Soft Strawberry Sugar Cookies

My sister called me in a panic the morning of her garden brunch, convinced store-bought cookies would ruin the aesthetic of her carefully curated pastry table. I'd never made strawberry sugar cookies before, but something about the combination of freeze-dried berries and soft, tender dough felt like exactly what she needed. Two hours later, I was sliding trays into the oven and watching these pale pink-flecked cookies puff up into clouds, and by the time the icing came together, I understood why she'd trusted me with this.

I'll never forget watching my sister's friends pick these cookies up at the brunch, expecting something delicate and precious, and then biting into one with genuine surprise on their faces. One woman came back to ask if the strawberry flavor was natural, and when I told her about the freeze-dried berries, she immediately started talking about what she could put them in next. That moment, standing in her kitchen watching people enjoy something I'd made, made me realize these weren't just cookies—they were small edible conversations.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour (2 ½ cups): The foundation of a tender crumb; measure by spooning and leveling, not packing, or your cookies will turn tough.
• Baking soda and cream of tartar (½ tsp each): Together they create the perfect lift and tender structure without any weird aftertaste that comes from using too much baking soda alone.
• Salt (½ tsp): A tiny amount brings out the strawberry flavor in a way that feels impossible until you taste it.
• Unsalted butter and neutral oil (½ cup each): The combination gives you that melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes these different from regular sugar cookies; the oil keeps them impossibly soft while the butter adds flavor.
• Granulated sugar (1 cup): Standard white sugar, because you want the cookies themselves to be subtle so the strawberry can shine.
• Freeze-dried strawberries, finely crushed (⅓ cup): This is non-negotiable if you want genuine strawberry taste; fresh ones will make your dough too wet and ruin the texture, but these deliver concentrated berry flavor with no moisture.
• Egg and vanilla extract (1 large egg, 2 tsp): The egg brings everything together and adds richness; real vanilla is worth it here because the strawberry will play off its warmth.
• Milk (2 tbsp): Adjusts the dough consistency; add it gradually or you might end up with something too loose.
• Powdered sugar (1 ½ cups): For the icing, and it needs to be sifted if it's been sitting in your pantry for months or you'll have little lumps.
• Strawberry powder (2 tbsp): You'll crush extra freeze-dried strawberries for this, and it gives the icing that gorgeous natural pink color without food coloring.
• Melted butter and vanilla for icing (1 tbsp butter, ½ tsp vanilla): These prevent the icing from tasting chalky and add a subtle richness that makes it taste less like you slapped frosting on a cookie.

Instructions

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Get your oven ready and prep your workspace:

Preheat to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper so your cookies don't stick and you can easily slide them onto cooling racks. This is the moment to make sure your electric mixer or whisks are within reach because once you start mixing, you'll want to keep moving.

Build your dry mixture:

Whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium bowl, making sure everything is evenly distributed. Set it aside and let it sit while you work on the wet ingredients; this takes just two minutes but it matters.

Cream butter, oil, and sugar until light:

In a large bowl, beat them together for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy, which means air is getting incorporated and your cookies will be tender instead of dense. You'll know it's ready when it looks lighter than when you started and feels a little less greasy.

Fold in the strawberry flavor and wet ingredients:

Add your crushed freeze-dried strawberries, egg, and vanilla, mixing until everything is combined and you can see little pink flecks throughout. The dough should smell like summer at this point.

Gently bring the dough together:

Add your flour mixture to the wet ingredients alternately with the milk, starting and ending with flour, and mix until just combined. Overmixing here is the enemy; you want a soft dough that barely holds together, not something that feels tough in your hands.

Portion and bake:

Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart, then gently press each ball to flatten it slightly. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until the edges are just set but the centers still look a little underdone, which is when they're at their softest.

Cool with patience:

Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes so they firm up enough to move, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing. This is the hard part because they smell incredible, but icing warm cookies will turn your glaze into soup.

Make the icing:

Whisk powdered sugar, strawberry powder, melted butter, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk together until smooth and glossy. If it's too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time; if it's too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.

Finish and serve:

Spoon or drizzle the icing over each completely cooled cookie, letting it pool slightly on top, and let everything set for at least 30 minutes before serving. The icing should be thick enough to stay put but thin enough to spread easily.

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My sister told me weeks later that her guests had asked for these cookies multiple times and wanted to order them for an event. There's something special about creating something small that makes people happy in such an immediate way, and I found myself making these cookies again for a friend's birthday, then for a summer potluck, until they became the thing I reach for when I want to bring something that feels personal without being complicated.

Why Freeze-Dried Strawberries Are Worth It

When I first learned about freeze-dried fruit, I thought it was just a trendy ingredient until I actually understood what it does. Fresh strawberries are beautiful but they're mostly water, which means throwing them into your cookie dough would turn everything into a greasy mess. Freeze-dried berries have all the flavor and none of the moisture, so you get the taste of picking berries in summer without any of the texture problems that come with actual fruit. It's one of those kitchen discoveries that feels like cheating once you understand it.

The Secret to Soft Cookies That Stay Soft

Most sugar cookies are either cakey or crispy, and finding that middle ground where they're genuinely soft takes a combination of things working together. The mix of butter and oil is the real trick here; butter gives you flavor and structure while oil keeps everything impossibly tender. Baking soda and cream of tartar instead of just one or the other means you get a gentle lift without that slightly soapy taste baking soda alone can leave, and the milk in the dough adds just enough moisture to keep these cookies soft for days. It sounds complicated but it's really just understanding that every ingredient is there for a reason.

Storing and Enjoying Your Cookies

These cookies stay soft for up to four days if you keep them in an airtight container, and I've learned that putting a piece of bread in there with them helps them stay even softer by keeping the moisture balanced. They're beautiful on their own but they shine even more with a cup of tea or a glass of cold milk, and they pair unexpectedly well with sparkling lemonade on a warm afternoon.

• Store in an airtight container at room temperature, and they'll stay soft and wonderful for days.
• If you're making these ahead, freeze the unbaked dough and bake fresh cookies whenever you need them, which takes all the stress out of having something special on hand.
• Don't skip the cooling step before icing or your glaze will melt into the warm cookie instead of sitting pretty on top.

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These cookies have become my answer to the question of what to bring when I want to show up for someone, and making them always feels a little less like following a recipe and a little more like sharing something I've learned. I hope they become that for you too.

Common Recipe Questions

→ What gives the cookies their strawberry flavor?

Freeze-dried strawberries are crushed and mixed into the dough, infusing a natural strawberry taste.

→ How do I achieve the soft texture in these cookies?

Using a combination of butter, oil, and careful baking time ensures a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

→ Can I substitute the freeze-dried strawberries with something else?

Yes, freeze-dried raspberries can be used for a tart twist without affecting the texture significantly.

→ How should I store these cookies to keep them fresh?

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days to maintain softness.

→ What is the best way to apply the pink icing?

Once cookies are cooled completely, spoon or drizzle the icing over each, allowing it to set before serving.