These homemade Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles are the perfect summer treat, using fresh strawberries to make a no-churn creamy base covered in a crumbly shortcake coating.
No 90s kid can forget the joy of getting a Strawberry Shortcake Popsicle from the ice cream truck on a hot summer day. Back then, they were always my favorite and first choice at the truck and they were just a dollar or two (now they cost $5, at least in Boston—highway robbery!). Well, my kids and I had one this past spring after a soccer game, and to say I was let down is an understatement. But that disappointment sparked the idea to make them at home! Plus, we love popsicles in my house—Breakfast Popsicles in the morning and Fudgesicles for dessert, so any excuse to make them is a welcome one.
The creamy strawberry base uses sweetened condensed milk for a take on the popular "no-churn" ice cream recipes bouncing around the internet, along with fresh strawberries for an authentic flavor. The crumbly shortcake coating is a blend of vanilla sandwich cookies, crispy rice cereal, and freeze-dried strawberries, each adding to the perfect texture and taste to the final popsicle.
I know your kids will adore these Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles, but I am willing to bet the adults will be even more excited to have them!
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The recipe card lists the full recipe with quantities below this text.
- ripe strawberries (I haven't tested this with frozen berries, but defrosting them overnight then using them as the recipe calls for will probably work)
- heavy cream
- sweetened condensed milk (this is a common ingredient in no-churn style ice creams, and that is exactly what I was going for here--there is a range of how much of this you can add to the recipe, if you prefer your popsicles very sweet with a soft bite, add the whole can...if you prefer a more balanced sweet / tart flavor add half the can...anything leftover can be used for a little fruit salad)
- fresh lemon juice (this helps brighten the flavor of the popsicles and balance out the sweetness)
- coarse kosher salt (this recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by about half for volume, or use the same amount by weight.)
- freeze-dried strawberries (commonly available in most grocery stores now and the only ingredient listed on the package should be only strawberries--they are the ingredient responsible for that true strawberry flavor in the coating in this recipe)
- vanilla sandwich cookies (I’ve also tested this with vanilla wafers and shortbread cookies, but preferred the taste with sandwich cookies. However, the recipe is adaptable to work with what you have on hand.)
- crispy rice cereal (This ingredient can be omitted if you don’t have it, but adding it to the shortcake crumble helps maintain a nice texture along with the vanilla cookies.)
- vanilla extract
Best Type of Popsicle Mold
There are many types of popsicle molds available, featuring different shapes, sizes, and materials. The most common are plastic, stainless steel, or silicone. These popsicles are on the softer side, so using a harder mold like stainless steel or plastic is best. They were tested in silicone molds but found to break the soft popsicles, so I don't recommend them.
The amount of popsicles this recipe yields will depend on the size of your popsicle mold.
How to Make Them
Here is a visual overview of how to make Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles! Keep scrolling for the full recipe.
Step 1: Add all the ingredients for the strawberry creamy base to a blender or food processor.
Step 2: Blend until completely smooth.
Step 3: Transfer the strawberry base to popsicle molds, add the sticks, then freeze overnight.
Step 4: Unmold the popsicles using hot water. Do this all at once and let the popsicles get slightly melty.
Step 5: Add the shortcake coating ingredients to a mini food chopper or blender.
Step 6: Process until they are a coarse grind.
Step 5: Coat the popsicle on one side.
Step 6: Then flip and coat the other.
Best Way to Store Homemade Popsicles
Once the popsicles are coated, I like to freeze them on a tray for 30 minutes until solid, though this isn't required. Wrap each popsicle in parchment paper and store them in an airtight container. For best quality, consume within a week, as they become icier the longer they sit in the freezer.
More Strawberry Recipes
- Homemade Strawberry Milk
- Buttermilk Strawberry Muffins
- Strawberry Oatmeal
- Strawberry Granola with Coconut and White Chocolate
Making these Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles? Be sure to leave a comment with a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on your experience! Have a question? Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can!
PrintFull Recipe
Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Total Time: 00:15 plus chilling time
- Yield: 10 (3-ounce) popsicles 1x
- Category: Sweets
Description
These homemade Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles are the perfect summer treat, featuring a no-churn creamy base with fresh strawberries and a crumbly shortcake coating.
Ingredients
For Creamy Strawberry Popsicles:
- 1 pound ripe strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup (about 7 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (see note)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
For Shortcake Crumble Coating:
- 4 vanilla sandwich cookies
- ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries
- ½ cup crispy rice cereal
Instructions
- Add the strawberries, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt to a blender jar.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour the strawberry base mixture into each molds.
- Add the covers and popsicle sticks to the molds.
- Freeze overnight until solid.
- Add the cookies, freeze-dried strawberries and rice cereal to a small food processor or blender.
- Pulse until the mixture is in coarse uneven crumbs. Transfer the mixture to a shallow container.
- Line a sheet pan or other clean surface with a piece of parchment paper.
- Either run the popsicle mold until warm water for 10-15 seconds, or alternatively dip it in a bowl of warm water for the same period of time and gently pull on the sticks to release the popsicles. Place the popsicles on the tray. If the popsicles aren’t a little melty from the unmolding process, let them sit for a few minutes. The popsicles must be a little melty so that the coating sticks to it.
- One at a time, dip the popsicle in the shortcake mixture, evenly coating each side of the popsicle. Place back on the tray and repeat with all popsicles.
- Wrap each popsicle individually in parchment paper, then place them in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag.
Notes
A quart of strawberries can vary in weight, but it's typically about 18 to 22 ounces. The total weight of strawberries used for this recipe is 14 ounces.
During testing, I experimented with the amount of sweetened condensed milk to add. Many testers liked the popsicles with a whole 14-ounce can (about 1-¼ cups), but I also tested with half that amount. The smaller amount of condensed milk results in a more balanced popsicle with some tartness from the strawberries. The larger amount creates very sweet, ice cream-like popsicles with a softer bite. If you like sweet, go for the full amount! If you prefer a more balanced taste, follow the recipe as indicated.
One of the easiest and most effective methods to unmold the popsicles is to place the entire mold in a large bowl of hot water. Make sure not to let any water get inside the molds themselves, and leave them in the bowl for around 30 seconds. After that, the popsicles should slide out with ease! If you're using individual molds, you can place each in a tall glass of hot water instead.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half.
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