This homemade strawberry shortcake ice cream combines fresh macerated strawberries, a creamy eggless vanilla base, and crumbled shortbread cookies. It has all the flavors of classic strawberry shortcake in a scoop-and a little of the nostalgia of a Good Humor strawberry shortcake bar.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
👩🏻🍳 Recipe Name: Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
⏱️ Ready In: 4.5 hours (mostly hands-off chill and freeze time)
🧑🧑🧒 Serves: 8-10 (about 8 cups)
🍴Calories: ~593 (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Fresh strawberries, heavy cream, whole milk, vanilla extract, shortbread cookies
🍲 Flavor Profile: Creamy vanilla ice cream studded with juicy macerated strawberries and buttery shortbread crumbles - all the flavors of classic strawberry shortcake, in a scoop.
🎯 Difficulty: Easy
I love a good fruit dessert in the summer. Blueberry crisp, Fresh Rhubarb Pie, Simple Peach Cobbler, Blackberry Creamsicles - there's nothing better than taking the delicious fruit from each season and turning it into a delicious sweet treat. And it truly doesn't get any better than this creamy strawberry shortcake ice cream. It's like summer in a bowl!
(Looking for more frozen desserts? Try my sweet peach ice cream, cherry pineapple popsicles, blackberry creamsicles, or my ice cream nachos!)
In This Post
Why I Love It
There's absolutely nothing better than the combination of juicy strawberries, creamy ice cream, and crumbly shortbread cookies. Here's why I love this throwback ice cream so much:
- Easy and eggless: No custard or tempering eggs. I used an ice cream maker to make this, but you certainly can make it without one. (See the FAQs below.)
- Made with real strawberries: Very ripe berries give the ice cream its best flavor. (Add a dollop of this strawberry whipped cream for an extra special treat!)
- Buttery shortbread pieces: The cookies add the classic shortcake flavor and texture.
- You control the ingredients. Making ice cream at home allows you to control the quality of ingredients, ensuring a rich, velvety ice cream that's free from artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. (Yay!)
- Adaptable. Strawberries and shortcake are obviously a match made in heaven (looking at you, strawberry shortcake fluff!), but you could easily try using other berries like blackberries or blueberries for this cream dessert.
Key Ingredients
This easy homemade ice cream requires just a few ingredients. Here's what you'll need:
- Strawberries. Fresh strawberries are the best for this recipe, and to be honest, I like them when they are ultra-ripe (even a little soft) when I'm making ice cream. You'll macerate them a bit with the sugar but this is a great way to use up fruit that's at the tail end of its prime.
- Granulated sugar. Used to macerate the strawberries and sweeten the ice cream base.
- Heavy cream and whole milk. These form the creamy base of the ice cream, giving it a rich and smooth texture.
- Vanilla extract. You're basically making vanilla ice cream here, with the macerated strawberries and juice added in, so the vanilla is a must.
- Sea Salt. Just a touch to enhance the other flavors.
- Vodka. What? Liquor in ice cream?? This fun surprise ingredient actually prevents the ice cream from becoming too hard, ensuring a perfect, scoopable consistency. (Don't worry - it's just a tiny amount!)
- Shortbread cookies. Crumbled shortbread adds a delicious crunch, mimicking the texture of a strawberry shortcake.
How To Make Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
Step 1: Prep the strawberries. Give the strawberries a good wash and chop them into small pieces. (Pro-tip - keep the strawberry bits pretty small - about the size of a blueberry. There's nothing worse when eating ice cream than to bite into a rock-hard frozen piece of fruit! Keeping them small will help them blend in more with the ice cream.) Toss the strawberries into a medium bowl, sprinkle with a tablespoon of granulated sugar, and let them sit and get all sweet and juicy for about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Make the Ice Cream Base. Grab a medium-sized saucepan and mix the heavy cream, whole milk, 1 cup of granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt. Heat over medium-low, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves (about 5 minutes). Take the vanilla cream base off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Step 3: Combine and chill. When your ice cream base is cool, mix in the macerated strawberries and a splash of vodka. Stir it all together, cover the bowl, and pop it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 4: Churn the ice cream. Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker and let it churn according to the manufacturer's instructions (around 25-30 minutes). Then, throw in the crumbled shortbread cookies and churn for another 10 minutes for that perfect mix-in. Note on ice cream maker size: This recipe makes about 2 quarts. If your machine has a smaller capacity, churn the mixture in two batches.
Step 5: Freeze the ice cream. Scoop the ice cream into a container (I like using a bread pan), cover it with plastic wrap pressed right against the surface to keep those pesky ice crystals at bay, and freeze for 1-2 hours, or until it's firm and ready to scoop.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy. Dig into your homemade strawberry shortcake ice cream and savor every bite on its own or with extra strawberries and shortbread cookies!
Expert Tips
- Keep the strawberry pieces small. Large chunks freeze solid and turn into icy bites that interrupt the creamy texture. Aim for small, uniform pieces - about the size of a blueberry.
- The vodka helps soften the ice cream. One tablespoon might seem strange, but alcohol lowers the freezing point just enough to keep the ice cream soft and scoopable rather than rock hard. The vodka helps keep the ice cream scoopable, but it can be omitted. Without it, the ice cream may freeze more firmly, so let it soften for 5-10 minutes before scooping.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface before freezing. This is the step that prevents ice crystals from forming on top and giving you that unpleasant grainy layer.
- Let it sit before scooping. Homemade ice cream firms up more than store-bought. Set it out for 3-5 minutes and run your scoop under warm water before digging in.
Variations And Substitutions
There are a few things you can try to mix this recipe up a bit.
- Sub out the shortbread. I think shortbread is the perfect cookie for this recipe, but if you don't have shortbread cookies, you can use vanilla wafers, sugar cookies, pound cake pieces, or even a classic shortcake biscuit - all still delicious!
- Use a strawberry puree. This ice cream tastes a bit like vanilla, with strawberries added in. You could use a strawberry puree here, which would amp up the strawberry flavor quite a bit.
- Use strawberry jam or preserves. You could substitute the fresh strawberries for a jam or preserves to save a little time.
- Try a strawberry shortcake ice cream cake! Line butter cookies along the bottom of a cake pan to form a cookie crust, then alternate layers of the soft/semifrozen ice cream to make your cake. This is the same process I use for this chocolate peppermint icebox cake!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, although the texture will be somewhat denser than machine-churned ice cream. Freeze the chilled base in a shallow container, stirring it vigorously every 30 minutes until evenly frozen and creamy.
When stored in an airtight container and covered with plastic wrap, this homemade strawberry shortcake ice cream will last for up to 2 weeks in the freezer.
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries. Thaw them completely and drain any excess liquid before chopping and macerating with sugar.
The vodka in the recipe helps to keep the ice cream from freezing too hard, but if it's still too firm, just let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping. I also often run my ice cream scoop under warm water before scooping to make the process a little easier.
Ensure that the cream and milk mixture is well-chilled before churning. Also, using full-fat dairy products like heavy cream and whole milk (versus skim milk) will result in a creamier texture.
The Good Humor bar uses artificial strawberry flavoring and cake crumbles. This recipe uses real, fresh strawberries and actual shortbread cookies, so the flavor is much fresher and the texture is creamier, loaded with lots of great chunks of real strawberries and shortbread cookies. If those bars are what you grew up eating, this will feel like a welcome upgrade.
More Frozen Summer Desserts
If you try this creamy Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating and a comment below. And don't forget to tag me @frontrangefed on Instagram so I can see your masterpiece!
Recipe
Best Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups strawberries washed and chopped small
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon vodka
- 1 ½ cup crumbled shortbread cookies
Instructions
- Start by preparing your strawberries. Wash and chop into small pieces (about the size of a blueberry) and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar over the top of the strawberries and allow to sit for about 30 minutes while you prepare the ice cream base.
- Add the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt to a medium-sized saucepan. Set the heat to medium-low and heat until the sugar dissolves completely, about 5 minutes (be sure to stir often to prevent the mixture from burning).
- Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover and allow it to come to room temperature. Once the mixture reaches room temperature, add the strawberries and the vodka and stir to combine. Cover the bowl, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or overnight.
- Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and add it to your ice cream mixture. Churn for 25-30 minutes. Add the shortbread crumbles and churn for 10 minutes more.
- Place the ice cream in a container and cover with plastic wrap, making sure to press the plastic wrap to the surface of the ice cream to prevent crystals from forming. Freeze for 1-2 hours, or until ice cream becomes firm.
- Scoop into bowls to serve. Add additional cookie crumbs to the top, if desired.
Notes
- Keep strawberry pieces small, about the size of a blueberry. Large chunks freeze solid and interrupt the texture.
- One tablespoon of vodka keeps the ice cream from freezing too hard. Don't omit it.
- Press plastic wrap directly to the surface of the ice cream before freezing to prevent ice crystals.
- No ice cream maker? Pour the chilled mixture into a large bowl and freeze. Stir vigorously every 30 minutes until firm and creamy.
- Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 3-5 minutes before scooping.
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Sarah says
The perfect summer treat! This is easy to make and tastes amazing. There's nothing like homemade ice cream!