Sparkling Strawberry Sugar Cookies Recipe

Craving a cookie that’s both soft and sparkling with springtime flavor? These Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Sparkling Strawberry Sugar are exactly what your sweet tooth needs! Each bite bursts with real strawberry goodness, a touch of nostalgic sugar cookie chew, and a glimmering finish that makes every moment feel like a celebration.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The magic of Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Sparkling Strawberry Sugar is that the ingredients are simple, but every one has a job to do—ensuring those dreamy, fruity flavors and that luscious, soft-in-the-center texture. Here’s how each item brings its own special something to the cookie party:

• Unsalted Butter: Softened butter gives the cookies richness and a melt-in-your-mouth crumb. Make sure it’s at room temperature for dreamy creaming!
• Large Eggs: Use them at room temperature for perfectly blended, pillowy-soft dough.
• All-purpose Flour: The foundation that provides just the right structure while keeping a little chewiness.
• Cornstarch: Don’t skip this—cornstarch keeps your cookies plush and extra tender.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: This dynamic duo creates a gentle rise and soft center.
• Cream of Tartar: Unexpected, but essential! It adds both tang and chew, like a classic bakery sugar cookie.
• Salt: A little salt makes every strawberry pop (in the best way) and balances the sweetness.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the dough—plus, it creams beautifully with the butter for a delicate crumb.
• Freeze-dried Strawberry Powder: This is the flavor bomb! It infuses the cookies (and the sparkling sugar) with bright, concentrated berry taste and the prettiest pink color.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: Adds warm, bakery-fresh notes that round out the fruitiness.
• Pure Strawberry Extract: Enhances the strawberry flavor for a burst of berry bliss in every bite.
• Red Gel Food Coloring: Just a touch brings that picture-perfect blush to your cookie dough—totally optional, but makes them extra lovely!
• Sparkling Sugar (white or red sanding sugar): For the iconic crunchy, sparkly finish that makes these cookies truly “wow.”

Variations

It’s almost impossible not to make Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Sparkling Strawberry Sugar your own! They’re super easy to customize, whether you want to experiment with flavors, colors, or dietary tweaks. Here are a few of my favorite spins for when you’re feeling creative:

• Chocolate-Dipped Edges: Once the cookies are baked and cooled, dip half in melted white chocolate and let them set on parchment for a pink-and-white treat that tastes like a chocolate-dipped strawberry.
• Citrus Zest Boost: Add a teaspoon of orange or lemon zest to the dough for a sunny, tangy twist that highlights the berry flavor.
• Gluten-Free Version: Substitute your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for all-purpose flour—just check the dough consistency and chill if it seems too soft.
• Berry Blend Sugar: Try adding a little freeze-dried raspberry or blueberry powder to the sparkling sugar for a mixed-berry sparkle that’s visually stunning and super flavorful.

How to Make Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Sparkling Strawberry Sugar

Step 1: Prepare the Strawberry Powder & Sparkling Sugar

Start by blitzing your freeze-dried strawberries in a spice grinder or blender until you’ve got a fine, rosy powder. You’ll use this not just in the dough, but also to create the sparkling strawberry sugar: simply stir together some powder with sanding sugar and set aside. Store any extra in a jar in a cool, dry spot—it’s delicious on everything from yogurt to pancakes!

Step 2: Cream Butter & Sugar

With your butter nicely softened, beat it together with granulated sugar in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) until the mixture looks pale, fluffy, and full of air. This step is key for those beautifully soft bakery-style cookies—so don’t skip the extra minute or two mixing!

Step 3: Add Eggs and Flavors

Crack in your eggs one at a time, and blend in well after each addition so the mixture stays light and silky. Pour in both the vanilla and strawberry extracts, and squeeze in a drop of red gel food coloring if you want cookies with an extra photographic pop—stir until everything looks evenly mixed and beautifully pink.

Step 4: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a second bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and strawberry powder. This careful blending ensures that rise, texture, and flavor are perfectly balanced in every single cookie. No dry pockets here!

Step 5: Combine and Chill Your Dough

Gradually mix your dry ingredients into the wet mixture, using the lowest mixer speed, and blend only until just combined. Over-mixing at this stage can make the cookies tough instead of tender—so mix just until you don’t see flour streaks. Chill your dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight for deeper flavor and easier handling.

Step 6: Shape and Roll in Sparkling Strawberry Sugar

Roll scoops of chilled dough into smooth balls with your hands, then lavishly coat them in that strawberry-sparkling sugar. The grainy, berry-flecked coating will bake up into a crisp, glimmering jacket that’s pure cookie magic!

Step 7: Bake to Perfection

Arrange your sugared cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart—these beauties like a little elbow room! Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and the tops are just set. Let them rest briefly on the sheet before transferring to a rack (this helps them finish setting up for that perfect, chewy texture).

How to Serve Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Sparkling Strawberry Sugar

Garnishes

For a playful dessert spread, nestle your cookies on a bed of sliced fresh strawberries or scatter a few edible rose petals for a romantic touch. Dust with a little extra strawberry powder for vibrant pink contrast, or drizzle a zigzag of white chocolate for bakery-style flair.

Side Dishes

Pair your Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Sparkling Strawberry Sugar with a tall glass of cold milk, a creamy latte, or a berry-infused iced tea. For dessert platters, they’re divine alongside fruit salad, lemon bars, or even a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Creative Ways to Present

Arrange these glimmering cookies in clear treat bags tied with pink ribbon for a sweet edible gift. Or, stack them on a cake stand with layers of fresh strawberries and mint, letting that sparkling sugar catch the light. For parties, tuck a single cookie into each guest’s teacup for a delightful afternoon tea touch!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Keep any leftover Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Sparkling Strawberry Sugar in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. They’ll stay soft and tender, with their sparkly coating still deliciously crisp—in fact, they’re even better the next day!

Freezing

You can freeze the baked cookies or the rolled (unbaked) dough balls coated in sparkling strawberry sugar. For best results, freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Baked cookies will keep for up to 2 months and taste fresh after thawing; frozen dough can be baked straight from the freezer—just add an extra minute to the bake time.

Reheating

If you love that just-baked scent and slightly warm center, microwave cookies for 8-10 seconds before serving. This brings the strawberry aroma to life and gives the sugar coating another little sparkle. For frozen cookies, let them thaw at room temperature before gently reheating.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

There’s nothing quite like sharing a plate of dazzling Strawberry Sugar Cookies with Sparkling Strawberry Sugar with people you care about. They’re sweet, sparkly, and guaranteed to bring smiles—so don’t wait for a special occasion! I hope you give these a try, and that they become a new favorite tradition in your kitchen, too.

Print