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Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

By Verveine Oringer & Ken Oringer

Published on January 10, 2023

Time

1¾ hours, plus 6 hours chilling time

Yield

Makes 6 bars

What Kids Are Saying

"This whole recipe was a blast to make! I'd never made a frozen dessert before, and I would say that this one is a very good introduction!" —Lily, recipe tester, age 12

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

Ingredients

ICE CREAM AND STRAWBERRY CRUMBLES

2 pints vanilla ice cream ⅓ cup (1⅔ ounces/47 grams) Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons sugar ½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) plus 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder, measured separately½ teaspoon kosher salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted½ cup (¼ ounces/7 grams) freeze-dried strawberries 3 tablespoons white chocolate chips

CHOCOLATE COATING

6 tablespoons (2¾ ounces/78 grams) refined coconut oil 1 cup (6 ounces/170 grams) white chocolate chips Pinch kosher salt

Before You Begin

We recommend using a dense, premium ice cream such as Ben & Jerry’s or Häagen-Dazs in this recipe, which helps the bars keep their shape. The gluten-free flour blends that we use most often are Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour and King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. In general, we prefer to use Cup4Cup, but you can use an equal amount of King Arthur. —Verveine Oringer

Instructions

  1. For the ice cream and strawberry crumbles: Remove ice cream from freezer and place in refrigerator. Let sit until softened, about 1½ hours.
  2. Use spoon to fill each ice pop mold with softened ice cream, pushing down gently to fill molds completely. Use skewer to stir ice cream in molds to remove any air pockets. Add more ice cream as needed to fill molds all the way to edges.
  3. Insert 1 ice pop stick in center of each mold and seal with cover. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
  4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. In large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, ½ cup milk powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add melted butter and whisk to combine. Use whisk to break any large pieces into fine crumbles.
  6. Transfer crumbles to parchment-lined baking sheet. Place baking sheet in oven. Bake until dry and sandy, about 20 minutes. 
  7. Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let crumbles cool completely, about 15 minutes. Transfer crumbles to clean large bowl.
  8. Place strawberries in large zipper-lock plastic bag and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Use rolling pin to gently crush freeze-dried strawberries into small pieces.
  9. Sprinkle crushed strawberries and remaining 2 tablespoons milk powder evenly over crumbles and stir with clean, dry spoon until crumbles are well coated.
  10. Place 3 tablespoons white chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave at 50 percent power for 30 seconds. Stop microwave and stir with spoon to combine. Continue to heat in microwave at 50 percent power until melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove bowl from microwave and stir until completely melted and smooth.
  11. Drizzle melted white chocolate over crumbles. Use your fingers to rub chocolate into mixture until all crumbles are coated. (Crumbles can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.)
  12. For the chocolate coating: When ready to assemble bars, transfer crumbles back to rimmed baking sheet and spread into even layer.
  13. In tall microwave-safe drinking glass, combine coconut oil, 1 cup white chocolate chips, and pinch salt. Heat in microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute. Stop microwave and stir with clean spoon to combine. Continue to heat in microwave at 50 percent power until melted, about 1 minute. Remove glass from microwave and stir until completely melted and smooth; set aside.
  14. Line large plate with parchment paper and place in freezer. Working with 1 ice pop mold at a time, hold molds under warm running water for 30 seconds to thaw slightly, then slide ice cream bars from molds and place on parchment-lined plate in freezer. Let bars chill in freezer until firm, 5 to 10 minutes. 
  15. Working quickly, dip 1 frozen bar in white chocolate coating, then roll in strawberry crumbles following photos, “How to Coat Ice Cream Bars,” below. Return coated bar to parchment-lined plate in freezer. Repeat dipping and coating with remaining ice cream bars.
  16. Chill bars until firm, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve. (Bars can be frozen for up to 24 hours.)
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Photography by Joseph keller. Styling by Sheila Jarnes.

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

Save

Time

1¾ hours, plus 6 hours chilling time

Yield

Makes 6 bars

What Kids Are Saying

"This whole recipe was a blast to make! I'd never made a frozen dessert before, and I would say that this one is a very good introduction!" —Lily, recipe tester, age 12

Ingredients

ICE CREAM AND STRAWBERRY CRUMBLES

2 pints vanilla ice cream
⅓ cup (1⅔ ounces/47 grams) Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) plus 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder, measured separately
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (¼ ounces/7 grams) freeze-dried strawberries
3 tablespoons white chocolate chips

CHOCOLATE COATING

6 tablespoons (2¾ ounces/78 grams) refined coconut oil
1 cup (6 ounces/170 grams) white chocolate chips
Pinch kosher salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

ICE CREAM AND STRAWBERRY CRUMBLES

2 pints vanilla ice cream
⅓ cup (1⅔ ounces/47 grams) Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) plus 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder, measured separately
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (¼ ounces/7 grams) freeze-dried strawberries
3 tablespoons white chocolate chips

CHOCOLATE COATING

6 tablespoons (2¾ ounces/78 grams) refined coconut oil
1 cup (6 ounces/170 grams) white chocolate chips
Pinch kosher salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

ICE CREAM AND STRAWBERRY CRUMBLES

2 pints vanilla ice cream
⅓ cup (1⅔ ounces/47 grams) Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) plus 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder, measured separately
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (¼ ounces/7 grams) freeze-dried strawberries
3 tablespoons white chocolate chips

CHOCOLATE COATING

6 tablespoons (2¾ ounces/78 grams) refined coconut oil
1 cup (6 ounces/170 grams) white chocolate chips
Pinch kosher salt

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe was originally published in Cooking with My Dad, the Chef. From Verveine Oringer: When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease, I was probably the most sad about not being able to eat strawberry shortcake ice cream bars anymore. You know, the ones you get from the ice cream truck or a convenience store? The strawberry crumble on the outside is the best part, nothing else tastes like it—and it contains gluten. Eventually, my dad was able to crack the code and made this gluten-free version that tastes almost identical to the original. He even put them on the menu at his restaurant, Little Donkey!

Before You Begin

We recommend using a dense, premium ice cream such as Ben & Jerry’s or Häagen-Dazs in this recipe, which helps the bars keep their shape. The gluten-free flour blends that we use most often are Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour and King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. In general, we prefer to use Cup4Cup, but you can use an equal amount of King Arthur. —Verveine Oringer

Instructions

  1. For the ice cream and strawberry crumbles: Remove ice cream from freezer and place in refrigerator. Let sit until softened, about 1½ hours.
  2. Use spoon to fill each ice pop mold with softened ice cream, pushing down gently to fill molds completely. Use skewer to stir ice cream in molds to remove any air pockets. Add more ice cream as needed to fill molds all the way to edges.
  3. Insert 1 ice pop stick in center of each mold and seal with cover. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
  4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. In large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, ½ cup milk powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add melted butter and whisk to combine. Use whisk to break any large pieces into fine crumbles.
  6. Transfer crumbles to parchment-lined baking sheet. Place baking sheet in oven. Bake until dry and sandy, about 20 minutes. 
  7. Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let crumbles cool completely, about 15 minutes. Transfer crumbles to clean large bowl.
  8. Place strawberries in large zipper-lock plastic bag and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Use rolling pin to gently crush freeze-dried strawberries into small pieces.
  9. Sprinkle crushed strawberries and remaining 2 tablespoons milk powder evenly over crumbles and stir with clean, dry spoon until crumbles are well coated.
  10. Place 3 tablespoons white chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave at 50 percent power for 30 seconds. Stop microwave and stir with spoon to combine. Continue to heat in microwave at 50 percent power until melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove bowl from microwave and stir until completely melted and smooth.
  11. Drizzle melted white chocolate over crumbles. Use your fingers to rub chocolate into mixture until all crumbles are coated. (Crumbles can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.)
  12. For the chocolate coating: When ready to assemble bars, transfer crumbles back to rimmed baking sheet and spread into even layer.
  13. In tall microwave-safe drinking glass, combine coconut oil, 1 cup white chocolate chips, and pinch salt. Heat in microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute. Stop microwave and stir with clean spoon to combine. Continue to heat in microwave at 50 percent power until melted, about 1 minute. Remove glass from microwave and stir until completely melted and smooth; set aside.
  14. Line large plate with parchment paper and place in freezer. Working with 1 ice pop mold at a time, hold molds under warm running water for 30 seconds to thaw slightly, then slide ice cream bars from molds and place on parchment-lined plate in freezer. Let bars chill in freezer until firm, 5 to 10 minutes. 
  15. Working quickly, dip 1 frozen bar in white chocolate coating, then roll in strawberry crumbles following photos, “How to Coat Ice Cream Bars,” below. Return coated bar to parchment-lined plate in freezer. Repeat dipping and coating with remaining ice cream bars.
  16. Chill bars until firm, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve. (Bars can be frozen for up to 24 hours.)

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