Easy Strawberry Lemonade Cookies: The Perfect Blend of Sweet and Tangy
These strawberry lemon cookies are a great sweet treat for spring, with fresh strawberries and zesty lemon in a soft, chewy cookie. Perfect for any occasion, these cookies are a delightful way to celebrate the season.
The simple lemon-strawberry icing adds a beautiful pink color and extra flavor that everyone will love. They’re also easy to make and even easier to enjoy!
Strawberry Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
For the chopped strawberry mixture
- 3/4 cup chopped strawberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
For the cookies
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup shortening or unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons strawberry flavored gelatin powder
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
To make the icing
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the chopped strawberry mixture. Mix the chopped strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside to let the flavors blend.
- Make the cookie dough. In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening (or unsalted butter), granulated sugar, egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest together until the mixture is light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine the ingredients to the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture slowly, mixing at low speed until just combined. The dough will look crumbly. Remove the strawberries from the earlier mixture, and only add the berries (not the liquid) to the dough. The moisture from the berries will help the dough stick together. Cover the dough and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Bake the cookies. Remember to heat up the oven to 350°F (175°C) while the dough chills. Take 1-2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then, bake them for 10-12 minutes, depending on the cookie size, until the edges are firm and the tops have a few cracks. After that, take them out from the oven and move the cookies to a wire rack to cool down completely.
- Make the icing. Mix the powdered sugar with the reserved strawberry juice in a medium bowl until smooth. The icing should be thick and spreadable but not pourable. Add more lemon juice or powdered sugar if needed. Test the icing on one cookie to make sure it stays on before frosting the rest. After the cookies are completely cool, spread the icing over each cookie. You can keep the cookies at room temperature for one day or refrigerate them for longer storage.
Notes
More Tips:
Remember to drain the strawberries well before mixing them into the dough. Too much liquid can make the dough too wet and change the cookie’s texture.
Check that your oven is heated to 350°F. You can use an oven thermometer to be sure the temperature is accurate for even baking.
Don’t forget to chill the dough. Chilling helps stop the cookies from spreading too much when baking, so they turn out nice and chewy.
Use a cookie scoop to make sure all the cookies are the same size. This will help them bake evenly.
Key Ingredients and Tools
To make these delicious cookies, you’ll need some important ingredients and tools for the best results. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Fresh Strawberries: It’s important to use fresh strawberries for the best flavor and texture. Avoid using frozen strawberries, as they can make the dough too wet.
- Strawberry Flavored Gelatin Powder: This adds extra strawberry flavor to the cookies and can be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
- Lemon Zester: Using a zester will help you get fine pieces of lemon zest, which adds a fresh and bright flavor to the cookies.
- Cookie Scoop: This tool makes sure that the cookies are all the same size, which helps them bake evenly. If you don’t have one, a tablespoon can be used as a substitute.
These items will help you create the best possible cookies.
Here are some ingredient alternatives you can try for this recipe:
- Shortening: Instead of shortening, use unsalted butter for a tastier flavor.
- Strawberry Flavored Gelatin Powder: Try using freeze-dried strawberry powder instead of strawberry-flavored gelatin powder for a more natural taste.
- Fresh Strawberries: If you’re out of fresh strawberries, try using raspberries for a twist.
- Lemon Juice: Use lime juice instead of lemon juice for a slightly different citrus flavor.
These swaps might change how the cookies taste and feel, but don’t be afraid to give them a try!
Go ahead and whip up a batch of these Strawberry Lemon Cookies and share them with your loved ones. They’re a delightful springtime treat with a lovely, fresh flavor that everyone will surely enjoy.
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.