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These Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars is an easy, no-bake dessert made with butterscotch Golden Oreo crumbs, freeze-dried strawberries, and layers of creamy vanilla and strawberry ice cream. They’re the kind of dessert that’s always nice to have in the fridge on a hot afternoon. Pair them with a grinder sandwich for lunch and you have my idea of a perfect summer day.
I still remember the thrill of hearing an ice cream truck ding on a hot summer day. After an afternoon of playing outside and running through the sprinklers to cool off, the day ended with strawberry shortcake ice cream. I loved biting into the strawberry shortcake pieces on the outside and the layers of sweet vanilla and strawberry ice cream tucked inside.
These Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars bring me right back to those summers, but they’re even better because they’re incredibly simple to make with just a few ingredients. If I were to put together the perfect summer menu, these ice cream bars would be right next to it smash the burgers and a large pitcher sweet tea.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
- Golden Oreos – These create a creamy “shortcake” crumb that gives the bars that nostalgic taste. I love the texture they add to the cover.
- Freeze dried strawberries – This is how we get that concentrated strawberry flavor and natural bright pink color without soaking the crumble.
- Fat butter – Melted butter binds the cookie crumbs so that the layers hold their shape after cooling.
- Strawberry and vanilla ice cream – Using both flavors creates a nice marbled center, but you can easily use all strawberry or all vanilla ice cream if you prefer. I like the Tillamook brand because the texture is perfectly creamy.
- Salt: – Just a pinch balances the sweetness and enhances the strawberry flavor.
Please refer to the recipe index card below for the remaining ingredients.
Quick Tips for the Best Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Line the baking pan with parchment. Don’t skip this step, the parchment helps to remove the ice cream bar from the baking pan.
Don’t overdo the cookies. We want a coarse, sandy crumb instead of a fine powder so the crumble has lots of texture.
Let the ice cream soften a little. It should spread easily but still hold its shape. If it is too melted, the layers will not remain distinct.
Use a hot knife for clean layers. Dip the knife in hot water and dry between cuts.
Cut to your preference. These ice cream bars can be sliced to make 6, 9 or even 12 bars.
Serve straight from the freezer. These soften quickly, so they’re best enjoyed within minutes of slicing.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Make forward. You can assemble these ice cream bars up to 1 week before serving, just keep them tightly wrapped so they don’t burn in the freezer.
Storage. Store cut bars in an airtight freezer container or wrap individually in plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
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Begin by preparing an 8×8 baking dish. For the cleanest look, I use a metal one with as straight sides as possible. Wrap it with a parchment paper sling so that both sides of the parchment hang over the side of the pan. Put it aside.
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Add half of the golden Oreos to the bowl of a food processor, breaking up each one a little at a time. This prevents the food processor from over processing and turning them into a powder.
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Pulse in a food processor until you get small crumble-sized pieces. Transfer to a bowl, then add the remaining golden Oreos, breaking them up along with the freeze-dried strawberries (no need to break them up first). Pulse again until you have small pieces, then add them to the bowl with the remaining cookies, melted butter and salt. Mix until everything is easily combined.
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Pour half of the cookie crumble (it should be about 310 grams) on the prepared cookie and press the cookie firmly and evenly into the pan. Place the ice cream in the freezer for 15 minutes, removing the ice cream to melt slightly on the counter while it hangs.
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After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the freezer and strain the ice cream over the pressed crumble. The ice cream should not be runny or super loose, but soft enough to scoop and spread evenly with an offset spatula. I like to alternate the flavors of the ice cream scoops on top so that each sandwich has two flavors when assembled.
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After adding all of the ice cream, use an offset spatula to kind of push the ice cream down to get a nice smooth layer. Add the rest of the crumble on top, spreading it out evenly and gently pushing down to create an even layer of pressed crumble to match the first layer you put in the pan at first. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer.
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Let everything refrigerate for at least 1.5 hours, preferably 2 or more hours (overnight is great) so the ice cream sets well enough to even cut.
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When ready to serve, remove the pan from the freezer and remove the ice cream sandwich with a parchment paper towel. You may need to use a thin knife along the edges without the parchment paper to help with this. When the sandwich is removed from the pan, cut it into desired sizes (I think a 3-by-3 row is perfect for this, but you can make them as small or large as you like. Serve immediately and store leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.
These ice cream bars are quite thick, you can easily make them thinner by reducing the amount of ice cream used. This can be your preference.
Quick tips
Grease the baking pan with parchment. Don’t skip this step, the parchment helps to remove the ice cream bar from the baking pan.
Don’t overdo the cookies. We want a coarse, sandy crumb instead of a fine powder so the crumble has lots of texture.
Let the ice cream soften a little. It should spread easily but still hold its shape. If it is too melted, the layers will not remain distinct.
Use a hot knife for clean layers. Dip the knife in hot water and dry between cuts.
Cut to your preference. These ice cream bars can be sliced to make 6, 9 or even 12 bars.
Serve straight from the freezer. These soften quickly, so they’re best enjoyed within minutes of slicing.
Make ahead and stock up
Make forward. You can assemble these ice cream bars up to 1 week before serving, just keep them tightly wrapped so they don’t burn in the freezer.
Storage. Store cut bars in an airtight freezer container or wrap individually in plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Calories. 555will you |: Carbohydrates. 67:is |: Proteins. 6:00is |: Fats. 30:00is |: Saturated fats. 13:00is |: Polyunsaturated fats. 5:00is |: Monounsaturated fats. 9:00is |: Trans fats. 0.4:is |: Cholesterol. 59:mg |: Sodium. 350mg |: Potassium. 268:mg |: Fiber. 2:is |: Sugar. 34:is |: Vitamin A. 641IU: |: Vitamin C. 42:mg |: Calcium. 128:mg |: iron 2:mg
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.