Description
Strawberry Crunch Ice Cream Bars are a delightful frozen treat combining natural strawberry puree blended into creamy homemade ice cream, finished with a crunchy golden Oreo and freeze-dried strawberry crumble coating. These bars are perfect for a refreshing dessert, featuring a luscious strawberry shortcake flavor with a satisfying textural contrast.
Ingredients
Ice Cream Ingredients
- 2-3 cups fresh strawberries, diced small
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
Crumble Ingredients
- 2 cups (about 5-6) golden Oreos or any shortbread cookies
- 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Make Strawberry Puree: Add the diced strawberries and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar into a blender or food processor. Blend until fully pureed. For a smooth texture without seeds, strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve, then set aside.
- Prepare Whipped Cream: Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream for 4-5 minutes until soft peaks form. Gradually add vanilla extract and slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk while continuing to whip. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form, about 10 minutes total.
- Make Strawberry Ice Cream Base: Gently fold half of the strawberry puree into the whipped cream to maintain airiness. Carefully fold in the remaining puree. Avoid overmixing to keep the mixture light and fluffy.
- Fill Popsicle Molds: Spoon the ice cream mixture into popsicle molds. Insert a knife down the center of each mold cavity to push the mixture evenly to the edges, ensuring full coverage. Tap the molds on the countertop to release air pockets, then insert sticks and freeze for 7-8 hours or until fully solidified.
- Prepare the Crunch Coating: Pulse the golden Oreos or shortbread cookies in a food processor until finely crumbled. Remove half the cookie crumbs and set aside. Add the freeze-dried strawberries to the remaining crumbs and pulse again until combined. Mix this strawberry cookie crumb blend back with the reserved cookie crumbs. Stir in the melted butter until all the crumble is evenly coated.
- Coat and Set the Bars: To remove the bars from molds, run the molds briefly under warm water to loosen. Roll each frozen ice cream bar in the crumble mixture until thoroughly coated. If the crumble does not adhere well, lightly moisten the ice cream surface with a tiny amount of water before rolling. Place the coated bars on a parchment-lined tray and freeze for an additional 30 minutes to set the coating.
Notes
- Slowly incorporate the vanilla extract and sweetened condensed milk into the cream to avoid deflating the whipped cream; otherwise, the texture will be compromised and you may need to start over.
- Avoid overmixing the puree and cream to prevent curdling the ice cream base.
- If a seedless texture is desired, strain the strawberry puree before folding it in.
- For sweeter ice cream, add one extra tablespoon of sugar to the strawberry puree; do not add extra sugar to the whipped cream.
- Whipping cream with a stand mixer is significantly faster (about 10 minutes) than a hand mixer (up to 25 minutes).
- Using a knife when filling the molds helps to evenly distribute the mixture without deflating it.
- Ensure the ice cream bars are fully frozen before unmolding—test by squeezing the top of the bar to confirm it’s solid.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
