Raspberry Sugar Cookies (Real Flavor)

These raspberry sugar cookies are like regular cut-out sugar cookies, but with two major upgrades in the dough: tangy cream cheese and freeze-dried raspberries. Naturally colored, these pretty pink cookies are beautiful right out of the oven, but feel free to garnish with melted chocolate or any other recommended toppings. You’ll love these for Valentine’s Day or any occasion where you crave a fun, berry-flavored cookie.

I originally published this recipe in 2021 and have since added new photos and helpful success tips.

Have you ever baked my regular sugar cookies before? They’re a traditional sugar cookie with soft centers and slightly crisp edges—definitely a favorite around here, especially when I make Valentine’s Day cookies, Easter cookies, and Christmas sugar cookies (same dough recipe). A recipe with year-round versatility!

It’s one of my most-used recipes, right along with chocolate chip cookies and pie crust. I also have a published recipe for cream cheese cut-out cookies with Nutella glaze, which takes sugar cookies to the next level. The cream cheese provides a creamy-like texture and slight tang in each bite. I might even prefer them over regular sugar cookies!

I took the same cream cheese sugar cookie dough and experimented with freeze-dried raspberries. The result was an extra tender berry-flavored cookie with the most gorgeous (and natural!) pink/magenta color.

One reader, Tierney, commented: “Thanks, Sally, for another awesome recipe! I was so pleasantly surprised at how much raspberry flavor these cookies had. I drizzled melted white chocolate on them and they were perfect. I will definitely be making them again. ★★★★★”

Another reader, Kathryn, commented: “These cookies are spectacular. I am posting this late, having made them last Valentine’s Day, but I cannot get them out of my mind. I took them to a special dinner and everyone loved them and they were so impressed. The balance is perfect for someone who prefers less sweet cookies. I dipped and drizzled some with dark chocolate (my preference) and some with white chocolate for those who prefer a slightly sweeter cookie. ★★★★★“

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Tell Me About These Raspberry Sugar Cookies

• Texture: Cream cheese makes the dough extra soft and creamy, which I love in so many cookie recipes, like apricot cream cheese thumbprints and maple walnut tassies.
• Flavor: These cookies aren’t as sweet as normal sugar cookies. If you’re craving real fruit FLAVOR in your cookies, start here. We have a little tang from the cream cheese, but most of the flavor comes from the sweet-tart raspberries. I appreciate that we’re using real berries that have been freeze-dried, not artificial raspberry flavoring. Almond extract is completely optional, but it adds another level of flavor. For a little more sweetness, dip the cookies in chocolate or white chocolate.
• Ease: Cookie cutter sugar cookies, of any variety and flavor, aren’t quite as easy as drop cookies. However, if you’re comfortable using a rolling pin and cookie cutters, the process won’t seem arduous. This recipe requires an extra step but it’s pretty simple: grind the freeze-dried berries into powder before using.
• Time: The cookie dough comes together quickly. Roll it out, then chill it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Without chilling, the cookies will completely lose their shape. After that, cut the dough into shapes, then bake. Set aside a few hours to complete this recipe.

Freeze-Dried Raspberries Are the Secret

I love using freeze-dried berries in frostings. Have you tried this strawberry buttercream before? When you grind freeze-dried strawberries into a powder, you can easily use it in frosting. Freeze-dried berry powder—or “dust”—is perfect because it’s not wet and, therefore, doesn’t mess with the consistency of frosting. Real berry flavor without compromising texture. We also use it on the coating of chocolate raspberry crinkle cookies. And, as it turns out, you can do the same thing with sugar cookie dough, as long as you don’t go overboard with quantity. 2 cups (about 56g) of freeze-dried raspberries grinds down into 1/2 cup of powder, which is the perfect amount for this sugar cookie dough.

• Where to buy freeze-dried raspberries: I usually find them in my regular grocery store in the dried fruit aisle. Keep your eyes peeled—they’re more common than you think. Trader Joe’s and Target carry them too. You can also purchase them online and here is a brand we’ve tested before. (They are much cheaper in stores if you can find them!) You need 2 cups, which is a little less than 2 standard 1.2-ounce bags.
• Can I do this with another type of freeze-dried fruit? Yes, absolutely. I’ve tested this sugar cookie dough with freeze-dried strawberries, blueberries, and mango. The mango flavor wasn’t as intense as the berries, though. Use the same amount—1/2 cup of the ground powder.
• Can I do this with regular dried fruit or frozen fruit? No, do not use chewy/gummy dried fruit and do not use frozen fruit. You need freeze-dried raspberries, which are raspberries with all of the moisture removed—that way they can grind into a powder.

Overview: Making Raspberry Sugar Cookies

• Grind freeze-dried raspberries into powder.
• Make sugar cookie dough. The recipe instructions below include creaming the butter and cream cheese together before adding sugar. You also need 1 egg and vanilla extract. Almond extract is optional, but a tasty addition if you have some on hand. The dry ingredients include flour, the raspberry powder, baking powder, and salt.
• Divide into 2 pieces.
• Roll out cookie dough. Roll each piece of dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Have extra flour on hand because the dough is sticky.
• Chill rolled-out dough for at least 2 hours.
• Cut into shapes. Re-roll all your scraps—you’ll be surprised how many cookies you get from this amount of dough. I love these heart-shaped cookie cutters, but you can use whatever shape you’d like.
• Bake & cool. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets before decorating.

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The Trick Is the Order of Steps

Notice how I roll out the dough BEFORE chilling it in the refrigerator? Let me explain why. To prevent the cookies from over-spreading, the cookie dough must chill in the refrigerator. Roll out the dough right after you prepare it, then chill the rolled-out dough. (At this point the dough is too soft to cut into shapes.) Don’t chill the cookie dough and then try to roll it out because it will be too cold and difficult to work with. Divide the dough in half before rolling it out because smaller sections of dough are simply more manageable.

I follow this same order of steps when making brown sugar cut-out cookies.

After chilling, cut into shapes, arrange on lined baking sheets, bake, and then cool.

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Decoration & Topping Ideas

I love using royal icing on regular sugar cookies. That icing would definitely work here (and here’s my how to decorate sugar cookies tutorial if you want to do so!), but I didn’t want the tangy raspberry and cream cheese flavors to be overpowered by super-sweet icing. So instead I dipped them in melted dark chocolate and drizzled with melted white chocolate. So simple, so delicious. Here are some options:

• Melted chocolate (dark, milk, white)
• Royal icing or easy cookie icing (it’s what I use when I make these Christmas sugar cookies)
• Nutella glaze from these cream cheese cut-out cookies with Nutella glaze
• Cookie decorating buttercream (similar to these St. Patrick’s Day cookies) or chocolate buttercream
• Strawberry buttercream—you can replace the freeze-dried strawberries with freeze-dried raspberries to make a raspberry buttercream

Garnish the chocolate or icing with sprinkles or leftover freeze-dried raspberry powder:

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