Valentine Strawberry White Chocolate (Print Version)

Soft, chewy bites filled with strawberry and creamy white chocolate for a sweet indulgence.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
11 - 2-3 drops red or pink food coloring

→ Add-Ins

12 - 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
13 - 1 cup white chocolate chips

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Add egg, vanilla extract, strawberry extract, and food coloring to the butter mixture. Mix until combined.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
06 - Fold in crushed freeze-dried strawberries and white chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
07 - Scoop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing approximately 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set and centers remain slightly soft.
09 - Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're soft and chewy in a way that feels almost indulgent, with bursts of real strawberry flavor that doesn't taste artificial or overly sweet.
  • The whole process takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish, making them perfect for when you want to impress someone without spending all day in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't overbake these cookies even though the centers look slightly underdone when you pull them from the oven—they firm up as they cool and that's exactly when they reach cookie perfection.
  • Freeze-dried strawberries can sometimes absorb moisture from the air and become less crispy, so store them in an airtight container in a cool place and use them within a reasonable time frame.
03 -
  • Room temperature butter makes all the difference in how easily the dough comes together and how the cookies ultimately texture out—take the time to let it warm up naturally rather than microwaving it.
  • Crushing the freeze-dried strawberries by hand gives you a mix of fine pieces and small chunks, which creates more interesting texture and flavor distribution than grinding them to powder.
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