There’s something about a double dose of strawberry that feels extra special, and these frosted strawberry cookies absolutely deliver. Today’s soft-baked, chewy cookies are topped with a naturally pink, flavor-packed strawberry cream cheese frosting, both made with real freeze-dried strawberries. No artificial flavors, no food coloring… just pure, concentrated berry flavor in every bite!
If you’ve ever baked with freeze-dried berries before, you already know their magic: they add bold flavor without extra moisture, which means you can incorporate them into desserts without throwing off the ratio of wet-to-dry ingredients. Total baking lifesavers!
In this recipe, we use freeze-dried strawberries to flavor both the cookie dough and the frosting. They add a bright, concentrated strawberry flavor to each component without affecting texture. And as a bonus, they create that naturally beautiful pink color.
These cookies have all the flavor of this reader-favorite strawberry cake, but with the deliciously soft, chewy texture of a drop sugar cookie. In fact, it’s topped with the very same strawberry cream cheese frosting! 🙂
Here’s what 1 taste tester said, verbatim: “I don’t use this phrase a lot, but you must know that this is the best cookie I have EVER eaten. The flavor is out of this world. It’s as close to eating a strawberry without actually eating a strawberry.”
And best of all, you don’t have to wait for strawberries to be in season to make a batch. (Though a fresh berry on top certainly adds some oomph!)
Here’s Why This Strawberry Cookie Recipe Works
- No artificial flavoring or coloring: Freeze-dried strawberries deliver real strawberry flavor in every bite, without adding unneeded moisture to the dough or frosting.
- The secret ingredient: cream cheese! Using cream cheese in the dough balances the sweetness and makes the cookies melt-in-your-mouth tender—soft, chewy, a little creamy, and not crumbly or cakey in the slightest.
- Double the freeze-dried strawberries, double the deliciousness: The cookie dough includes both ground and whole freeze-dried berries. The ground powder adds concentrated flavor, and the whole pieces add chewy texture as well as gorgeous pops of color in every bite.
Recipe Testing Strawberry Cookies
My team and I made more batches of strawberry cookies than we can count in our quest to create the BEST strawberry cookie.
We tried using cooked fresh strawberries (like a strawberry sauce); strawberry jam; and fresh strawberries; but freeze-dried strawberries were the clear choice for delivering the purest strawberry flavor without adding excess moisture to the dough. We tried using all ground, and all whole, but in the end we loved the cookie dough that uses BOTH ground and whole freeze-dried berries.
We also tested various versions of a strawberry drop sugar cookie using baking powder and more butter, but each and every time, the dough with the baking soda and cream cheese won in taste and texture.
When it came to topping these frosted strawberry cookies, that was a no-brainer: we simply scaled down the strawberry cream cheese frosting from my favorite strawberry cake. Perfection!
Ingredients You Need & Why
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: You need a lot of these, for both the cookies and the frosting. You’ll grind some into a powder, and keep some whole for texture.
- Softened Butter: Be sure to use proper room-temperature butter, which may be cooler than you think (about 65°F (18°C) is ideal). It makes up the base of the frosting as well.
- Cream Cheese: Pick up one block/brick of full-fat cream cheese. You need half for the cookie dough and the other half for the frosting.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens, and helps the cookies spread. We also roll the cookie dough balls in some sugar before baking.
- Egg: One egg binds everything together.
- Vanilla & Salt: Key flavorings in pretty much all our cookie recipes!
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides the structure.
- Baking Soda: Provides lift for thick cookies.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Sweetens, thickens, and stabilizes the frosting.
How to Make Our Winning Batch of Strawberry Cookies
Let me walk you through this recipe with some step photos before you get started. Start by pulsing half the freeze-dried strawberries in your food processor until finely ground:
The rest of the ingredients all come together in one mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar; beat in the egg and vanilla; then add all your dry ingredients. Finally, beat in the remaining half of the freeze-dried strawberries (the ones you kept whole). The mixer will break them down into smaller pieces as it beats them into the dough—that’s exactly what we want.
Because there is no food coloring in the dough, the baked cookies are a pink-tinted beige color. The longer the dough sits in the refrigerator, the more purple-toned it becomes. If you’d like to tint the cookie dough, I recommend red or pink gel food coloring. The pictured dough and cookies were not tinted with food coloring.
This very thick and sticky dough needs to chill for 2 hours before you scoop and roll it. It’s much easier to handle after chilling! Roll the cookie dough balls into some granulated sugar before baking:
Success Tips for the Best Strawberry Cookies
- Use both ground and whole freeze-dried strawberries in the dough for the best flavor and texture (plus all those pretty pink speckles and freckles!)
- Don’t skip chilling the dough: This prevents spreading and improves texture. Keep in mind that if the dough chills for longer than a couple hours, it may take on a purple/grayish hue. The cookies will still taste great, but the color may look a bit different than the cookies pictured here.
- Measure flour correctly: Weigh or spoon and level your flour to avoid dense cookies.
- Bake on light-colored (silver) baking sheets: Dark metal pans conduct heat faster and can cause the cookies to over-brown on the bottom. I always use and recommend these half sheet pans lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper for cookies.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
While these soft-baked strawberry cookies bring the berry bliss all on their own, a double dose of strawberry sweetness is always a good idea… so we’re adding frosting. I know, I really had to twist your arm there. 😉
We’re using a scaled-down version of the frosting on this strawberry cake. It’s smooth, ultra creamy, and just sweet enough to complement the cookies without overpowering them.
Just like with the cookie dough, ground freeze-dried strawberries are the key to making a strawberry frosting without any artificial flavoring. They deliver the most intense (and natural) strawberry flavor while, at the same time, do not alter the texture of the actual frosting. And they turn it a naturally pretty pink color, too!
If you’d prefer a cream-cheese-less buttercream instead, feel free to use this strawberry buttercream frosting.
I usually find them at major grocery stores in the dried fruit section or at Target, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Walmart, or online here or here. They tend to be more expensive online.
Not today. While we start with fresh strawberries for strawberry cupcakes, this strawberry cookie dough requires freeze-dried strawberries. If you’re looking to make cookies with fresh strawberries, try these strawberry biscuit cookies instead.
I don’t recommend it. My team and I tried many, many variations using just butter and nothing ever compared to the version below! If you’d like to test it out, feel free to add strawberry powder to these drop sugar cookies. If doing so, leave out the sprinkles, and you may want to slightly increase the flour to avoid over-spreading.
Yes, if you’d like a deeper pink hue, you can tint the cookie dough with pink or red gel food coloring.
If you love these fruity frosted cookies, try these lemon blueberry cookies next!
Frosted Strawberry Cookies
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Yield: 28 cookies
- Category: Cookies, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft, chewy strawberry cookies made with real freeze-dried strawberries and topped with a creamy strawberry cream cheese frosting. Naturally flavored and beautifully pink, these cookies are packed with bold strawberry flavor in every bite. See Recipe Notes for tips on freeze-dried strawberries and freezing the dough.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat block cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/3 cups (267g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (about 48g) freeze-dried strawberries, divided
Rolling
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup (about 12g) freeze-dried strawberries
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (240g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, to taste
- for topping: sliced fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Make the cookies: Using a food processor or blender, process half (1 cup/24g) of the freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. Set aside. Reserve the remaining 1 cup of freeze-dried strawberries to beat into the dough in step 3.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the strawberry powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until combined. Finally, beat in the remaining 1 cup (24g) freeze-dried strawberries just until incorporated. Dough will be thick and sticky.
- Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (and up to 3 days). This dough is quite sticky before chilling, so chilling is key. Keep in mind that the longer the dough chills, the more it can take on a slightly purple/grayish hue from the freeze-dried berries. This is completely normal and doesn’t affect the taste—the baked cookies will still be wonderfully flavored!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line light-colored baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons (35g) of dough per cookie, and roll into balls. Roll each into granulated sugar and arrange 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 13–14 minutes or until the edges are set. The centers will look very soft, but they will continue to set as they cool.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting: Using a food processor or blender, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy and combined, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then gradually increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
- Spread or pipe frosting on cooled cookies. I used a small offset spatula on the pictured cookies. Garnish with a fresh strawberry slice just before serving, if desired.
- Store frosted cookies tightly covered at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: For the cookies: You can make the cookie dough ahead and chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough. Baked (unfrosted) cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. For the frosting: Use immediately or cover tightly and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting on medium speed for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. After thawing or refrigerating, beating in a splash of heavy cream or milk will help thin the frosting out again, if needed. (It stiffens in the refrigerator.)
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor or Blender | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Spatula | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack | Small Offset Spatula
- Where to Buy Freeze-Dried Strawberries: I usually find them at major grocery stores in the dried fruit section or at Target, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Walmart, or online here or here. They tend to be more expensive online. Do not use the chewy/gummy dried strawberries. You need FREEZE-dried strawberries, which grind into a powder.
- Do Not Use Fresh or Frozen Strawberries: This recipe requires freeze-dried strawberries. Fresh or frozen strawberries add too much moisture and will throw off the dough. If you’re looking to bake with fresh strawberries, try my strawberry biscuit cookies instead.
- Cream Cheese in Dough: I don’t recommend leaving out the cream cheese in the cookie dough. It adds richness and creates a soft, tender texture that butter alone couldn’t replicate in testing. If you want to experiment, you can add strawberry powder to my drop sugar cookies instead; just leave out the sprinkles and consider slightly increasing the flour to prevent over-spreading.
- Can I Skip the Cream Cheese in the Frosting? Try this recipe for strawberry buttercream instead (halve the amounts).
- Food Coloring (Optional): The cookies have a naturally light pink hue, but you can tint the dough with pink or red gel food coloring before chilling it for a brighter color. For reference, the pictured cookies do not contain food coloring.
- 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
Wow! These strawberry cookies are so dang good! Everyone who tried them raved about how good they are! You could eat the cookie itself without frosting, but the frosting takes it over the top. Both are perfect!
I made these for #sallysbakingchallenge and they did not disappoint! They are delicious on their own as the texture of the cookie is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but the strawberry cream cheese gives some extra fancy vibes.
Great strawberry flavor! Some of my cookies flattened but some of them didn’t and needed additional baking/squishing. The frosting adds brightness though I did add about an extra 1/3 cup powdered sugar.
These are strawberry perfection! Very easy recipe to make.
These cookies are super easy to make and taste like strawberry cheesecake in cookie form! Great springtime treat.
These had a nice taste but my family didn’t feel that the icing added anything.
Delicious! I’d never had frosted cookies before, but I’m a fan!
They’re not hard to make and the dough and frosting are perfect to make ahead and refrigerate for a couple of days.
These cookies are simply amazing! Adults and kids all loved them. Some even said it may be their favorite cookie of all time! The color was so pretty on the cookie tray, too. Delightful!
Lots of delicious real strawberry flavor!
These cookies are amazing! A perfect blend of sweet and tangy. They’ll definitely be part of my regular cookie rotation.
These cookies were amazing! Recipe was easy to follow and both the cookie and frosting were delicious! Will definitely be baking these again!
These cookies are so good! The strawberry flavor is really good and tastes fresh! I was worried when I was scooping the dough because the dough felt a bit gummy but they turned out so nice and soft! The frosting is great too though I did add a couple extra tablespoons of powdered sugar and the optional pinch of salt. I did try adding white chocolate chips to the tops of a few cookies to see if I liked it like that, without the frosting and they were delicious as well! I will definitely be making these again!
I made the muffins but they were amazing!
Better than imagined, these are delicious. I reduced the sugar a bit, as it seemed too much for me, but I regret it, they’re really not that sweet. Next time I’ll stick to it as it is. Definitely making them again.
This was easy to make. It has a nice chewy texture and full of flavor. My family really liked it!
These are great. The strawberry and cream cheese balance the sweet really well and the soft texture makes it feel like you’re eating a decadent dessert. They also come together really easy. So many of my favorite recipes come from Sally’s Baking Addiction!
Pillowy soft strawberry goodness! My husband said these are up there with chocolate chip cookies! They just need a bit more time
So easy to make and delicious cookies. Thank you for the recipe
Delicious! The recipe was very easy to follow and the icing was a perfect addition to the cookies!
Amazing!!!! Everyone loves them!!! I will definitely be making these again soon!!
Delicious! The cookies are so soft with real strawberry flavor. We can’t stop eating them!
Fairly simple and quick for a very strawberry-forward cookie! Delightful. And I’m thinking I could easily make it with any freeze dried fruit to make endless variations
Yummy and loved by all!
Delicious! I made bite size cookies and they were adorable! Definitely plan to make these again!
Has a great strawberry flavor! Can’t wait to perfect the recipe!
These were DELICIOUS! I underbaked them by a few minutes and used a bit less powdered sugar and a tad more salt in the frosting, and they were perfectly soft and bursting with strawberry. So beautiful too!
These cookies are AMAZING. I have never had so much fruit flavor in a cookie and the texture is delightful!
These are delightful! I made a quarter batch as mini cookies and they turned out wonderfully. The freeze‑dried strawberries give them fantastic flavor, and the two‑bite size is perfect when you want something sweet without committing to a full‑sized cookie.
Thanks Sally for another great recipe! These were great except the frosting was a little too sweet, but I added a bit more salt to balance it out.
This is an easy recipe to impress your family! My husband and son ate half the batch before they were cooled♀️ next time I’ll have to make double❤️