About These Strawberry Rose Snickerdoodles
These strawberry rose snickerdoodles are your favorite snickerdoodles, but with a unique twist! The cookies are inspired by Middle Eastern desserts and flavors. First, the buttery snickerdoodle cookie dough is flavored with delicate, floral rosewater.
Then, to match the rosewater, each cookie is then rolled in strawberry sugar! Instead of using traditional cinnamon sugar, make strawberry sugar by blitzing freeze-dried strawberries and granulated sugar together in a food processor.
Looking for a traditional snickerdoodle cookie recipe? Check out My Best Snickerdoodle Recipe and this Snickerdoodle Recipe Without Cream of Tartar.
These strawberry rose snickerdoodles are a unique twist on a classic cookie recipe.
Traditional snickerdoodles are flavored with cinnamon and nothing else. But I’ll be honest—cinnamon has never been my favorite flavor in the spice rack. It usually works best when it’s paired with other spices, too (I mean, think about it—”pumpkin spice flavor” is technically cinnamon plus loads of other spices, right?!).
So when developing the snickerdoodle recipe for my cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I had the brilliant idea to swap out the cinnamon for other spices. In my book, you’ll find other snickerdoodle flavors like “black sesame snickerdoodles”, “matcha snickerdoodles”, and my personal favorite, “raspberry sumac snickerdoodles” (they’re pink!!!). Heck, even on this blog I have recipes for raspberry lemon snickerdoodles (also pink!), black halva snickerdoodles, and now, these strawberry rose snickerdoodles.
Moral of this story? If you’re not a fan of cinnamon, don’t be afraid to swap out the cinnamon in the recipe for your favorite spice and/or other flavors!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Now that I’ve convinced you to make these strawberry rose snickerdoodles, here’s your shopping list for the recipe:
Shopping List
- freeze-dried strawberries
- granulated sugar
- all-purpose flour
- cream of tartar
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- unsalted butter
- large eggs
- rose water
- edible rose petals
And let’s talk about some key ingredients and their potential substitutions:
Ingredient Sources and Substitutions
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries. In the US, more and more supermarkets are starting to carry freeze-dried fruit. Both Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market offer a variety of different freeze-dried fruits in their dried fruit and nut aisle. Most recently, I saw Target offer freeze-dried strawberries as part of their new Good & Gather brand. However, you can also buy freeze-dried strawberries online on Amazon. I recommend the Natierra brand.
- All-Purpose Flour. You can use a 1-1 gluten free all purpose flour replacer to make the recipe gluten free. I like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Flour Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.
- Cream of Tartar. I do think that you need cream of tartar to make this snickerdoodle recipe. This is the ingredient that gives them their unique flavor! Learn more in this blog post.
- Kosher Salt. Kosher salt is the best salt for baking recipes. But you can replace the kosher salt in the recipe with table salt. Just use half the amount listed in the recipe when you do!
- Rose Water. You can buy rose water in most major supermarkets in the United States. Rose water is typically available in most major supermarkets in the United States. However, you’ll need to do some digging. Some supermarkets store it near the alcohol and seltzers since it’s an ingredient commonly used for cocktails. Other supermarkets store it in the “international” aisle, typically by the “Middle Eastern” foods. The most common rose water brand I’ve seen is Cortas Rose Water. It is also one of my favorite brands because it is good quality, and relatively cheap (you get a lot of rose water per bottle). If you want an upgrade, I also recommend Nielsen-Massey’s Rose Water. Just note that it significantly more expensive than Cortas!
- Edible Dried Rose Petals. Edible dried rose petals are available online on Amazon. You can buy them in dried rose bud form, or petals. Either works in this recipe, though I prefer petals since they are easier to sprinkle and don’t affect the texture of the cookies too much. If you want a specific recommendation, I used these Suncore Rose Petals. With either option, just make sure that the roses are “food grade.” Non-food grade rose petals will contain harmful fertilizers and pesticides that will leech into your cookies.
I still can’t find edible rose petals. Do I need to use them at all?
In a pinch, you can skip the edible rose petals. They are purely there for garnish. Thanks to the rose water in the dough, the snickerdoodles will still taste like rose without them.
Can I use fresh rose petals instead?
Yes! In a pinch, you can garnish the cookies with fresh rose petals. You may want to cut them up since fresh rose petals are significantly bigger than dried. And again, this bears repeating: use organic roses. Non-organic roses will contain chemicals and pesticides that aren’t suited for eating.
How To Make The Cookies
Here are the basic steps to make strawberry rose snickerdoodles from scratch:
First, prep the ingredients for the cookies
- Prep the ingredients. (Prep Time: 5 minutes)
Thankfully, prep for this recipe is fairly easy. Simply measure out all the ingredients and make sure they are at the temperatures specified in the recipe. That’s it!
Next, make the different components for the snickerdoodles.
- Make the strawberry sugar. (Work Time: 5 minutes)
Use a food processor to pulse the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. Then, add the sugar and pulse to combine. Although you can skip a step by just pulsing the strawberries and sugar together, I don’t recommend it. The strawberries need to be finely ground for the cookies and pulse better on their own first! Learn more in the Baker’s Tips below. - Make the snickerdoodle cookie dough. (Work Time: 10 minutes)
This snickerdoodle cookie recipe follows most standard cookie recipes and comes together quickly. First, cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs, rose water, and dry ingredients. That’s it!
Then, assemble the cookies.
- Form the cookie dough into balls. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
Each cookie will need to be rolled in the strawberry sugar before baking. To make things more efficient, I create a “snickerdoodle cookie assembly line” that starts with using a cookie dough scoop to portion the dough into even cookie dough balls. - Roll the cookie dough balls in the snickerdoodle topping. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
Once the cookie dough balls have been formed, roll each one in a shallow bowl filled with the strawberry sugar. Toss and coat every single dough ball completely.
Finally, bake the snickerdoodles.
- Bake the snickerdoodles. (Bake Time: 10 minutes)
The snickerdoodles need 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 400℉. Snickerdoodle cookies are baked at a higher temperature than most other drop cookie recipes. Most cookie recipes are baked at 350℉, but snickerdoodles are typically baked between 375℉ and 400℉.
Why?
This higher temperature encourages the baking powder to activate quickly, puffing the centers of the cookies as they bake. When pulled out of the oven, the centers then fall, giving each snickerdoodle cookie its signature crispy edges. - Garnish the snickerdoodles. (Work Time: <5 minutes)
When the snickerdoodles are done, set the tray of cookies on a wire rack and immediately garnish with the rose petals. The rose petals will stick to the fresh cookies, and glue themselves naturally to the cookies as they cool and set.
Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ
My snickerdoodles came out too puffy and didn’t flatten like yours. What did I do wrong?
Check out my troubleshooting guide on How To Fix Puffy Cookies (And Other Cookie Baking Fails)!
Can you freeze strawberry rose snickerdoodles?
Yes! You can freeze the snickerdoodles in two ways:
Freeze the unbaked snickerdoodle cookie dough.
After portioning the dough into balls, place the balls on a parchment lined sheet pan and freeze for 30 minutes, or until the dough is hard enough to handle without being sticky. Transfer to a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Note that the dough will be frozen WITHOUT the snickerdoodle topping. When ready to bake, you’ll need to roll the cookie dough balls in the snickerdoodle topping. There’s no need to thaw the cookie dough balls before baking. Follow the instructions for baking in the recipe, but increase the Bake Time to 14 minutes.
Freeze the baked strawberry rose snickerdoodles.
First, scrape off any rose petals—they don’t freeze well. Individually wrap any leftover cookies in two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. The aluminum foil will prevent the cookies from absorbing any other flavors or odors in the freezer. When ready to serve, transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight. Rewarm in the microwave before serving.
Best Recipe Tips
Technique Tip
- Freeze-dried strawberries tend to get soft and soggy the longer they sit. If your freeze-dried strawberries are on the softer side, the food processor will have a hard time pulverizing them. You’ll likely end up with a few larger pieces of strawberries in your sugar. If necessary, pick out any large pieces larger than the size of a pea. These tend burn in the oven, ruining the look of your cookies!
Baking Tips
- Because this dough has a LOT of butter in it, it has a tendency to really want to stick to the bottom and sides of the bowl when mixing. For the best cookies, use a rubber spatula to scrape down the paddle and the bowl repeatedly—I like to liberally scrape things down two to three times during the creaming process (once after every minute of creaming), once after every egg addition, and finally, two more times after adding the dry ingredients (the first time after ALL the dry ingredients have JUST been added, the second time after they’ve just been mixed together).
- I like to bake the cookies one pan at a time. I find that doing so makes the best cookies, ensuring that none of them have overly burnt bottoms or raw centers. However, to save time, you can bake two sheet pans at a time. Position a rack in the upper-third position of the oven, and a second one in the lower-third position of the oven. Bake a pan on each rack, swapping their positions half way through the Bake Time.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Rose Snickerdoodles Recipe
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Sugar Topping
- ¼ cup (0.25 ounces or 7 grams) freeze-dried strawberries
- ¼ cup (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) granulated sugar
For the Rose Water Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough
- 2 ¾ cups (12.35 ounces or 350 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups (10.5 ounces or 298 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces, or 227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon rose water
- edible dried rose petals, for garnish
Equipment
- A food processor
- a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop
Instructions
For the Strawberry Rose Snickerdoodles
- Prep the oven and pans. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Make the strawberry sugar. Use a food processor to pulse the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. Add the sugar for the topping and pulse 2 to 3 times to combine. Pour into a shallow bowl.
- Make the rose water cookie dough. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium-high until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add the eggs, rose water, and dry ingredients. Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, adding the next egg only after the previous one has been fully incorporated. Add the rose water and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
- Assemble the snickerdoodles. Use a 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to portion the cookie dough into balls. Roll each in the snickerdoodle topping, covering them completely. Place the coated cookies at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.
- Bake the snickerdoodles. Bake one pan at a time for 10 minutes, or until the edges have set but the centers are still gooey. The cookies will look puffed when you pull them out of the oven, but will fall and crack into the perfect cookies as they cool. Immediately garnish with the rose petals. Cool the cookies on the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms of the cookies have set and feel firm to the touch. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
- Serve and store. Serve warm or at room temperature. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a comment and rating for the recipe using the form below!
Your ratings make it easier to find the recipe online, and I’m always looking for ways to improve Hummingbird High.
Oooh these look fantastic, the combo of strawberry and rosewater sounds perfect. Adding freeze dried strawberries to my next TJ’s list! Maybe 2 bags, one for this, one to snack upon.
I dunno, the strawberry sugar just kept burning… I tried adding the sugar on top hallway through baking and that was a little better but still it burned. The dough was also extremely sticky. I had to put it in the freezer for twenty minutes in order to roll it.
This is such a good and fancy cookie that takes very little extra time to make. The strawberry sugar – which I’m seriously considering co-opting for SO MANY RECIPES – is lovely and subtle, and the rose water (and petals) add an intriguing note of earthiness along with the floral. I didn’t find this to be a sweet cookie, despite the strawberry sugar. Recommended if you like a sophisticated flavor.
The rose water has the added bonus of making the whole house smell amazing, too.
Have been wanting to make these cookies for months and finally got around to it – well worth the wait! Buttery, sweet with amazing rose flavor.
I made a couple minor modifications:
– added a little extra rose water because I love the flavor, though probably not necessary
– reduced butter by ~ quarter stick
– mixed crushed strawberries directly into batter at end, so I could freeze and pop directly into oven when desired with no additional work. While the larger pieces did brown a bit (I didn’t use a food processor), I cooked on a lower oven temp (375) and found the larger tart chunks of strawberry to be a nice balance to the sweetness of the cookie.
Just to confirm – 3 tbsp scoop? I did that and they came out the size of scones 😔
400F was way too hot and the strawberry sugar was too dark on top. I baked the rest at 350 for 11-12 minutes which was better. Turned out delicious. The rose was nicely balanced and not overwhelming like it can be.
for anyone wondering, I tried this recipe with 1:1 gluten free flour and it turned out excellent! vegan butter and coconut oil also work 🙂