These strawberry biscuit cookies are made from real strawberries without the crutch of artificial flavor. Adapted from my biscuits and strawberry shortcake, each buttery cookie is tender and flaky in the centers, packed with juicy strawberries, and topped with a sprinkle of crunchy sugar and sweet icing. A truly unique cookie!
The cookies you see here started out as a major recipe fail—twice. I initially took my blueberry muffin cookies and swapped blueberries for strawberries. Sounds perfectly doable right? Well, I’m sure that could work with frozen chopped strawberries, but fresh strawberries are wet and created a cookie paste, not a cookie dough. I even reduced the added liquid in the recipe, too. Unsurprisingly, the cookies spread horribly.
In the 2nd attempt I reduced the strawberries and left out the milk. There were hardly any strawberries in each cookie. And they tasted dry. Back to the drawing board.
Cookies with Real Strawberry Flavor
As you might remember from my endless strawberry cake recipe testing, it’s difficult to produce strawberry-flavored baked goods made solely from real strawberries. The crutch of artificial strawberry flavor is over-used because recipe creators often lose their minds developing a strawberry tasting recipe without it. (See above!)
You have to get creative. I ditched my entire idea, turned to my homemade biscuits, and created sweet strawberry biscuit cookies. Added fresh chopped strawberries, a sprinkle of coarse crunchy sugar, and drizzled each with sweet icing. It took determined (stubborn?) effort, but now we have cookies with REAL strawberry flavor. 🙂
Why You’ll Love These Strawberry Biscuit Cookies
- Flaky biscuit-like centers
- Buttery, soft, and cakey
- Crunchy sugared tops
- Juicy strawberries
- No mixer required
- Sweet icing
Like strawberry shortcake or scones in cookie form!
Ingredients You Need
- Strawberries: You can use fresh or frozen strawberries. If using frozen, make sure they’re chopped and frozen. Do not thaw them prior to adding to the cookie dough. If using fresh, as I usually do, chop them up in the first step instructed in the written recipe below, then blot them with a clean towel to rid excess moisture. Place the chopped strawberries in the freezer as you work on the rest of the ingredients. The colder they are, the easier they are to work with in this dough. Trust me!
- Flour: Like biscuits, one of the main ingredients is all-purpose flour.
- Sugar: These are strawberry biscuit cookies, so they’re sweeter than savory biscuits. Use regular granulated sugar in this cookie recipe.
- Baking Powder: We need quite a bit of leavener to lift this heavy cookie dough.
- Salt & Vanilla Extract: For flavor.
- Cold Butter: Butter adds ALL of the texture. For flaky layers and pockets, use cold butter. When little pieces of butter melt as the biscuit cookies bake, they release steam and create little pockets of air– this makes the cookies flaky on the inside with set edges. (We don’t want this butter to melt or get soft before the dough hits the oven. The colder, the better.)
- Whole Milk: This dough requires liquid. Though my regular biscuits use buttermilk, regular whole milk is great here. You can use nondairy milk if needed.
- Egg: An egg turns these biscuits into cookies, allowing them to hold their shape.
- Optional Coarse Sugar: A sprinkle of coarse sparkling sugar adds delicious crunch on top of the soft and flaky cookies. Talk about a burst of TEXTURE!
How to Make Strawberry Biscuit Cookies
If you’ve made my biscuits or strawberry shortcake before, you’re familiar with this process. It seems complicated, but truly couldn’t be easier if you take the time to read the recipe before you begin. So you understand the process, let me quickly walk through each step.
- Chop, blot, & freeze the strawberries.
- Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Add cold cubed butter. Work the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter. Do not over-think this step—you’re just cutting the butter into smaller pieces that will help coat the flour. This is how we make pie crust and scones, too. (You can use a food processor in this step, but I find it often over-works the cookie dough.)
- Whisk the milk, egg, and vanilla together. Pour into the dry ingredients.
- Gently mix together, creating a thick dough.
- Carefully work in the strawberries. Do not over-mix, which will turn the dough slimy. Some strawberries won’t combine into the dough at all and that’s ok. You can add them to the dough balls when you shape the cookies before baking.
- Chill the cookie dough for 45 minutes.
- Portion into 1.5 Tablespoon balls. You can use a Tablespoon measuring spoon (will be a heaping Tablespoon) or a medium cookie scoop. Dot each with excess strawberries that may not have been worked into the cookie dough. Top each with coarse sugar.
- Bake until edges are lightly browned.
Use my step-by-step photos as a visual guide.
Strawberry Icing
Of course you could call it a day now, but who doesn’t love a snazzy little accessory every now and then?! Add icing! Start with regular vanilla icing and add a heaping Tablespoon of strawberry jam. The jam adds a little color and flavor. If you don’t have strawberry jam, don’t worry about it because these strawberry biscuit cookies taste excellent with regular vanilla icing as well.
Flaky, buttery, soft, thick, vanilla-y, juicy, and REAL STRAWBERRIES!
More Strawberry Recipes
- Strawberry Coconut Macaroons
- Homemade Strawberry Sauce (Dessert Topping)
- Strawberry Shortcake Cake
- White Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
- Strawberry Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
- Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Strawberry Biscuit Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 30 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Adapted from my biscuits and strawberry shortcake, these strawberry cookies are tender and flaky in the centers, packed with juicy strawberries, and topped with a sprinkle of crunchy sugar and sweet icing. Chill the dough for at least 45 minutes before shaping and baking.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (120g) chopped strawberries (see note)
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk, cold (dairy or non dairy)
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: coarse sugar for topping
Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2–3 Tablespoons (30-45ml) milk or heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: 1 heaping Tablespoon strawberry jam
Instructions
- Strawberries: If you’re using fresh strawberries, chop the strawberries into small bite-sized pieces if you haven’t already. Gently blot them with a towel to rid some moisture. (No need to thaw and blot if you’re using frozen strawberries.) The wetter the berries are, the more difficult they are to combine with the dough. Freeze the fresh chopped strawberries as you prepare the other dough ingredients. The colder, the better.
- You can use a food processor for this step, but I encourage you to do it by hand so you don’t accidentally over-work the dough. Overworked dough lends tougher cookies. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl (or pulse together in your food processor). Add the cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form. (Or pulse several times in a food processor.) See photo above for a visual. If you used a food processor in this step, pour the mixture into a large bowl.
- Whisk the milk, egg, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Pour over the flour/butter mixture. Using a large spoon or silicone spatula, fold everything together until just about combined. The dough is thick, sticky, and tacky. Avoid overworking the dough.
- Carefully work in the cold strawberries. Do not over-mix, which will turn the dough slimy. Some strawberries won’t combine into the dough at all and that’s ok. You can add them to the dough balls when you shape the cookies before baking.
- Cover the cookie dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes and up to 1 day.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Using a Tablespoon measuring spoon or medium cookie scoop, portion/shape dough into balls about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each. (If using a Tablespoon measure, it will be a heaping Tablespoon of dough.) Press any strawberries that haven’t stuck to the dough into the tops of the cookie dough balls. Arrange 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If desired for delicious crunch, sprinkle each dough ball with coarse sugar.
- Bake the cookies for 15-16 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
- Icing: Using a fork, whisk confectioners’ sugar, 2 Tablespoons (30ml) of milk/heavy cream, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Add 1 more Tablespoon (15ml) of milk/cream to thin out if necessary. (I always add it, especially if using cream.) If desired for light strawberry flavor, whisk in strawberry jam. Drizzle over cookies.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 1 day (see step 5), but you can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking. If it’s too hard/chilled to handle, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. It’s best to thaw these dough balls before baking, then continue with the recipe and bake as instructed. Unglazed or glazed baked cookies freeze well for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Pastry Cutter | Cookie Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats | Medium Cookie Scoop | Coarse Sugar | Cooling Rack
- Strawberries: If using frozen strawberries, do not thaw. If using fresh strawberries, see step 1 about preparing the berries. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries instead.
- Milk: You can use any milk, dairy or non, in the cookie and icing.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These are delicious, but they turned out brown-er and cakier than they appear in the photos. I’ve rechecked my scoop size and decreased the baking time, but they appear puffier than they should, I think. I’m worried they will turn dry. Any advice on what I should recheck? I weighed everything and made no substitutions.
Hi Hillary, they should be fluffy and biscuit-y, not like a typical cookie. Does that sound about right? They could have been over-baked if brown and on the dryer side – try baking for less time next time!
Pretty simple recipe to bake with ny 11 year old. The icing with the jam really increases the strawberry flavor. Delicious!!
I made these for our art group today. I shared your recipe with two others. They are DELICIOUS! Definitely a keeper.
I’m so glad you didn’t give up on this recipe. You found the perfect combination. These are awesome. Keep up the great work Sally!
What a great recipe! Have a jam & scone mix business. One time I made the scones small and flattened them. Came out a lot like these. I called them “scookies!” Thanks as always for your great recipes & explanations
These cookie biscuits were fantastic fresh out of the oven and for a few hours afterward: crisp on the outside and cakey on the inside, sort of like little scones. Alas, they completely lost their crispness overnight in the refrigerator, especially the ones that I had sprinkled some coarse sugar on before baking. After only a couple of days, the taste was still good but the texture had changed so much that they weren’t fun to eat anymore. I wound up throwing out the last three–something I have never done with any cookies before. If I make them again, I will share, serve and eat them within a day or two, and not refrigerate them. Thank you, Sally, for the care you take to test and annotate all of your recipes!
I loved this recipe but I was just curious if there was a specific temp I was supposed to heat the oven to, I didn’t see anything written but it’s possible I missed it
Hi April, Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C).
So GOOD!
I followed the recipe closely, but unfortunately the cookies were terrible Just horrible in both taste and texture.
WOW! These are GREAT! JUST out of the oven 10 minutes ago & myhusband grabbed one BEFORE the glaze. As for the glaze, I THOUGHT I grabbed a jar of strawberry jam, well, I grabbed a rather expensive jar of CHERRY PRESERVES! It wasn’t UNTIL I was ready to glaze that I realized my mistake. I glazed a little bit for him to try & he LOVED it! With AND without the glaze, but we LOVE them! Thanks AGAIN for making baking such a PLEASURE!
Love this recipe and have made it many times with strawberries. With peaches in season, I tried this recipe with some that I had chopped and frozen. They were fabulous—I almost like it better than with the strawberries! Thanks, Sally!
SO delicious!! i used oatmilk and these were just amazing warm from the oven. will be making this recipe again.
I loved this summery cookie! It was like strawberry shortcake in a cookie. Perfect dessert for bringing on a boat ride with friends on a summer evening. I have a question: the icing did not harden, so it was a little messy on the fingers (fingers were licked clean, to be sure) and I was wondering if I added too much cream. Did I do something wrong? What can I do to make an icing that will harden
Hi Anne, We are so glad you enjoyed these cookies! If you make them again you can try adding less cream to the icing. Or is it possible that it was just very hot outside and the icing melted?
These were incredibly good, there’s none left! We also ate them as the base for strawberry shortcake, adding fresh strawberries and cream on top, perfection
Can I use 2% milk in recipe?
Hi Lori, yes, 2% milk will work just fine in these cookies.
Loved this recipe — the biscuits are not too sweet and would be great for brunch! Despite my best efforts not to overwork the dough, my dough did become a bit slimy once I added the strawberries. Thankfully, the finished product turned out fine! Also, I had a lot more frosting than needed. Next time, I’ll make half the recipe. Will make these again!
Sally, I love your recipes but it takes 3 pages to print most of them out so I end up not using the recipe.
Hi Bonnie! We like to include a lot of details, which can make the recipes longer. You can always click the “options” button on the print page to select a smaller font and remove the notes, photo, and description to make the printed recipe shorter. Hope this helps!
In your ingredients, you almost always show WHOLE milk. Then in your notes at the end, you say use any milk. Why don’t you just put “any milk” in the ingredients so we don’t have to scroll through everything to see if we can use other than whole milk? That would be a lot easier.
Thank you for catching that, Barb!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Hi Giuliana, while cookie recipes can typically be doubled, we’d caution against doing so with this recipe. It’s easy to overwork this dough, especially with the added volume from two batches. For best results, we’d make them separately!
This recipe was AMAZING!!!! I’m making this for a kids birthday party and i know they will love it. I was skeptical at first for strawberries in cookies, but they tasted so good. Will definitley be using this recipe, again!
Can I use fresh raspberries instead of strawberries?
Sure can!
Wow! These were amazing! So soft and yummy! Definitely a keeper. Can’t wait to see how the family likes them for Easter!
“The problem with these strawberry biscuit cookies,” says my husband, “is that I never want to eat a different cookie again.” Granted, he’s a strawberry shortcake fan, but I, who am not, also thought these were out of this world. I follow the recipe and tips exactly – that’s the key to success with Sally’s recipes – and top some with the strawberry icing and some with whipped cream.
I made these gluten free with coconut flour they where amazing.
Changes: lowered the vanilla to 1/2 tsp and added 1/2 tsp of coconut extract
Added 50 grams of butter
Added 50ml of whipped cream to the batter.
Also I skipped the icing and sugar on top opting instead for filling these with cream cheese balls.
Made the cream cheese balls and coated the dough around them.
Perfect for a gluten free Christmas morning treat in warm weather.
Absolutely incredible! I was seriously doubting that there wouldn’t be an issue since fresh fruit is so temperamental but the recipe is absolutely prefect as always. Sorry for doubting. Thanks again!
Great flavor. I only added the sugar on top to a few and those ones were the best of the bunch. The little extra crunch was awesome. I love the flavor with and without and icing. Mine spread too much. I shouldn’t have let them sit out at all before scooping (I put in fridge overnight). Also I added a little more strawberries than was called for and that didn’t serve me well. I think it contributed to the extra spread. But still delicious. I would make again.
So delish and fresh! Not too sweet and taste exactly like strawberry shortcake. I got a little nervous when forming the cookies because the dough was very sticky from the moisture of the strawberries, but I should’ve never doubted a Sally recipe haha. Turned out great!
These are so good! I made them as directed. Very easy and taste like strawberry shortcake. Thank you!
Delicious Cookie! We will definitely be making these all summer long!
Sooo good by themselves, but my children will be eating them on top of vanilla ice cream this summer, I am sure! I made half the icing recipe and it was the perfect amount. Thank you for this unique and delicious cookie!!
Delicious, Sally! I accidentally ate 10. Can I freeze the baked cookies?