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This pretty little frozen showstopper is everything you want in a summer dessert—easy to make, no baking required, and cute enough to make your Aunt Patsy gasp. With sweet strawberry crunchies, two dreamy ice cream layers, and a whipped cream top, it tastes just like those strawberry shortcake bars you used to chase down the ice cream truck for—but better, because now you're grown and serving it with wine. Hosting a summer birthday, backyard bash, or just feelin’ fancy on a Tuesday? This cake’s got you covered.
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Variations
- Feel free to use store-bought or homemade ice cream!
- We prefer Golden Oreos, but you can use any of your favorite shortbread cookies. Make sure they have a cream filling, though.
- Instead of strawberry shortcake ice cream cake, switch up the flavor. Experiment with raspberry, blueberry, or lemon ice cream/Jello—yum!
- Get creative with the garnish for an extra special presentation! Top the cake with a white chocolate drizzle, sprinkle white chocolate curls over top, or dip the strawberries in candy melts.
- Make individual strawberry ice cream cupcakes with two cupcake tins. Be sure to use parchment paper cupcake liners so you can easily peel the wrapper away.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Crush the Oreos into coarse crumbs.
- Combine the crushed cookies and Jello mix in a medium bowl.
- Add the melted butter and stir.
- Press half of the cookie crumble mixture into a pan lined with a piece of parchment paper.
- Spoon vanilla ice cream over the cookie layer and smooth flat.
- Add the softened strawberry ice cream and smooth again. Freeze.
- Spread Cool Whip over top.
- Sprinkle remaining strawberry crumbles over top of the cake. Freeze strawberry crunch cake before digging in.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Crunch Ice Cream Cake Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 40 ounces Golden Oreo cookies, about 40 cookies
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- 4 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
- 4 cups strawberry ice cream, softened
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 3.5 ounces strawberry jello mix, use dry
- Fresh strawberries for garnish
Instructions
- Line a 11x 7-inch (or 9x9-inch) baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over the sides.
- Crush the cookies by covering them with plastic wrap on a cutting board and gently hitting with a clean meat mallet or rolling pin. You want coarse crumbs not fine crumbs.
- In a large bowl, mix cookie crumbs and melted butter.
- Add all the strawberry Jello powder and mix well. Taste and add a bit more Jello powder if you feel it needs it.
- Press half into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Spread vanilla ice cream onto crust. Smooth it so it's flat.
- Spread with strawberry ice cream.
- Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 2 hours
- Cover with the whipped topping, sprinkle with the remaining crumbs.
- Freeze until firm - at least 2 hours but overnight is best.
- When ready to serve lift the ice cream cake out of the pan using the parchment that is hanging over the sides.
- Cut with a sharp knife, dipping it in hot water and wiping the blade each time.
- Serve garnished with fresh strawberries.
Notes
- You'll have to freeze this cake a few times, so be sure that your pan is freezer-safe.
- Start in advance! Strawberry shortcake ice cream cake is best when it can freeze overnight, so make it a day ahead.
- You'll know you've combined the butter and crumb mixture enough when it starts to resemble wet sand. The Oreo pieces should start to clump together, and everything will look evenly moist
- Run a knife under hot water for clean, easy slices. Just be sure to wipe the knife dry before (and after) each cut.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🥫 Storage
Strawberry crunch ice cream cake is best enjoyed frozen—just like the classic ice cream bars, of course!
Store the cake (and any leftovers) in the freezer until you're ready to serve it. Be sure to seal the pan well with plastic wrap or transfer the extras into another airtight container.
Thanks to the relatively hearty ingredients, strawberry shortcake ice cream cake will keep for a few months! Enjoy the nostalgic strawberry flavor all summer long.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Ice cream cakes melt quickly at room temperature. I recommend serving slices in bowls—especially if you plan to enjoy your dessert underneath the hot summer sun!
- You'll have to freeze this cake a few times, so be sure that your pan is freezer-safe.
- Start in advance! Strawberry shortcake ice cream cake is best when it can freeze overnight, so made it a day ahead if you can.
- Don't want to fuss with parchment paper? You can assemble the ice cream cake in a springform pan!
- Blitz the cookies in a food processor for easier prep, but don't crush them into dust. Shortcake crumbs are tastiest when left a little bit larger.
- You'll know you've combined the butter and crumb mixture enough when it starts to resemble wet sand. The Oreo pieces should start to clump together, and everything will look evenly moist.
- Use an offset spatula to smooth the ice cream into a nice, even layer.
- To soften the ice cream more quickly, scoop out smaller portions and let them sit on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Don't let it melt, though!
- For the prettiest presentation, add fresh strawberries just before serving. They'll freeze and thaw fine for leftovers, but look best fresh!
- Run a knife under hot water for clean, easy slices. Just be sure to wipe the knife dry before (and after) each cut.
📚 Related recipes
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake is deliciously dense and moist thanks to sour cream and a top-secret strawberry flavoring ingredient!
- With just six simple ingredients, Shoney's Strawberry Pie tastes classic, refreshing, and not too heavy. It's the perfect summer dessert!
👩🍳 FAQs
Freezing homemade whipped cream (the kind made with heavy whipping cream) doesn't always work out well. I don't recommend it in this recipe. Since this cake needs to be frozen, I prefer to use frozen whipped topping because you know it'll hold up without any issues!
I prefer a thicker, slow-churned ice cream. It'll hold it's shape better! Anything that's super airy or whipped will melt more quickly. You can even pick up a few pints from your favorite local hard-packed ice creamery. No soft-serve, though!
Well, yes and no. If you have a freezer handy (like if the potluck is in your backyard) strawberry ice cream cake is super refreshing and tasty. However, it needs to stay frozen, so I don't reccomend taking this dish anywhere that'll sit out all afternoon, like to a park.
Y'all know that my very favorite desserts are chocolate but there was something about those strawberry shortcake bars from the ice cream truck that got me every time.
When the music started playing in the neighborhood I'd run out with my nickel in hand (yes, nickel) and choose the strawberry ice cream bar with the crunchy layer over the creamy fudgecicle every single time.
When my youngest tasted this ice cream cake she looked at me with big eyes and said, "You nailed it, Mom!"
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