These soft, pink-hued raspberry sugar cookies taste like spring captured in cookie form. The freeze-dried raspberries give them a natural rosy color and a gentle tartness that balances the sweetness perfectly. I first made these for Liam's school Valentine's party, and they disappeared so fast I barely got one for myself. If you love tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies with a fruity twist, you'll want to make these on repeat. They're surprisingly easy, and the cream cheese keeps them incredibly soft.
For more sweet treats, try my Easy 3-Ingredient Lemon Truffles Recipe or my Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Recipe | Easy & Chewy.
What Makes These Raspberry Sugar Cookies Special
Raspberry Sugar Cookies aren't your typical sugar cookies. The freeze-dried raspberries add natural flavor without making the dough wet or sticky, which means you get that bright, fruity taste and a gorgeous pink color without any fuss. The cream cheese in the dough makes these cookies softer and richer than regular sugar cookies, almost like a cross between a sugar cookie and a shortbread.
Jump to:
- What Makes These Raspberry Sugar Cookies Special
- Raspberry Sugar Cookies Ingredients
- How to Make Raspberry Sugar Cookies
- Substitutions and Variations
- Equipment For Raspberry Sugar Cookies
- Storage Tips For Raspberry Sugar Cookies
- Serving Suggestions
- Expert Tips
- Why You'll Love This Raspberry Sugar Cookies
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- Raspberry Sugar Cookies
Raspberry Sugar Cookies Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these tender, fruity Raspberry Sugar Cookies.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
For the Cookies:
- Freeze-dried raspberries: These get blended into a fine powder that colors and flavors the dough naturally. Look for them in the dried fruit aisle or order them online.
- All-purpose flour: Spooned and leveled gives you the right amount without packing it down. This creates the cookie's structure.
- Baking powder: Helps the cookies rise just a little and keeps them tender.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the raspberry flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Softened to room temperature so it creams smoothly with the cream cheese. This adds richness and helps the cookies spread just right.
- Full-fat brick cream cheese: Not the spreadable kind. Softened cream cheese makes these cookies incredibly soft and gives them a subtle tang.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps create a tender crumb.
- Large egg: Binds everything together and adds moisture. Room temperature blends in more easily.
- Pure vanilla extract: Adds warm, sweet flavor that complements the raspberries.
- Almond extract (optional): A little bit goes a long way and pairs beautifully with the fruit, but you can skip it if you don't have it.
For the Chocolate Topping (Optional):
- Semi-sweet and/or white chocolate: Coarsely chopped so it melts evenly. You can use all one kind or mix them for a marbled look.
- Extra freeze-dried raspberry powder: Sprinkle this on top of the melted chocolate for extra color and flavor.
How to Make Raspberry Sugar Cookies
Follow these steps to make soft, beautiful Raspberry Sugar Cookies from scratch.
Prepare raspberry powder: Use a blender or food processor to grind the freeze-dried raspberries into a fine powder. You should end up with about ½ cup. If you want extra for garnish, grind a few more berries and set the powder aside.
Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the raspberry powder, flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set this aside while you work on the wet ingredients.
Cream butter and cream cheese: In another large bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together with a handheld or stand mixer on medium-high speed. Keep mixing until the mixture looks completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add sugar and beat: Add the granulated sugar to the butter mixture and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. The mixture should look pale and airy.
Incorporate egg and extracts: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if you're using it. Beat on high speed until everything is well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl so nothing gets left behind.
Combine wet and dry ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix just until combined. The dough will be soft, creamy, and a beautiful pink color.
Roll the dough: Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface or a piece of parchment paper, roll each portion out to about ¼ inch thick. Try to keep the thickness even so the cookies bake at the same rate.
Chill the dough: Lightly dust one rolled-out portion with flour, then lay a piece of parchment paper on top. Stack the second portion of dough on top of that. Cover everything with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. This helps the dough firm up so it's easier to cut and keeps the cookies from spreading too much.
Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Once the dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Cut cookies: Remove the top piece of dough from the fridge. If it sticks to the parchment, gently peel it away. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the dough. Keep cutting and re-rolling the scraps until you've used all the dough.
Bake cookies: Place the cut cookies on your prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes, or until the edges look very lightly browned. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the baking sheet halfway through.
Cool the cookies: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up a bit, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before adding any chocolate topping.
Optional chocolate topping: Melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each one until smooth. Dip the tops of the cooled cookies in the chocolate or drizzle it over them with a spoon. Sprinkle extra raspberry powder on top while the chocolate is still wet if you'd like.
Set the chocolate: Let the chocolate harden by leaving the cookies at room temperature for about an hour, or speed things up by putting them in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.
Substitutions and Variations
- No freeze-dried raspberries? You can use freeze-dried strawberries instead for a similar effect, though the flavor will be a little different.
- Swap the cream cheese: If you don't have cream cheese, you can use an additional 4 ounces of softened butter, but the Raspberry Sugar Cookies won't be quite as tender.
- Skip the almond extract: It's optional anyway, so just leave it out if you don't like almond flavor or don't have it on hand.
- Use different chocolate: Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or even ruby chocolate all work beautifully here.
- Add sprinkles: Press colorful sprinkles into the dough before baking for a fun, festive look.
Equipment For Raspberry Sugar Cookies
- Blender or food processor (for the raspberry powder)
- Large mixing bowls
- Handheld or stand mixer
- Whisk
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Cookie cutters in your favorite shapes
- Baking sheets
- Cooling rack
- Double boiler or microwave-safe bowl (if making chocolate topping)
Storage Tips For Raspberry Sugar Cookies
Store these Raspberry Sugar Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you've added the chocolate topping and it's warm in your kitchen, you can keep them in the fridge so the chocolate doesn't get soft. They'll stay fresh for about a week that way.
You can also freeze the baked cookies (without chocolate) for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature, then add the chocolate topping if you want. The unbaked dough also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight before rolling and cutting.
Serving Suggestions
These Raspberry Sugar Cookies are wonderful on their own, but here are a few ways to serve them:
- With a cup of tea or coffee - The fruity flavor pairs perfectly with a warm drink on a cozy afternoon.
- As part of a cookie platter - Mix them with Oatmeal Lemon Crumble Bars and chocolate chip cookies for variety.
- With vanilla ice cream - Crumble a cookie over a scoop of ice cream for an easy dessert.
- For special occasions - Cut them into hearts for Valentine's Day, flowers for spring, or stars for celebrations.
Expert Tips
- Don't skip the chilling step. Cold dough is much easier to cut and holds its shape better while baking.
- Use parchment paper when rolling. It prevents sticking and makes it easier to transfer the dough to the fridge.
- Rotate your baking sheet. This helps the cookies bake evenly, especially if your oven has hot spots.
- Let them cool completely before decorating. Warm Raspberry Sugar Cookies will melt the chocolate, and it won't set properly.
- Save the scraps. Re-roll them gently and cut more Raspberry Sugar Cookies. You might need to chill the dough again if it gets too soft.
Why You'll Love This Raspberry Sugar Cookies
- Naturally pink and pretty - No food coloring needed, just real fruit flavor
- Soft and tender texture - Cream cheese makes them melt in your mouth
- Easy to make ahead - Dough chills beautifully for up to 2 days
- Fun for kids - Perfect for cookie cutters and decorating
- Tastes like a fancy bakery cookie - But comes together in your own kitchen
FAQ
Do Raspberry Sugar Cookies need to be refrigerated?
Not if you're eating them within a few days. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If your kitchen is really warm or you've added chocolate, the fridge will keep everything fresh and prevent melting. My mom always says Raspberry Sugar Cookies taste better at room temp, so just take them out about 30 minutes before serving if you've kept them cold.
How long does a homemade sugar cookie last?
Homemade Raspberry Sugar Cookies stay fresh for about 5 to 7 days when stored properly in an airtight container at room temperature. If you freeze them, they'll last up to 3 months. I like to bake a batch and freeze half so we always have cookies ready when friends stop by.
How long should you let cookies sit after baking?
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes first. This helps them firm up so they don't break when you move them. Then transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely, usually another 15 to 20 minutes, before decorating or storing. Liam learned this the hard way when he tried to eat one right out of the oven and burned his tongue.
What flavors pair well with raspberry?
Raspberry loves chocolate (obviously), but it also pairs beautifully with lemon, vanilla, almond, white chocolate, and even a hint of mint. You could also try a cream cheese frosting if you want to skip the chocolate and go in a different direction. Jackeline once suggested adding a little orange zest, and I bet that would be amazing too.
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Pairing
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Raspberry Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Grind the freeze-dried raspberries into a powder using a blender or food processor.
- Whisk together the raspberry powder, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Beat the softened butter and cream cheese together in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using), then beat on high speed until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low until fully combined. The dough will be soft and creamy.
- Divide the dough into two portions. Roll each on parchment paper to about ¼ inch thickness, dusting with flour as needed.
- Lightly dust one rolled dough portion with flour, then place parchment paper on top. Stack the second rolled dough portion on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and use a cookie cutter to shape the cookies. Arrange them on the baking sheets, spaced 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
- To decorate, melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler or microwave, stirring every 20 seconds. Once melted, dip the cookies or drizzle the chocolate over them. Let the chocolate set before serving.
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