Strawberry Lemonade Cookies

Strawberry lemonade cookies are made from scratch with no cake mix in sight! A soft lemon sugar cookie recipe is slathered with freeze dried strawberries and rolled up like cinnamon rolls before baking. If you love strawberry and lemon dessert recipes, you'll love this cookie!

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Strawberry lemonade cookies are what I imagine summer tastes like; little bites of sunshine! The cookies pop with the brightness from the lemon and the sweetness from the strawberries. I loved watching people's expressions as they test tasted these sugar cookies for me.

This post was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated with new photos and helpful information. The recipe remains the same, with a slight change in execution.

why you will love this soft and chewy cookie recipe

• Lemon cookies ~ a tart lemonade sugar cookie.
• Sweet strawberry filling ~ made with dried strawberries and sugar.
• Perfect balance ~ the taste is a little tart and a little sweet; all combined in a soft, swirled cookie.

This recipe is 100% from scratch, no cake mix or artificial flavors are used. The lemonade part comes from a lemon sugar cookie, made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. The strawberry comes in the form of ground freeze-dried strawberries mixed with granulated sugar and melted butter.

If you love lemon dessert recipes you can also try lemon cut-out sugar cookies, lemon white chocolate cake and lemon pistachio biscotti.

ingredients needed {and substitutions}

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

• All-purpose flour ~ be sure to spoon and level the flour or use a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurement.
• Baking powder ~ I prefer baking with aluminum free baking powder; Trader Joe's or Rumford are the brands I use. I definitely notice a flavor difference if using baking powder with aluminum.
• Unsalted butter ~ you want this room temperature, which is about 65°F {I check with my Thermapen}. It should still be cool to the touch and not soft and mushy. If you only have salted butter, omit the kosher salt. A few tablespoons are also melted for the strawberry filling.
• Granulated sugar ~ use your favorite brand. Used in both the cookie and filling.
• Kosher salt ~ mix in with the butter to evenly disperse it through the lemon cookies. If you only have table salt, use half the amount listed in the recipe card.
• Egg ~ 1 large egg at room temperature.
• Lemon zest ~ 1 medium size lemon should yield the tablespoon needed. This is the zesting tool I use in my kitchen.
• Lemon juice ~ juice the lemon after you have zested it; 1 medium lemon should yield 2-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. This is the lemon juicer I use and love.
• Strawberries ~ freeze dried strawberries are needed for the filling. You could substitute freeze dried raspberries or blueberries for another flavor option.

how to make lemonade cookie dough

Start by combining flour and baking powder with a whisk and set aside.

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and kosher salt on medium speed until combined.

Then add in sugar and lemon zest and beat until smooth.

Scrape the bowl, then beat in the egg and lemon juice and mix until well combined.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture a little at a time, occasionally stopping to scrape your bowl. The dough should form a ball around the paddle when the mixing is finished. The dough should be soft, but not sticky.

Then divide the dough in half; wrap in plastic wrap and press into 1-inch thick rectangles. Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes before rolling out. The lemonade dough can be chilled for up to 3 days.

how to make the from scratch strawberry filling

Crush or grind the freeze dried strawberries into a powder, then mix together with the granulated sugar and melted butter. I like to use my mini Cuisinart for grinding the strawberries. It will take a little more elbow grease and time, but you can crush the strawberries with the back of a spoon in a bowl as well.

The filling is where I slightly changed the strawberry lemonade cookies execution.

In the previous version I had you mix the dried strawberry powder with sugar and sprinkle that over melted butter that had been spread over the rolled out dough. The strawberry filling has more of a pink hue when done with that method.

how to assemble strawberry lemonade cookies

On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough half into a 10-inch by 6-inch rectangle. Use your hands to flatten the edges as necessary and your rectangle does not have to be perfect.

Sprinkle the strawberry and sugar mixture on top, using half on each rectangle of lemonade cookie dough.

Working slowly, roll each rectangle into a 10-inch log. Roll as tightly as you can. If the dough cracks, use your fingers to smooth it back together.

Wrap each log individually and chill both logs for a minimum of 2 hours.

When ready to bake, prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Remove the dough logs from the refrigerator. Cut into ½ inch slices and place on the prepared baking sheets about 1-2 inches apart. Return cut cookies to the refrigerator while the oven preheats; then bake.

where can I buy freeze dried strawberries?

I most often buy freeze dried strawberries at Trader Joe's or Target. I also find that many grocery stores and some drug stores carry them; typically with the raisins and other dried fruit. Freeze dried strawberries are also available to purchase on Amazon.

tips for the best soft lemonade cookies

• Start with room temperature butter and a room temperature egg. This usually takes 1-2 hours of sitting on the counter {depending on the temperature of your kitchen}. To test, your finger should make an indent without sinking or sliding down into the butter. The butter should not be warm to the touch or shiny or greasy.
• Chill the dough. The recipe requires a minimum of 30 minutes before rolling out and a minimum of two hours of chilling after assembled. I typically do the first chill somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes. The dough can chill for up to three days. If it is chilled longer than 1-2 hours, allow it to sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes to warm up before rolling out. Once the strawberry lemonade cookies are assembled and have chilled for the second time, they can be cut as soon as you remove them from the refrigerator.
• Try not to overwork the dough. Overworked dough = tough cookies.
• Do not over bake the cookies! It takes about 8 minutes for the strawberry lemonade cookies to bake. The should NOT have brown edges. Allow them to cool on the pan for 2 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

troubleshooting for strawberry lemonade cookies

Help, my dough is crumbly! The dough should be soft, but not sticky when it goes in for a chill. If the dough seems dry and crumbly when you press it into a ball, you likely added too much flour or overworked the dough. Add a little egg white {start with one tablespoon} and gently work it into the dough until it is soft, but not sticky.

Help, my dough is super hard after chilling!  If the dough chills for more than an hour or two it will need time to warm up on the counter before rolling. Let it sit out for 10-20 minutes before rolling it out.

Help, my dough is crumbly when I try to roll it!  If the cookie dough is too cold, it will crumble when you go to roll it out. Let it warm slightly on the counter for 10-20 minutes and try again.

Help, my dough split when I was rolling it up! If the dough cracks while rolling into a log, use your fingers to smooth it back together {see photos farther up in the post for a visual}.

can I use a glaze on the finished cookie?

Yes! I debated doing this myself. The glaze from blackberry lemon scones would be incredible here!

how to store

The strawberry lemonade cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.

They also freeze well in an airtight container or zip top bag for up to 3 months.

Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these Strawberry Lemonade Cookies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

more sugar cookies to try

• Buttercream Sugar Cookies
• Lemon Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
• Sprinkle Cookies
• Marbled Sugar Cookies
• Gingerbread Sugar Cookies
• Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

If you make this recipe (or any recipe!) from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!