Juicy, sweet, perfect strawberries are a hallmark of warm weather — those wonderful months of late spring and early summer. And what better way to celebrate the strawberry than by turning it into a gorgeous dessert? There’s always the crowd-pleasing strawberry shortcake; we have versions that range from classic to creative (including a saffron-scented tray bake that’s scaled up for a crowd). And the dessert possibilities are nearly endless: Juicy, ruby-red strawberries can be cooked down into filling for a pie or sweet roll; add texture and brightness to a tart or tiramisu; or become the base of rich ice creams and cooling granitas. These are our favorite strawberry dessert recipes.
Strawberry-Saffron Shortcake
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
In this simple shortcake from baker and cookbook author Hetel Vasavada, lemon syrup and mascarpone whipped cream — both scented with saffron — give a sweet, floral dimension that brings the familiar dessert to new heights. The warm spice pairs beautifully with the sweet berries and brings a strong color to the whole dish.
Strawberry Ekmek Kataifi
Made from shredded phyllo that’s soaked in syrup and topped with custard, the Greek dessert ekmek kataifi perfectly balances crispy and creamy. This version from pastry chef Paola Velez replaces the traditional custard with a vibrant pudding made with pureed strawberries, all topped with a cloud of honeyed whipped cream.
Roasted Strawberry-Vanilla Ice Cream
This sweet, tart confection from chef and ice cream maker Fany Gerson is a beautiful homage to strawberries and cream. “My mom would take strawberries and put a little Mexican crema and sugar on top, and that became dessert,” Gerson says. “For this ice cream, roasting the strawberries gives a new dimension to the fruit.”
Roasted Strawberry Sorbet
Cedric Angeles
For a similar but dairy-free preparation, try this silky, juicy, fruity sorbet. It’s bursting with strawberry goodness, but gets complexity and depth with the creative addition of Pinot Noir; the sorbet is delicious on its own, but it’s even more wonderful served with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Alexandria Juhl
With their light sponge cake base and fruity buttercream frosting, these berry-topped cupcakes are reminiscent of classic strawberry shortcakes. They come together quickly, mostly with pantry ingredients — but if you’d like to make them ahead of an event, both the cupcakes and frosting can be stored for up to two days.
Tres Leches Cake with Strawberries
Julia Hartbeck
Spiced with just a hint of cinnamon, this tres leches cake from chef Soledad Correa is wonderful when strawberries are in season. Spoon the ripe berries on top just before serving, along with sweetened or unsweetened whipped cream and thinly sliced mint, which adds a refreshing herbal contrast.
Almond and Strawberry Tart
Juicy strawberries make a refreshing topping for this tart from chefs Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, cofounders of the iconic London restaurant The River Café. The shell is filled with a frangipane-like almond mixture, then baked until golden and piled with fresh fruit before serving; the tanginess is a perfect foil to the rich filling.
Fraisier Cake
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling
With its fluffy, creamy texture and light vanilla flavor, this classic French cake is the perfect canvas for a bounty of sun-ripened strawberries. The sponge cake is brushed with amaretto, then layered with sliced fruit and mousseline cream for a showstopping dessert that’s worth the effort.
Strawberry Tiramisu
This fresh, sunny take on tiramisu skips the traditional coffee and chocolate. Instead, the ladyfingers and orange zest–flecked mascarpone cream are layered with juicy macerated strawberries soaked with orange liqueur and a touch of balsamic vinegar, which both help intensify the fruit flavor without overpowering it.
Boozy Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
This frozen cocktail from pastry chef Claudia Fleming is exactly what you want on a hot summer afternoon, made with lemon vodka, Prosecco, basil, limoncello, strawberries, and lemon sorbet. Sweet, zippy, and irresistibly delicious, it can also double as a dessert — start out with a spoon, then sip as it begins to melt.
Strawberry Almond Cheesecake with Matzo Crust
This silky cheesecake gets sweetness and tang from a blend of cream cheese and sour cream, with a nutty, toasty crunch from the matzo meal and ground almonds used in place of the usual graham crackers in the crust. Topped with ruby-red strawberries, it’s a beautiful centerpiece at any table.
Strawberry Slab Pie
Food & Wine / Andrew Purcell
This buttery, flaky slab pie from chef Joanne Chang is one of the most delicious desserts you’ll eat all summer. The gorgeous filling includes a full pound and a half of fresh strawberries, which are tossed with sugar, fragrant orange zest, and a touch of salt before baking until thick and jammy.
Strawberry Granita with Sweet Pesto
Juicy strawberries and sweet, fragrant basil are among our favorite summer treats. Why not combine them? Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson of Frasca Food & Wine makes a refreshing berry granita spiked with tangy verjus, serving it with a honeyed mint-basil pesto and whipped cream.
Strawberry Icebox Cake with Maple-Ginger Cream
This no-bake icebox cake riffs on the flavors of a classic strawberry shortcake — and it has some personality all its own. Buttery store-bought shortbread cookies make an easy foundation for layers of sliced strawberries and a whipped cream–crème fraîche mixture sweetened with maple and spiced with fresh ginger.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Cornmeal Skillet Cake
Baker and writer Jocelyn Delk Adams studs this simple skillet cake — which gets its pound-cake-like character from goat cheese, buttermilk, and cornmeal — with juicy strawberries and tart rhubarb, making it perfect for the transition from spring to summer. Rosemary-infused whipped cream bridges the sweet and savory flavors.
Wine-Poached Strawberries and Apricots
Put summer strawberries front and center with this impressively balanced, lightly boozy dessert, which pairs the berries with the gentle bitterness of tarragon and dried apricots. The fruit is poached in a whole bottle’s worth of semi-dry Riesling — refreshing and not too sweet — then topped with unsweetened whipped cream.
Strawberry-Mango Paletas
Fany Gerson’s bright red-and-orange ice pops are perfect to make when juicy strawberries are at their peak, with a hint of lime juice and salt to offset the sweetness of the fruit.
Strawberry Shortcakes with Meyer Lemon Cream
Pastry chef Michelle Polzine makes her riff on strawberry shortcake with sweet, intensely flavored Seascape strawberries and whipped cream infused with fragrant Meyer lemon curd. Polzine also uses a combination of all-purpose and cake flour for the lightest shortcake that’s tender in the center without sacrificing structure.
Ricotta-Orange Pound Cake with Prosecco Strawberries
This dessert from Giada De Laurentiis is a simple way to enjoy strawberries in all their glory. The moist, orange-scented, amaretto-infused cake is delicious on its own, but it’s brought to the next level by a pretty accompaniment of fresh fruit — juicy from macerating in crisp Prosecco with a sprinkling of sugar.
Strawberry-Honey Cake with Sour Whipped Cream
Seattle chef Eli Dahlin’s floral, moist, honey-inflected strawberry cake is his seasonal take on sticky toffee pudding. The first step is to macerate a pound of strawberries in sugar overnight: You’ll finely chop the fruit and beat it into the batter, reserving the resulting syrup to drizzle over each slice when serving.
Strawberry-Pistachio Sweet Rolls
To fill these impressively swirled yeasted rolls, you’ll turn a pound of fresh strawberries into homemade preserves brightened with lemon zest and black pepper, then add a sprinkling of crunchy chopped pistachios for a winning combination. Serve them for a cookout dessert, then eat the leftovers for breakfast.
Strawberry Cream Puffs
These luscious cream puffs are made from traditional choux filled with vanilla custard cream, but it’s the layer of thinly sliced tarragon-tinged strawberries that really makes them sing. For a finishing touch, pastry chef Ed Jiloca drizzles each pastry puff with a bright, sweet glaze made with strawberry preserves.
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
So-called dessert salads are a tradition in the Midwest and other parts of the country — and a tried-and-true way to feed a potluck crowd. With a sweet-salty pretzel crust, a creamy no-bake cheesecake filling, and a fruity gelatin top studded with sliced strawberries, this tasty version is a Food & Wine Test Kitchen favorite.
