Recipe for lemon cookies with strawberry frosting; These strawberry lemonade cookies are easy to make with fresh strawberries! Cake mix lemon cookies and easy fresh strawberry frosting.
I’ve been noticing lately how many of my stories begin with the phrase, “So I went to Costco….”
So, I went to Costco and came home with a giant box of strawberries. Gorgeous, sweet, juicy strawberries. I wanted nothing more than to bake with them.
Only, baking with strawberries is a total disaster. TOTAL. They have such a high water content, they completely change the chemistry of anything you might want to make strawberry-flavored.
Don’t believe me? Check for yourself. Google “strawberry cookies” and notice that they are all made with strawberry cake mix, or freeze dried berries, or even strawberry milk mix. Which actually doesn’t sound bad, but it doesn’t help me use up the 4 pounds of fresh berries in my fridge either.
I ate a few plain berries with this Key Lime Fruit Dip while I thought about it.
My second idea was to make strawberry frosting. I went all out and spent a half hour on a batch of Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Either I am really bad at Swiss meringue buttercream, or it is fussier than I was led to believe.
Probably both.
True story: after my meringue frosting disaster, I dropped onto my bed in frustration, only to have my husband point out (quite animatedly and repeatedly, actually) that I had frosting all over my face.
No, I did not go into a homicidal rage. But I did contemplate it.
In the end, the frosting was far easier than I expected it to be. However, I did learn one very important trick.
The trick is to create a puree ahead of time, that has been reduced. This concentrates the strawberry flavor, and reduces the water content. Let it cool, and you’ll have no trouble at all mixing it with butter and powdered sugar to make one tasty fresh berry buttercream.
Which is perfect, because the cookies were crazy easy, too. Summery, easy, and delicious… it’s the trifecta of perfect cookies!
You’re reading one of my Top 10 Most Popular Posts! Check out the others here:
 1. CondensedMilk Cookies |
 2. Chocolate PeanutButter Cake |
 3. Peanut ButterNo-Bake Bars |
 4. PretzelToffee |
 5. One-BowlBrownies |
 6. LemonSugar Cookies |
 8. BEST ChocolateProtein Shake |
 9. Plain OatmealCookies |
 10. Red VelvetCake Batter Dip |
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- ½ cup shortening
- 2 eggs
- 3 T. butter, softened
- 3 T. strawberry puree *(see notes)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Mix all ingredients until well combined. Drop small spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes.
- Combine all ingredients, and mix until smooth and soft.
- Frost the bottom side of one cooled cookie, and sandwich it with a second cookie of a similar size.
Wow I bet these are super soft from using the cake mix. Yum!
Mmm…lemon and strawberries together sounds great and these are too cute. When I have a giant Costco batch of strawberries I tend to puree them and keep the sauce in the fridge. It’s great in smoothies, over ice cream or yogurt and lots of other things.
Wow! These sound super delicious and I can’t wait to try them. Thanks for sharing!
Pingback: April Showers & May Flowers (Or The 35 Best Recipes for Spring)! | Juanita's Cocina
Your cookies look delicious, I love the pink strawberry filling!
Pingback: 30 Berry-licious Strawberry Cookies and Strawberry Cupcakes
Pingback: Busy Being Jennifer | Summery Lemonade Recipes
I love any recipe that starts with a cake mix! I work full time, and don’t feel like measuring 500 ingredients! This recipe looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it!
These look Ah-mazing!
I’ve just adopted a member of our Armed Forces. I will use lots of cookie and cake recipes. I can’t send chocolate between May and September but with your site, that won’t be a problem at all. Excited!!
Pingback: One Bowl Brownies | Jen's Favorite Cookies | Recipes & Photos - Part 1
Love your photos – thank you for letting me post this on my blog!
Costco is a dangerous place! Our family of four was never really big enough for most of their package sizes but that didn’t stop me from occasionally indulging. Now that the girls are off at school, I try very hard to stay out of there when I am home in the States. But, somehow, it always sucks me in. 🙂 Your cookies are beautiful! I love the lemony yellow with the pretty pink center.
Pingback: Almond Milk Pancakes with Maple Roasted Strawberries + Strawberry Recipe Roundup - Solid Gold Eats
Pingback: 5 Quick and Easy Desserts | Jen's Favorite Cookies | Recipes & Photos
This recipe looks so yummy. I found the frosting to be more of a glaze…hopefully putting it in the fridge will help.
Pingback: Lemonade Round Up | Like Mother, Like Daughter Food
Can I substitute butter for the shorterning? These look fantastic. Thanks!
Allie, sure. Butter is fine.
I’m going to try & make these cookies tomorrow night. I’m a lemon fanatic, so it’s a year-round staple for me! I only have a box of yellow cake mix, so I’m going to remove a cup or so of the cake mix & replace it with lemon-flavored Jell-O Pudding & see how they turn out. I think it should be ok since there is no milk in the recipe. I’m thinking of using a cup of the pudding powder and a cup of lemon Jell-O gelatin powder since the gelatin would have more of a lemon flavor, but I don’t want to get over-zealous & end up ruining the cookies. I already have all of the other ingredients in my pantry & cupboards, but no strawberries. Since I’m EXTREMELY low on cash, I’m gonna try a shortcut & use some strawberry jam that I have as a substitute for the strawberry puree. Cross your fingers!
Pingback: Lemonade Party: Cookies and Sweets - Mimi's Dollhouse
Pingback: Frosting Stuffed Cookies | Jen's Favorite Cookies
My frosting turned out more like very sweet jam. It was tasty but not quite right. I had to rename the cookies, “Sloppy Joe” cookies! Any tips?