If you grew up obsessed with those nostalgic strawberry shortcake ice cream bars, these cookies are going to blow your mind. They’re soft vanilla sugar cookies topped with fluffy vanilla buttercream and a sweet, crunchy strawberry crumble that tastes just like the classic coating. These cookies are fun, eye-catching, and absolutely delicious — perfect for birthdays, bake sales, or when you’re just craving something a little nostalgic.
✨ Why You’ll Love These
- Nostalgic flavor: Just like the strawberry shortcake bars from the ice cream truck.
- Texture heaven: Buttery soft cookies, creamy frosting, and a crisp, sweet topping.
- No fancy ingredients: You probably already have everything you need.
RECIPE TIPS:
Cookie scoop: This recipe makes 18 large cookies. To make even, perfectly shaped cookies I use the second size large cookie dough scoop. It uses 2 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. If you’re using a smaller cookie dough scoop (this is the size I like to use) bake for 8-9 minutes and it will make approximately 20 cookies.
Underbaking the cookies: This is essential to getting the texture right. I bake my cookies for 10 minutes on the dot and then remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet. Letting them cool on the hot pan will keep cooking them but at a lower temperature, not drying out the cookie entirely.
Corn starch: Do not skip the corn starch in this recipe! Corn starch gives the cookies that chewy texture (along with baking for the correct time) and makes them soft on the inside.
If you want your strawberry crunch topping to have that signature pink color like the original bars, add 1 drop of red or pink food dye to the melted butter before mixing it into the Oreo and Jell-O crumble. It’ll give you that vibrant pop of nostalgic color!
This is a thick, chewy cookie and while it bakes it will only spread a little bit. One of the positives of that is that the recipe does not need to be chilled. You can make the dough and it can go right into the oven, giving you delicious cookies in under 30 minutes! Because they don’t really spread, before you bake them you will want to take a glass with a flat bottom and press the cookies down. They should be about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. The picture above is what they look like after using the glass to flatten the cookie.
PERFECTLY ROUND COOKIES EVERY TIME!
This trick is totally optional but I use it anytime I bake cookies to ensure they are perfectly round every time! This works especially with these cookies since they tend to spread. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven and still hot use a large round cookie cutter, or something else round and larger than the cookies (I’ve used a glass or bowl before). Place overtop of the cookie and move it around in a circular motion for 3-5 seconds, gently bouncing the cookie around inside. This will round the edges of the cookie out giving that perfectly circular shape. This will make your cookies pretty and uniform!
Storage
- Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The topping will stay crisp if kept dry.
- For longer storage, refrigerate cookies for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- If the topping softens over time, you can sprinkle on fresh topping right before serving for extra crunch.
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bar Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
For the frosting:
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 tbsp heavy cream or milk room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt
For the crunch topping:
- 20 Golden Oreos
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 3 oz box strawberry jello mix
- 4 tbsp salted butter melted
- red or pink food dye
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar for 3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and eggs. Mix on low until just incorporated.
- While the mixer is on low, slowly add in the flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt and mix until everything is just incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and use a large cookie scoop (about 2 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie) to make 18 dough balls. Space 2-3 inches apart. Use a round glass and press the bottom onto the cookie dough to flatten. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the edges are just set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 3 minutes before transferring to a cookie rack to cool completely. If the cookies spread, use a glass or bowl to gently reshape (see notes in the post on how to do this)
For the frosting:
- While the cookies are cooling make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and almost extract until smooth. Add in heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
For the crunch topping:
- Place 20 Golden Oreos in a large zip-top bag. Seal and use a rolling pin or heavy-bottomed glass to crush into a mixture medium and fine crumbs. A few larger bits are good for texture.
- Pour the crushed Oreos into a large bowl and stir in the granulated sugar. Then scoop about half of the mixture into another bowl. To the new bowl add strawberry Jell-O powder and mix well.
- Melt the butter and pour half into the plain bowl of crushed cookies. Optional: add a dot of red or pink food dye to the rest of the butter, mix to incorporate and add to the crushed cookies with the jello mixture. This will add those pops of darker color but not required! If not using the dye simply add the melted butter and mix to incorporate.
- Add the strawberry mixture back to the larger bowl and gently mix to evenly incorporate. Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 8-9 minutes.
For assembly:
- Once the cookies have completely cooled spread about 2 tablespoons of frosting onto each. Sprinkle the crunch mixture on top and serve!