43 Strawberry Desserts to Sweeten Your Summer
Red is the color of love, and also strawberries—coincidence? We think not. But our best strawberry desserts aren’t just vivid: They’re deeply flavorful and wonderfully summery. The berries pop up in cool and creamy desserts like ice cream bars, milkshakes, and an eye-popping strawberry torte. You’ll also find strawberries here in pies, pavlovas, and several renditions of shortcake, each so sweetly distinct that you could make it a summer goal to bake your way through every single one. There’s plenty more to love with our favorite strawberry dessert recipes—all you have to do now is pick a perfect carton.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens3/43Herb-Infused Lemon-Strawberry Loaf
Channel the flavors of strawberry lemonade with a highly snackable loaf cake, ideal for toting to the park or the pool. We promise it’s worth turning your oven on for.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich4/43Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Name a more iconic duo than strawberry and rhubarb. In this recipe, they’re right as they ought to be: together, in a pie, sandwiched between a perfectly flaky crust and a cinnamon crumble topping.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne5/43Mahalabiya مهلبية (Milk Custard With Strawberry Compote)
Silky, creamy milk custard meets a jammy rose-and-cardamom-infused strawberry topping in this Arabic dessert, a cousin of panna cotta.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce7/43Ember-Roasted Strawberries
When the flame of the campfire or grill is dying down, heat a foil pack of strawberries in the embers. The resulting dessert is equal parts syrupy and smoky, best enjoyed with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson9/43Meringue Sundae With Peppery Berry Sauce
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton10/43Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Heather Greene, Food Styling by Alison Attenborough11/43Coconut-Strawberry Ice Cream Pie
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Anna Stockwell12/43Flourless Pistachio Cake With Strawberry Meringue
Does this gluten-free cake taste as amazing as it looks? There’s only one way to find out. (Spoiler alert: The answer is yes.) Freeze-dried fruits are one of our favorite ways to add a dash of color to dessert; this one’s full of strawberry flavor too. It’d be the perfect dessert for Mother’s Day.
Photo by Tara Donne, prop and food styling by Ali Nardi14/43Strawberry Buckwheat Bars
A mix of fresh seasonal fruit and jarred strawberry preserves creates beautiful candy-like edges, with a bit of ooze in the center. This would be a great place to use that strawberry compote we were just talking about.
Photo by Massimo Pessina & Blandine Boyer, Food Styling by Eric Kayser17/43Fraisier (Strawberry Cream Cake)
There’s no better way to showcase fresh strawberries than in this fresh berries-and-cream cake, a classic French dessert.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop and Food Styling by Ali Nardi18/43Strawberry Rhubarb Compote With Matzo Streusel Topping
This dessert was designed for Passover, but it’s also a great way to use any leftover matzo after the holiday. The crisp streusel pairs wonderfully with juicy strawberries.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone21/43Mixed Berry Pie Bars
Is it a pie, a cookie, a bar? Whatever you want to call this handheld pastry, the bright berry filling and buttery crust make it totally spectacular.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova22/43Retro Strawberries-and-Cream Pretzel Tart
Make this creamy-crunchy strawberry tart—inspired by retro strawberry-pretzel Jell-O salad—in a springform pan to show off its pretty layers. It’s the ideal no-bake dessert for summer.
Photo by David Malosh23/43Giant Meringue (Pavlova Gigantata)
Pile this extra-large meringue high with mezcal-soaked strawberries. This ethereal strawberry dessert would be a great end to a spicy or heavy meal (save that cheesecake recipe for the fall).
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi25/43Coeur à la Crème With Roasted Strawberry Sauce
Coeur à la crème (cream heart) is a classic French dessert—a cloudlike concoction of cream cheese, soft goat cheese, vanilla, and lemon zest—traditionally served with strawberries.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell27/43Strawberry Shortcake With Thyme and Whipped Cream
You could make individual shortcakes—or go for this large-format, thyme-scented spongecake version, which makes a beautiful dessert centerpiece designed to feed a crowd.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou29/43Strawberry Jam Glaze
This quick strawberry glaze will make any dessert look beautiful; use it to decorate mini gem cakes, Bundt cake, or a loaf cake. Seedless strawberry jam imparts color without the crunch.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Aneta Florczyk, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou30/43Salted Pistachio Crumbles With Berries and Ice Cream
A salty pistachio topping, juicy macerated fruit, and store-bought ice cream combine for a back-pocket dessert that might feel a bit like cheating, but is so good nobody will care.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop styling by Brian Heiser, food styling by Rhoda Boone31/43Coconut Milk Custard With Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell32/43Easter Egg Cake With Strawberry Frosting
Roasted strawberries puréed into billowy Swiss meringue buttercream frosting? That right there is heaven, and it makes a divine pairing with malted milk and white chocolate. Don’t mind that the name says Easter—this cake tastes good throughout spring and summer.
Photo by Romulo Yanes33/43Strawberry-Vanilla Swirled Frozen Pops
No need to wait for the ice cream truck. These colorful homemade pops capture the warm-weather synergy of ripe strawberries and creamy vanilla. Using store-bought ice cream makes them as easy to assemble as any icebox cake.
David Cicconi34/43Strawberries in Sambuca
Skip the plate of chocolate-covered strawberries and soak your fruit in booze instead. Sambuca, an anise-flavored liqueur, adds wonderfully complex flavor to ripe strawberries. Spoon them over pound cake or pile next to tiramisu for a stunning summer dessert.
Photo by Waterbury Publications, Inc.36/43Roasted Strawberry Danish
This easy strawberry dessert is like the lazy person’s Danish: If you’ve got English muffins, cream cheese, and strawberries, you’re well on your way.
Photo by Dayna Smith37/43Babee’s Strawberry Shortbread Valentine’s Cookies
Every day can be Valentine’s Day with these sweet little cookies, which pair strawberry preserves—store-bought or homemade—with a simple shortbread dough.
Photo by Kristin Perers39/43Strawberry, Ginger, and Poppy Seed Scones
Strawberries bring sweetness, ginger adds zing, and poppy seeds contribute nutty, floral crunch to these delightfully tender, multifaceted scones.
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