sheet Cake and Strawberry Glazed French Crullers!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
The ingredients shown in the image below are used to make this melt-in-your-mouth strawberry shortbread cookies recipe. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need more explanation.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries. I used ALDI’s freeze-dried strawberries, which come in a one-ounce package. Trader Joe’s also sells them in 1.2-ounce packages, which will also work for this recipe. I recommend getting two packages because you’ll need extra for the topping.
- Powdered Sugar. This ingredient gives the cookies a nice, tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture and is also used to make the glaze.
- Whole Milk. This ingredient is used along with the powdered sugar to make the glaze.
For quantities and instructions, please see the recipe card below.
Substitutions
Below are a few 1:1 substitutions that can be made to this strawberry shortbread cookies recipe.
- Powdered Sugar. For the shortbread cookie dough, you can use 1/2 cup of granulated sugar or 1/4 cup of granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup of light brown sugar instead of the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
- Whole Milk. For the glaze, and to reduce the sweetness and balance the strawberry flavor, you can use lemon juice (fresh or bottled) in place of whole milk. You can also add one tablespoon of lemon juice to the cookie dough if you’d like.
Please note that I did not test this recipe using any additional flour or sugar substitutions.
How to Make the Recipe
Below is a brief overview of how to make these strawberry shortbread cookies. For the full printable recipe, which can be made using US customary or metric measurements using the toggle switch, visit the recipe card below.
Quick Tip: You can use either your hand mixer or stand mixer for this recipe.
Step 1. Process the freeze-dried strawberries. Add the freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor (Image 1) and pulse until the texture is close to a fine powder (Image 2). Some bits of freeze-dried strawberries remaining are okay! Set to the side.
Step 2. Whisk the dry ingredients together. This includes the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended, then set to the side (Images 3 and 4).
Step 3. Beat the butter and powdered sugar. Start by beating these two ingredients together on a low speed, then increase to medium-high speed once the powdered sugar is blended with the butter (Image 5). It should be thick and creamy and resemble frosting. Add in the vanilla extract and processed freeze-dried strawberries. Mix until well combined (Image 6).
Step 4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture (Image 7). Mix on low speed until just combined (Image 8).
Step 5. Roll out the cookie dough. Roll out the cookie dough to a 1/4-inch thickness between two sheets of wax paper (Image 9). Place on a cookie sheet and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes. Cut out the cookies using your desired cookie cutter (Image 10). For reference, I used a 2-inch square cookie cutter.
Step 6. Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes at 300ºF. When done baking, let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack or parchment paper lined baking sheet (Image 11). Dip the tops of each cookie into the powdered sugar glaze, then place onto the cooling rack. Immediately top with freeze-dried strawberry bits (Image 12). Let the glaze set before storing them in a container.
Quick Tip: If using a cooling rack for this step, I highly recommend placing a few paper towels or parchment paper underneath to catch any run off glaze and freeze-dried strawberry bits.
Variations
If you prefer not to roll out the cookie dough and use a cookie cutter (including chilling the dough!), you can use the same method as I did with my Lemon Shortbread Cookies and Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies!
- Scoop out the dough using a spoon or a one-tablespoon-size cookie scoop, then roll the dough into balls.
- Place each ball onto the prepared cookie sheet, then gently press down on the tops of each cookie to flatten slightly.
For more tips on this method, visit either one of these recipes!
Recipe FAQs
Keep the strawberry shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, separating each layer with wax paper or parchment paper. They can also be stored in the freezer using the same method.
Yes, you can swap out the whole milk for lemon juice (fresh or bottled), which can help reduce the sweetness and balance out the strawberry flavor. One tablespoon of lemon juice can also be added to the cookie dough.
No, for this recipe only freeze-dried strawberries will work best.
More Cookie Recipes to Enjoy!
Looking for more yummy cookie recipes? Try these!
If you tried this Strawberry Shortbread Cookies Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know your thoughts in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
- 1 oz Freeze-Dried Strawberries, processed into a powder
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Simple Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 tbsp Whole Milk
Additional Topping (optional)
- 1/4 cup Freeze-Dried Strawberry Bits, semi-processed into bits and powder for topping
Instructions
- Add the freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor and pulse until the texture resembles a fine powder (some tiny extra bits are okay). Set to the side.1 oz Freeze-Dried Strawberries
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set to the side.2 cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1/4 tsp Salt
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter and powdered sugar together on low speed, then increase to medium-high speed once the powdered sugar is blended with the butter. It should be thick and creamy and resemble frosting. Add in the vanilla extract and freeze-dried strawberry powder.1 cup Unsalted Butter, 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined.
- Shape the dough into a disc then transfer onto a sheet of wax paper. Top with another sheet of wax paper and roll out to a 1/4-inch thickness. It helps to have the wax paper on a silicone baking sheet or something that will help keep the wax paper from sliding around while you roll it out. Place the rolled out dough onto a cookie sheet (keep it between the wax paper) and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or until firm (longer is fine too).
- Once the cookie dough slab has chilled, adjust your oven rack to the middle position, preheat your oven to 300ºF, then line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Cut out the cookies using your desired cookie cutter. Place them onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of space between each cookie. Repeat this process until all the cookie dough has been used. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 300ºF. For reference, mine baked well at the 15-minute mark. Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies have cooled, whisk together the powdered sugar and whole milk in a small bowl until well blended. In a separate smaller bowl, add the crushed bits of freeze-dried strawberries.1 cup Powdered Sugar, 2 tbsp Whole Milk, 1/4 cup Freeze-Dried Strawberry Bits
- Dip the top of each cookie into the powdered glaze, shaking off any excess. Carefully place the cookie back onto a cooling rack or parchment-lined baking sheet, then immediately top with the freeze-dried strawberry bits. Let the glaze set completely before storing the cookies in a container.If using a cooling rack for this step, I recommend placing paper towels or parchment paper underneath the cooling rack to catch any run off glaze or freeze-dried strawberry bits.
- Keep the strawberry shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, separating each layer with wax paper or parchment paper. They can also be stored in the freezer using the same method.
Video
Notes
- If you prefer not to roll out the cookie dough and use a cookie cutter (including chilling the dough!), you can use the same method as I did with my lemon shortbread cookies and chocolate chip shortbread cookies.
- Keep the strawberry shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, separating each layer with wax paper or parchment paper. They can also be stored in the freezer using the same method.
- Do not use fresh or frozen strawberries with this recipe. Only freeze-dried strawberries will work.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
