Strawberry Crinkle Cookies recipe is all about simplicity and perfection. The easiest cookie recipe you will ever make using a strawberry cake mix. Sweet, soft and chewy!
If you love colorful cookie recipes, you might also like Lofthouse Cookies, Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies and Berry Cobbler Cookies.
Strawberry Crinkle Cookies do not disappoint. Each strawberry bite is perfectly chewy and yummy. I knew I wanted these to be easy, but also to have incredible strawberry color and flavor, but I didn't have any fresh strawberries. This is where freeze fried strawberries come in.
Key Ingredients
- Strawberry Cake Mix: This forms the base of the cookies and provides both the sweet strawberry flavor and the perfect chewy texture without needing to measure separate dry ingredients.
- Eggs: Eggs add moisture and bind everything together, so the cookies hold their shape without becoming dry. They also help create that soft, fluffy inside.
- Vegetable Oil: Oil keeps the cookies soft and chewy for days, even after they've cooled. It prevents dryness and gives them that unmistakable melt-in-your-mouth bakery-style texture. Use any neutral oil, such as Canola oil.
- Powdered Sugar: This is what makes the cookies instantly recognizable as "crinkle" cookies. Rolling the dough in powdered sugar before baking creates those beautiful cracks on the surface and adds a sweet contrast to the berry flavor.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: These are the secret to bold strawberry flavor and bright pink color-without using fresh berries, which can make the dough too wet. Blending or chopping them releases natural fruit flavor and adds tiny bursts of real strawberry in every bite.
How to Make Strawberry Crinkle Cookies
1. Blend Dried Strawberries
Blend the dried strawberries into a fine powder. You can do this by hand with a knife, or in a food processor or blender.
2. Make Cookie Dough
Combine the cake mix, oil, and eggs using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or strong whisk to combine, taking care not to overmix. Add freeze-dried strawberries to the bowl and mix until just combined.
Mix, mix, mix and you have strawberry crinkle cookie dough. Nothing to it really.
3. Refrigerate, Scoop, and Roll
Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes and then scoop and roll, which means use a cookie scoop to scoop, drop, and roll. Roll it into a ball and place it in the powdered sugar. Roll to coat all sides heavily.
4. Bake
Now place the powdered sugar-coated cookie dough ball onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. They do spread out a bit, so leave adequate space between them.
Bake cookies at 350 F. for 10-12 minutes, let them cool on a sheet pan for 2 more minutes. So east and fun!
4 Ingredient Strawberry Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- shallow bowl
- parchment paper
- large baking tray
- cookie scoop (optional)
Ingredients
- 13.25 oz boxed cake mix
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries chopped
Instructions
- Sift the powdered sugar using a sifter or a fine sieve.
- Place the sifted powdered sugar in a wide, shallow bowl. Set aside.
- Blend the freeze-dried strawberries with a blender or hop them with a sharp knife. Set aside.
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Place the cake mix, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Use a stand mixer, hand mixer, or strong whisk to combine. Do not overmix.
- Add freeze-dried strawberries to the bowl.
- Mix until just combined. Chill batter in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Remove the batter from the refrigerator.
- Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop out a tablespoon of batter. Roll it into a ball and place it in the powdered sugar. Roll to coat all sides heavily. Repeat until you run out of batter. If the batter is sticking to your hands, try wetting them. You can also use the powdered sugar on your hands to prevent the batter from sticking.
- Place the powdered sugar-coated cookie dough ball onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. They do spread out a bit, so leave adequate space between them.
- Bake in a 375°F oven for 10-12 minutes. Check for lightly browned bottoms at 10 minutes. Remove from the oven before the tops of the cookies begin to brown.
- Let cool on a sheet pan for 2 minutes, then using a spatula, place the cookies on a cooling rack.
- Cool completely before moving cookies to a cake stand or serving plate. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
Don't Overmix the Batter: Overmixing the cake mix introduces too much air, leading to dry, cakey cookies. Mix just until combined after adding oil and eggs. For chewy cookies, avoid whipping the batter at high speed.
Chill the Dough - It's Non-Negotiable: Chilling thickens the dough, improves flavor, and prevents overspreading. Cold dough helps create that signature crinkle pattern since the top dries while the center continues expanding during baking. Pro Tip: Chill for at least 20-30 minutes or until firm to the touch before rolling in powdered sugar.
Double Roll in Powdered Sugar for Bold Crinkles: Check the weather forecast:)! Humidity can dissolve sugar during baking, fading the white coating. Either way, you can roll each dough ball first in granulated sugar, then heavily in powdered sugar for dramatic, bakery-style crackles.
Blend the Freeze-Dried Strawberries Finely: Pureeing or chopping the berries evenly ensures bright color and consistent strawberry flavor throughout each cookie. Coarse chunks create uneven texture and moisture pockets that can cause spreading.
Bake Just Until the Centers Look Set: Crinkle cookies continue baking on the sheet after removal. Pull them out when the edges are firm and the centers still look slightly shiny or soft - that's the secret to a chewy bite.
Cool on the Pan Before Transferring: Moving the cookies too soon can cause cracks to collapse. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes so the structure firms up naturally before transferring to a rack.
Cookies Spread Too Much or Look Flat
This happens due to the warm dough or too much oil makes cookies spread out instead of holding shape.
Pro Tip: Chill dough for at least 15-30 minutes before rolling in powdered sugar. Using a cool baking sheet also helps. If they still spread, add 1 tablespoon of flour to the batter next time.
Powdered Sugar Disappears After Baking
This issue happens due to humidity. Insufficient coating can also dissolve the sugar.
Pro Tip: Roll each dough ball twice-once lightly, then again until fully coated. Use sifted powdered sugar and bake immediately after coating for best results.
Cookies Are Too Dry or Cakey
Overbaking or too much flour removes the cookie's chewiness.
Pro Tip: Bake only until the bottoms are lightly golden (about 10-12 minutes). Avoid overmixing the batter, which adds excess air and creates a cake-like texture.
Not Enough Strawberry Flavor
All you have to do is add an extra tablespoon of blended freeze-dried strawberries to intensify color and flavor. You can also add ½ teaspoon strawberry extract for a natural boost.
FAQs
- Where did you get freeze-dried strawberries? Freeze-dried fruits can be found in grocery stores, usually on the snack, nut, and dried fruit aisle. I also see them at Trader's Joe, Home Goods and TJ Maxx all the time.
- What if I don't have parchment paper? A silicone baking mat can be used, or you can lightly grease the baking sheet.
- Can I Make the Dough Ahead of Time? Yes. Chill the dough up to 48 hours before baking, covered tightly. For longer storage, shape into balls and freeze (uncoated). Roll in powdered sugar just before baking.
- Why Don't My Cookies Have a Crinkle Pattern? Cookies may be too warm when rolled or not coated thickly enough. The powdered sugar needs a cool surface to stay defined, so chill the dough first and roll generously before baking.
Substitutions and Variations
- No freeze-dried strawberries: Replace with freeze-dried raspberries or strawberry gelatin powder for a similar flavor boost.
- Different cake mix flavors: Try lemon, chocolate, or red velvet for quick crinkle cookie variations using the same method.
- No powdered sugar on hand: Use granulated sugar for a sparkly, crisp outer shell instead of the traditional crackle finish.
- What is another "crinkle" variation I can make? The obvious choice is chocolate crinkle cookies since it was the original, but if it comes in a cake mix, you can make crinkle cookies out of it. Lemon is another great choice.
Essential Tools
- Mixing bowls: Thick Glass Mixing Bowls with Airtight Lids.
- Hand Mixer: 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer Electric with Dough Hooks and a Whisk!!
- Ice cream scoop: Non stick Anti Freeze Aluminum Scoop.
- Restaurant Quality Cookie Sheet: Non-stick, commercial grade baking sheets with silicone handles.
Storage Instructions
- How Do I Keep Cookies Soft After Baking? Once cooled, store cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. To retain softness, add half a slice of bread in the container, switching it out every couple of days. The bread absorbs moisture, keeping cookies soft for up to a week.
- Refrigerate: Store leftover cookies in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Freeze crinkle cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. The powdered sugar crinkle pattern will not be as crisp and pretty, but the texture and flavor stay delicious-simply thaw at room temperature before serving.
- To make them ahead: Make the balls, but do not roll them in powdered sugar. Then, freeze the dough balls in a single layer until completely frozen. I like to place them in a zipper top bag for thawing and baking at a later date. They are great for surprise guests or kids' after-school treats.
Vicki Darnell says
Is tge freeze-dried strawberries measurement before or after the fruit is placed into the blender?
Olya says
The measurement is before the fruit is placed in the blender. I chopped them first slightly and it was 1 cup.
Angela says
I used a different cake mix and also added 2 cups of freeze dried strawberries. Very bright and delicious cookies!