Description
These Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars combine creamy strawberry ice cream with crunchy sugar cookie crumbs and a touch of freeze-dried strawberries for a refreshing, dreamy summer treat. Simple to prepare with just a few ingredients and easy to customize, these frozen bars are perfect for hot days or as a nostalgic dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Ice Cream Bars
- 1 pint very soft (almost melted) strawberry ice cream
- 6 (3-ounce) ice-pop molds and sticks
Cookie Crust
- 4 (3-inch) sugar cookies
- 1 tablespoon crushed freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Fill and freeze ice cream bars: Divide the softened strawberry ice cream evenly among the 6 ice-pop molds, insert sticks, and freeze until completely firm, at least 4 hours.
- Prepare the crumb coating: Pulse the sugar cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Transfer half of the crumbs to a plate. Add the freeze-dried strawberries and drizzle the melted butter into the remaining crumbs in the food processor. Pulse a few times to combine and create strawberry-flavored crumbs. Stir these strawberry crumbs into the plain crumbs on the plate.
- Coat ice cream bars with crumbs: Line a large plate or rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip the molds briefly into hot water to loosen the ice cream bars. Remove one bar at a time and let thaw for 1 minute. Dip each bar into the crumb mixture, turning to coat all sides and pressing lightly to help crumbs adhere. Place coated bars on the parchment-lined plate and return to the freezer.
- Freeze before serving: Freeze the crumb-coated ice cream bars again for at least 15 minutes to firm up. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 7 days.
Notes
- Let the strawberry ice cream soften to almost melted consistency for easier molding.
- Briefly dipping molds in hot water helps release the ice cream bars without breaking.
- Freeze the finished bars in an airtight container for up to a week for convenience.
- For a nutty twist, add chopped nuts to the crumb mixture.
- If freeze-dried strawberries are unavailable, finely chopping fresh strawberries and reducing moisture slightly can work as a substitute.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezing
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: strawberry shortcake, ice cream bars, frozen dessert, summer treat, strawberry ice cream, sugar cookie crumbs
