Strawberry Shortcake Cookies Recipe

I reworked classic strawberry shortcake into Shortcake Cookies that combine fresh strawberry chunks and a sweet glaze in an unexpected handheld form.

I can’t stop making these Strawberry Shortcake Cookies, theyre like a bite sized rewrite of the classic dessert but without the fork. I love how cold unsalted butter gives the cookies a flaky, biscuit-like crumb while big pieces of fresh strawberries burst sweet and bright in every bite.

If you need a Shortcake Cookies Recipe to impress without drama, this is it. They’re also a clever Uses For Fresh Strawberries when the berries are perfectly ripe and you want something different than a shortcake.

They’re simple, a little messy, and totally addictive, you might not want to share.

Ingredients

• Fresh strawberries add bright tangy sweetness and vitamin C, also got some fiber.
• Cold unsalted butter makes rich tender crumb, adds saturated fat and big flavor.
• All purpose flour gives structure, its mostly carbs and a little protein.
• Granulated sugar sweetens and browns, pure carbs, no fiber or protein sadly.
• Heavy cream adds richness, fat and moisture, helps make cookies tender too.
• Powdered sugar makes silky glaze, adds sweetness, can be thinned with milk.
• Vanilla gives warm aroma and depth, tiny amount goes a long way.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (about 150 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or lemon juice for the glaze
• 1 tablespoon turbinado or coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, and 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar.

3. Cut 1/2 cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed, into the dry mix until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces left. You can use a pastry cutter, two forks, or pulse a few times in a food processor. Don’t overwork it.

4. Toss 1 cup (about 150 g) roughly chopped fresh strawberries with a teaspoon of the flour mixture if you’re worried about bleeding, then gently fold them into the crumb mixture.

5. Stir together 2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then pour into the flour-butter-strawberry mix. Use a fork or rubber spatula to gently combine until you have a sticky, shaggy dough. It will be soft and slightly wet, that’s ok. Don’t overmix.

6. Drop heaping 2-tablespoon mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. For neater cookies you can chill the scooped dough on the tray for 10 minutes, but you don’t have to.

7. Brush the tops lightly with a little extra cream if you have some, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon turbinado or coarse sugar if you want extra crunch. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are golden and the tops look set.

8. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They’ll firm up as they cool.

9. Whisk 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Drizzle or spread the glaze over cooled cookies, let it set for a few minutes, then serve. Enjoy the little shortcake-in-cookie form, messy but totally worth it.

Equipment Needed

1. Baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat
2. Large mixing bowl
3. Whisk (for dry mix and the glaze) or a fork if you dont have one
4. Pastry cutter or two forks (or a small food processor to pulse the butter)
5. Measuring cups, spoons and a kitchen scale if you like to be precise
6. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon for folding the dough
7. Tablespoon or cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the sheet
8. Pastry brush to brush on the extra cream (optional but handy)
9. Wire cooling rack and a small bowl plus a fork for whisking the glaze

FAQ

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All-purpose flour (2 cups / 240 g): cake flour for a lighter, more tender cookie, use the same weight or make your own by swapping 2 tbsp of each cup with cornstarch; pastry flour for a softer crumb, use same volume; 1:1 gluten-free flour blend (240 g) plus 1/4 tsp xanthan gum if your blend doesn’t include it.
• Cold unsalted butter (1/2 cup / 113 g): solid coconut oil or chilled vegan butter for a dairy free version, use the same weight but expect a slight flavor change; chilled vegetable shortening for extra flakiness, same weight; salted butter if that’s all you got, just reduce the added salt by about 1/2 tsp.
• Heavy cream (2/3 cup / 160 ml): whole milk plus melted butter to mimic richness, try about 1/2 cup milk + 2 tbsp melted butter for this amount; sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt thinned with a little milk for tang and tenderness, use same total volume; buttermilk for a tangier, cakier cookie, but you might cut baking powder by 1/4 tsp if you want to avoid over-rise.
• Fresh strawberries (1 cup / ~150 g): frozen, thawed and well drained — toss with a little flour so they don’t bleed into the dough; raspberries or chopped peaches for a different but tasty fruit swap; finely chopped dried strawberries rehydrated briefly in warm water or use strawberry jam folded into the glaze for concentrated flavor.

Pro Tips

1) Keep the butter rock cold and work fast. Use a chilled bowl or pop the cubed butter back in the fridge for a few minutes if it starts to soften, you want pea sized bits so the cookies get flaky, not greasy.

2) Pat the strawberries dry and toss them lightly with a spoonful of flour just before folding in. That cuts down on bleeding and soggy spots, but dont overdo it or the berries will disappear into the dough.

3) If the dough feels too wet to shape, chill the whole bowl or scoop and chill the tray for 10 to 20 minutes. Chilled scoops hold their shape better in the oven and give a prettier top without changing texture much.

4) Wait until cookies are completely cool before glazing, and tweak glaze consistency with tiny amounts of liquid. Add lemon juice for brightness, and if the glaze looks too thin add more powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time.