Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream

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Strawberry shortcake ice cream is a luscious blend of creamy vanilla ice cream swirled with roasted strawberries, creating a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors. Topped with a generous shortcake crumble, each bite offers a delightful crunch that complements the smooth, fruity base.

For more ice cream recipes, try my black cherry ice cream, apple pie ice cream, and blueberry cobbler ice cream!

strawberry shortcake ice cream with fresh strawberries on top.

This strawberry shortcake ice cream recipe has a creamy vanilla base, roasted strawberries swirled throughout, and crumbled shortcake pieces for a fun take on strawberry shortcakes!

You have to try this strawberry shortcake ice cream! It’s like a dream in a bowl. The ice cream base is creamy, rich vanilla ice cream with roasted strawberries swirled throughout and swirled and chunks of buttery shortcake pieces sprinkled on top. Every bite is a perfect blend of fresh and indulgent, with that classic, nostalgic taste of strawberry taste!

It’s got this amazing balance of flavors and textures that makes it impossible to stop eating. Seriously, it’s summer in a scoop!

I don’t know if ya’ll knew this, but my father is a wholesale ice cream distributor. I grew up eating every ice cream flavor, confection, popsicle you could possibly think of! The Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Bar was always my favorite. The cake crunch, creamy strawberry filling, and vanilla ice cream came together to make sure a delicious combo of flavors!

This recipe however is based on the actual strawberry shortcakes! You know the southern classic strawberry shortcakes with the whipped cream? It’s literally the perfect treat!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

No ice cream machine needed! This is an easy no churn ice cream recipe!
Roasted strawberries are blended into a strawberry puree for maximum flavor!
No artificial flavors or corn syrup!

Key Ingredients

ingredients to make strawberry shortcake crumbles - flour, cinnamon, baking powder, buttermilk, butter, and salt.

All Purpose Flour – I’m using Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached Organic Flour for the shortcake crumble topping! It’s my favorite flour because it’s clean, has exceptional
Cinnamon – just a touch of cinnamon in the shortcake crumble gives this strawberry ice cream a nice touch of spice!
Buttermilk – to keep the topping nice and tender and soft!
Butter – use cold salted butter in the topping. The cold butter give it a cobbler-like texture.

strawberry shortcake ice cream on a cutting board - strawberries, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and sweetened condensed milk.

Vanilla Extract – use a quality vanilla extract for a deliciously creamy vanilla ice cream base.
Sweetened Condensed Milk – this acts as a sweetener and a binder.
Heavy Cream – make sure your heavy cream is nice and cold to ensure a smooth whipped cream base!
Strawberries – fresh ripe strawberries are ideal for the best flavor and texture! Avoid using frozen.
Cream Cheese – cream cheese adds a ton of flavor and give it that classic tang!

Variations

If you’re short on time, you can swap out the homemade biscuit crumble and just use crushed sugar cookies instead!
Use my strawberry shortcake crumbles and swirl them throughout the ice cream for added flavor and crunch!

How to make Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream

shortcake crumble topping ingredients in a bowl.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Whisk together, then add the salted butter and pinch together until crumbles begin to form and butter is incorporated into the flour mixture.

shortcake dough in a bowl kneaded into a ball.

Step 2: Add buttermilk and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Gently knead until there are no more crumbles left.

strawberries and shortcake topping dough on a baking sheet.

Step 3: On one side of a parchment lined baking sheet, add strawberries and sprinkle sugar. Toss together. One the other side, break off pieces of the shortcake dough into crumbles (These don’t have to be in any specific size). Bake for 25 minutes, remove the shortcake crumbles and continue to bake the strawberries for another 5-10 minutes. Allow everything to cool completely.

Step 4: Once the strawberries are finished roasting, add them to a food processor and puree.

heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks in a bowl.

Step 5: In a medium bowl, combine room temperature cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Use an electric hand mixer to blend together until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. In a separate bowl, Add heavy cream and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold in sweetened condensed milk and the roasted strawberry puree.

crumbled up pieces of shortcake on a cutting board.

Step 6: Crumble up the biscuit pieces and fold half of the into the strawberry ice cream.

Step 8: Add half of the strawberry ice cream to a 8 or 9 inch round pan. Sprinkle with half of the remaining crumbles, then add the remainder of the ice cream on top, then sprinkle the remaining crumbles on top of the ice cream. Allow the ice cream to set in the freezer for about 4-6 hours, until completely frozen throughout.

Tips

Make sure you beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. You should be able to turn the bowl over without the whipped cream falling out. This ensures that the ice cream will be sure creamy!
Like all of the ice cream recipes on my web site, be sure to use high quality ingredients for the best results!
Be careful with watery ingredients, as they can make the ice cream icy.
Cold Equipment: Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes before you start. This helps the cream whip up faster and fluffier.

strawberry shortcake ice cream in a bowl garnished with fresh strawberries in front of a bag of Bob's Red Mill flour.

I have had the pleasure to work with some amazing brands and this blog post was made in partnership with one of them! CA Grown and I joined forces to bring you this delicious recipe,

Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between a cake and a shortcake?

The main difference between a cake and a shortcake lies in their texture and ingredients. A cake is typically light, fluffy, and made with flour, sugar, eggs, and butter or oil, often with multiple layers and frosting. In contrast, a shortcake is a crumbly, biscuit-like dessert, usually served with sweetened fruit and whipped cream.

Why does no churn ice cream work?

No-churn ice cream works by combining sweetened condensed milk, which adds sweetness and a creamy texture, with whipped heavy cream, which incorporates air and gives the ice cream its smooth and light consistency. The mixture is then frozen, where the whipped cream helps maintain the airy structure without the need for churning.

Why is my homemade strawberry ice cream icy?

Homemade strawberry ice cream can become icy if there’s too much water content from the strawberries or if the mixture isn’t properly emulsified. To prevent this, we roasted and puree the strawberries to reduce excess water and ensure the mixture is well-blended before freezing to maintain a smoother texture.