Description
Delight in these vibrant vegan Strawberry Sugar Cookies, bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and a beautiful pink hue. Soft, slightly chewy, and coated with a sweet sugar crust, these cookies are perfect for a sweet treat any time of day. Made with simple plant-based ingredients and a strawberry reduction, they offer a unique twist on classic sugar cookies that will please both vegans and non-vegans alike.
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)
- ¼-1 teaspoon pink food coloring 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: Optionally blend or puree the strawberries until you have about 1 1/2 cups of strawberry puree. In a large pot or saucepan over medium heat, cook the puree while stirring occasionally, or stir constantly on high heat, until the mixture reduces to about 120g and thickens like tomato paste. This can take 15-30 minutes depending on your stovetop and cookware. Allow the puree to 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 vegan butter and sugar until well combined. Add the cooled strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and food coloring, then beat until uniform in color. 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 for 10-20 minutes.
- Shape and sugar-coat the cookies: Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, portion the dough into about 20 balls, approximately 2 tablespoons or 38g each. Place the sugar for coating into a small bowl and roll each dough ball in the sugar until coated. Arrange the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. For thinner, chewier cookies, gently flatten each dough ball before baking.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes until the edges are cooked and the cookies have spread. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store and enjoy: Enjoy these strawberry sugar cookies warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, refrigerated up to 10 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Weighing strawberries and flour ensures the best results, as strawberry volume and flour density can vary greatly, affecting cookie texture and spread.
- For a medium-pink color, use ¾ teaspoon of liquid pink food coloring or a heaped ¼ teaspoon gel. Red food coloring requires less. The color fades slightly during baking, so add extra if desired.
- To achieve chewier cookies with enhanced strawberry flavor, reduce flour to 2 cups (250g). This results in a stickier dough and more cracks in the baked cookies. Refrigeration is optional for sticky dough.
- This recipe can be adapted to gluten-free by using King Arthur’s measure-for-measure flour, resulting in a slightly softer dough and beautifully baked cookies.
- If cookies do not spread during baking, flatten them gently with a fork or the bottom of a glass immediately after removing from the oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 38g)
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
