These healthy strawberry shortcake ice cream bars are made with strawberry oat milk ice cream, vanilla cookies, and freeze-dried strawberries. This easy, homemade recipe is completely dairy free, gluten free, and naturally sweetened, too! It’s the perfect frozen dessert perfect for summer, bursting with fresh strawberry flavor.

WHY I MADE THESE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ICE CREAM BARS

When I was a kid, I looked forward to Ice Cream Day every single week. It was the one day a week that my middle school brought an ice cream cart into the cafeteria so we could get our sugar fix and buy the ice cream treat of our dreams for a mere fifty cents.

As you can imagine, Ice Cream Day was a pretty big deal for everyone, but especially for a sugar-craving kid like me. Few things lit up my brain more than the anticipation of getting to nom on a cold, tasty treat for just two quarters.

And every week, I waffled on which ice cream bar to get. I could never choose between the strawberry shortcake ice cream bar or the chocolate eclair one. And as much as I love chocolate ice cream, evidenced by my Copycat Haagen Dazs Ice Cream Bar recipe and my Dark Chocolate Chip Cherry Garcia recipe, there’s something about strawberry ice cream that is so refreshing in the summertime.

I think it’s because while I usually have to be in the mood for chocolate, I’m rarely not in the mood for something more mellow like strawberry. I might have to go back and create a chocolate eclair ice cream version of this recipe in the future though, but for now, let’s give these strawberry shortcake ice cream bars the attention they rightfully deserve!

I use a homemade ice cream for this recipe made with fresh strawberries, oat milk, honey, and vanilla. This healthier ice cream pairs perfectly with the crunchy coating that’s made with freeze dried strawberries and homemade vanilla cookies. So, let me show you how to make it!

MY STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ICE CREAM RECIPE

The full instructions on how to make these healthy strawberry shortcake ice cream bars is in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post, but here’s a quick overview of how to make it.

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom to view the full recipe and get all of the measurements and instructions!

STRAWBERRY OAT MILK ICE CREAM

• Soak the cashews: Cover the cashews with boiling water and let sit for 15 minutes to soften. Drain the cashews.
• Blend the ice cream mixture: Blend the cashews, oat milk, honey, vanilla, strawberries, and salt until completely smooth.
• Pour the ice cream into the silicone popsicle molds: I really like THESE ones from Amazon.

STRAWBERRY COOKIE COATING

• Make the vanilla shortbread cookies: After making the vanilla cookies, allow them to cool completely before crushing the cookies into crumbs.
• Mix the cookies with the strawberries: Pour the cookie crumbs and crushed, freeze dried strawberries onto a plate and drizzle a little butter on top. Use your fingers to form tiny clumps in the mixture.
• Coat the popsicles: Press the popsicles into the strawberry cookie coating, making sure it’s coated on all times. This is easiest if you allow the outsides of the popsicles to melt a bit first.

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM BARS INGREDIENTS

The full ingredients list is in the recipe card below, so make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see what you need to make this recipe!

Here is a quick overview of what you need to make these healthy strawberry shortcake ice cream bars at home:

STRAWBERRY OAT MILK ICE CREAM

• Cashews: Instead of using traditional milk and heavy cream for this homemade ice cream recipe, we use a combination of cashews and oat milk to achieve a similar taste and texture. The cashews provide the thickness and richness that you would typically get from traditional dairy ingredients.
• Oat Milk: We use oat milk as our non-dairy milk alternative because it has the best taste, texture, and richness of any non-dairy milk. Be sure to use a full fat oat milk (or barista edition) for ultra creamy vegan ice cream. I find Oatly to be the best brand for this.
• Honey: Instead of granulated sugar, we use honey as the sweetener for our ice cream. I love how the subtle taste of honey pairs with this oat milk ice cream, but you can use maple syrup or agave syrup, if vegan.
• Vanilla: Use vanilla bean paste to get little specks of vanilla in the ice cream for the ultimate summer treat. I really like the vanilla bean paste from Trader Joe’s, or you can try this one from Vanilla Bean Kings.
• Strawberries: Of course, strawberry ice cream needs fresh strawberries! The sweeter and fresher, the better. You can use frozen strawberries if that’s all you can find, but note that you may been to blend the ice cream base for longer if frozen berries are used.

STRAWBERRY COOKIE COATING

• Vanilla Cookies: To keep this recipe as wholesome as possible, we make our own homemade shortbread cookies using ingredients like almond flour, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Of course, you could always just use store bought vanilla cookies, if you prefer. Just read the label to make sure the cookies are made with the best ingredients.
• Freeze Dried Strawberries: Essential for the crunchy strawberry coating. Fresh strawberries won’t work for this step. It can be tough to find freeze dried strawberries sometimes, but they’re usually found in the grocery store near the dried fruit, trail mix, or baking items. I get mine from Trader Joe’s, so take a look there if you live near one.

HOW LONG DO THESE TAKE TO MAKE?

These ice cream bars will take about 2 hours to make, start to finish. Most of that is just chilling the ice cream in the freezer, though, and is not active time.

Here’s the breakdown of how long it takes to make this recipe:

• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Freezer time: 1 hour
• Assembly: 15 minutes

Honestly, not that bad for homemade strawberry ice cream bars! Keep in mind again that there’s a lot of resting time for these, so the time spent actively making them is pretty short.

HOW TO STORE THESE ICE CREAM BARS?

I recommend wrapping the ice cream bars in parchment paper and placing them in a large airtight bag for long term storage. For the best texture and flavor, enjoy these ice cream bars within 1–2 weeks.

They taste great right out of the freezer, but if the ice cream gets too hard you can thaw these ice cream bars at room temperature for a couple of minutes before enjoying!

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM BARS FAQ

1. I’m vegan—can I make this recipe fully plant-based?
Yep! Swap the honey for maple syrup and the butter for melted coconut oil or a vegan butter alternative. The strawberry oat milk ice cream base is already dairy-free.

2. Are these ice cream bars gluten-free?
Yes, as long as your oat milk is certified gluten-free.

3. Do I need an ice cream maker?
Nope! This recipe does not require an ice cream maker at all. Once you blend the ice cream ingredients together, you’ll pour it directly into the silicone ice cream molds and place them in the freezer. We love an easy, no churn ice cream recipe, don’t we?

4. Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh in the ice cream base?
Yes, frozen strawberries work well and don’t need to be thawed first. You may just need to blend them a bit longer to get a fully smooth consistency.

5. How long do these ice cream bars keep in the freezer?
I recommend wrapping the ice cream bars in parchment paper and placing them in a large airtight bag for long term storage. For the best texture and flavor, enjoy these ice cream bars within 1–2 weeks.

They taste great right out of the freezer, but if the ice cream gets too hard you can thaw these ice cream bars at room temperature for a couple of minutes before enjoying!

6. Can I substitute oat milk for another milk?
You can, but oat milk gives the creamiest texture, in my opinion. Almond milk or cashew milk work too, though the ice cream may be slightly icier and not as rich and creamy as oat milk.

7. Can I use something other than almond flour in the cookies?
Almond flour gives these cookies their crumbly, shortbread-like texture while also keeping them gluten-free. But, you could use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, or oat flour instead. Note that substitutions will change the intended taste and texture of the cookies.

8. Where do I find freeze-dried strawberries?
They’re usually sold near the trail mix, dried fruit, or in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. I bought mine at Trader Joe’s, so check there if you live near one. They’re also available on Amazon.

9. Can I make the cookies ahead of time?
Definitely, that’s exactly what I did. The cookies can be made up to a few days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature until you’re ready to make these ice cream bars.

10. Do I need to use special popsicle molds to make these?
Silicone popsicle molds work best because they make it easy to release the bars without breaking them. HERE are the ones I ordered from Amazon. If you don’t have molds, small paper cups with a stick inserted partway through freezing can work in a pinch.

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