Imagine all the deliciousness of a chocolate-covered strawberry in a fudgy chocolate cookie, packed with freeze-dried strawberries and dipped in chocolate. It’s a treat you’ll fall in love with at first bite! They’re soft and chewy chocolate cookies filled with flavorful freeze-dried strawberries and chocolate chips.
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Light brown sugar
- Large egg, at room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Freeze dried strawberries
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Semisweet chocolate chips (for the chocolate coating)
- Coconut oil (for the chocolate coating)
How To Make Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies
To start, preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
Beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed in stand mixer until they are light and fluffy
After scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it becomes light and pale in color, which should take about 2 minutes. Remember to scrape down the bowl as needed during this process.
Add the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the mixture. Beat on low speed until just combined, ensuring no streaks of flour remain, which should take about 30 seconds. Then, add the freeze-dried strawberries and chocolate chips, and fold them in to combine.
Scoop out the cookie dough using a 1 ½ ounce cookie scoop or a large spoon, making balls that are about 3 tablespoons each. Put these dough balls on the baking sheets.Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes.
After baking, allow the cookies to cool for approximately 15 minutes.
How To Make Coating
After the cookies have cooled, prepare the chocolate coating. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil.Microwave the mixture in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
After the cookies have cooled, dip the bottom of each cookie into the melted chocolate. Scrape off any extra chocolate before placing the cookie back on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet to let the chocolate set. Repeat this for all the cookies.
Pro Tips for Perfect Cookies
Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure both the butter and egg are at room temperature for better emulsification, resulting in a smoother dough and evenly baked cookies.
Cream Butter and Sugar Properly: Beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). This step aerates the dough, contributing to the cookies’ soft texture.
Accurate Measuring: Use a kitchen scale to measure the flour and cocoa powder. Over-measuring can lead to dense cookies.
Freeze-Dried Strawberries: Crush the freeze-dried strawberries into smaller pieces or a coarse powder before adding to the dough. This helps distribute the strawberry flavor more evenly.
Chill the Dough (Optional): If your kitchen is warm, chill the cookie dough for 15-30 minutes before baking. This helps the cookies retain their shape and prevents excessive spreading.
Baking Time: Watch the cookies closely while baking. Pull them out when the edges are set but the centers are still soft—they’ll firm up as they cool.
Chocolate Coating Technique: Use a fork or spoon to dip the cookies into the melted chocolate and tap it gently to remove excess coating. A clean finish ensures the cookies look professional.
Set Chocolate Faster: Place the dipped cookies on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes to speed up the chocolate setting process.
Variations
White Chocolate Drizzle: After dipping the cookies in semisweet chocolate, drizzle melted white chocolate over the top for a striking design and added sweetness.
Double Strawberry Flavor: Add a few drops of strawberry extract to the dough to amplify the strawberry flavor. You can also mix strawberry jam into the dough (use about 1-2 tablespoons).
Dark Chocolate Coating: Replace semisweet chocolate with dark chocolate for a richer, more intense flavor.
Festive Touch: Decorate the dipped cookies with sprinkles, crushed freeze-dried strawberries, or edible glitter for special occasions.
Stuffed Cookies: Add a surprise filling by placing a piece of chocolate or a dollop of strawberry jam in the center of each cookie dough ball before baking.
Mini Cookies: Make smaller cookies by using a smaller cookie scoop, reducing the baking time to 7-9 minutes.
Crunchy Add-Ons: Fold in chopped nuts (like almonds or hazelnuts) for added crunch and flavor.
Substitutions
Butter Substitute: Use vegan butter or margarine for a dairy-free option. Ensure it’s solid, not melted, for the proper texture.
Egg Substitute: Replace the egg with a flaxseed or chia seed egg (1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed or chia seeds mixed with 2.5 tablespoons of water, left to sit for 5 minutes).
Cocoa Powder: If you don’t have Dutch-processed cocoa powder, use regular unsweetened cocoa powder, though it may result in a slightly lighter color and tangier flavor.
Freeze-Dried Strawberries: Replace freeze-dried strawberries with dried strawberries (finely chopped) or strawberry-flavored chips.
Flour Options: Swap all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1:1 baking blend to make these cookies gluten-free.
Sweetener Swap: Use coconut sugar or granulated sugar in place of light brown sugar for a slightly different flavor.
Coconut Oil Substitute: Use vegetable oil or butter instead of coconut oil for the chocolate coating.
Chocolate Options: Try white chocolate, milk chocolate, or ruby chocolate for coating instead of semisweet chocolate.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the cookies with a glass of cold milk, a hot cup of coffee, or even strawberry-flavored tea for a delightful treat.
These cookies also make a perfect addition to dessert platters for holidays, birthdays, or romantic occasions like Valentine’s Day.
More Cookies
- Strawberry Crunch Cookies
- Strawberry Milkshake Cookies
- Butter Nut Cookies
- Strawberry Shortcake Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 large egg at room temperature (You can beat a large egg and use half of it)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5/8 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsps plus 2 teaspoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
For Coating
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- To start, preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
- Beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed in stand mixer until they are light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it becomes light and pale in color, which should take about 2 minutes.
- Add the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the mixture. Beat on low speed until just combined, ensuring no streaks of flour remain, which should take about 30 seconds. Then, add the freeze-dried strawberries and chocolate chips, and fold them in to combine.
- Scoop out the cookie dough using a 1 ½ ounce cookie scoop or a large spoon, making balls that are about 3 tablespoons each. Put these dough balls on the baking sheets.Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes.
- After baking, allow the cookies to cool for approximately 15 minutes.
How To Make Coating
- After the cookies have cooled, prepare the chocolate coating. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil.Microwave the mixture in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- After the cookies have cooled, dip the bottom of each cookie into the melted chocolate. Scrape off any extra chocolate before placing the cookie back on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet to let the chocolate set. Repeat this for all the cookies.