Strawberry Crunch Cookies
Soft strawberry cookies topped with cream cheese frosting and a buttery strawberry crunch, just like the classic ice cream bar.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup Nilla Wafers finely crushed
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries crushed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter very soft
- 1 box strawberry cake mix 15.25 oz
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste divided
- 3 large eggs
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the crunch topping by combining the crushed Nilla Wafers and crushed freeze-dried strawberries in a medium bowl.
- Add the 3 tablespoons of very soft butter to the crumb mixture and work it in with your fingers until the mixture holds together when pressed and resembles damp sand. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the strawberry cake mix, cornstarch, and all-purpose flour until well combined.
- Add 1 cup softened butter, 3 large eggs, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla bean paste to the dry ingredients. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until a thick, smooth, and slightly sticky dough forms.
- Scoop about 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie, roll into balls, then gently flatten each ball into a thick disk with your palm.
- Place the dough disks on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 11 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look soft.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the sheet.
- While the cookies cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting by beating the cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened butter together in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, powdered sugar, pinch of salt, and milk to the bowl and beat until the frosting is thick, smooth, and spreadable.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, spread a generous layer of cream cheese frosting over the top of each cookie.
- Immediately sprinkle or gently press the strawberry crunch topping onto the frosting of each cookie, covering the surface.
- Serve the cookies right away or refrigerate for 20–30 minutes to help the frosting set before serving.
Notes
- For the crunch topping, crush the wafers and strawberries finely but leave a few small pieces for extra texture.
- If the cookie dough feels too soft to scoop, chill it for 15–20 minutes before shaping and baking.
- If the cookie dough feels too soft to scoop, chill it for 15–20 minutes before shaping and baking.