These chewy Strawberry Crunch Cookies taste just like those classic strawberry crunch ice cream bars you use to love as a kid, but in cookie form!! Bursting with strawberry flavor, these buttery soft cookies are made from scratch (no box mix here!!) and filled with tart freeze dried strawberries and Golden Oreos. Best part? They are topped with a generous sprinkle of strawberry crunch topping and a creamy vanilla glaze. These delicious cookies are perfect for any occasion from spring and summer to any time of the year!!
Growing up in the South, eating ice cream is essential on a hot day. One of my favorite memories is waiting for the ice cream truck with my cousin during the summer. Without fail, I would always order a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar.
The combination of tart strawberries and creamy vanilla was always a welcomed treat. And who can forget that iconic strawberry crunch!! I knew I had to recreate these flavors. Inspired by the popular strawberry crunch ice cream bars, these strawberry crunch cookies are a fun and fruity twist on a summer childhood classic!!
These chewy cookies get their potent strawberry flavor not from boxed strawberry cake mix but from freeze dried strawberries!! While crushed Golden Oreos and the vanilla glaze deliver sweet vanilla notes, the star of the show has to be the no bake strawberry shortcake crumble sprinkled on top for the perfect crunch.
While visually impressive, this recipe couldn't be simpler to make and is perfect for kids and adults alike. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or just making them for the strawberry lover in your life, these crowd-pleasing cookies are the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth!!
For more strawberry recipes, try Strawberries & Cream Bundt Cake, Strawberry Crumb Cake, Strawberry Lemonade Bundt Cake Recipe with Strawberry Glaze.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions and Flavor Variations
- How to Make Homemade Strawberry Crunch Cookies
- Top Baking Tips
- Importance of Chilling the Cookie Dough
- How to Store and Serve Leftover Strawberry Crunch Topping
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storage & Freezing
- More Oreo Dessert Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- Reviews
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Strawberry flavor - Perfect for strawberry lovers, these strawberry crunch cookies have chopped freeze dried strawberries folded into dough for the best strawberry flavor!!
- Soft & chewy cookies -No artificial flavors here, these delicious strawberry cookies are made from scratch and bake up soft and chewy without the use of box strawberry cake mix or gelatin!!
- No bake iconic strawberry crunch - The signature homemade strawberry crumble serves as the perfect finishing touch. This no bake recipe is simple to make and comes together in under 10 minutes!! Even better, it tastes just like the Good Humor ice cream bars we all use to eat as kids.
- Perfect for special occasions - These cookies are the perfect delicious sweet treat to celebrate birthdays, Mother's Day, Easter, or Valentine's Day!! They can be made year round but are fun to enjoy during spring or summer.
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make these delicious strawberry shortcake cookies:
Ingredients for strawberry crunch cookies
Ingredients for strawberry crunch topping and vanilla glaze
Ingredient Notes:
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries - A lot of recipes use strawberry cake mix which usually results in more of an artificial strawberry flavor. I wanted these cookies to taste like strawberry so using freeze dried was the way to go. I used Trader Joes' brand of freeze dried berries but you can also find them at grocery stores or Target.
- Golden Oreo Cookies - I used regular Golden Oreos here but Golden Oreo Thins also work!!
- Melted Butter - Melted butter gives these cookies the perfect chewy texture. I used unsalted butter however, feel free to use salted if that is what you have on hand.
- Sugars - You will need a combination of both granulated sugar and either dark or light brown sugar.
- Flour - For best results, use a high quality unbleached all purpose flour. King Arthur All Purpose Flour is my go to.
- Eggs - To bring your eggs to room temperature quickly, place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Vanilla Extract - For the best flavor, use a high quality vanilla extract.
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch helps give these cookies a soft and tender texture by softening the gluten strands in the flour. It also lifts the dough resulting in thicker cookies.
- Heavy Cream - Heavy cream is used to help thin out the vanilla glaze. Whole milk can be substituted for the heavy cream if needed. If using milk, you only need 1 to 2 tablespoons to thin out the glaze.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Flavor Variations
- Up the Strawberry Flavor - I feel this recipe has the perfect amount of strawberry flavor, but if you would like to increase it a bit, add ½ teaspoon of strawberry extract.
- Glaze - Instead of the vanilla glaze, make a strawberry glaze or try my cream cheese glaze!!
- Frosting - Top the cooled cookies with cream cheese frosting or vanilla buttercream. Or swap out the frosting and crumble topping for a sweet dusting of powdered sugar.
- Topping Variations - If you are in a rush and do not have time to make the strawberry crunch and glaze, you can top the cookies with small pieces of freeze dried strawberries and crushed Oreo pieces as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Pink Cookies - For a pretty pink hue, add in 1 teaspoon of pink food coloring to the cookie dough when adding the last egg.
- Strawberry Jello - If you would prefer to use strawberry jello powder for the strawberry crunch, replace the freeze dried strawberries with an equal amount of strawberry jello powder.
- Add White Chocolate Chips - Mix in ⅓ cup of white chocolate chips for a creamy strawberries and cream flavor.
- Alternative cookie options - I use regular Golden Oreos here however, feel free to use Golden Oreo Thins, shortbread, Nilla Wafers, or any other buttery cookie you love!!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you happen to try any from the list above or add your own spin with new ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below.
How to Make Homemade Strawberry Crunch Cookies
Made from scratch using simple ingredients, these strawberry crunch cookies couldn't be easier to make and taste just like your favorite ice cream bar!! Here are the step by step photos and instructions on how to make and bake these delicious strawberry crunch cookies!!
Step 1: Crush the freeze dried strawberries and Oreos. Using a ziplock bag and rolling pin, crush the freeze dried berries and Oreos. Crush the berries until they resemble small, pea sized pieces. The larger the berries are the higher chance they have of burning when they are in the oven.
Step 2: Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, shift together the flour, cornstarch, and baking soda. Whisk in the kosher salt. Set aside.
Step 3: Mix together the melted butter and sugars. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the melted butter and both sugars on medium high until the mixture is thick, creamy, and resembles a paste like consistency.
Step 4: Beat in eggs and vanilla. With the mixer on medium speed, add in the eggs one at a time mixing until fully combined. Add in the vanilla extract with the last egg.
Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, mixing until just combined. After adding the last of the flour mixture, mix until you only see a few streaks.
Step 6: Fold in the crushed Oreo cookies and freeze dried strawberries. Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer and add in the freeze dried strawberries and crushed Oreos. Using a rubber spatula, fold everything together until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Step 7: Scoop and roll. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and using a large cookie scoop, measure out 2.5 oz of dough per cookie. Lightly roll the dough into balls using the palms of your hands. Smooth out any cracks. Place the dough balls on a wax paper lined plate and place in the fridge uncovered to firm up, about 10 to 15 minutes while the oven preheats.
Step 8: Bake. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 5 balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, about two inches apart. Bake cookies for 12 – 14 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven halfway through baking and firmly tap the baking sheet on a heatproof surface to deflate the cookies. Rotate the baking sheet and return cookies to the oven and continue to baking until lightly golden brown.
Step 9: Make the strawberry crunch topping. Combine the Oreo cookies, freeze dried strawberries, sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Slowly stream in the melted butter and pulse the mixture until you reach pea sized crumbs.
Step 10: Top the cookies. Remove the cookies from the oven and using a small bowl or biscuit cutter, scoot the cookies in a circular motion until perfectly round. Top the cookies with strawberry crunch topping, pressing down lightly so the topping adheres to the cookies. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 11: Make the vanilla glaze. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream until smooth.
Step 12: Glaze and Garnish. Drizzle the cooled cookies with the vanilla glaze in a zigzag motion. Sprinkle a little of the leftover strawberry crumble on top of the glaze. Allow the glaze to set then enjoy!!
Top Baking Tips
- Properly measure the flour - Use a kitchen scale to weigh the flour. If you do not have a food scale, use a fork to first fluff the flour, then spoon it into your measuring cup. Level the excess flour in the measuring cup with back of a butter knife.
- Use parchment paper - Baking the cookies on parchment paper prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
- Use cool melted butter - Using warm butter will cause the cookies to be greasy and spread more.
- Underbake the cookies - Underbaking the cookies helps maintain their gooey center. The cookies should appear slightly wet and doughy in the center while the edges should appear just set when removed from the oven.
- Scoot the cookies - to get that coveted bakery style appearance, reshape the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Use a large cookie cutter or cup to scoot the edges of the cookie.
- Don't over mix the cookie dough - To retain a tender texture, add the freeze dried strawberries and crushed Oreos when there are still a few streaks of flour. Then, fold everything together and stop mixing when the flour and mix ins are just combined.
- Don't make smaller cookies - These cookies are larger than the average homemade cookie and have more of a bakery style quality. With larger cookies, it takes longer for the heat to reach the center allowing the edges to bake first until they are golden and crisp while the center stays gooey and soft. Baking smaller cookies does not ensure the same texture.
Importance of Chilling the Cookie Dough
- Soft and tender texture - As the dough chills in the fridge it starts to lose excess moisture. The excess moisture evaporates and is reabsorbed by the flour, hydrating it. This gives the cookies the perfect texture: chewy on the outside but soft and doughy in the middle.
- Chewy cookies - The fully hydrated dough helps the cookies spread evenly as they are baking. Because chilled dough takes longer to heat up and spread in the oven, it produces a thicker center that is soft and just barely baked.
- Enhances the flavor - As moisture evaporates and is absorbed by the flour, it also dries out the dough. This allows the flavors of the cookies to be more balanced and concentrated.
- Makes thicker cookies - Chilling the dough allows the melted butter to solidify. This in turn helps to slow down the spread of the cookies as they are baking.
VC TOP TIP: For more nostalgic childhood flavors, be sure to check out my Best Birthday Cookies (From Scratch)!!
How to Store and Serve Leftover Strawberry Crunch Topping
This strawberry crunch recipe makes more than what you need to top the cookies with. Store any leftover strawberry crumble in a ziplock bag or a small glass jar at room temperature for up to 1 week.
As for how to serve leftover crumble, the possibilities are endless!!
- Use it as a topping on vanilla or strawberry ice cream.
- Sprinkle it on top of your favorite vanilla cupcakes.
- Use it to decorate the sides of a layer cake. Or, sprinkle it on top of the glaze of your favorite vanilla or strawberry bundt cake.
- Or, use this delicious topping as a sweet addition to your favorite yogurt!!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is strawberry crunch made of?
Strawberry crunch, also known as Strawberry Shortcake Crumbles, is a sweet topping made by using freeze dried strawberries, ground Golden Oreos (or shortbread cookies), melted butter, and a small bit of sugar.
Some recipes use a mixture of strawberry jello powder and butter. Or a mixture of strawberry jello powder, flour, and butter - this method requires baking.
Although I am sure both of these methods are just as delicious, I chose to use freeze dried strawberries for their natural and bright strawberry flavor.
How do you make chewy vs crunchy cookies?
A chewy cookie vs a crunchy cookie depends on the amount of moisture or water content in the dough. The more water content (ex. brown sugar) there is in the dough, the softer the cookie will be. The more granulated sugar or egg whites in the dough, the crisper the cookie will be.
Do I have to store these cookies in the fridge?
These cookies can be stored at room temperature. However, if you top them with cream cheese glaze or cream cheese frosting, they will need to be refrigerated.
Why did my cookies spread?
The main two reasons for cookie spread are: 1. Using butter that has not cooled down to room temperature when making the dough. 2. Not chilling the cookie dough prior to baking.
If your cookies are spreading too much while baking, pop them back in fridge for 10 minutes to harden.
Do I have to use a food processor?
For ease, I recommend using a food processor to make the crumble. But, if you do not have one or just don't want to dirty up any more dishes (I get it), you can make the crunch without it!!
First, place the Oreos and freeze dried strawberries in a ziplock bag. Next, crush them with a rolling pin until you reach the desired consistency. Then, pour the crumble into a small bowl and add the melted butter, vanilla extract, sugar, and salt. Lastly, mix the crumble together with a fork until combined. If using a food processor, do not over-process the crumble or you will be left with tiny crumbs.
Storage & Freezing
Room Temperature
Store the cooled strawberry cookies at room temperature in an airtight container or ziplock bag for 5 days. The strawberry crumble will start to soften but they are still delicious!!
Refrigeration
Store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Freezing
To freeze the cookie dough for later, chill the dough for the initial 3 hours or until firm. Then, scoop the dough and lightly roll into balls. Place the rolled cookie dough balls on a lined baking sheet or plate and make sure they are not touching.
Cover the baking sheet or plate with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. After refrigerating for 1 hour, place the cookie dough balls into a freezer friendly container. Freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, allow the cookies to thaw at room temperature while you preheat the oven. Add an extra minute or 2 of baking time. I recommend making the crumble as the cookies are baking. I do not recommend freezing the baked cookies.
More Oreo Dessert Recipes You'll Love
It brings me so much joy when you make one of my recipes!! If you try this recipe and love it much as I do, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below. And don't forget to tag me to share your creation with me!! You can find me on Instagram @vintage_confections.
📖 Recipe
Easy Strawberry Crunch Cookies (Without Cake Mix)
Ingredients
For The Strawberry Crunch Cookies
- 2 ¾ cup (344 g) All purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup (227 g) Unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 cup (220 g) Light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup (100 g) Granulated sugar
- 2 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 1.2 oz bag Freeze dried strawberries crushed into pea size pieces
- 8 Golden Oreos crushed
For The Strawberry Crunch Topping
- 10 Oreo cookies
- 0.6 oz (¼ cup) Freeze dried strawberries ½ of a 1.2 oz bag
- ½ teaspoon Granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) Unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
For The Vanilla Glaze
- ½ cup (60 g) Powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons (45 g) Heavy cream
Instructions
For the strawberry crunch cookies
- Cut butter into 1 inch slices and melt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow the butter to cool while you prepare the dry ingredients. Alternatively, you can melt the butter in the microwave in 30 second intervals.1 cup (227 g) Unsalted butter
- Using a ziplock bag with a rolling pin or a food processor, crush the Oreos until small and medium in size. Crush or blend the freeze dried strawberries until you have small pea sized pieces.
- In a medium bowl, shift together the flour, cornstarch, and baking soda. Whisk in the kosher salt.2 ¾ cup (344 g) All purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, 1 teaspoon Cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- In the stand mixer bowl with the melted butter, beat the melted butter and both sugars with the paddle attachment on medium high until the mixture is thick, creamy, and resembles a paste like consistency. About 2 minutes. Stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after 1 minute.1 cup (220 g) Light brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) Granulated sugar
- With the mixer on medium speed, add in the eggs one at a time mixing until fully combined. Add in the vanilla extract with the last egg.2 large Eggs, 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, mixing until just combined. After adding the last of the flour mixture, mix until you only see a few streaks. Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer and add in the crushed Oreos and freeze dried strawberries. Using a rubber spatula, fold everything together until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.1.2 oz bag Freeze dried strawberries, 8 Golden Oreos
- Line a plate with wax paper and set aside. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and using a large cookie scoop, measure out 2.5 oz of dough per cookie. Lightly roll the dough into balls using the palms of your hands, they do not have to be perfect. Smooth out any cracks. Place the dough balls on the wax paper lined plate and place in the fridge uncovered to firm up, about 10 to 15 minutes, while the oven preheats.
- Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 5 balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, about two inches apart. Leave the remaining dough balls in the fridge until ready to bake.
- Bake the cookies for 12 – 14 minutes depending on the texture of cookie you like. 12 minutes will yield a soft, gooey cookie while 14 minutes will give you a firmer cookie (don't worry it will still be soft). Remove the cookies from the oven halfway through baking and firmly tap the baking sheet on a heatproof surface to deflate the cookies. Rotate the baking sheet and return cookies to the oven and continue to bake. The cookies are ready when they are a light golden brown on the edge but pale and slightly wet in the middle. The cookies are better when they are slightly underbaked and will harden as they cool. While the cookies are baking, make the strawberry crunch topping.
For the strawberry crunch topping
- Combine the Oreo cookies, freeze dried strawberries, sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Slowly stream in the melted butter and pulse the mixture until you reach pea sized crumbs. If using a food processor, do not over-process the crumble or you will be left with tiny crumbs. Refer to post instructions above if using a ziplock bag and rolling pin to make the strawberry crumble.10 Oreo cookies, 0.6 oz (¼ cup) Freeze dried strawberries, ½ teaspoon Granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons (28 g) Unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Remove the cookies from the oven and using a small bowl or biscuit cutter, scoot the cookies in a circular motion until perfectly round. Top the cookies with strawberry crunch topping, pressing down lightly so the topping adheres to the cookies. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. While the cookies are cooling, make the vanilla glaze .
For the vanilla glaze
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream until smooth.½ cup (60 g) Powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, 2-3 tablespoons (45 g) Heavy cream
- Drizzle the cooled cookies with the vanilla glaze in a zigzag motion. Sprinkle a little of the leftover strawberry crumble on top of the glaze. Allow the glaze to set then enjoy!!
Notes
- Properly measure the flour - Use a kitchen scale to weigh the flour. If you do not have a food scale, use a fork to first fluff the flour, then spoon it into your measuring cup. Level the excess flour in the measuring cup with back of a butter knife.
- Use parchment paper - Baking the cookies on parchment paper prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
- Use cool melted butter - Using warm butter will cause the cookies to be greasy and spread more.
- Underbake the cookies - Underbaking the cookies helps maintain their gooey center. The cookies should appear slightly wet and doughy in the center while the edges should appear just set when removed from the oven.
- Don't over mix the cookie dough - To retain a tender texture, add the freeze dried strawberries and crushed Oreos when there are still a few streaks of flour. Then, fold everything together and stop mixing when the flour and mix ins are just combined.
- Don't make smaller cookies - These cookies are larger than the average homemade cookie and have more of a bakery style quality. With larger cookies, it takes longer for the heat to reach the center allowing the edges to bake first until they are golden and crisp while the center stays gooey and soft. Baking smaller cookies does not ensure the same texture.
Beronica
So, so good! Even just making the cookie recipe by itself with no toppings is the best. It is simply leveled up with the toppings 🔥
Recipe easy to follow and worth the time!
Lauren
YESSSS!! Thank you so, so much Beronica!! I am so glad you enjoyed them. You are so right, they are seriously delicious with and without the topping!!
Beronica Barahona
So, so good! Worth the time prepping and waiting. The toppings take this cookie to a whole new level! Must try 🔥