Cookies
Strawberry Sugar Cookies
Soft strawberry sugar cookies made with a concentrated fresh strawberry reduction, a crisp sugar coating, and lightly golden edges.
By PedroPublished August 8, 2026 · Updated September 14, 2026i
Estimated total time. This covers the full recipe from start to finish, including preparation and any resting, chilling, baking, or cooling. Some of that time is hands-off.
The strawberry flavor is what matters to me in these cookies, not just the pink color. Fresh berries go into a reduction before they reach the dough, so you get the fruit throughout the cookie rather than only in a few pieces. It’s a little more work at the start, but it gives this batch something different from a plain sugar cookie.
That light sugar crust gives you a little contrast with the soft center. The cookies have a gentle pink color and a crackled surface, with no icing to cover either one. I’d make these when strawberries sound more appealing than chocolate, and leave time for the reduction to cool before starting the dough.
Ingredients for Strawberry Sugar Cookies
I use fresh strawberries for the fruit reduction and softened vegan butter for the cookie base. The granulated sugar is divided: 140 g belongs in the dough and the remaining 40 g is kept separate for the outside coating.
- 280 g fresh strawberries
- 140 g granulated sugar
- 117 g vegan buttersoftened to room temperature
- 5 g vanilla extract
- 205 g all-purpose flour
- 4 g baking powder
- 40 g granulated sugarfor coating
From my kitchen
Watch me make Strawberry Sugar Cookies
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How to Make Strawberry Sugar Cookies
This makes 15 to 16 cookies. Use portions of about 25 to 30 g and leave 5 cm between them.
Blend the strawberries
Wash and hull the strawberries, then blend them until completely smooth.
Cook and cool the strawberry reduction
Pour the purée into a small saucepan and cook it over medium heat, stirring frequently, until most of the moisture has evaporated and it is thick and concentrated. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl and let it cool completely.
Prepare the oven and cream the butter
Heat the oven to 180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat the softened vegan butter and 140 g granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy.
Add the strawberry reduction
Mix about 60 g of the cooled strawberry reduction and the vanilla extract into the butter mixture until fully combined.
Mix the dough
Add the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Mix only until no dry streaks remain. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but still easy to handle. If it feels too soft, cover the bowl and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.
Shape and coat the cookies
Scoop portions of dough weighing about 25 to 30 g and roll them into balls. Coat each ball evenly in the remaining 40 g granulated sugar.
Arrange the tray
Arrange the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 5 cm between them. For flatter, softer cookies, gently press each ball down slightly before baking.
Bake and cool
Bake one tray at a time for about 13 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden while the centers still look slightly soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips that make a difference
- Cook the strawberry purée until it is thick and concentrated. Excess moisture makes the dough too soft.
- Let the reduction cool completely before adding it to the creamed butter, sugar, and vanilla.
- If the finished dough feels too soft to shape, cover it and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.
- Keep 5 cm between the dough balls so the cookies have room to spread.
The strawberry reduction takes a little patience, but I like having the fruit in the cookie itself. Once they've cooled enough to hold together, you get that thin sugar crust with a soft pink middle underneath.
The Strawberry Center Inside
I let the cookies cool until the sugar coating feels set, then open one to check the middle. The center should stay soft and pink, with the fruit visible beneath the fine crackled crust.
Save this recipe
Strawberry Sugar Cookies
Soft strawberry sugar cookies made with a concentrated fresh strawberry reduction, a crisp sugar coating, and lightly golden edges.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Blend the strawberries
Wash and hull the strawberries, then blend them until completely smooth.
- 2Cook and cool the strawberry reduction
Pour the purée into a small saucepan and cook it over medium heat, stirring frequently, until most of the moisture has evaporated and it is thick and concentrated. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl and let it cool completely.
- 3Prepare the oven and cream the butter
Heat the oven to 180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat the softened vegan butter and 140 g granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy.
- 4Add the strawberry reduction
Mix about 60 g of the cooled strawberry reduction and the vanilla extract into the butter mixture until fully combined.
- 5Mix the dough
Add the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Mix only until no dry streaks remain. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but still easy to handle. If it feels too soft, cover the bowl and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.
- 6Shape and coat the cookies
Scoop portions of dough weighing about 25 to 30 g and roll them into balls. Coat each ball evenly in the remaining 40 g granulated sugar.
- 7Arrange the tray
Arrange the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 5 cm between them. For flatter, softer cookies, gently press each ball down slightly before baking.
- 8Bake and cool
Bake one tray at a time for about 13 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden while the centers still look slightly soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Questions you might have
Why do I need to reduce the strawberries first?
The purée is cooked down to remove most of its moisture. This keeps the dough from becoming too soft and gives the strawberry flavor a more concentrated result.
Do I need to chill the strawberry cookie dough?
Only chill it if it feels too soft to handle. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.
