If you love the taste of strawberry and lemon, you have to try these Strawberry Lemon Cookie Cups. With just a few simple ingredients, you can enjoy a sweet bite of sugar cookie and fluffy filling in a tiny cookie cup. Yum!
Strawberry Lemon Cookie Cups
Summer is here and I’ve been in a baking mood lately. Recently I made these Amazing Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies. But with the warmer weather on its way, I thought I’d share this deliciously cool recipe for Strawberry Lemon Cookie Cups – it’s perfect for picnics and parties.
This is the simplest homemade sugar cookie recipe imaginable, and the butter, sugar and vanilla flavors blend together perfectly. The cookie cup edges are firm, to hold the strawberry filling, but the center is soft and chewy. Delish!
Since these little cups are so light and pretty, they’d be perfect to serve at a brunch or a baby or bridal shower. We’ve served them on Mother’s day before and they were a perfect addition to our potluck brunch.
It’s so easy to drop the dough into the mini muffin/cupcake tin to make the cookie cup, but it looks like it takes way more skill to make. Your guests will be impressed!
It’s also easy and kinda fun to press down the middle once they come out of the oven. Give it a minute or two before you start, since they’re so hot! A spoon or your fingers work well to depress the center.
Cookie cups just make a fun edible holder for desserts!
Strawberry Lemon Cookie Cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar (plus 1/4 cup for topping cookies)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract or 15 drops lemon essential oil
- Topping Ingredients
- 1 container (8 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed)
- 1 box (4-serving size strawberry-flavored gelatin (jello))
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 24 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.
- Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside
- With an electric mixer, cream the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes at medium speed.
- Add egg, vanilla extract, grated lemon peel, and lemon extract or lemon essential oil. Beat until well combined, about 30 more seconds. Add flour mixture and beat at a low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds more.
- Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls; place 1 ball in each muffin cup. Sprinkle each cookie ball with the tiny bit of remaining sugar.
- Bake, reversing the positions of the cookie cups halfway through baking time, until edges of the cookies are pale golden, 10 - 11 minutes.
- Remove cookies from oven. Gently press small spoon into center of each baked cookie to make shape of cup. Cool in pan 10 minutes.
- Remove cookie cups from muffin cups; place on cooling rack. Cool completely.
- For topping, add dry flavored gelatin to fully-thawed whipped topping; stir with whisk until well combined. Fill food-storage plastic bag or pastry bag with strawberry topping.
- If using plastic bag, cut hole in 1 bottom corner of bag; pipe topping into center of each cooled cookie cup. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
TIPS
- Grease the mini cupcake pan generously, so the cookie cups come out with ease.
- Make sure the whipped topping is fully thawed before combining it with the gelatin. And let the topping sit for a few minutes to allow the gelatin to set before piping into the cookie cups.
- These cookie cups can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator, but bring them back to room temperature before filling and serving.
If you were in a pinch, store-bought sugar cookie dough would work for these Strawberry Lemon Cookie Cups, but I think it’s way better with homemade.
This recipe has so many fun variations. You can totally try different gelatin or pudding flavors to vary the topping however you want. How cute would it be to do raspberry, blueberry, and white chocolate for the 4th of July??
Clean up for this one is a breeze, too!! One bowl, mini cupcake tins, a whisk, and a spoon and you’re done!
If you’re looking for other summertime treats that are easy to make, try these Cookies in a Jar or these No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies.
Happy baking and sweet treat making!
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Kay says
How long will they keep, and should they be refrigerated.
Erin Henry says
Good questions, Kay. Because they have whipped topping, they will need to be refrigerated. They would likely store for a couple of days before they begin to get soggy.
Shirley Wood says
Lemon cookies are great, especially in the summer. I bet my grandchildren would eat these so fast!Heck, I would too! Thanks for partying with us at Merry Monday.
Erin says
These cookie cups are great at get-togethers, too since they are single serve. Kids just adore them! Yum! The perfect flavor combo for summer.
Nikki says
Erin, I am a huge fan of fruit pizza with a sugar cookie crust. I bet I could emulate the exact same thing with this recipe only in single serving portions. But first I’m going to try it exactly the way you’ve done it, I love lemon flavored desserts in the summer.And pairing this up with strawberry…I think these might be my new favorite dessert.
Erin says
Fruit pizza is one my of my favs too, Nikki! It’s my go-to dessert to eat while watching the Oscars. These little cups do great at parties since they’re single servings. Well, that’s if you can east just one 🙂
Chellile says
These look so delicious and perfect for summer! Your photography is beautiful!
Erin says
Ahh, thanks, Chellie. These make the perfect summer treat. Either by themselves or at party with other yummy treats. Enjoy!
Lara says
This is what summer would taste like! Looks yummy!
Erin says
They are so yummy…and yes, they are the perfect summer treat! A delicious lemony cookie cup with strawberry filling, what could be better?
Debbie Kitterman says
Oh wow – yummy – lemon and strawberry two of my favorite flavors – these would be so cute for a baby shower too. Pinning and saving the recipe – found you at #WayWow
Erin says
You are so right! These would make a cute treat for a baby shower. Thanks for coming by, Debbie! I hope you enjoy snacking on these cookie cups!
Diane says
On your lemon strawberry cookie cups, what do you mean by reversing them half way through cooking time?
Erin Henry says
Good question, Diane. Simply rotate the pan in the oven so that the cookies cook evenly.