Frosted Strawberry Crunch Cookies
If nostalgia had a flavor, it would taste just like these frosted strawberry crunch cookies. Inspired by those iconic ice cream bars these cookies bring the sweet, fruity crunch to your kitchen. Made with soft vanilla cookies, strawberry buttercream and homemade strawberry crunch topping that’s equal parts sweet, crispy, and crave-worthy.
Great Scott! These frosted strawberry crunch cookies are like taking a DeLorean straight back to your favorite strawberry shortcake ice cream bar from childhood—but in cookie form. Soft vanilla cookie base, swirls of strawberry buttercream frosting, and a crispy homemade strawberry crunch topping that’ll have you saying, “This is heavy.”
Perfect for parties, baking with friends, or just vibing in your kitchen while Huey Lewis and the News plays in the background, these cookies are pure 80s magic with a sweet little twist. These cookies hit 1.21 gigawatts of flavor in every single bite and is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
If you are sweet on strawberry crunch, check out my strawberry crunch rice krispie treats, strawberry crunch dessert cups, and homemade strawberry crunch.
Ingredients for Frosted Strawberry Crunch Cookies
Vanilla Cookies
- Cake flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Vegetable oil
- Powdered sugar + granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
Other Components
How to Make Strawberry Crunch Cookies
- Make the cookie dough: Whisk together the dry ingredients. Cream the butter, vegetable oil, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and mix until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Chill the dough: Portion the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop and chill for 30 minutes.
- Prep: Preheat the oven and line baking sheet pans with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Bake the cookies: Place the chilled cookie dough balls on the prepared pans. Bake the cookies and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Make the frosting: Whip the butter until light and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar, freeze-dried strawberry powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Drizzle in the heavy cream. Whip the frosting until it is smooth and creamy.
- Make the strawberry crunch: Stir together the Golden Oreo crumbs, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and melted butter.
- Frost the cookies: Pipe or spread the strawberry frosting onto the cookies and sprinkle with the strawberry crumble topping.
Courtney’s Expert Baking Tips
- I don’t recommend substituting all-purpose flour for cake flour in this recipe. Cake flour will give the cookies a very light and soft texture. All-purpose flour will make a dense and chewy cookie.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough to create round, even, and uniform cookies.
- Immediately when the cookies come out of the oven, use the back of a spoon to gently shape the cookies so they are perfectly round.
- Use a food processor to pulse the freeze-dried strawberries to make a fine powder and to make the Golden Oreo cookie crumbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Portion the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop. This will help create even, round cookies. Immediately when you remove the cookies from the oven, gently nudge the sides of the cookies with the back of a spoon to create a round shape.
Yes! Use a medium (1.5 tablespoon) cookie scoop to create smaller cookies. For baking, check the cookies at around 10 minutes. The cookies should be puffed up inn the center and set on the edges. The yield of the recipe will vary.
I know some bakers use strawberry jello powder to make strawberry crunch, but for this recipe, you are going to want to stick with the freeze-dried strawberries. The jello powder works well with the Golden Oreo cookies to make the strawberry crunch, but it doesn’t work well in the buttercream.
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Frosted Strawberry Crunch Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Vanilla Cookies
- 2 ½ cups (313 g) cake flour (do not substitute)
- 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking powder
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 (1) large egg (room temperature)
- 3 tsp (3 tsp) vanilla extract
Easy Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 1 oz (30 g) freeze-dried strawberries (pulsed in the food processor to make a fine powder)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
Strawberry Crunch
- 1 cup (160 g) Golden Oreo cookie crumbs (about 10 cookies)
- ½ oz (15 g) freeze-dried strawberries (pulsed in the food processor to make a fine powder)
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter (melted)
Instructions
Vanilla Cookies
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil until smooth and creamy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Portion the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes.
- While the cookie dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Place the chilled cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet pan, allowing room for spreading. Bake the cookies for approximately 12 minutes until the cookies puff up in the center and remain pale on the edges. Cool the cookies on the pan for 1 minute and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Easy Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until fully incorporated.
- Use a blender or a food processor to grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. Then, add in the freeze-dried strawberry powder and mix on low speed until well incorporated.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix on low until combined. Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
- Increase the speed on the mixer to medium and whip the buttercream for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix the buttercream for several minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Strawberry Crunch
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the Golden Oreo cookie crumbs, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and melted unsalted butter until well combined. Set aside.
Frosting the Cookies
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1A piping tip with the strawberry frosting. Pipe a swirl of the frosting onto the cookies and spread the frosting with an offset spatula. Generously sprinkle the cookies with the strawberry crunch topping.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container or storage bag at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Store the cookies in an airtight container or storage bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
- Freezer: Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container or storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Made This Recipe?
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
This was a fun Saturday baking project. These cookies were the perfect texture and taste. The recipe was easy to follow and produced a bakery quality cookie. Can’t wait to make them again!
Hi Lauren! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe. Glad you enjoyed! 🙂