Strawberries and Cream Cookies

These strawberries and cream cookies are filled with tons of strawberry flavor, white chocolate chips, and graham cracker pieces. The strawberry flavor comes in 3 ways: freeze dried, extract, and gelatin mix. These cookies are bright, chewy, and delicious.

Overview

• Skill Level: Beginner

Lately I’ve really gotten into adding freeze dried fruit to my cookie recipes! If you haven’t tried it, now is the time. When added to cookie dough and baked, freeze dried strawberries turn chewy kind of like a raisin. That makes these the perfect component to my strawberries and cream cookies.

To drive home the point of these cookies, I’ve also added strawberry extract and strawberry gelatin mix to the dough. These extra punches of flavor make sure there is no missing out on strawberry flavor.

And finally, I’ve added white chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces. White chocolate chips are essential for the creamy element and graham cracker pieces add a crunch to these chewy cookies.

What I love about these strawberries and cream cookies

• 3 times the strawberry flavor! Strawberry components include: freeze dried, extract, and gelatin mix.
• The texture of these cookies can’t be beat. They are chewy, creamy, and crunchy.
• These cookies are bright and summery! Get the feel of summer any time of year since these cookies don’t rely on fresh strawberries.

Ingredient functions

Dry Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour: Flour provides the main structure for the cookies and helps them hold their shape. All-purpose flour is recommended for best results.

Powdered Strawberry Gelatin Mix: This may be an unusual ingredient in cookies but I’ve had success using it to flavor cookies without adding additional moisture.

Baking Powder: Baking powder is used as the chemical leavener in these strawberry cookies. This recipe only calls for a small amount because these cookies are more chewy than they are fluffy.

Salt: Salt rounds out the flavors and offsets the sweetness. Salt is an extremely important ingredient in baked goods.

Wet Ingredients

Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my recipes so that I can control the amount of salt in my baked goods. If you only have salted butter on hand you can still use it. Either reduce or omit the extra salt in the recipe.

No need to soften the butter at room temperature before you start baking. This recipe calls for melted butter so you can melt it in the microwave or on the stovetop directly from the refrigerator.

Sugars: This recipe calls for both brown sugar and granulated sugar. Brown sugar creates a chewy cookie and also adds depth of flavor. The reason I’m also calling for granulated sugar is so the cookies aren’t too chewy like an oatmeal raisin cookie. The combination of the two sugars create the perfect texture for these cookies.

You can use light or dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will add even more chew and flavor. 

Eggs: Eggs help to leaven the cookies and binds the ingredients together. The combination of one whole egg plus an additional egg yolk creates the perfect texture for these delicious cookies.

Strawberry and Lemon Extract: Both of these extracts are used for flavor. Strawberry extract, of course, is to really drive home the flavor of these strawberry cookies. Lemon extract can be omitted if desired but pairs perfectly with strawberry flavor.

Solid Mix-Ins

Freeze Dried Strawberries: The reason I chose to use freeze dried strawberries in this recipe instead of fresh strawberries is pretty simple. Fresh strawberries, while delicious, would add too much moisture to the cookies making them wet and prone to spread too much in the oven.

If you haven’t tried baking with freeze dried fruit, give it a try! When added to a dough and baked, the strawberry pieces turn chewy like the texture of a raisin. Freeze dried berries are perfect for adding flavor and texture to these cookies.

White Chocolate Chips: White chocolate chips or chunks are the “cream” in these strawberries and cream cookies.

If you’re not big on white chocolate, trust me I understand, either leave them out or swap them for milk or dark chocolate chips. I have leftover lemon baking chips from my Triple Lemon Cookies and they would also be delicious in this recipe.

Graham Crackers: This ingredient is entirely optional but I love the crunch it adds to the cookies. The broken pieces aren’t mixed into the dough but pressed on top of the cookie dough mound. They add texture and are a fun addition to these strawberries and cream cookies.

For a twist, try this recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies!

How to make strawberries and cream cookies

These strawberries and cream cookies are simple to make. Instead of room temperature butter, which is what is called for in the creaming mixing method for cookies, I am using melted butter. By using melted butter, we don’t have to cream together the butter and sugars. They are simply stirred together to combine.

There are a few steps to complete in making these delicious cookies. Let’s get started!

Combine the Butter and Sugars

For the sugar in this recipe, I am using a combination of both granulated white sugar and brown sugar. You can choose between dark or light brown sugar, but my preference is always dark brown sugar for added molasses flavor.

Combine the melted butter and both sugars in a bowl. The butter does not need to be fully cooled or solidified, it can still be warm. I like to use a stand mixer but since we aren’t creaming them together it’s not essential. You can also use a hand mixer or a large wooden spoon.

Add the Wet Ingredients

Once the butter and sugars are mixed together, add the eggs, lemon extract, and strawberry extract.

These cookies can be made without the lemon extract but I highly recommend it. Strawberry and lemon flavor goes hand in hand.

Add the Dry Ingredients

Mix in the powdered strawberry gelatin, baking powder, and salt. Scrape down the bowl and add the flour and mix again just until absorbed. This should only take 15-20 seconds. Do not over-mix at this point or you will have dense cookies.

Add the mix-ins

Add the freeze dried strawberry pieces and white chocolate chips into the dough and gently mix together using a rubber spatula or large spoon. It’s ok if some of the strawberry pieces get crushed.

Chill the dough

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. This is a great way to prepare your cookies ahead of time.

Either place the entire bowl covered in plastic wrap or remove the dough from the bowl, press into a disc, and wrap in plastic wrap if chilling longer than 30 minutes.

Scoop and bake

I like to use a medium cookie scoop that is 2-3 tablespoons in size but you can make them any size. You may need to adjust the baking time depending on how large or small you scoop the dough.

If you do not have a scoop you can use a measuring cup and slightly flatten out the bottom of the cookie, keeping the top rounded, and place them on the cookie sheets.

Only place 8 cookies per sheet pan. Too many cookies will not allow them to bake evenly and will cause the cookies to spread out more when they are baking.

Optional: Press additional white chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces into the cookie dough mounds if desired. This will give you additional texture and flavor.

Do not add additional pieces of freeze dried strawberries on top or they will burn in the oven.

Bake one sheet pan at a time until the edges are set and the centers look slightly under baked. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pans before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

At this point, I like to press additional pieces of freeze dried strawberries into the warm cookies. This is an optional step just for looks and to really drive home the strawberry flavor.

Storage

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Make-Ahead Cookies

How to freeze cookie dough:

After scooping the cookie dough, place dough mounds close together on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze until solid (overnight or at least 8 hours). Move the cookie dough balls into a plastic zipper bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen on 300°F/149°C for about 20-22 minutes. No need to thaw.

Alternatively, you can pour the entire amount of cookie dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and press into a disc. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Move the frozen disc into the refrigerator to thaw until it’s soft enough to scoop (2-3 hours). Scoop into dough balls and bake as directed.

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you loved this recipe, you might like to try these other delicious cookie recipes!

• Triple Lemon Cookies
• Funfetti Cookies
• Banoffee Pie Cookies