Description

These Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cookies capture the essence of strawberry shortcake in a delightful cookie form. Featuring a tender, flavorful dough made with both fresh and freeze-dried strawberries, and topped with a golden shortcake crumble, these cookies are easy to prepare and perfect for a quick, summery treat. Ready in under an hour, they offer a vegan, buttery, and fruity bite-sized dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

200 g (1 ⅔ cups) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
130 g (4.5 oz) vegan butter (block-style), room temperature
100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
100 g (½ cup) soft brown sugar
40 g (2 tablespoons) vegan Greek-style yogurt, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
20 g (1 cup) freeze-dried strawberries
85 g (½ cup) fresh strawberries, finely diced

Shortcake Crumb Topping

50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
40 g (⅓ cup) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegan butter (block-style)

Instructions

Prepare: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line two baking trays or cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside to ensure non-stick baking.
Sift dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set this aside for later use.
Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, add the vegan butter and both sugars. Using an electric whisk or stand mixer, beat for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and airy. Then, add the vegan Greek-style yogurt and vanilla extract, whisking again until fully incorporated.
Combine dry and wet ingredients: Fold the sifted dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula, mixing just until combined to form the cookie dough.
Add strawberries: Crush the freeze-dried strawberries between your fingers or roughly chop them, then fold into the cookie dough. Carefully fold in the finely diced fresh strawberries last to prevent bruising.
Chill the dough: Cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 15 to 30 minutes. For best results, you may chill the dough overnight to enhance flavor and texture.
Make the crumble topping: In a separate medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, and vegan butter. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mixture resembles crumbly shortcake topping. Refrigerate this crumb mixture until ready to use.
Assemble cookies: Using a 2-inch (5 cm) cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, portion the chilled dough into 10 equal balls (or 12 smaller portions if preferred). Place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking trays, leaving at least 2.5 inches between each to allow for spreading.
Add crumble topping: Gently press some of the shortcake crumble on top of each cookie dough ball to create a golden, textured topping.
Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes. Once removed, immediately use a large cookie cutter to round off the edges of each cookie, forming a neat, round shape as shown in the pictures. This step prevents cookies from spreading too flat.
Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or airtight container.
Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. Due to fresh fruit content, refrigeration is recommended for up to 4 days. Alternatively, freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag, separating cookies with parchment, for up to one month.

Notes

Vegan Butter: Use block-style vegan butter such as Violife, Flora, or Naturli for best results. Avoid spreadable margarines.
Greek-Style Yogurt: Substitute with vegan sour cream, vegan skyr, firm silken tofu, or very thick coconut yogurt if unavailable.
Cream Cheese Filling Option: Whisk 150 g vegan cream cheese with 50 g confectioners sugar. Freeze small half teaspoon-sized balls, then insert frozen cream cheese into the center of each cookie dough ball before topping with crumble and baking. Chill cream cheese filled cookies for a few hours before serving, especially in warmer weather, for optimal texture.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: vegan strawberry cookies, strawberry shortcake cookies, vegan dessert, vegan cookies, strawberry dessert, easy vegan baking, fruit cookies, dairy-free cookies, vegan treats