Strawberry butter cookies are delicate sandwich cookies with a light, crisp shell, a smooth buttercream border, and a bright strawberry jam center. A small round window in the top cookie lets the filling peek through, which makes them look far more impressive than the short ingredient list suggests.
The base is a simple three ingredient butter cookie dough. Butter provides rich flavor, granulated sugar helps create a crisp bite, and cake or all purpose flour keeps the cookie tender. Once the rounds are baked and cooled, you add a ring of buttercream and a generous center of jam.
I love making these for holiday cookie trays, bridal showers, and weekend baking projects. They feel special enough for guests, but the method is approachable for home bakers. You do not need a stand mixer, fancy cutters, or decorating experience to get a beautiful result.
Every layer in this dessert has a clear job. The cookie dough gives structure, the buttercream brings richness, and the jam delivers a fruity pop of flavor. Because the components are simple, ingredient quality and preparation make a big difference.
Use softened butter for the cookie dough. It should feel cool and pliable, not shiny, greasy, or melted. Butter creates a richer flavor than margarine, and that flavor carries through the whole cookie.
The buttercream can be made with butter or white vegetable shortening. Shortening keeps the buttercream firm and more stable in hot weather, which is useful if you are serving these at a summer party or packing them for a picnic.
Sifting the powdered sugar helps prevent lumps in the buttercream. The jam is flexible too. Strawberry is the classic choice, but blueberry, apricot, peach, and raspberry all work beautifully.
Component
Ingredient
Amount
Cookie dough
Butter, softened
1 cup
Cookie dough
Granulated sugar
1/2 cup
Cookie dough
Cake or all purpose flour
2 cups
Jam filling
Jam
3/4 cup
Jam filling
Cornstarch, optional thickener
1/2 tablespoon
Buttercream
Butter
3/4 cup
Buttercream
Powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups
Buttercream
Vanilla extract, optional
1/2 teaspoon
Vanilla extract is optional in the buttercream, but it rounds out the sweetness and makes the filling taste a little more finished.
How to Make Strawberry Butter Cookies
The process is straightforward: make a soft dough, roll it thin, chill it, cut the rounds, bake them, and fill each pair with buttercream and jam. Active prep takes about 20 minutes, and the cookies bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Plan for an extra 30 minutes of chilling time.
Make the cookie dough. Beat the softened butter and sugar for about 3 to 5 minutes until pale, light, and fluffy. Sift in the flour and mix gently to form a soft dough.
Roll and chill. Divide the dough in half and form each piece into a disk. Place each disk between two large sheets of parchment or wax paper. Roll to a thickness of 3/16 inch or 5mm, then chill the sheets for 30 minutes.
Cut the cookies. Peel away the top paper and lightly dust the dough with flour. Use a 2 inch round cutter for the bottoms. Cut a smaller window in half of the rounds to make the tops.
Bake. Place the cutout shapes on a baking sheet and bake at 320°F (160°C) for 12 to 15 minutes until light golden brown. Cool completely before filling.
Fill and assemble. Pipe buttercream around the outer edge of each bottom cookie. Add the cutout top and press gently. Pipe jam into the center window, then dust with castor or powdered sugar.
Be careful not to overmix the flour. Stop as soon as the dough comes together so the cookies stay tender.
Preparing the Dough and Shapes
Rolling the dough before refrigerating is the trick that makes this recipe easy. If you chill a thick disk first, the butter becomes firm and the dough may crack when you try to roll it out later. Rolling first gives you even, smooth sheets that are ready to cut as soon as they are cold.
Roll first, chill second, and cut when the dough is cold. This order helps you avoid cracks and keeps the cookie shapes clean.
Divide the dough in half and work with one disk at a time. Using parchment or wax paper means you do not need to flour the counter heavily. When the dough is evenly rolled, transfer both sheets to the refrigerator on a baking sheet or cutting board.
After 30 minutes, the dough should feel firm but still cut easily. Peel away the top layer of parchment, dust the surface lightly with flour, and rub it gently over the dough. This small amount of flour keeps the cutter from sticking without making the cookies tough.
Use a 2 inch round cutter for the bottom halves. Then use a smaller round cutter or a piping nozzle to remove a clean window from half of the rounds. Matching the sizes helps the sandwich cookies look even, but a slightly irregular top still has a charming handmade look.
Jam and Buttercream Filling
The buttercream is simple: beat the butter or shortening for 2 minutes until fluffy and softened. Gradually add the powdered sugar, sifting it first if needed, and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract if you like.
The jam can be used straight from the jar, but you may prefer a thicker center that sets when cooled. To thicken it, heat the jam in a small pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
Add the cornstarch and whisk continuously for 4 minutes until the mixture thickens. Let it cool completely before piping. Warm jam will melt the buttercream.
When you are ready to assemble, fill a piping bag or a disposable plastic lunch bag with buttercream. Snip only a small tip so you can control the flow. Pipe a ring along the outer edge of each bottom cookie.
Place the cutout top over the ring and press lightly. Then pipe the jam into the window so it sits neatly inside the buttercream border.
Sprinkle the assembled cookies with castor or powdered sugar for a soft, snowy finish. The sugar also gives them a pretty contrast against the red jam center.
Tips for the Perfect Cookies
Watch your cookies closely during baking. Remove the sheet pan when the cookies are golden but still slightly soft. They will continue to bake from the residual heat of the pan after you take them out, so pulling them at the right moment keeps them crisp without becoming hard.
If your cookies lose their shape in the oven, the dough was probably too thick or too soft. A quick fix is to return the cut cookies to the refrigerator before baking so the butter can firm up.
Keep the buttercream stable, especially on warm days. White vegetable shortening can help prevent the filling from softening too much. If your kitchen is hot, work in small batches and keep the assembled cookies in a cool spot while you finish.
Cream the butter and sugar well for a light and crisp cookie.
Do not skip the chilling step for the best shape.
Mix the flour gently to maintain tenderness.
Cool the cookies completely before adding the buttercream and jam.
The recipe card expects about 15 to 20 sandwich cookies, though the yield can come closer to 12 to 15 once assembled and sandwiched depending on your cutter size and dough thickness. Nutrition information from the source calculates one cookie at 370 kcal, 42g carbohydrates, 22g fat, 2g protein, and 27g sugar.
FAQs
How do you keep strawberry butter cookies from spreading and losing their shape?
Chill the rolled dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cutting, and return the cut cookies to the refrigerator if the dough becomes soft. Roll the dough to 3/16 inch (5mm) and bake at 320°F for 12 to 15 minutes until just golden. Cream 1 cup softened butter with 1/2 cup sugar for 3 to 5 minutes until pale and fluffy, but do not let the butter become greasy.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour for strawberry butter cookies?
Yes, the recipe lists cake or all-purpose flour, so all-purpose flour is an accepted substitute. Use 2 cups of either flour and mix gently to avoid developing gluten. Cake flour produces a more delicate crumb, while all-purpose flour makes a slightly sturdier cookie that still works well for sandwich cookies.
How do you thicken jam for the strawberry butter cookie filling?
Heat 3/4 cup jam in a small pot over medium heat for 1 minute, then add 1/2 tablespoon cornflour or cornstarch and whisk continuously for 4 minutes until thickened. Let the jam cool completely before piping it into the cookies, because warm jam can melt the buttercream. You may also use the jam as is and skip the thickening step.
Can strawberry butter cookies be frozen?
For the best texture, freeze the baked cookie rounds before filling them. Place them in a single layer and stack with parchment in an airtight container, then thaw completely before adding buttercream and jam. Filled cookies are best served fresh because the buttercream and jam can soften the crisp cookie.
What Are Strawberry Butter Cookies? Strawberry butter cookies are delicate sandwich cookies with a light, crisp shell, a smooth buttercream border, and a bright strawberry jam center.
Total Time:35 minutes
Yield:15 – 20 sandwich cookies 1x
Ingredients
Scale
For the cookie dough 1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 2 cups cake/all-purpose flour
For the jam filling 3/4 cup jam, use as is or thicken with cornflour if preferred 1/2 tablespoon cornflour, optional thickener
For the buttercream 3/4 cup butter 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the dough 1-Beat the butter and sugar for about: Beat the butter and sugar for about 3 to 5 minutes until pale, light, and fluffy see note 4 2-Sift the flour into the beaten butter: Sift the flour into the beaten butter mixture and mix gently to combine forming a soft dough.
Divide the dough and roll it out 3-Divide dough in half, form each half: Divide dough in half, form each half into a disk and place each between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or wax paper. 4-Use a rolling pin to roll each: Use a rolling pin to roll each piece of dough to 3/16″ inch (5mm) thickness. see note 5
Refrigerate for 30 minutes 5-Place dough sheets on a baking sheet: Place dough sheets on a baking sheet or cutting board and transfer them to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut with a cookie cutter 6-Peel away the top layer of parchment: Peel away the top layer of parchment paper from your dough. Dust and rub lightly with flour. 7-Use a 2″ round cookie cutter to: Use a 2″ round cookie cutter to cut out cookies. (this is going to be the bottom part of the cookie) 8-With a smaller round cookie cutter or: With a smaller round cookie cutter or piping, nozzle cut a window out of half the shapes. (this is going to serve as the top part of the cookie)
Bake 9-Place the cutout shapes onto a baking: Place the cutout shapes onto a baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a preheated oven of 320°F (160°C) until golden brown. See note 6
Cool and sandwich the cookies 10-Fill a piping bag or disposable plastic: Fill a piping bag or disposable plastic lunch bag with buttercream. Snip the tip of the bag to allow the frosting to flow freely. Be cautious with how large you create the hole based on how you’d like to pipe out your frosting. 11-Pipe the buttercream along the outer edge: Pipe the buttercream along the outer edge of the bottom part of the cookies. 12-Take the top part of the cookie(those: Take the top part of the cookie(those with the cut-out center) and place it over the piped buttercream. Press lightly and gently to sandwich the cookies. 13-Fill another piping bag or disposable plastic: Fill another piping bag or disposable plastic lunch bag with the jam. Snip the tip of the bag. Pipe the jam to fill in the center of the cookie. 14-Sprinkle castor or powdered sugar over the: Sprinkle castor or powdered sugar over the assembled cookies.
Reducing the jam (optional) 15-You can use the jam as is: You can use the jam as is and skip the step where it is reduced and thickened on the stove with the cornflour. 16-I prefer a thicker jam where it: I prefer a thicker jam where it sets to a firm consistency when cooled. To achieve this consistency, the jam and cornflour need to be heated on the stove for a few minutes and cooled before piping onto the baked cookies. 17-Heat the jam in a small pot: Heat the jam in a small pot on medium heat for 1 minute. As the jam warms, it becomes weaker and more liquid. 18-Add the cornflour/cornstarch directly into the heated: Add the cornflour/cornstarch directly into the heated jam and whisk continuously for 4 minutes until thickened. 19-Allow the heated and reduced jam to: Allow the heated and reduced jam to cool before piping it into the baked cookies. If it is not cooled before using, the warm jam will cause the piped buttercream to melt.
To make the buttercream 20-In a bowl beat the butter or: In a bowl beat the butter or shortening for 2 minutes until fluffy and softened. 21-Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue: Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue to beat this mixture until smooth, creamy, and well-combined.
Last Step:
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