Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
on Jun 19, 2025
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Cool off with these homemade strawberry shortcake ice cream bars! They’re a dairy-free, nostalgic frozen treat made with fresh strawberries, coconut milk, and a sweet cookie crumble. These bars are easy to make and perfect for summer snacking!
If you grew up loving strawberry shortcake ice cream bars, you’re going to love this homemade version with a healthier twist! These bars are made with real strawberries, creamy coconut milk, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. A crunchy cookie and freeze-dried strawberry coating give them that nostalgic texture and flavor, without any artificial ingredients. They’re dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and just as delicious as the classic treat!
Looking for more easy-to-make frozen treats? You’ll love these Dubai chocolate-inspired pistachio ice cream bars, refreshing watermelon popsicles, and creamy strawberry yogurt bars as well! For another dairy-free option, be sure to try out these creamy mango ice cream bars!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need to make these strawberry shortcake ice cream bars:
- Strawberries: The main ingredient for these ice cream bars. Opt for strawberries that are ripe and sweet for the best natural sweetness.
- Coconut Milk: Creates the perfect creamy base for these bars. Make sure to use unsweetened, full-fat canned coconut milk.
- Maple Syrup: Source of sweetness for the coconut milk base. Add more as desired, depending on your preference and the ripeness of your strawberries.
- Vanilla Extract: For added flavor in the ice cream base.
- Cookies: I love using Simple Mills Grahams, but you can use your favorite vanilla-flavored cookies.
- Freeze Dried Strawberries: Crushed and mixed with the cookies for that classic strawberry shortcake coating.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Substitutions & Additions
- Coconut Milk: The coconut milk may be replaced with 1 cup of full-fat Greek yogurt or 1 cup thick Greek-style coconut milk yogurt to keep these bars dairy-free.
- Maple Syrup: The maple syrup may be replaced with equal parts honey.
Step-by-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Add the strawberries, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla to a high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth (Images 1 & 2). You’ll want to blend it well to ensure that all of the strawberries are fully broken down and smooth.
STEP 2: Place ice cream molds on top of a baking tray for easy transferring and pour the strawberry coconut mixture evenly into ice cream molds (Image 3). Place the molds in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the bars are completely frozen.
STEP 3: Once you’re ready to coat the bars, take them out of the freezer and let them sit out at room temperature for a few minutes as you prepare the cookie crumb coating. This will allow the coating to stick to the bars more easily.
STEP 4: Add the cookies and freeze-dried strawberries to a bag and crush them into fine crumbs. You can leave a few small chunks if you’d like for more texture and crunch (Images 4 & 5). Transfer these crumbs to a plate (Image 6).
STEP 5: Lay the bars on the plate with the crumbs and roll each bar around to ensure they are fully coated (Images 7 & 8). Sprinkle on extra crumbs as needed.
STEP 6: Place the coated bars on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and return them to the freezer for 10 minutes so that they firm up slightly before serving.
Storage Instructions
Once firm, store the bars in an airtight, freezer-safe container to prevent freezer burn. I recommend placing some parchment paper between the bars (or wrapping them separately in parchment paper) to prevent sticking. Let the bars sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Tips For Success
- Make sure to use full-fat, canned coconut milk and not low-fat coconut milk so that the bars are creamy when frozen and not icy in texture.
- Use a high-powered blender to make sure that the strawberries are fully blended and smooth. I love using this nutribullet blender.
- Allow the bars to sit out at room temperature for a few minutes before coating them in the cookie crumb mixture to ensure that the crumbs stick.
- I used the Simple Mills Grahams for the cookie coating, but feel free to use your favorite crunchy vanilla cookies!
Recipe FAQs
I find that low-fat coconut milk freezes into an icy texture that isn’t as creamy to bite into, so for that reason, I recommend using full-fat canned coconut milk.
Yes! Frozen strawberries may be a little more difficult to blend, so I recommend letting them thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before blending.
Other Frozen Treats You’ll Love
Frozen Strawberry Yogurt Bars
Banana Mango Ice Cream
Pistachio Ice Cream Bars
Mango Ice Cream Bars (Dairy-Free)
If you tried these Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing from you!
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
For Ice Cream Base
- 2 cups strawberries
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 2 – 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Strawberry Cookie Coating
- ¾ cup vanilla cookies/vanilla grahams
- ⅓ cup freeze-dried strawberries
Instructions
- Add the strawberries, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla to a high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth. You'll want to blend it well to ensure that all of the strawberries are fully broken down and smooth.
- Place ice cream molds on top of a baking tray for easy transferring and pour the strawberry coconut mixture evenly into ice cream molds. Place the molds in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the bars are completely frozen.
- Once you're ready to coat the bars, take them out of the freezer and let them sit out at room temperature for a few minutes as you prepare the cookie crumb coating. This will allow the coating to stick to the bars more easily.
- Add the cookies and freeze-dried strawberries to a bag and crush them into fine crumbs. You can leave a few small chunks if you'd like for more texture and crunch. Transfer these crumbs to a plate.
- Lay the bars on the plate with the crumbs and roll each bar around to ensure they are fully coated. Sprinkle on extra crumbs as needed.
- Place the coated bars on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and return them to the freezer for 10 minutes so that they firm up slightly before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to use full-fat, canned coconut milk and not low-fat coconut milk so that the bars are creamy when frozen and not icy in texture.
- Use a high-powered blender to make sure that the strawberries are fully blended and smooth. I love using this nutribullet blender.
- Allow the bars to sit out at room temperature for a few minutes before coating them in the cookie crumb mixture to ensure that the crumbs stick.
- I used the Simple Mills Grahams for the cookie coating, but feel free to use your favorite crunchy vanilla cookies!
