Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

With a base of creamy Greek yogurt and fresh strawberries and a strawberry cookie coating, these homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars are a high-protein, better-for-you frozen treat! This recipe is so easy to make with just 7 ingredients and 15 minutes of hands on work. It's also easy to make this recipe dairy free.

More protein, less sugar, still delicious!

Typically, when we create a recipe for our Better Than Store-Bought series, we like to make it as similar to the original as possible. These strawberry shortcake ice cream bars are a bit of an exception for two reasons.

1: It's almost impossible to make them exactly like store-bought. The real version has an inner vanilla ice cream layer surrounded completely by a strawberry layer. We've been workshopping ideas to accomplish this layering for two years now (no joke) and can't figure out an easy way to do it.

2. To make this recipe easy and accessible, we didn't think it made much sense to go with a homemade ice cream route, which would add several more hours of prep time. Instead, we opted for a creamy Greek yogurt base, which comes together in a blender in just a few minutes.

The end result is delicious and creamy (with a bit of tanginess from the yogurt), and of course, there's the added bonus of a solid amount of protein per serving!

We love that these double as a lighter dessert or even a snack. The cookie coating is sweet, but not too sweet. These are great for kids and adults alike!

If you want to try more ice cream truck classics from scratch, try our homemade Choco Tacos or Italian Ice next.

Key Ingredients Needed for Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

• Greek yogurt: We use full fat (5% milkfat) plain Greek yogurt for these bars. We tested the recipe with a lower fat option, and the consistency is much more icy and hard, whereas the full fat version is more similar to ice cream. We don't recommend substituting with a low fat alternative.
• Strawberries: Fresh or frozen will work. If using frozen, defrost them first to make them easier to blend.
• Maple syrup: Feel free to substitute with agave or honey.
• Vanilla sandwich cookies: Any brand will do! Golden oreos are the easiest to find, but there are several other brands with similar products, including gluten free options.
• Freeze-dried strawberries: You can find these at most grocery stores (typically near dried fruit), or online.

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

1. Add the yogurt, heavy cream, vanilla and maple syrup to a blender and blend until smooth and well incorporated.
2. If you want a vanilla/strawberry swirl, pour about half of the yogurt mixture into a jar or bowl and set aside.

1. Add the strawberries to the remaining yogurt in the blender and blend again until smooth and fully incorporated. (If you don't care about a swirl, you can just blend the strawberries into the entire batch.) 

1. Fill the popsicle mold halfway with one color, then top with the other color, filling mostly to the top. Use a skewer or knife to gently swirl the two colors. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until solid, about 3 hours. 

1. Meanwhile, add the cookies and freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor and pulse until a fine crumb mixture forms. Transfer to a plate and set aside. 

1. Once the popsicles are set, run each one under warm water to release from the mold. You want to heat them up enough so that the very outer layer of the popsicle melts a bit (this is essential for getting the crumb coating to stick). 
2. Immediately coat all sides in the cookie crumb coating, pressing lightly to adhere the crumbs. Return to the freezer for 15-30 minutes, then enjoy! 

Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!

• Make it vegan: You can use a dairy free Greek yogurt alternative, just keep in mind that they may turn about a bit more icy than this version. Substitute heavy cream with coconut cream or another heavy cream alternative. (Note: golden Oreos are naturally dairy free!)
• Use stainless steel popsicle molds: We have the best success with stainless steel molds – they freeze faster and they're often easier to remove than silicone. They're also very durable and don't wear out over time. We've had ours for years!
• For a more vibrant pink color, you can add a drop or two of natural food coloring to the greek yogurt mixture, or an extra handful of freeze-dried strawberries.
• Make the cookie coating into pretty fine crumbs. If the crumbs are too big, they may not stick as well to the popsicle.
• Make sure to slightly melt the outside of the popsicle before coating it in crumbs. This is absolutely essential for getting the crumbs to stick. We accomplish this by running the popsicle mold under warm water for about 15 seconds. The amount of time under warm water will depend on both your popsicle molds as well as the temperature of the water.

More Frozen Desserts You'll Love

We can't wait for you to make these Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars in your own home! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!

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