Soft Strawberry Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (No Chill)

Ingredients

Please read through the ingredients list so you can familiarize yourself with each ingredient, along with suggestions or recommendations during the preparation or baking process. Please see the Recipe Card for all details.

Freeze Dried Strawberries. Freeze-dried Strawberry powder helps amplify the flavor without the overly chewy texture because it removes the water from the fruit but keeps all the flavor. Do not substitute with dried fruit - it will yield different results. I prefer to use the whole freeze-dried fruit vs the powder version. I find the whole yields better flavor and gives it a fresh strawberry flavor. 

Butter. I use unsalted butter since I add fine sea salt with the all-purpose flour. You can use salted butter, just omit the fine sea salt. 

Baking Powder. This will help the dough rise and create a light texture for our cookie. 

Vanilla Bean Extract. You can substitute it with pure vanilla extract. I do not recommend adding an imitation strawberry extract. This recipe will provide plenty of strawberry flavor without having to add imitation. 

Variations

• Substitute the vanilla extract for the lemon extract to update this recipe to strawberry lemonade sugar cookies! Or add lemon zest to the sugar coating if you do not have any lemon extract. Make sure to rub that zest well into the sugar to release the lemon oils and flavor. 
• If you want a more pink cookie, then just add 1 - 2 drops of pink food gel coloring to the dough (when adding the egg) to help achieve the pinker color. 

How To Make Strawberry Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

This Strawberry Cut-Out Sugar Cookies recipe uses baking tools and ingredients that can be found in most homes. Please see the recipe card for the full list of equipment and ingredients.

Step 1: Place whole freeze-dried strawberries into the food process to grind them down into powder. Or place it in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush it into powder. You don’t need to worry about grinding down to pure powder - I like to allow a few larger pieces to remain for added flavor bursts. 

Step 2: Preheat oven to 375 F. Fit baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 3: Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. 

Step 4: In the stand mixer bowl combine butter, sugar, and vanilla. Using a paddle attachment, mix on high until creamed, about 2 - 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed during mixing.

Step 5: Add freeze-dried strawberry powder and mix on medium until well combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Step 6: Add egg and mix on medium-low until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl as needed. 

Hot Tip! These cookies once baked are a light pink hue. If you desire a more vibrant pink hue, add 1 - 2 pink food gel drops at either step 5 or step 6.

Step 7: Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix on low. Increase speed to medium-low until dough pulls together on the paddle attachment and away from the bowl. 

Step 8: Use your hands to help adhere the dough together a bit more, and then place it on floured parchment paper. Sprinkle a bit more flour on top of the dough before placing another piece of parchment on top. 

Hot Tip! The bit of additional flour below and above the dough helps to keep the dough from sticking too much. Also, rolling the dough between two pieces of parchment makes the process much easier!

Step 9: Roll dough to the desired thickness with a rolling pin. Use cookie cutters to cut out as many as possible. Place on cookie sheet at least 1” - 2” apart. 

Step 10: Bake for 10 minutes, or until you see the bottom edges lightly browning. Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

Step 11: For strawberry sugar coating, combine freeze-dried strawberry powder and sugar in a bowl and whisk well. 

Step 12: Take a cooled cookie with the top facing down and rub it into the strawberry sugar mixture gently but firmly. This will help ‘color’ the cookie further into a pink hue. Then turn over and sprinkle the strawberry sugar mixture on top and then gently top off the excess. 

Storage

Pre-Bake Storage. Follow all the steps before you roll out the dough. Instead, flatten it into a 1” - 2” disc and double-wrap it in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. When ready to use, remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Proceed with step 8. 

Post Bake Storage. Place in a ziplock bag and keep at room temperature for up to 1 week. Or place it in freezer safe ziplock bag and freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, remove from freezer and allow to come to room temperature (do not open the bag until at room temperature!).