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    Home » All Recipes » Dessert

    Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

    July 25, 2023 By Melissa Huggins / 24 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe
    ice cream bars on parchment paper.
    Have a taste of nostalgia with these Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars. They're creamy, crumbly, tart and deliciously sweet. Vegan and gluten-free.

    Have a taste of nostalgia with these Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars. They're creamy, crumbly, tart, and deliciously sweet!

    three strawberry shortcake ice cream bars on parchment paper with fresh berries on the side.

    I remember like yesterday, the panic and excitement I would feel when I heard the ice cream man coming. I would quickly run to my piggy bank, dump my change out, and charge out the door.

    There were moments when I had to chase that sweet-filled truck down the road and I had no shame. There was no time to be indecisive but I always knew exactly what I wanted, and I would order the Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars. Every single time!

    If you've never tried them before, now is your chance. My homemade version is much better for you than the original. The only downside is that I can't drive by your house in a cool musical truck to deliver it.

    Ingredients Needed

    You can recreate this childhood favorite at home with just a few pantry items. Here's what you'll need:

    For the vanilla ice cream layer

    • Coconut Milk - The full-fat canned variety is what you're looking for. This will make the ice cream rich and creamy.
    • Maple Syrup - You can also use agave or any type of sweetener you prefer.
    • Vanilla Extract - This complements the strawberry flavor so well. I highly recommend not skipping this.
    • Salt

    For the crumb topping

    • Vegan vanilla cookies (I used gluten-free)
    • Freeze-dried strawberries
    • Vegan Butter

    How to make Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

    Now that you have all your ingredients, you can put these tasty treats together in a snap. Just toss the ice cream ingredients in a blender and give it a whirl. Pour the mixture into your molds and freeze them for 6-8 hours.

    While those are chilling, you can make the buttery crumble topping. Pulse the cookies in a blender or food processor to form small crumbs. Place them on a plate, pour the melted butter on top, and incorporate with your hands to form soft buttery crumbles. Now, pulse the freeze-dried strawberries and add them to the vanilla cookie crumbs.

    When the ice cream is frozen, run the molds under warm water for 1 minute. Let them thaw for 2-3 minutes so the crumbs will stick. Line a baking sheet or plate with wax paper. Coat the bars with crumbs and place them back in the freezer for 15 minutes. Voila, they are now yours to enjoy!

    Variation Ideas

    If you want strawberry ice cream instead, feel free to blend 1 cup of fresh strawberries into the mixture. If you want both strawberry and vanilla, you can make one of each flavor, and layer them into the mold. It's just more time-consuming that way. Another option is, making some bars with all strawberries, and some with all vanilla. It all works!

    The original Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars had both vanilla and strawberry-flavored ice cream. However, my family prefers all vanilla ice cream. The strawberry flavor comes from the crumb coating

    Are you ready to get nostalgic? Let's do this

    overhead view of strawberry shortcake ice cream bars and fresh strawberries.

    More ice cream recipes to try

    • Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
    • Coconut Lime Popsicles
    • Vegan Orange Creamsicle Pops

    Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think by leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  rating and sharing your feedback in the comment section below. It would make my day!

    ⭐️ Subscribe to the Vegan Huggs Newsletter and receive weekly recipes straight to your inbox! You'll also receive my FREE eCookbook featuring my top 10 recipes. 

    Recipe

    close up view of vegan strawberry ice cream bars on parchment paper.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    5 from 8 votes

    Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars (Vegan + GF)

    Have a taste of nostalgia with these Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars. They're creamy, crumbly, tart and deliciously sweet! 
    Prep Time25 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 157kcal
    Author: Melissa Huggins

    Ingredients

    Crumb Topping:

    • ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries , more if preferred
    • ¾ cup GF vanilla cookie crumbs (about 24 1-inch cookies)(any vegan vanilla cookies will work)
    • 1 tablespoon vegan butter , melted

    Ice Cream:

    • 1 14 oz can coconut milk full-fat
    • ⅓ cup agave nectar or any type of sweetener
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

    Recommended Equipment

    • Popsicle Mold
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Crumb Topping

    • In a blender of food processor, add vanilla cookies and pulse a few times to make small crumbs (make about ¾ cup of crumbs). Pour onto plate. Pour melted butter on top and incorporate with your hands to form soft crumbs. 
    • Now add the strawberries into the blender/food processor and pulse a few times to make small crumbs. Don't over pulse or it will turn into powder (some powder is ok). Pour into vanilla crumbs and mix together. Set aside. 

    Ice Cream

    • In a blender, add coconut milk, agave, vanilla, and salt. Blend on medium until smooth. Taste for sweetness and add more if needed. Pour into molds and freeze for 6-8 hours. 
    • Remove ice cream from molds by running under warm water for a minute. Place ice cream on a wax paper-lined baking sheet or plate (one that will fit in the freezer). Let bars thaw for 2-3 minutes, so the crumbs will stick.
    • Place thawed bar into the crumbs. Using a spoon or hands, cover ice cream with crumbs, pressing gently all around. If it's not sticking, let it thaw for 1-2 minutes more. Place back on wax paper and repeat step until bars are finished. Place back in freezer for 15 minutes. Enjoy! 

    Video

    Notes

    • If you want strawberry ice cream instead of vanilla, just add 1 cup of fresh strawberries to the mixture and blend (frozen will work too). 
    • If you want both strawberry and vanilla in the same ice cream bar, you can add ½ cup of strawberries to half of the mixture, and layer the flavors into the mold. It's more time-consuming this way because you need to freeze each layer before adding the next layer (freeze 20 mins for each layer).  Another option is, making some bars with all strawberry, and some with all vanilla. It all works!
    • Prep time doesn't include freezing time.
    • Store in an airtight container for 4-6 days. I feel like they don't taste as fresh after that. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1bar | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 240.9mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 4.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!

     

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    About Melissa

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

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    Comments

      5 from 8 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Krissy

      February 06, 2023 at 6:02 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Wow! Definitely was a favorite growing up, haven't had in years. For the cookies, I used lemon shortcake ones I got from the store. Used Agave. Needed to thaw longer before the crumbs would stick, but my oh my these are quite tasty! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        February 17, 2023 at 11:56 pm

        My pleasure Krizzy! Glad it worked out with the substitutions. 🙂

        Reply
    2. cheyenne

      June 21, 2019 at 2:20 pm

      I have coconut cream or coconut whipping cream, could i use this?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        June 21, 2019 at 4:03 pm

        You can use coconut cream. You may need to thin it a little with any non-dairy milk. Do you have that one hand?

        Reply
        • Cheyenne

          June 21, 2019 at 5:30 pm

          Yes , also i bought the coconut milk right now stay. It’s very thick should i blend it like so!?

        • Melissa Huggins

          June 21, 2019 at 5:57 pm

          Yes, just pour it all into the blender. Most cans have the cream on top and water underneath. Is that the case with yours?

    3. Kristin

      September 05, 2018 at 8:49 am

      5 stars
      Hey Melissa,
      What a great recipe, just the thing I need to keep the summer going for a little bit longer!! Quick question— I’ve got a cuisinart ice cream maker and am wondering if it would be worth while to make the ice cream in that first before putting it in the popsicle molds but also thinking that might be uneccessary. What do you think? Thanks again!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        September 05, 2018 at 11:07 am

        Hi Kristin, thank you! I haven't tried this mixture in my ice cream maker, but I think it would make it super creamy. It would probably be really good!! Let me know if you try it and I'll share with my readers. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    4. Tee

      May 23, 2018 at 8:42 pm

      Can you substitute coconut milk with soy milk?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 23, 2018 at 10:44 pm

        Hi Tee, I've only tried them with full-fat coconut milk. I think the soy will work, I just don't know if they will be as creamy. I'd love to hear how they turn out for you though. Thank you for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    5. Abi

      May 06, 2018 at 5:34 am

      Should we only scoop out the cream of the coconut milk? Wouldn’t the water make these super hard?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 09, 2018 at 9:16 pm

        Hi Abi, I make it with the whole can. It comes out perfect! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    6. Hannah Teson

      March 21, 2018 at 7:46 pm

      I made these today, and they are so good!!! Thank you so much for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        March 23, 2018 at 8:33 pm

        Hi Hannah, thank you so much! So happy you liked them. Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Sara

      July 15, 2017 at 12:42 am

      Just the type of vegan copycat recipe I was looking for! My only question is, where does one find freeze dried strawberries?

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        July 15, 2017 at 7:49 am

        Hi Sara, you can find them at most grocery stores. Target sells them too. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Vegan Town - אוכל טבעוני

      June 05, 2017 at 5:44 pm

      5 stars
      Beautiful images! Looks original and tasty 🙂

      Reply
    9. Sara

      June 05, 2017 at 2:50 pm

      This recipe is SO awesome, Melissa - I used to love these bars, so much!! And you're so right, there was something about hearing the ice cream truck that just took the excitement level to 100 as a kid. As soon as I saw these bars it brought back those great memories, and I'm super happy to have a healthy version of these bars now! I love that you used freeze dried strawberries for the coating, I'm sure it adds great texture and that awesome strawberry flavor, of course. Can't wait to try these!!

      Reply
    10. Anna

      June 01, 2017 at 1:48 am

      5 stars
      Melissa, they do look delicious and better than a real deal!
      We get Ice cream Van on our street at least once a day (and it's going to get even more frequent, now the Summer is coming...), and I always want to go and chase it, but then I remember they are not soo good for you. But who cares, when you can make your own and they look this good?!?
      Pinning this for sure!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        June 01, 2017 at 7:49 pm

        Hi Anna, Thank you! I wish our ice cream man had better options. Until then, it's homemade all the way. Summer is pretty much here and already hotter than hell. The beauty of living in the desert 😉

        Reply
    11. Jasnin-Veeatcookbake

      May 26, 2017 at 1:04 pm

      I do not know it but my husband know it. He said totally delicious. I think I should do him the favor and make some. 🙂

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 28, 2017 at 9:25 pm

        Hi Jasnin, that would be so nice! I'm sure he would love them. They were a childhood favorite of mine 🙂

        Reply
    12. Mary Ellen | VNutrition

      May 26, 2017 at 7:00 am

      5 stars
      Melissa these look amazing! I used to love those Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars too. I saw them in your newsletter and had to come by to say I can't wait to try these!

      Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        May 28, 2017 at 9:22 pm

        Thank you, Mary Ellen! It's nice to have childhood favorites again, with a healthier and kinder twist. My son loves these! Have a beautiful weekend! 🙂

        Reply

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