Strawberry Sugar Cookies

Print Recipe

4.94 from 204 rating

Strawberry Sugar Cookies

These strawberry sugar cookies taste just like summer and bake up with crisp, crunchy edges and soft, chewy centers.

Prep Time30

Cook Time11

Total Time41

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Servings: 16 cookies

Calories: 179kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Strawberry Reduction

1 cup sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen and thawed 150g
1/4 cup granulated sugar 50g
2 Tbsp water 30g
1 Tbsp cornstarch 8g

Strawberry Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
1 cup granulated sugar 200g
3 Tbsp strawberry reduction - made above 70g
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk 76g
Red gel food coloring - optional
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 5g
2½ cups all-purpose flour - fluffed then spooned and leveled 325g
2 tsp baking powder 8g
1 tsp fine salt 6g

Decoration

1/4 cup strawberry reduction - recipe above 80g
1/4 cup granulated sugar - for coating the outside of the cookies 50g

Recommended Tools

Instructions

Strawberry Reduction

Place 1 cup of sliced strawberries and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Use a masher or fork to break down the strawberries into a pulp.
Then heat the mixture over medium-low heat for a couple minutes while stirring frequently.
In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp water and 1 Tbsp cornstarch to make a cornstarch slurry. Pour into the strawberry mixture and continue to cook it until it becomes thick like jam. This usually takes me about 5 min. Most of the strawberries should have broken down by this point, but it's ok if there are still a few chunks.
Pour the mixture into a bowl and place in the fridge uncovered to cool.

Strawberry Sugar Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 1 cup butter and 1 cup granulated sugar and mix on a medium-high speed for a couple of minutes, until the mixture becomes lighter in color.
Then mix in 3 Tbsp of strawberry reduction, 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and a small drop of red gel food coloring (optional) on a medium speed until fully incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
Add 2 1/2 cups flour (use a scale or fluff the flour in the bag, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it), 2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp fine salt, and mix on low speed until it is JUST incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
There are two options for using the rest of the strawberry reduction - you can either marble some of it into the cookie dough or wait to spread it on top of the baked cookies (or you can do both!). To add it to the dough, scoop 2 Tbsp of strawberry reduction to the top of the dough, then use a butter knife to gently marble the jam into the top of the dough.
Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar to a shallow dish. Use a 3-tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the dough into balls (you should end up with about 16 cookies), then roll them in sugar until they're evenly coated. After you've scooped out half of the dough, marble another 1 Tbsp of strawberry reduction into the dough. Place the cookies about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are set but the centers are still a bit soft. Cool for 15 minutes on the pan, then move the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. If you marbled the strawberry reduction into the dough, it can end up caramelizing at the edges of the cookies and stick to the parchment paper/silicone mats a bit. Once the cookies have cooled and solidified a bit, gently use a flat spatula or cookie lifter to gently separate any sticky bits without breaking the cookies.
If you want to spread any strawberry reduction on top of the cookies, do it right before you eat them. The reduction tastes amazing on top of them, but can make them get a bit soggy if you let them sit. These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

Substitutions and Swaps

Please refer to the substitutions and swaps section in the post above for all the ingredient variations that can be used in this recipe.

How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe can be used to make about 16 cookies using a 3 Tbsp cookie scoop. The yield and bake time can vary based on the size of the cookie scoop you use.

If you want to make smaller cookies, use a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop and bake at 350 F for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still a bit soft. You'll end up with about 32 cookies.

This recipe can be halved to make fewer cookies (just use one large egg) or doubled.

Making These Strawberry Sugar Cookies in Advance and Storage Tips

You can store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or for up to 3 months in the freezer. If you choose to add some of the strawberry reduction to the top of the cookies, wait to do so until right before you eat them.

Any leftover strawberry reduction can be stored in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.

Scooped cookie dough balls can also be frozen for up to 1 month if stored in an airtight container. I like to move the cookie dough to the fridge the night before I plan to bake the cookies.

Tips for Making the Best Strawberry Sugar Cookies

If strawberries are in season, use fresh! However, if strawberries are out of season, I highly recommend using frozen strawberries.
Really cream together the butter and granulated sugar at the start of this recipe. It helps incorporate air into the dough which makes tender and soft cookies.
Don’t overwork the cookie dough once you add in the flour! It can overwork the gluten and result in tough, dense cookies.
Don’t overbake the cookies. Err on the side of underbaking your cookies and remember that the cookies continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven.

Nutrition