These deliciously fresh and buttery Strawberry Shortbread Cookies are packed with Strawberry Flavours. They are perfect for an Afternoon Tea sweet treat, your Holiday Cookie Exchange or Valentine's Day!
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Why we love this recipe
There is something so irresistible about Shortbread Cookies. The crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich, buttery flavour is always a winning combination. Add some Strawberries to the mix and you get yourself the perfect treat!
These Strawberry Shortbread Cookies are bursting with the strong flavour of Freeze-Dried Strawberries. They are so easy to make in the food processor from 6 simple ingredients and can be made in advance.
Enjoy them plain or glazed with a strawberry icing for a super pretty snack. Or turn them into these epic Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies!
More Shortbread Cookies:
Ingredients
Scroll down to recipe card below for all quantities
To make Strawberry Shortbreads, you will need 6 simple ingredients (Vanilla is optional).
- Flour: Plain / All-Purpose Flour. Pastry Flour or Cake Flour will work here too. I always recommend adding a little bit of fine salt to you flour.
- Icing Sugar: or Powdered Sugar / Confectioner's Sugar. Make sure it is well sifted as icing sugar tends to get lumps.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: the star of this recipe! Freeze dried strawberries are made from fresh strawberries that have had almost all of their moisture content taken out. They have a very strong natural strawberry flavour and are perfect for baking as they can be turnt into a powder.
- Butter: Unsalted and very cold. Cut them into small cubes before using.
- Egg: medium to large size, at room temperature. Eggs are not traditionally used to make shortbreads but are a key ingredients in Sablés cookies, which are French Shortbread Cookies.
We are also using a bit of Vanilla Extract here for extra flavour, but it is optional. You could also add a little bit of Lemon Zest for more freshness. To make strawberry chocolate cookies, you could also substitute a little bit of the flour with natural cocoa powder.
Strawberry Glaze
Optionally, you can make a strawberry icing to finish the cookies. It is made from Icing Sugar, Strawberry Powder (freeze dried strawberries blended into a fine powder) and a touch of Milk. Simply crush some more freeze-dried strawberries as a decoration.
Alternatively, you could also decorate the cookies with some melted White Chocolate or some Strawberry Jam.
How to make Strawberry Cookies step-by-step
These strawberry shortbread cookies are super easy to make. No need for a stand mixer here, it all happens in the food processor. Scroll down to the FAQs section below for the instructions to make by hands.
- Photo 1: Place the dry ingredients (Flour, Icing Sugar and Freeze Dried Strawberries) in the bowl of your food processor. Blend for a few seconds or until most of the strawberries are finely ground.
I personally like to keep a few larger chunks of dried strawberries for extra texture. If preferred, you can finely grind the strawberries first instead.
- Photo 2: Add the very cold Butter cut into small cubes.
- Photo 3: Pulse until the cold butter is turned into very small crumbs. You want all the butter to be evenly covered by the flour mixture.
- Photo 4: Add the Egg and Vanilla to the butter mixture.
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- Photo 5: Blend until a rough dough forms.
To know the cookie dough is ready, pick up some of the cookie mixture and press between your fingers. If the crumbs stick together, it is ready. If it falls apart and seems to be still a bit dry, add a little bit of very cold water and blend.
- Transfer the cookie dough mixture over a large sheet of baking paper or parchment paper. Make sure to scrape the bowl of the food processor to get all the crumbs. Assemble the mixture into a ball, slightly flatten it and cover with a second sheet of baking paper.
- Photo 6: Roll the dough using a rolling pin to a thickness of about 4mm (1/8 inch). You can use a rolling pin with thickness rings for an even thickness.
- Place in the fridge to chill for at least one hour.
If making in advance, you can store the rolled dough in the fridge for 24 hours before baking. Alternatively, store into a ball covered with plastic wrap in the fridge and roll on the day.
- Preheat your oven on 160 degree Celsius / 325 degree Fahrenheit. Prepare a large baking tray with a baking sheet or baking mat. I recommend using a perforated baking tray with perforated baking mat for even baking and best results.
- Photo 7: Remove the top sheet of baking paper and cut out the cookies with cookie cutters. I used a 6,5cm (about 2,5-inch) Fluted Cookie Cutter, but you could use any shape of cookie cutter you want.
- Photo 8: Gently lift each cookie (using a small offset spatula if needed) and place them on the prepared baking tray.
Leftover cookie dough can be re-rolled, chilled again then cut out to make more cookies.
- Bake the strawberry shortbread cookies for about 12 minutes. The edges of the cookies should be lightly golden. Leave to cool down completely over the baking tray placed on a cooling rack. The strawberry shortbread cookies will be very soft when they just come out of the oven so make sure to let them cool down before moving.
- Optionally, prepare the strawberry icing by mixing the Icing Sugar and Strawberry Powder in a medium bowl. Add a little bit of Milk and whisk until completely smooth, then dip the cool cookies into the glaze (or drizzle over the cookies).
- Finish with some crushed freeze dried strawberries.
Recipe FAQs
Butter Cookies and Shortbread Cookies are relatively similar, but Butter Cookies usually have a higher ratio of sugar than shortbreads. They have a more soft and tender texture while shortbread cookies are more crumbly.
If you don't have a food processor, you can absolutely make these strawberry shortbread cookies by hands. Finely crush the freeze dried Strawberries into a powder (or use freeze dried strawberry powder) and mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the very cold cubed butter.
Cut the butter into the flour by rubbing it between your fingers (or use a Pastry Blender) until you get fine crumbs. Add the Egg and Vanilla and gently knead until a dough comes together. Once the dough is ready, continue the steps as explained in the normal instructions.
Yes, this recipe will work with Strawberry Powder (made from finely blended freeze dried strawberries). For a different flavour, you could also try freeze dried blueberry powder or raspberry powder!
Unfortunately no, fresh strawberries are full of water / moisture and will completely soak the flour. You can use small chunks of strawberries over the glaze if you want!
Tips to make the best shortbreads
- Make sure the butter you use is very cold. This is key to get the classic "short" crumbly texture of shortbread cookies.
- Chilling & Resting the dough is essential to get shortbread cookies that do not shrink or melt in the oven. This also allows for the gluten to relax, giving you a more tender and soft cookie.
- Shortbreads should alway be baked at low temperature (160 degree Celsius here) to insure the butter does not melt too quickly and creates the "short" texture. This will also help them to not brown too much in the oven.
- For a stronger strawberry flavor (and brighter red colour), you can slightly increase the quantity of freeze dried strawberries.
Storing & Freezing
The strawberry shortbread cookie dough can be kept in the fridge unbaked for 24 hours, stored rolled between two sheets of baking paper. Once baked and cooled down, store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You can freeze these cookies, but I recommend freezing them unbaked for the best texture. Cut out the cookies and place them on a flat tray. Once fully frozen, transfer into a container or freezing bag.
Leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. You might need to add a couple of minutes to the recommended baking time.
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Recipe
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
- 250 gr (1 2/3 cup) Plain / All-Purpose Flour
- 50 gr (1/2 cup) Icing Sugar
- 20 gr (0,7 oz) Freeze Dried Strawberries, approx. 1 cup
- 180 gr (3/4 cup) Unsalted Butter
- 1 Egg, medium to large size
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Strawberry Icing (optional)
- 10 gr (1/2 cup) Freeze Dried Strawberries
- 75 gr (3/4 cup) Icing Sugar
- 25 ml (5 teaspoons) Milk
- Freeze Dried Strawberries, crushed, to taste, for decorating
Instructions
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
- Place the Flour, Icing Sugar and Freeze Dried Strawberries in the bowl of your food processor. Blend for a few seconds or until most of the strawberries are finely grounded (see note 1).
- Cut the very cold butter into small cubes and add them to the dry ingredients. Pulse until you get very small crumbs and all the butter to be evenly covered by the flour mixture.
- Add the Egg and Vanilla and mix until a rough dough comes together (see note 2).
- Transfer the cookie dough over a large sheet of baking paper. Bring together into a large flat ball and cover with a second sheet of baking paper. Roll the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 4mm (1/8-inch).
- Place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour - or up to 24 hours (see note 3).
- Preheat your oven on 160 degree Celsius / 325 degree Fahrenheit. Prepare a large baking tray with a baking sheet or baking mat.
- Remove the top sheet of baking paper and cut out the cookies with cookie cutters. I used a 6,5cm (about 2,5-inch) Fluted Cookie Cutter, but you could use any shape of cookie cutter you want. Leftover cookie dough can be re-rolled, chilled and cut out to make more cookies.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking tray (see note 4) and bake for 12 - 13 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly golden.
- Leave to cool down completely before moving the cookies from the baking tray (see note 5).
Strawberry Icing (optional)
- Blend the freeze dried strawberries until you get a fine powder (see note 6).
- Mix the Strawberry Powder and Icing Sugar in a medium bowl. Add the milk and whisk until completely smooth. If the icing appears to be thick, add a little bit more milk.
- Dip the cool shortbread cookies in the icing (or drizzle over each cookies), and finish with some crushed freeze dried strawberries.
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Notes
- You can crush the strawberries very finely or keep a few larger chunks for more texture.
- To know the cookie dough is ready, pick up some of the cookie mixture and press between your fingers. If the crumbs stick together, it is ready. If it falls apart and seems to be still a bit dry, add a little bit of very cold water and blend.
- Chilling & Resting the dough is essential to get shortbread cookies that do not shrink or melt in the oven. This also allows for the gluten to relax, giving you a more tender and soft cookie.
- If the dough seems to be getting soft (might happen if it is warm in your kitchen) and it becomes difficult to handle the cookies, place the dough back in the fridge for 5 minutes.
- The cookies will be very soft when they just come out of the oven so make sure to let them cool down before moving or they will break.
- Alternatively, use freeze dried Strawberry Powder.
