These soft, pillowy Frosted Strawberry Cookies are packed with real freeze-dried strawberries and topped with the creamiest strawberry cream cheese frosting you've ever tasted. They're naturally pink, bursting with bold strawberry flavor, and honestly taste like something you'd find in a fancy bakery window. I first made these for my daughter Emily's spring birthday party, and they disappeared so fast I barely got one for myself.
If you love fruity desserts, you'll also want to try my Blueberry Cream Cupcakes or this stunning Fresh Fruit Tart. And for more cookie inspiration, check out these Flourless Monster Cookies.
Why You'll Love These Frosted Strawberry Cookies
These Frosted Strawberry Cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with real strawberry flavor. The freeze-dried strawberries give them that gorgeous pink color without any artificial dyes, and the cream cheese frosting adds a tangy sweetness that balances everything perfectly. They're easy enough for a weeknight treat but fancy enough to bring to a party or package up as gifts. Plus, they stay soft for days when stored properly.
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Frosted Strawberry Cookies Ingredients
Here's everything for the Frosted Strawberry Cookies and that luscious frosting.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
For the Cookies:
- Unsalted butter: Softened butter creates the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Make sure it's at room temperature so it creams properly with the cream cheese.
- Cream cheese: Adds richness and keeps these cookies incredibly soft. Use full-fat block cream cheese, not the spreadable kind.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps with that slightly crispy edge. You'll also use some for rolling.
- Egg: Binds everything together and adds moisture.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the strawberry flavor without overpowering it.
- All-purpose flour: Forms the structure of the cookies and keeps them soft and chewy.
- Baking soda: Gives the cookies a little lift and helps them spread just right.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and makes the strawberry flavor pop.
- Freeze-dried strawberries: This is where all that gorgeous pink color and intense strawberry flavor comes from. You'll grind half into powder and fold the rest into the dough for texture.
For the Frosting:
- Freeze-dried strawberries: Ground into powder for vibrant color and flavor.
- Cream cheese: Gives the frosting that tangy richness.
- Butter: Makes it smooth and creamy.
- Confectioners' sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth.
- Salt: Just a pinch to balance everything.
- Fresh strawberries: For garnish and a pop of color.
How to Make Frosted Strawberry Cookies
These Frosted Strawberry Cookies come together easily, but they do need chilling time.
Prepare the strawberry powder: Using a food processor or blender, process 1 cup of the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. It should look almost like pink flour. Set it aside and save the other cup for later.
Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar on medium-high for about 3 minutes until it's light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl once or twice. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat on medium-high for another minute until everything's smooth and combined. Add the strawberry powder, flour, baking soda, and salt.
Beat on low at first to avoid a flour cloud, then increase to medium-high until fully mixed. Gently fold in the remaining freeze-dried strawberries. The dough will be thick and sticky. Cover the bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days if you want to prep ahead.
Bake the cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll each one into a ball. Roll each ball in granulated sugar until coated, then place them on the baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake for 13 to 14 minutes until the edges look set but the centers still seem a little soft. They'll firm up as they cool. Let them sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.
Prepare the frosting: Process the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high for about 2 minutes until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, strawberry powder, and vanilla extract. Beat on low for 30 seconds to keep the sugar from flying everywhere, then turn it up to high and beat for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Taste it and add a pinch of salt if it's too sweet.
Frost and serve: Once the cookies are completely cool, spread or pipe the frosting on top. Garnish with thin slices of fresh strawberries right before serving.
Storage Tips
Store Frosted Strawberry Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The frosting can be stored separately in the fridge for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months. If you freeze it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and give it a quick whip before using.
Smart Substitutions
No freeze-dried strawberries? You really need them for this recipe. Fresh or frozen strawberries have too much moisture and won't give you the same flavor or color.
Cream cheese: If you're in a pinch, you can use all butter in the cookies, but they won't be quite as soft.
Granulated sugar for rolling: You can use coarse sugar for a little sparkle.
Equipment For Frosted Strawberry Cookies
A food processor or blender makes grinding the strawberries easy. A handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment will give you the best results for creaming. You'll also need baking sheets, parchment paper or silicone mats, a medium cookie scoop for portioning, a cooling rack, and a small offset spatula for frosting.
Serving Suggestions
These Frosted Strawberry Cookies are perfect on their own, but they're also wonderful with a glass of cold milk or a cup of hot tea. Serve them at baby showers, bridal showers, Valentine's Day parties, or spring gatherings. They also make gorgeous gifts when stacked in a clear box tied with a ribbon. For a fun dessert board, pair them with my Cranberry Curd Tart and Butterscotch Pie.
Expert Tips
Chill the dough. Don't skip this step. Chilled dough spreads less and bakes up thicker and softer.
Use room temperature ingredients. Cold butter and cream cheese won't cream properly, and your cookies will have a denser texture.
Don't overbake. The centers should look slightly underdone when you pull them out. They'll continue cooking on the hot pan.
Grind the strawberries finely. Big chunks in the frosting can make it grainy.
Frost when completely cool. Warm Frosted Strawberry Cookies will melt the frosting and make a mess.
FAQ
How do you make soft strawberry cookies with cream cheese frosting?
Start by creaming butter, cream cheese, and sugar until fluffy. Mix in freeze-dried strawberry powder and fold in whole freeze-dried strawberries. Chill the dough, bake until the edges are set, and frost with a simple cream cheese frosting made with more strawberry powder. The cream cheese in both the cookies and frosting keeps everything soft and rich.
Can I use fresh strawberries instead of freeze-dried for cookies?
Fresh strawberries won't work in this recipe. They have too much moisture and will make the cookies soggy and pale. Freeze-dried strawberries are concentrated, which gives you intense flavor and that beautiful pink color. You can find them in the dried fruit section of most grocery stores.
How long can frosted strawberry cookies be stored?
You can keep them at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 1 week in an airtight container. If you want to store them longer, freeze the unfrosted Frosted Strawberry Cookies for up to 3 months and frost them after thawing.
Why are my strawberry cookies not pink?
You probably didn't use enough freeze-dried strawberries or didn't grind them into a fine enough powder. Make sure you're using the full amount called for in the recipe and processing them until they're almost like flour. Also, check the expiration date on your freeze-dried strawberries-older ones lose color and flavor.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Frosted Strawberry Cookies
Frosted Strawberry Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Process half of the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until finely powdered.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, then beat until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Mix in the strawberry powder, flour, baking soda, and salt on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high until smooth.
- Fold in the remaining whole freeze-dried strawberries until evenly distributed.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Scoop 1.5 tablespoon (35 g) of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Roll each in granulated sugar and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 13-14 minutes, until edges are set but centers remain soft.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, process freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add confectioners' sugar, strawberry powder, and vanilla extract, beating on low 30 seconds, then high for 2 minutes. Adjust with a pinch of salt if needed.
- Spread or pipe frosting on cooled cookies and garnish with fresh strawberry slices if desired.
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