Easy Strawberry Sugar Cookies: Soft, No-Mixer, Ready in 30 Minutes

For these Strawberry Sugar Cookies, we use freeze dried strawberries because it removes moisture while intensifying flavor, so you get a concentrated, true strawberry taste without adding any liquid that would throw off the dough's texture. The result is a cookie with a crisp edge, a soft center, and a flavor that is bright and unmistakably real.

If you want to use homemade strawberry jam to swirl into these strawberry sugar cookies, replace the blackberries in my 15 Minutes, Easy Blackberry Chia Jam (no cook) with strawberries instead.

⏰ Make-Ahead & Flexible Timeline (Day-by-Day Guide)

Do you feel overwhelmed or have a busy schedule but still want to make this recipe?! This recipe can be made in one day or broken into steps across several days depending on your schedule. ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´- 

˗ˏˋ ★ Option 1: Same-Day Bake ★ ˎˊ˗ 

Follow the recipe card below for directions on preparing the treat the same day. 

˗ˏˋ ★ Option 2: Make Ahead★ ˎˊ˗ 

Day 1: prep ingredients/tools

Day 2: make strawberry sugar cookie dough. Portion out then chill or freeze to bake another day.

Day 3: bake & enjoy!

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ woohoo, you did it!!! ٩>ᴗ<)و I hope this was fun and it helped you become a more confident baker ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 

Main Ingredients

• Freeze dried strawberries: Ground into a fine powder, these pack a concentrated strawberry flavor directly into the dough without adding extra moisture.
• Strawberry jam: An optional addition that adds a jammy, fruity sweetness and can be swirled into the dough or used as a filling.
• Strawberry emulsion: A flavor-forward alternative to vanilla extract that reinforces the strawberry flavor throughout the cookie.
• Unsalted butter: Provides richness and tenderness, and using unsalted lets you control the salt level precisely.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies and helps create the slightly crisp edges typical of a classic sugar cookie.
• Egg: Binds the dough and adds structure so the cookies hold their shape after baking.
• Vanilla extract: Rounds out the other flavors and adds warmth, especially if you skip the strawberry emulsion.
• Baking powder and baking soda: Used together, they give the cookies a gentle lift and help with browning.

See recipe card below for ingredient measurements! This is for those that want a more in-depth idea of what each ingredient is and what they do. ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-

🥄TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

• Kitchen scale or measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Mixing bowl, combining all ingredients
• Rubber spatula, scraping bowl sides
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mat, lining baking sheet

OPTIONAL UPGRADES

• Food processor or spice grinder, grinding freeze dried strawberries
  • Alternative: A zip-top bag and rolling pin work well for crushing the strawberries into a fine powder.
• Cookie scoop, portioning dough evenly
  • Alternative: Two spoons or a tablespoon measure can portion dough if you do not own a scoop.
• Wire cooling rack, cooling cookies evenly

HOW TO MAKE (STEP-BY-STEP) 

Step 1: Add freeze dried strawberries to a spice grinder or food processor and blitz until you have a fine, vibrant pink powder.

Step 2: Add strawberry powder and dry ingredients together.

Step 3: Melt the butter in a microwave safe cup in the microwave until half melted. Whisk in egg and extracts. Add. Mix together dry ingredients and wet ingredients until a soft dough forms

Step 4: Scoop the dough into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just set but the centers still look slightly underdone and puffy. They will continue to firm up as they cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Strawberry Sugar Cookies WITH JAM

If you are adding strawberry jam, press the cookie dough along the sides of the bowl and add some of the strawberry jam.

Fold the edges of the cookie dough to gently sandwich the jam and then add the rest of the jam on top.

scoop cookie dough (aim for the jam pieces for each dough ball).

Scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart to bake or side by side to chill.

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❄️STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

For Baked Cookies:

• At room temperature, store strawberry sugar cookies in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. For soft cookies, place a slice of bread in the container to maintain moisture. Cookies stay fresh for 3-5 days. Crisp cookies may last slightly longer but may lose some crunch over time.

• In the freezer, place cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Separate layers with parchment paper if you'd like to help prevent them from sticking when freezing the cookies. Cookies remain fresh for up to 3 months. Let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes or reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for a few minutes to refresh the texture when thawing.

For Unbaked Cookie Dough:

• In the fridge, wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. Dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days before baking. Bake directly from fully chilled at 325 F (with fan) or 350 F (without fan), for about 12-14 minutes.

• In the freezer, shape dough into balls and freeze on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container, removing excess air. Frozen dough lasts up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen at 300 F (with fan) or 325 F / (without fan) for about 12-14 minutes depending on cookie texture preferences. I love freezing extra cookie dough whenever I make batches so I always have a freshly baked treat whenever I want :)

If you're having issues with the strawberry sugar cookie edges baking crispy before the center is done when baking from frozen, sometimes variables like what baking pan you're using, oven brands, etc can contribute to that so you can try lowering the temperature to 275 F (fan) / 300 F (no fan) for 10-14 minutes instead :)

Another option is that you can let the frozen cookie dough defrost first either in the fridge the evening before and bake using the "from chilled" directions or let it defrost completely to room temperature and follow the baking instructions as if you were baking "freshly made" cookie dough. Hope this helps