I love a good sandwich cookie — two layers of cookie with a fluffy filling in between is basically dessert perfection. These strawberry chocolate sandwich cookies combine tender chocolate sugar cookies with fresh strawberry buttercream. They use simple ingredients, are easy to make, and can double as chocolate cut-out cookies if you prefer shapes over rounds. Below is a streamlined, easy-to-follow version of the recipe so you can bake these at home.
How to make Strawberry Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Make the Chocolate Sugar Cookie Dough
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a medium bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream room-temperature unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Avoid overbeating so you don’t incorporate too much air, which can cause the cookies to spread.
Add the large egg and vanilla extract and mix just until combined. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing only until they’re incorporated. A few streaks of flour are fine—you can finish bringing the dough together when you roll it out.
Roll, Cut, and Bake the Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 2 1/4 inch biscuit cutter or any cookie cutter you like to cut shapes. If the dough becomes warm and soft, chill it briefly in the refrigerator to firm it up.
Place cut cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them slightly apart. Freeze the prepared cookie sheet for about 10 minutes—this helps prevent spreading. Bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes; most ovens are different, so I aim for nine minutes and remove them when they still look slightly soft in the center. They will continue to set as they cool on the hot cookie sheet. Let cookies cool completely before assembling.
Make the Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
Start by pureeing fresh strawberries in a blender or food processor and strain to remove seeds. You’ll need about 1/4 cup of strawberry puree (roughly a half pint of strawberries before pureeing).
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter at room temperature for 7–10 minutes until very smooth and slightly airy. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix briefly. Add 2 cups powdered sugar in two additions, mixing about 3 minutes after each addition to achieve a smooth texture.
Add the fresh strawberry puree and mix until evenly combined. If the buttercream is too thick for piping, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. For piping firm swirls that hold shape, keep the buttercream slightly thick.
Fit a piping bag with a large tip (such as a star tip) and fill it with the buttercream. Pipe swirls onto half of the cooled cookies, then sandwich with the remaining cookies.
Optional: melt semi-sweet chocolate and dip half of each sandwich cookie into the chocolate, letting them set on parchment for a chocolate-dipped finish.
Strawberry Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Description
Soft chocolate sugar cookies sandwiched with a light, fresh strawberry buttercream. These sandwich cookies are tender, flavorful, and easy to customize—decorate, dip in chocolate, or cut into festive shapes.
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
- 1/4 cup fresh strawberry puree (about 1/2 pint strawberries, pureed and strained)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–4 tbsp heavy cream, optional to adjust consistency
Instructions
For the Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer for about 3 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just until combined.
- Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick and cut shapes.
- Freeze cut cookies on the sheet for 10 minutes, then bake 8–10 minutes. Remove while centers are still slightly soft and allow to cool on the sheet.
For the Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
- Puree and strain strawberries to remove seeds.
- Beat room-temperature butter 7–10 minutes until smooth.
- Add salt and vanilla, then add powdered sugar in two additions, mixing about 3 minutes after each.
- Mix in strawberry puree. If needed, thin with heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Pipe swirls onto half the cookies and sandwich together. Optionally dip halves in melted chocolate and let set.
If you enjoy these cookies, try them as cut-out cookies for seasonal shapes or swap the strawberry puree for other fruit purees to create new flavor variations. The chocolate cookie paired with fresh fruit buttercream makes a versatile, crowd-pleasing treat.