Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

These strawberry shortbread cookies are tender and buttery, and drizzled with a delicious strawberry glaze.

How to Make These Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

Let’s walk through each step of this recipe to make sure it turns out as amazing as possible.

Use an electric mixer to combine 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp of freeze-dried strawberry powder, 1/2 tsp of fine salt, and a small drop of pink gel food coloring (optional).

The mixture might look a bit crumbly at first, but it will eventually form a soft dough once it’s fully mixed.

If the mixture isn’t coming together, you may want to heat it in the microwave for a couple of seconds (literally 2-3 seconds, you don’t want to melt the butter!) to help soften the butter.

The dough might look a little crumbly at first, but as you keep mixing, it should come together and form a soft dough.

Scoop the dough on top of a large piece of plastic wrap and flatten it out into a rectangle that’s about 1/4 inch tall to make it easier to roll out once it’s chilled. Wrap tightly and place in the fridge for an hour, or until it’s firm.

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats while the cookie dough chills.

Unwrap the cookie dough and lay the plastic wrap out flat on your counter. We will be rolling out the cookie dough on the plastic wrap to make cleanup a breeze and to make it easier to cut out the cookies.

Cut out shapes with a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. The cookies don’t spread much as they bake, so you can place them about 1 inch apart. Knead the dough scraps back together, then roll the dough out again and cut out more cookies until you’ve used up all the dough.

Bake one tray at a time for 13-16 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through to help them bake evenly. Then place the pan on a wire rack and let the cookies cool fully on the pan.

While the cookies cool, make the strawberry glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp freeze-dried strawberry powder, 2 Tbsp milk of your choice (I use whole milk), 1 Tbsp melted butter, 3 Tbsp strawberry jam, and a pinch of fine salt.

Either dunk the fully cooled cookies in the strawberry glaze or drizzle the glaze over each cookie, then enjoy!

Making These Shortbread Cookies in Advance

These cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. I’d recommend waiting to add the glaze until right before you serve them, though, as it can soften the cookies over time.

You can also freeze these cookies for up to 3 months in an airtight container! When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen cookies, place them in the fridge overnight to let them thaw gradually and enjoy them the following day.

Doubling this Recipe

This recipe makes about 40 cookies. If you want to halve or double this recipe, go for it! Simply adjust the ingredients and follow the directions in the recipe card above.

Substitutions and Swaps

This recipe doesn’t use a ton of ingredients, but I know you might not have all of them on hand.

Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered. Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make.

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place (and omit the salt)!
• Powdered Sugar –  I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cookies.
• All-purpose flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend if needed.
• Freeze-Dried Strawberry Powder – This can be a tough ingredient to find. I usually order a big bag online, but it can be expensive. Another option is to blend up freeze-dried strawberries, which you can usually find for a good price in the baby food aisle at most big grocery stores like Walmart or Trader Joe’s.
• Gel Food Coloring – I used pink gel food coloring to make these, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Tips for Making the Best Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

• Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature/softened. It helps them mix together better and will give the cookies a smoother texture.
• If you are having a hard time finding
• Properly measure your flour! I like to use a scale, but the fluff and level method works great too.
• Chill the shortbread dough to make it easier to cut out the cookies.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this strawberry shortbread cookie recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets if you share on social media! I love seeing your delicious creations.

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