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+ servings

Strawberry Sugar Cookies

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Cooling Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 6
These Strawberry Sugar Cookies are soft, chewy, and naturally flavored with real strawberries. Gluten-free, egg-free, and easily vegan — a sweet treat everyone will love!

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Syrup

  • 1 ¾ cups fresh or frozen quartered strawberries
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar

For the Cookies

  • 2 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour blend with xanthan gum
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick at room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons for rolling
  • 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water egg replacer
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup milk dairy or plant-based
  • 3.5 tablespoons prepared strawberry syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon red food coloring optional, for bolder pink color

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Strawberry Syrup

  • In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries and sugar over medium heat. Stir frequently until the mixture is thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. It’s okay if it’s still a bit chunky! Strain through a mesh colander into a bowl to remove the seeds and set aside to cool.

Step 2: Prepare the Dry Ingredients

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the Egg-Free Binder

  • In a small bowl, mix 2 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water. Stir until thin and watery (it will be thick and sticky at first — keep stirring!). This acts as the egg substitute to bind the cookies.

Step 4: Cream the Butter and Sugar

  • Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat the butter (or vegan baking stick) with the 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar until soft, fluffy, and light in color, about 2–3 minutes.

Step 5: Combine Wet Ingredients

  • Slowly beat in the cornstarch-water mixture, vanilla extract, milk, and 3.5 tablespoons of the cooled strawberry syrup. The mixture will look pale pink and a bit chunky, which is perfect.

Step 6: Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients

  • Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on low speed, mixing until just combined. If you’d like a brighter pink color, add the optional red food coloring and mix briefly to incorporate.

Step 7: Chill the Dough

  • Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2.5 hours, or ideally overnight. This step is essential to prevent the cookies from overspreading.

Step 8: Bake

  • After chilling, preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 12 evenly sized cookie dough balls using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop. Roll each dough ball in the reserved 2 tablespoons of sugar.
  • Place the cookies 3–4 inches apart on the baking sheet (they’ll spread a bit). Bake for about 15 minutes until the edges are set and the centers look slightly underdone — they will firm up as they cool.

Step 9: Shape and Cool

  • As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a spatula to gently push the edges into a circular shape if needed. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.