Strawberry shortcake cookies taste just like shortcakes in cookie form! They have fresh juicy strawberries and buttery shortcake crumbs throughout and give you the strawberry shortcake flavour without all the cake hassle. The perfect spring and summer treat!
Hello berry season! This is one of my favourite times of the year. We've finally got warm weather here in Toronto, which means berry season and baking is upon us!
These strawberry shortcake cookies are so easy to make! They have a vanilla dough base that comes together in one bowl with juicy strawberries and buttery shortcake crumbs throughout.
Before baking, more crumbs are sprinkled on top!
The hardest part about baking with berries is getting the perfect moisture ratios from berries to dough. That’s why I don’t recommend substituting anything in this recipe!
For more strawberry recipes, try Strawberry Cheesecake Bars, Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Brownies.
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Why this recipe works
- Fresh strawberries - No artificial flavours in this recipe! Juicy, fresh strawberries are sliced into squares and added into the dough.
- Shortcake crumbs - 6 simple ingredients make the shortcake crumbs that really bring these cookies to a buttery next level.
- Soft cookies - These cookies are on the soft side of baking, no thin crispy cookies in this recipe!
Ingredients Notes
Full recipe and measurements available in recipe card below
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter. This will be melted.
- White sugar – I love this one. Brings sweetness and texture to the brownies.
- Strawberries – Use fresh, firm strawberries! Frozen carry to much liquid. After washing, dry them completely and slice into small squares. I reserved a few on the side for the top too.
- Lemon juice - This helps maintain the red strawberry colour after baking.
- Oil - This is used for the shortcake crumbs. Make sure to use canola or vegetable. I tried using other oils while recipe testing and it did not work!
Step by step instructions
Here is how to make and bake these strawberry shortcake cookies. You will need one tray lined with parchment paper, a large mixing bowl, a spatula, a whisk, and a standard ice cream scoop.
Step 1: Make the shortcake crumbs. In a small bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and oil with a fork or your hands until crumbs form.
Spread the crumbs evenly onto a small lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the strawberry mixture. In a small bowl, mix the diced strawberries and lemon juice together. Set aside.
Step 3: Cream the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, cream both sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla and continue whisking.
Step 4: Add in dry ingredients. Toss in the dry ingredients and gently fold until no flour streaks appear.
Step 5: Add in strawberries and shortcake crumbs. Fold in the shortbread crumbs and strawberries until just combined. Don't over-mix this or else your berries will fall apart.
Tip: Drain any extra liquid from the strawberries before adding into the bowl.
Step 6: Scoop and chill. Scoop 8 large cookies and top with extra shortcake crumbs and place in the freezer to chill for 2 hours.
Step 7: Bake! Once chilled, bake the cookies for 10-17 minutes (mine took 17 minutes). The cookies will look crisp on the edge when they're ready. If the middle looks raw, continue baking for 2 minute intervals until ready.
Expert Baking Tips
Here are a few baking tips from my kitchen to yours
- Use a gram scale for the most accurate measurements.
- Don't over-mix the berries in the dough or else they'll get mushy!
- Use canola or vegetable oil.
- Cut the strawberries small to guarantee proper spreading of the cookies.
- Excess strawberry liquid must be drained prior to getting added into the dough.
FAQ
Can I use frozen strawberries?
No! These carry to much liquid. Make sure you use fresh strawberries that aren't mushy.
My cookies turned out raw/way to soft?
This means they are most likely underbaked. If the outside is crisp but the middle is raw, there is to much liquid in the dough. This is either an inaccurate measurement of the dry ingredients (that's why a scale is important), or there is extra strawberry juice.
What do these cookies taste like?
They taste like strawberry short cake in cookie form! Buttery and sweet strawberry goodness.
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Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
Ingredients
Shortcake crumbs
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
Strawberry Cookie Dough
- 3/4 cups butter softened
- 3/4 cups brown sugar
- 1/4 cups white sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temerature
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup diced strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C.
- In a small bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and oil with a fork or your hands until crumbs form. Spread the crumbs evenly onto a small lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Set aside.1/4 cup white sugar, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 5 tbsp all-purpose flour, 4 tbsp canola or vegetable oil, 1 tsp vanilla
- In a small bowl, toss the strawberries and lemon juice together. Set aside.2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 cup diced strawberries
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy. Use a spatula or electric mixer.3/4 cups butter, 3/4 cups brown sugar, 1/4 cups white sugar
- Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Continue whisking for 2 minutes until paler in colour.1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp vanilla
- Toss in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. A soft dough will form. Mix just until no flour streaks appear.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt
- Add in diced strawberries and 1/2 cup of the shortcake crumbs and mix in.1/2 cup diced strawberries
- Scoop the dough with a cookie scoop onto a prepared baking sheet. Press more shortcake crumbs onto the tops of each dough ball.
- Chill the cookie dough balls in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
- Once the cookies are chilled, preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃.
- Place the cookie dough balls on a baking tray. Bake the cookies 6 or 8 at a time for 11-17 minutes. It took me 17 minutes. The cookies will be extremely soft in the middle, but you'll know it's ready when the edges are crisp.
- After baking, you can press extra strawberries and shortcake crumbs if desired.
- Let the cookies sit on the baking tray for 10 minutes before transferring them onto a tray to completely set. Enjoy!
Mariam says
Cannot wait to try them.. Do you have the measurements by grams by any chance? Much more accurate for measuring using a scale as you recommend.
Ania says
Hi Mariam! The metric button is in the recipe card, you can click it and it will convert the measurements to grams! Enjoy the cookies 🙂
Ginger says
How much baking powder for the crumb mixture, it doesn't say.
Ania says
Hi! 1/2 tsp of baking powder 🙂
Faith says
Are we sure about the 4TBSP of oil? I couldn't get my 'crumble' to form crumbs at all, it was like working with paste. I used veg oil and measured ingredients correctly.
Ania says
Hi Faith, I'm sorry to hear this! I did indeed use 4 tbsp of canola oil. Clumping like a paste for a streusel would indicate to much flour. Did you use a gram scale to measure the ingredients? This will give you the most accurate results!
Angie says
I cannot wait to try this. Can the shortbread recipe be used as a base for other recipes that call for shortbread? It looks delicious!! I LOVE that you included the portion sizes under the instructions.Thank you, that was VERY thoughtful and wish others would do the same!! I will post after I make these. Sincerely, Angie
Ania says
Hi Angie! I wouldn't try to use the shortbread recipe as a shortbread base for other recipes, but if it's being used as a sprinkle like it is for this one than absolutely that can work! Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it! Let me know how it goes and enjoy the cookies. 🙂