There is much to love about these Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies. At first glance they’re irresistible—the bright pink glaze streaked across oversized heart-shaped cookies looks stunning—but they deliver more than just good looks. Tender, cakey cookies meet a vibrant, tangy glaze for a delightful contrast of flavors and textures.
This recipe grew out of Becky Sue’s long-loved Big Pink Cookies. Over time the recipe evolved—rather than using artificial coloring, freeze-dried strawberries are crushed to a fine powder, giving natural color and flavor to the glaze. For a summer bake sale supporting local causes, the cream cheese frosting from the original was swapped for a more stable, naturally colored glaze, and these Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies were born.
More big and soft cookie recipes from Baking The Goods
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The Big Pink Cookie Recipe
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Big Maple Cream Cheese Frosted Cookies
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Lemon Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies
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Tahini Pistachio White Chocolate Rose Skillet Cookie
During a local bake sale for Bakers Against Racism, Becky teamed up with Portland bakers to raise funds for the Black Food Sovereignty Coalition. Wanting a cookie that traveled well in summer, she adapted her Big Pink Cookies into this glazed version—bright, naturally colored, and easier to sell without refrigeration.
What makes these Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies so lovable?
The cookie dough is simple, smooth, and versatile—easy to roll, holds its shape, and yields large, soft, cakey cookies with crisp edges. Where the original recipe used a blend of extracts and cardamom, this version keeps the focus on vanilla and fresh lemon zest for a bright citrus note.
The soft & tender lemon heart cookies
- Generously sized. These cookies are cut with a 3–4″ heart cutter and kept thick—about 1/4″ to 1/2″—for a satisfying bite.
- Soft, cakey texture. They stay tender and cakey while still offering a pleasant bite.
- Easy to work with. The dough rolls beautifully, holds detail, and bakes with clean, crisp edges—perfect for shaped cookies.
- Balanced sweetness. The dough isn’t overly sweet; buttery notes and lemon zest shine through for a bright, balanced flavor.
The show-stopping element is the naturally colored strawberry-lemon glaze. It’s vivid, tart, and sweet—a concentrated burst of freeze-dried strawberry balanced with fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar. A sprinkle of sparkling or raw sugar adds shine and a pleasant crunchy contrast.
The vibrant strawberry lemon glaze
- Natural color and flavor. Finely ground freeze-dried strawberries color and flavor the glaze without artificial dyes.
- Sweet and tart balance. Powdered sugar and lemon juice create a bright glaze where concentrated berry flavor meets citrus tang.
- Textural contrast. Sparkling sugar gives the glaze a glittery finish and a satisfying crunch against the soft cookie.
- Easy wow factor. The bold color and quick drizzle technique deliver dramatic results with minimal effort.
Mixing the strawberry lemon glaze is simple
Shaping and decorating the Strawberry Lemon Cookies feels like an art project
Rolling the pliable lemon dough and cutting oversized hearts is joyful and reminiscent of childhood play. Drizzling the bright glaze over the cooled cookies is a free-form, modern-art finish—each cookie becomes uniquely beautiful. After glazing, sprinkle with sparkling sugar and allow the glaze to set into a delicate, eggshell-like finish.
These Strawberry Lemon Cookies are balanced in sweetness + tartness
Together the tender lemon cookies and the sweet-tart strawberry lemon glaze create a well-rounded treat—bright, flavorful, and texturally interesting. The recipe is straightforward, but thoughtful details like zest in the dough, chilling the cookies before baking, and sifting the glaze ingredients elevate the final result.
Beyond the recipe, these cookies are a small reminder of adaptation and creativity: a beloved cookie reimagined to meet a need and emerging even more delightful for it. Try them as written or experiment with other freeze-dried fruits and citrus zests to make the glaze your own.
Whether you’re baking for a bake sale, a celebration, or just because, these cookies are an easy way to create something pretty, bright, and delicious. Big love, friends.
Recipe
Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies
- Author: Becky Sue of Baking The Goods
- Yield: 16 cookies
Description
Big, soft lemon heart cookies drizzled with a bright, tart strawberry lemon glaze and finished with sparkling sugar.
Ingredients
LEMON HEART COOKIES
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 medium lemon, zested & juiced
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
STRAWBERRY LEMON GLAZE
- 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries (to be ground into powder)
- 4–5 tablespoons lemon juice (reserved from the lemon used in the dough)
- 2–4 tablespoons sparkling or raw sugar
Instructions
LEMON HEART COOKIES
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl; set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat butter and sugar on high for 4–5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Crack the eggs and add vanilla to a measuring cup. With the mixer on low, add eggs one at a time, allowing each to incorporate before adding the next. Mix until smooth.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on medium until a smooth dough forms. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
- Form dough into two disks, wrap, and chill at least 1 hour or up to overnight so it firms for rolling.
- Roll dough to about 1/4″ thickness on a floured surface. If cracking, let rest at room temperature a few minutes. Cut with a 3–4″ heart cutter. Gather scraps and re-roll as needed. Place cut cookies on a lined baking sheet and chill for at least 20 minutes until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake cookies 12–15 minutes (depending on size) until edges are just starting to brown and cookies feel set. Cool on the baking sheets a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
STRAWBERRY LEMON GLAZE
- Grind freeze-dried strawberries to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle, food processor, or by crushing in a sealed bag. Sift to remove seeds; you’ll need about 1/4 cup powder.
- Sift powdered sugar and strawberry powder together. Add about 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and whisk until the glaze runs off the whisk in a smooth ribbon. If too thick, add lemon juice or water 1 teaspoon at a time; if too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar.
- When cookies are completely cool, dip a whisk into the glaze and wave it over the cookies to create streaks. Sprinkle sparkling sugar over the glaze and let set on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes until the glaze firms to a soft, eggshell finish.
Notes
Cut cookies can be stored sealed in the freezer up to 3 months; bake from frozen (add a few extra minutes if needed).
Adjust bake time for different shapes and sizes—larger, thicker cookies need more time; smaller, thinner cookies need less.
The dough is adaptable—try other extracts, citrus zests, or spices.
Freeze-dried fruits other than strawberries can be used to vary the glaze color and flavor.