Pinkmas Pinterest Christmas Cookies – Easy Pink Party Treat

Pinkmas is that gloriously pink corner of the internet where Christmas gets a strawberry-milk makeover, and these cookies are my edible love letter to it. I first built this recipe in a rented kitchen in Marrakech, where the light through the window turned every bowl of pink dough into a little sunset, and I have made them every December since.

The dough is a soft vanilla-sugar base colored with freeze-dried strawberry powder rather than liquid food dye, so the pink stays vivid after baking and the flavor tastes like real berries instead of perfume. A quick white chocolate drizzle and a scatter of crushed peppermint turn a simple drop cookie into the kind of tray people photograph before they eat.

You do not need a stand mixer, a cookie cutter, or a piping bag, just a bowl, a whisk, and about 50 minutes. This is the recipe I hand to friends who say they cannot bake, because it forgives a heavy hand and rewards a patient one.

About the Ingredients

2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour

Spoon the flour into the cup and level it, or the cookies turn cakey. For a gluten-free tray, swap in a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend and add 1 tablespoon milk.

1 teaspoon baking soda

Check the date on your box, because old baking soda gives flat cookies. If you only have baking powder, use 3 teaspoons and expect a slightly cakier crumb.

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Fine sea salt dissolves evenly; kosher salt works if you crush the flakes between your fingers first. Skip salted butter if you use it, and cut this to 1/4 teaspoon.

3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened

Softened means it dents when pressed but still holds its shape; melted butter makes the cookies spread thin. Plant butter in a stick form is the best dairy-free swap here.

1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar

White sugar keeps the pink clean; coconut sugar will muddy the color to mauve. Measure by weight if you can, since a packed cup adds 30 extra grams.

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature

The extra yolk is what makes these chewy rather than crisp. If you are out of eggs, whisk 3 tablespoons aquafaba with 1 teaspoon cornstarch and use that instead.

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Real extract, not imitation, carries the berry flavor. Vanilla bean paste gives the same result with pretty flecks throughout the dough.

1/3 cup (12g) freeze-dried strawberry powder

Grind freeze-dried strawberries in a blender until fine, then sift out any seeds. If you cannot find them, raspberry powder or 2 tablespoons beet powder plus 1 teaspoon strawberry extract works.

1 cup (170g) white chocolate chips

Look for real cocoa butter on the label, because it melts glossy and sets snappy. Coconut oil white chips are a good vegan substitute for the drizzle.

1/3 cup crushed peppermint candies or pink sprinkles

Crush candy canes inside a zip bag with a rolling pin for uneven, sparkly shards. Pink nonpareils or freeze-dried raspberry bits are lovely if you want to skip mint.

Tips & Tricks

Do not skip weighing the flour

too much flour is the number one reason these cookies bake up dry and pale. If you only have cups, fluff the flour first, spoon it in, and level with a knife.

Bloom the strawberry powder

whisk it into the softened butter and sugar for a full 60 seconds before adding the egg, so the color distributes evenly and no pink streaks remain.

Watch the first tray like a hawk

ovens run hot, and a 60-second overbake turns a chewy pink cookie into a crisp one. Pull them when the centers still look slightly underdone.

• Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before moving: the cookies finish setting on the hot pan, and moving them early tears the soft centers.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the oven

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If you use dark nonstick pans, drop the temperature to 325F (165C) so the bottoms do not scorch.

2. Cream butter and sugar

Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and strawberry powder on medium speed for 2 minutes until pale pink and fluffy. The mixture should look like strawberry frosting and feel light when you lift the beaters.

3. Add egg and vanilla

Beat in the egg, extra yolk, and vanilla for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl once. The batter will look glossy and slightly curdled, which is exactly right.

4. Fold in the dry ingredients

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl, then fold into the wet mixture with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Stop the moment it comes together, because overmixing builds gluten and makes tough cookies.

5. Scoop the dough

Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds onto the prepared sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Roll each mound briefly between your palms for a smooth top, then press two white chocolate chips into the surface.

6. Bake until barely set

Bake one tray at a time for 11 to 13 minutes at 350F (175C), until the edges are set and barely golden and the centers still look soft and puffy. An instant-read thermometer in the center should read about 190F (88C).

7. Cool on the pan

Leave the cookies on the hot sheet for 5 minutes, where they will deflate slightly and set into a chewy texture. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.

8. Drizzle and decorate

Melt the white chocolate chips in 20-second microwave bursts, stirring between each, until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the cooled cookies with a fork, then scatter crushed peppermint over the wet chocolate and let it set for 10 minutes.

Delicious Variations

Chocolate Pinkmas

swap 1/2 cup of the flour for cocoa powder and drizzle with dark chocolate for a pink-and-brown marbled look.

Peppermint Swirl

add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to the dough and fold in 1/2 cup white chocolate chunks before baking.

Pinkmas Sandwich

spread strawberry jam or vanilla buttercream between two cooled cookies for a party-ready sandwich cookie.

How to Store Pinkmas Pinterest Christmas Cookies

Frequently Asked Questions

Make a tray of these Pinkmas cookies this week, wrap a few in cellophane with a pink ribbon, and hand them to someone who needs a little brightness in December. Then tell me in the comments whether you went full peppermint or kept them plain, because I read every single one. Go, see, and connect.

Pinkmas Pinterest Christmas Cookies

Pinkmas Pinterest Christmas Cookies are chewy strawberry-pink sugar cookies with white chocolate drizzle, ready in 50 minutes and pretty enough to gift.

★★★★½ 4.8 (214 ratings)

15 minPrep time35 minCook time24Servings168 kcalCalories

Print RecipePin Recipe

🧂 Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (12g) freeze-dried strawberry powder
• 1 cup (170g) white chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup crushed peppermint candies or pink sprinkles

📋 Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven — Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If you use dark nonstick pans, drop the temperature to 325F (165C) so the bottoms do not scorch.
2. 2Cream butter and sugar — Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and strawberry powder on medium speed for 2 minutes until pale pink and fluffy. The mixture should look like strawberry frosting and feel light when you lift the beaters.
3. 3Add egg and vanilla — Beat in the egg, extra yolk, and vanilla for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl once. The batter will look glossy and slightly curdled, which is exactly right.
4. 4Fold in the dry ingredients — Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl, then fold into the wet mixture with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Stop the moment it comes together, because overmixing builds gluten and makes tough cookies.
5. 5Scoop the dough — Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds onto the prepared sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Roll each mound briefly between your palms for a smooth top, then press two white chocolate chips into the surface.
6. 6Bake until barely set — Bake one tray at a time for 11 to 13 minutes at 350F (175C), until the edges are set and barely golden and the centers still look soft and puffy. An instant-read thermometer in the center should read about 190F (88C).
7. 7Cool on the pan — Leave the cookies on the hot sheet for 5 minutes, where they will deflate slightly and set into a chewy texture. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
8. 8Drizzle and decorate — Melt the white chocolate chips in 20-second microwave bursts, stirring between each, until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the cooled cookies with a fork, then scatter crushed peppermint over the wet chocolate and let it set for 10 minutes.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: If your strawberry powder clumps, sift it before creaming, and remember that the dough should look slightly underbaked when it leaves the oven. The residual heat finishes the job.

Servings: 24

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Nutrition (per serving): 168 kcal · 2g protein · 23g carbs · 8g fat

Written by Aisha Hassan

Aisha writes about travel and cultural immersion, sharing stories and tips from her journeys to off-the-beaten-path destinations. She emphasizes respectful tourism, budget-friendly adventures, and the importance of connecting with local communities.