Description
Delight in these vibrant vegan Strawberry Sugar Cookies, featuring a luscious strawberry puree for natural fruity flavor and a soft, chewy texture. Perfectly pink and coated in sugar for a sweet crunch, these cookies are an irresistible treat that celebrate fresh strawberries in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Strawberry Cookies
- 3 cups (360g) strawberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (150g) vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/4-1 teaspoon pink or red food coloring, as needed
- 2 ¼ cups (280g) all-purpose plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)
Sugar Coating (optional)
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Make the strawberry reduction: Blend or puree the strawberries using a stick blender or food processor until you have about 1 1/2 cups of puree. Alternatively, use whole strawberries with a splash of water. Pour into a large pot or saucepan over medium heat, cooking while stirring occasionally (or on high heat stirring constantly) for 15-30 minutes until thick and reduced to 120g, with a texture like tomato paste. Let it cool completely.
- Prepare the cookie dough: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and vegan butter until well combined. Add the cooled strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and food coloring; beat until fully incorporated. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined. The dough should be soft and tacky but not overly sticky. If too sticky, refrigerate covered for 10-20 minutes.
- Shape the cookies: Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, portion out about 20 balls of dough (approximately 2 tablespoons or 38g each). Roll each ball in the 1/4 cup granulated sugar until coated evenly, then place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. For thinner, chewier cookies, gently flatten the dough balls before baking.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until the edges look cooked. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Storage and serving: Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the fridge for up to 10 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Weighing strawberries and flour yields the best results as the volume of strawberries can vary greatly, affecting dough consistency and cookie spreading.
- For a medium-pink color, 3/4 teaspoon of liquid pink food coloring or a heaped 1/4 teaspoon of pink gel food coloring is recommended. Red food coloring is stronger, so use less. The color fades during baking. Beetroot powder may be used but may dull flavor and color adherence.
- To achieve chewier cookies with enhanced strawberry flavor, reduce flour to 2 cups (250g). The dough will be stickier and cookies will crack more. Chilling the dough is not necessary unless it is very sticky.
- This recipe works well gluten-free using King Arthur’s measure-for-measure flour, producing a softer dough but beautiful baking results.
- If cookies don’t spread as expected, flatten them gently with a fork or glass bottom immediately after baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 38g)
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 1.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
