Cottage Cheese Strawberry Shortcake (Printable)

Tender cookies with creamy cottage cheese and bursts of fresh strawberries, lightly sweetened and soft.

# What You Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 1/2 cup cottage cheese, whole milk, well-drained
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

→ Sweeteners

03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

05 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Fruit

09 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced

→ Optional Topping

10 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for sprinkling

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat together softened butter, drained cottage cheese, and sugar until light and creamy. Mix in vanilla extract.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Gently fold diced strawberries into cookie dough.
06 - Scoop heaping tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart.
07 - Sprinkle coarse sugar over cookie tops if desired.
08 - Bake for 14 to 16 minutes until edges are golden brown and centers are set.
09 - Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack for complete cooling.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cottage cheese secret makes these cookies soft and delicate in a way butter alone never could.
  • Fresh strawberries burst through every bite, so you get that real fruit flavor without any artificial taste.
  • They're ready in under 35 minutes, perfect for when you want homemade cookies but don't have all day.
02 -
  • Drainage is non-negotiable with cottage cheese or your cookies will turn out gummy instead of tender, so don't skip straining it in a fine mesh sieve for a few minutes.
  • The moment you see golden edges is when you pull them out, not when the centers look fully set, because residual heat continues the baking process.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill your dough for 15 minutes before scooping so the cookies maintain their shape instead of spreading too much.
  • Use a cookie scoop if you have one because it ensures even sizing and consistent baking, plus it's faster and more satisfying than a spoon.
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