Soft and Chewy Strawberry Sugar Cookies

Strawberry picking season is in full swing, and these strawberry sugar cookies will put those fresh strawberries to great use. These sugar cookies harness the natural flavors and sweetness of strawberries while transforming the simple fruit into a yummy summertime snack.

Sugar cookies are a beloved dessert. They taste great, are easy to make and are very nostalgic. These strawberry sugar cookies put a fruity twist on an old classic.

What really sets these cookies apart is that they are made with homemade strawberry jam. I am a firm believer that homemade jam far surpasses store bought jam in both taste and texture. Unlike store bought jam which often tastes dull, my strawberry jam is packed with flavor while creating a balance between the strawberries’ sweet and tart notes.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are great in these cookies, but this recipe can also repurpose leftover strawberries that will go bad soon. Turning old strawberries into jam will help reduce waste without sacrificing flavor.

Lemon juice: The lemon juice in this recipe is used to balance out the sweetness of the strawberries and sugar in the jam. Adding the lemon juice is optional, so don’t sweat if you don’t have any.

Unsalted butter: This recipe calls for unsalted, softened butter. Allow butter to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. If you don’t want to wait around for your butter to soften, heat in microwave for 10-15 seconds. The butter is softened correctly when you can make a small indent in the butter with your finger. If you are able to squish the butter with your finger, it is too soft.

Brown Sugar: Sugar cookies do not usually call for brown sugar, but I always like to add brown sugar to enhance the chewy texture in my recipes. These Italian Rainbow Sugar Cookies that I recently made also use brown sugar to guarantee a chewy cookie.

All-purpose flour: This recipe calls for 2 cups of flour. It is important to know how to measure your flour out correctly. This will ensure your baked goods come out as expected.

Corn starch: The addition of cornstarch in this recipe makes for a chewy sugar cookie. Substitute cornstarch with an equal amount of potato starch or all-purpose flour.

Baking powder: The baking powder will help these cookies puff up slightly. This will help the centers be soft and moist while the edges are crisp and chewy.

Baking soda: Baking soda will cause these cookies to spread out. This will help the cookie achieve its chewy edges and texture.

Freeze dried strawberries: This recipe calls for finely crushed freeze dried strawberries. Freeze dried strawberries are strawberries that have all of their moisture removed. They are crispy and can be crushed in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Freeze dried strawberries should be available at most grocery stores, but if you do not have access to them, you can omit it from the recipe. The cookies will just be slightly less straweberry-y.

How to Make Strawberry Sugar Cookies?

1. Prepare strawberry jam. Continue to the next section for an in-depth description on how to make the jam (with pictures)!
2. Cream softened butter and sugars. Using an electric mixer cream the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This will take 3-4 minutes.
3. Mix in the egg and 4 tablespoons of the cooled strawberry jam you just made. At this point if you would like your cookies to have the pretty pink coloring you see in the photos, add about 3 drops of food coloring. Food coloring is completely optional.
4. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, corn starch, salt and crushed freeze dried strawberries. Mix until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated. Do not overmix the dough.
5. Scoop out the cookie dough into 1.5 tablespoon portions. Roll dough into balls.
6. Add remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of crushed freeze dried strawberries in a small bowl. Roll dough balls into sugar until completely covered. This step is not necessary but adds a nice texture to the cookies.
7. Place sugar-covered dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Leave 2 inches of space between each cookie. This will prevent the cookies from spreading into each other.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes. The edges should be set and just lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Strawberry Jam Step-by Step Instructions

Step 1: Combine sliced strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan.

Step 2: Stir ingredients on medium-low heat until strawberries are soft and sugar is dissolved (approximately 5-6 minutes).

Step 3: Mash strawberries until most lumps are gone. Stir on medium heat until thickened and bubbling (approximately 6-7 minutes).

Step 4: Using a fine mesh sieve, strain jam into a small bowl to remove strawberry seeds. You will be left with 4-5 tablespoons of smooth jam. Allow to cool before using in cookie recipe.

***This jam is not like store bought jam. It is closer to a thick syrup than a firm jam. This makes it easier to incorporate into the cookie dough.

How to Store Strawberry Sugar Cookies?

Room Temperature Instructions: Store strawberry sugar cookies in an airtight container and leave on the counter for up to one week.

Freezing Instructions: These cookies can also be frozen in an air tight container or Ziploc bag for 2-3 months in the freezer. Whenever you are craving a cookie, you can take one out of the freezer and allow it to defrost on the counter for about an hour. If you are in a rush, you can pop it in the microwave in 15 second intervals until the cookie reaches your desired temperature.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @the.little.baker.who.could on Instagram.