Strawberry Shortbread Cookie Recipe for Tender, Buttery Cookies

These melt-in-your-mouth Strawberry Shortbread Cookies are buttery, tender, and full of bright strawberry flavor. A simple powdered sugar glaze and a sprinkle of freeze-dried strawberry bits finish them beautifully, making them an easy crowd-pleasing treat for spring gatherings.

I adapted this recipe from my Lemon Shortbread Cookies and Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies to showcase freeze-dried strawberries. The strawberries are pulsed into a powder and folded into a buttery shortbread dough for concentrated flavor without extra moisture.

These cookies require just eight ingredients, no eggs, and come together quickly. They’re perfect when you want a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that still delivers a bright strawberry punch.

Ingredients

Key ingredients used in this recipe:

• Freeze-dried strawberries. These provide concentrated strawberry flavor without adding moisture. Process them in a food processor into a powder; a few small bits remaining is fine. I recommend having an extra package for topping.
• Powdered sugar. Used in the dough for a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture and combined with milk to make the glaze.
• Whole milk. Used to thin the glaze; lemon juice may be substituted in the glaze to cut sweetness.

See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.

Substitutions

Easy one-to-one swaps you can use:

• Powdered sugar in dough. You can replace the 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1/2 cup granulated sugar, or 1/4 cup granulated plus 1/4 cup light brown sugar.
• Whole milk in glaze. Swap with fresh or bottled lemon juice to balance sweetness and brighten the flavor. You can also add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the dough if desired.

Note: the recipe has not been tested with other flour or major ingredient substitutions.

How to Make the Recipe

Overview of the method — full, printable instructions follow in the recipe card below.

Quick Tip: Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

Step 1. Process the freeze-dried strawberries. Pulse them in a food processor until mostly a fine powder. Small pieces are fine; set aside.

Step 2. Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and whisk until evenly blended; set aside.

Step 3. Cream butter and powdered sugar. Beat unsalted butter and powdered sugar on low, then increase to medium-high until the mixture is thick and creamy. Add vanilla and the strawberry powder and mix until combined.

Step 4. Combine dry and wet ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined.

Step 5. Roll and chill the dough. Shape the dough into a disc, sandwich between sheets of wax paper, and roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Place the slab (still between the wax paper) on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes or until firm. Cut into shapes with your preferred cookie cutter.

Step 6. Bake and glaze. Preheat the oven to 300ºF and bake the cookies for 15–18 minutes, depending on thickness. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack. Whisk powdered sugar with whole milk to make a glaze, dip the tops of cooled cookies, and immediately sprinkle with crushed freeze-dried strawberry bits. Let the glaze set before storing.

Quick Tip: Place paper towels or parchment under the cooling rack to catch any glaze drips.

Variations

If you prefer not to roll and cut shapes, you can scoop the dough with a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, roll into balls, place on a baking sheet, and gently press to flatten before baking. This shortcut yields the same flavor with less assembly.

Recipe FAQs