💡 Tips and FAQs  

Make the most out of your homemade Strawberry Sauce with these helpful tips!

🧾What You’ll Need

Ingredients

The good news: this fruit pizza is made with common baking ingredients, so you probably already have most, if not all, of the ingredients you’ll need! Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you make this recipe. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

For the Cookie Crust

I love making fruit pizza with a homemade cookie crust. However, to save time feel free to use a premade storebought cookie dough in place of the ingredients below.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour for the base of the cookie dough. Make sure to measure carefully, using a food scale if possible.
• Baking soda
• Unsalted butter and salt: Use unsalted butter that has been softened to room temperature. If you only have salted butter, omit the excess salt.
• Sugar: Use regular, white granulated sugar.
• Lemon zest: I love the fresh taste that a bit of lemon zest gives to the sugar cookie crust. If you don’t have 2 large lemons, you can swap in another citrus zest, like orange or grapefruit, or just omit it entirely.
• Eggs: It’s important to use large eggs (not extra large or medium). Bring them to room temperature before getting started.
• Cream: You can use either heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
• Lemon extract: To flavor the cookie crust, use a high-quality lemon extract.

For the Frosting

Looking for a quicker way to frost the crust? You can use a storebought cream cheese frosting, other canned frosting, or even storebought strawberry cream cheese spread instead of making your own.

• Cream cheese: Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese for the best flavor. Bring it to room temperature to make it easier to mix with the other ingredients.
• Strawberry jam: To flavor the frosting, you’ll need strawberry jam. Bring it to room temperature before mixing it into the frosting to prevent lumps. If desired, you can use other flavors of jam like raspberry or cherry.
• Powdered sugar: Helps to sweeten and thicken the frosting.

For the Toppings and Glaze

• Fresh fruit: You’ll want to gather ALL THE FRUIT — the more colorful and bountiful, the better! Feel free to use whatever is readily available to you, but my personal must-haves are lots of fresh berries, mangoes, clementine slices, and grapes. Combined, these have a lot of different colors and textures that make the fruit pizza look fresh and vibrant. If you have access to fun fruits like dragon fruit or star fruit (featured below!) that’s just the cherry on top…pardon the fruity pun. ;)You’ll need about 8 cups of assorted fresh fruit, washed and sliced. The only fruit I don’t recommend is bananas because of how quickly they brown.
• Apple jelly: To give the glaze a lovely shine, use apple jelly, or other light-colored jelly. It also prevents the fruit from wilting and drying out after it’s cut.
• Water: To thin the glaze.

Equipment

You’ll only need a few basic kitchen tools to make this Easter dessert. Here’s what you should know. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Microplane: Use a microplane to zest fresh lemons.
• Mixer: You’ll want a mixer to whip up the cookie dough and cream cheese frosting. I prefer using a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer.
• Plastic wrap: It’s helpful to have some plastic wrap on hand to wrap the dough in before chilling it.
• Rolling pin: For easy rolling, place your dough between two sheets of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to smooth it out.
• Parchment paper: The easiest way to move a giant cookie crust around? Bake it on parchment so you can slide it right off the baking sheet, no awkward contortions required!
• Baking sheet: You’ll want to use a half-sheet pan (approx 13×18″) so you have enough room for the large cookie crust. Look for a sturdy one with a thick bottom so the bottom of the cookie doesn’t burn before it’s cooked through. I use and love these Nordic Ware baking sheets.
• Cookie cutters: If you want to cut shapes into some of the fruit slices, you can use small cookie cutters. You could use flowers, hearts, stars and more!
• Pastry brush: Use a pastry brush to glaze the top of the pizza.
• Pizza cutter: I like to use a pizza cutter for slicing up the fruit pizza. You can also use a large knife.

1. Beat cream cheese: Use a handmixer to beat 8 oz cream cheese until smooth and free of lumps.
2. Mix in jam and sugar: Add 1/3 cup strawberry jam and 6 oz (1 1/2 cups) powdered sugar, beat until well-mixed.
3. Prep the fruit: Time to get slicing! Prep your fruit right before you are ready to use it. Cut up any large fruit (strawberries, mangoes, star fruit, etc) into slices. For larger grapes and berries, you might want to cut them in half so it’s easier to decorate with them. Small berries can be left whole. If desired, use small cutters on some of the slices to make pretty shapes.

💭Variations

There are a million and one ways to make a fruit pizza! Consider some of these twists:

• Use another flavor in your cream cheese: Lemon, orange, and raspberry would all be delicious.
• Decorate for another holiday: Try a Fourth of July variation in the shape of a flag with red and blue berries. Halloween time? Make the base in the shape of a pumpkin, use pumpkin spice cream cheese, and fill the top with citrus fruits to keep the orange theme.
• Make the pizzas personal-sized: Mini fruit pizzas are the cutest! Make palm-sized cookie crusts so everyone gets their own. Use an egg cutter to make the mini pizzas look like Easter eggs!

Mason jars aren’t just for canning and Pinterest-inspired home decor: they’re also a fantastic tool for the home baker! They’re endlessly versatile. You can:

• Bake directly in them, like this Pear Pie in a Jar
• Fill them with mousse, pudding or custard, like with these Dirt Pudding Cups
• Assemble layered trifles in them, like these Red Velvet Jar Cakes and Doughnut Trifles
• …and so much more!

Best of all, Mason jar desserts are portable, single-serving, and–need I mention?–extremely cute! So as berry season approaches, I’m sharing a wonderful spring and summertime dessert: Mixed Berry Shortcakes in Jars!

Ingredients

Fittingly, the ingredient list for these shortcakes is blessedly short. You’ll need…

• Crescent dough: This recipe makes use of crescent dough as a shortcut to creating buttery, crisp shortbread rounds. Crescent dough is typically found in the refrigerated section near canned cinnamon rolls and biscuits.
• Berries: You’ll want about 3 cups of berries. Feel free to swap in whatever is available and fresh where you are. For a more tropical fruit jar, consider adding in kiwi, mango, or dragon fruit.
• Lime juice: Lime juice adds a little bit of tartness to the fruit mixture, and also helps them release their juices. (This release of juices is also known as maceration. See the tip section for more info.) Lemon juice will also work, and you can use either fresh or concentrated juice.
• Whipped cream: Nothing beats homemade whipped cream, but swapping in a tub of whipped topping is also perfectly acceptable!

🥄 Equipment

You’ll only need a few tools to make these little cuties. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Mason jars: This one is pretty obvious! You’ll want to use 8-ounce wide-mouth mason jars. You could also use smaller jars for mini desserts, just make sure the top opening isn’t too small to easily work with.
• Round cutters: You can use either a 2-inch or 3-inch round cutter. I recommend using a 2-inch cutter because the shortcakes will fit more easily in the jars. If you use a 3-inch cutter, you might need to cut a little excess off to make the cakes fit.
• Baking sheets: Heavy-duty baking sheets will keep the bottoms of the shortcakes from burning and help them bake evenly.
• Parchment paper: I never bake directly on my baking sheets–it’s all about the parchment, baby! Save time and cleanup by using silicone liners or parchment paper when baking.

📸 Photo Tutorial: How to Make Berry Shortcakes in Jars

Learn how to make Berry Shortcake in a Jar with this helpful photo tutorial! Full instructions are included in the recipe card above.

Assemble the Shortcake Jars

8. Get your jars. Place 3 8-oz wide mouth mason jars in front of you and assemble layer by layer.
9. Add first set of layers to the jars. For the first layer, place a shortcake followed by a little berry mixture followed by whipped cream inside of each jar.
10. Continue adding layer sets. Repeat this set of layers until the mason jars are full (about 3 sets).
11. Decorate the top. Finish the berry shortcakes with a little more cream, a few fresh berries and mint (optional). Repeat until you’ve assembled all the jars.
12. Enjoy!

💡 Tips and FAQs

Before you start assembling your shortcakes, make sure to check out these helpful tips and FAQs!

🧾 What you’ll need

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Shortbread cookies: I love using shortbread cookies to give the tart shells a rich, buttery flavor. You can substitute other crisp cookies or graham crackers if you’d like. If you use grahams, you will probably need to add additional butter (since shortbread cookies have a lot more butter naturally) – you can look at our Graham Cracker Crust recipe for some guidance.
• Pistachios: Lightly toasted pistachios are ground up along with the cookies and give the tart shells a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. You can swap in toasted hazelnuts, walnuts, or pecans if you’d like.
• White chocolate chips: When possible, I recommend using real white chocolate chips, or chopped white chocolate bars. Real white chocolate contains cocoa butter, and it has a deliciously smooth texture that improves the final product. Anything labeled “white chips” or “white baking chips” is not real white chocolate, and although you can use it in this recipe, the end result might be a little stiffer and less creamy. 
• Rose water: Rose water is optional if you’re not able to find it, but I think it really makes the filling special. A big bottle of rose water is usually fairly inexpensive and lasts forever–plus you’ll only use a spoonful or two at a time. But if you’d like, you can omit it and use vanilla extract instead.
• Freeze-dried strawberries: Freeze-dried strawberries are ground into a strawberry powder for this recipe–a super easy and convenient way to pack a LOT of strawberry flavor into desserts without ruining the texture by adding liquid! It also helps stabilize the whipped cream, so it holds up under the strawberries and has a more mousse-like consistency. The recipe card has notes for swapping in strawberry puree if you can’t find freeze-dried berries.
• Pink food coloring: A touch of pink gel food coloring gives the filling the perfect pink hue.
• Fresh strawberries: You’ll need 6-8 fresh strawberries per tart (depending on the size of your berries.) Look to find the ripest, freshest berries you can for the best results.

(Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

Equipment

• Tart pans: This recipe calls for 8 5-inch mini tart pans. If your pans are a different size, your yield will vary. You can also use one large 10-inch tart pan instead.
• Food processor: A food processor makes short work of crumbling cookies and nuts, and grinding the berries into strawberry powder. You can probably do these tasks by hand or with a blender, but your results might not be as smooth.

📋 How to make a strawberry rose design

The strawberry rose decoration isn’t difficult, but I found a little method that saved me some time when assembling the tarts, so I’m going to break it down here with step-by-step photos. Once you get the hang of it, they go pretty quickly, and your roses will be done in no time.

• Start by washing your strawberries well, then gently pat them dry. Slice the tops off of the strawberries.
• With the berry sitting on the sliced end, cut off a sliver from one side so that when you turn it on its side, it can rest flat. 

• With the berry on its side, cut it into paper-thin slices—the thinner, the better! (Using a very sharp knife makes it easier to get thin slices.) As you cut, keep the slices together in a berry shape.
• When it is all sliced, fan out the slices along the knife blade so they’re all touching and can be transferred in a single row.

• Use the knife to transfer the row of berries to the tart, and arrange them along the outside edge.
• Repeat with the remaining berries, overlapping them around each other in a spiral pattern until the tart’s surface is covered.

• Finish off by rolling a slice up into a spiral and placing it in the center of the tart.
• Brush the fresh berries with warmed strawberry jelly to give them a beautiful shine and prevent them from looking wilted.

💭 Variations

Want to play with your food? (Me too!) Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Instead of making 8 smaller tarts, make one larger (10- or 11-inch) tart. Or make several rectangular tarts–rectangular tarts (like this Coconut Macaroon Tart) always look extra-fancy for some reason.
• Use this strawberry rose decoration idea on cakes, cupcakes, or an old-fashioned cheesecake.
• Use other fruit on top. Stone fruit like peaches, nectarines, and plums work well. Mangoes and persimmons are a good choice too – check out our Persimmon Almond Rosette Tarts for some inspiration.
• Make a mixed berry tart – use freeze-dried blueberries or raspberries in the filling, and keep the strawberry rose on top.

💡 Tips and FAQs  

❤️ More mini tarts you’ll love

• Chocolate Raspberry Tarts
• Baileys Chocolate Caramel Mini Tarts
• Grapefruit Tarts
• Persimmon Almond Rosette Tarts
• Dulce de Leche Swirled Tarts
• Lemon Ginger Ice Cream Tarts
• Pistachio Rose Tarts

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients & Substitutions

You can find the full list of ingredients down in the recipe card, but here are a few notes to help as you gather ingredients: (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Butter: Your butter should be at room temperature to make the cake and frosting. This means it’s pliable but cool–you don’t want it to be greasy and melty.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk, along with sour cream, adds moisture and flavor. If you don’t have any, you can substitute more sour cream in a 1:1 ratio, or make your own buttermilk: combine 1.5 TBSP of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar with 1.5 cups of 2% or whole milk. Stir well, and let the milk sit for 10 minutes, until it’s thickened slightly, then it’s ready to use.
• Sour cream: I recommend using full-fat sour cream at room temperature. If you don’t have any, you can substitute buttermilk in a 1:1 ratio, or full-fat Greek yogurt.
• Cocoa powder: Make sure you use a high-quality cocoa powder. Cheap cocoa powders can be nearly flavorless, or worse, impart a bitter, dusty, or stale flavor. My personal favorite is Cacao Barry Extra Brute – it hits that sweet spot between very high quality but also pretty affordable since it is sold in bulk. Whatever you use, look for cocoa that is dutch-processed (also known as alkalized), because it has a deeper, richer flavor and color.
• Freeze-dried strawberries: we use freeze-dried strawberries to give the frosting a bold, vibrant, realistic strawberry flavor without changing the texture. If you want to use fresh strawberries instead, check the FAQ section for instructions on making that swap.
• Eggs & egg whites: You’ll need a lot of eggs – 3 for the cake, and 9 (whites) for the frosting! Use large eggs, and for the best results, have them at room temperature before beginning. If you are unsure about how to separate egg whites, check out my tutorial! Do not use pasteurized egg whites in a carton for this recipe. They will not whip properly.
• Chocolate: For the chocolate ganache, I recommend using a dark chocolate bar that’s not too bitter and not too sweet – something like these Lindt 70% bars are a great flavor balance, and make a silky-smooth ganache. Avoid chocolate chips – they don’t melt as smoothly or fluidly.

Equipment

• Rimmed baking sheet: The cake is baked in a half-sheet (18″ x 13″) rimmed baking sheet, then cut out with round cutters. This produces some waste (or scraps, as an optimist would say), but it’s the easiest method since most people have baking sheets available. The other option is to bake individual cakes in 4″ round cake pans, if you have this size.
• Round cutter: You’ll need a 3.5″ round cutter to make the cake rounds.  I have and recommend this versatile set of round cutters.
• Cake turntable:A revolving cake stand isn’t a necessity, but it does make cake assembly and decorating much easier.
• Offset spatula: A small offset spatula is is perfect for smoothing frosting on the sides and top of the cakes.
• Squeeze bottle: A squeeze bottle is a big help for getting those perfect ganache drips!
• Mixer: You will need some kind of mixer to make the cake and frosting. Either a stand mixer or hand mixer will work fine.

🍰 Assembling the cakes

These cakes have quite a few stages, so here’s a quick overview of the whole process and how everything comes together:

1. Make the cake batter, bake it in a rimmed baking sheet, and let it cool completely. (this can be done in advance)
2. Make the strawberry frosting and chocolate ganache. (this can be done in advance)
3. Cut 15 cake circles out of the sheet cake, and feel free to nibble some scraps while you assemble the cakes. You deserve it!
4. Assemble five mini cakes. Each one is composed of three layers of cake, with strawberry buttercream and chopped fresh strawberries in the middle. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and sides to lock in the crumbs, then refrigerate for at least an hour, until firm.
5. Spread a second layer of buttercream on the chilled cakes, smoothing out the top and sides as much as possible. Guess what? We’re gonna chill those bad boys again, so stick them in the fridge for another hour.
6. Warm up the ganache until it’s smooth and fluid. Use a squeeze bottle or spouted measuring cup to pour ganache over the chilled cakes to make the drips.
7. Dip large fresh strawberries in leftover ganache, and add one on top of each cake.

🎂 Tips for cake success

• It’s always a good idea to give yourself plenty of time to make the components and assemble a layer cake. I often like to do it over the course of several days so I’m not rushed or stressed. Fortunately, all the parts of this cake can be made in advance!
• Having all of the ingredients at room temperature is extremely important to making sure the cake batter and buttercream come together.
• This cake recipe is pretty straight-forward and forgiving. Even if it’s slightly overbaked, it still turns out moist and delicious! Don’t forget to prep your pan with parchment paper, and a generous layer of pan release or nonstick spray.
• Low on time? You can simplify some of the steps, like using a cake mix instead of making a homemade cake. If you want a shortcut version of the frosting, try my Easy Strawberry Buttercream instead.
• Don’t skimp on the chilling steps during cake assembly! I promise, it is MUCH easier to work with a cold, firm cake than a room temp cake that’s sliding around when you’re trying to frost it.

💭 Variations

• Try a raspberry version: use freeze-dried raspberry powder in the buttercream, and fresh raspberries in the frosting layers. Top the cakes with fresh berries and chocolate curls, like in this No-Bake Chocolate Raspberry Cake. (This would be fun to serve with my Love Potion Valentine’s Day Drink!)
• Try other cake recipes – a strawberry cake would be especially delicious! You could even use chocolate buttercream as a filling to complete the flavor swap.
• Instead of dipping the strawberries in ganache, dip them in real chocolate and use one of these fun strawberry decorating ideas to really customize the cakes!

💡 FAQs  

🍓 More Strawberry Desserts

• Strawberry Dessert Recipes And Ideas
• Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
• Strawberry Swirl Bundt Cake
• Strawberries and Cream Layer Cake
• Strawberry Sauce
• Strawberry Crisp
• Strawberry Rose Tarts

Light, smooth, and creamy, this Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream is packed with juicy strawberries and buttery pound cake. Best of all, you don’t need any special equipment to make this delicious and easy homemade ice cream.

🍓 No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream

This no-churn strawberry shortcake ice cream is just as good as any you’ll find in a grocery store, and is so easy to make. It starts with a rich and creamy no-churn ice cream base, then you stir in lots and lots of fresh strawberries and cubes of pound cake. (I use store-bought to make this extra simple!) The combination of sweet-tart berries and chunks of vanilla-scented cake is delightful, and makes this the perfect dessert for summer–or anytime!

The beauty of no-churn ice cream is that you don’t need to cook the ice cream base, and you don’t need a special ice cream maker to churn it. All you need are four simple ingredients, a few common kitchen tools, and (of course) your freezer. The resulting ice cream is fruity, refreshing, nostalgic, and a total crowd-pleaser!

🧾What You’ll Need

Ingredients

Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind as you gather ingredients. Check the recipe card for full ingredient amounts. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Pound cake: Since you don’t need a ton of pound cake, I recommend using store-bought cake, but of course homemade pound cake also works well. Alternately, you can use cubes of regular yellow cake or cupcakes, scones, bundt cake, or even baked and crumbled pie crust!
• Diced strawberries: Fresh strawberries work best, but frozen strawberries can also be used in a pinch.
• Heavy whipping cream: I recommend using heavy cream or manufacturing cream over whipping cream, when possible. Heavy cream and manufacturing cream have the most fat, which produces a better flavor and texture. For best results, make sure the cream is very cold before whipping it.
• Sweetened condensed milk: This thick and rich sweetener will ensure that your ice cream doesn’t freeze too hard and is a perfect scoopable consistency. Make sure you use sweetened condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk. The cans look similar and they’re usually in the same section at the grocery store, but they are not the same thing. 

Equipment

You don’t need any special equipment to make this ice cream — just a mixing bowl, an electric mixer, a spatula, and a loaf pan or other container. But if you want to make your life a little easier, I own and recommend these ice cream tools: (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Ice cream scoop: A high-quality ice cream scoop makes it so easy to portion the ice cream out in perfect rounded scoops.
• Ice cream storage container: An ice cream storage container keeps the ice cream fresh in the freezer. I have this set, and can personally vouch that the containers are amazing. They keep the ice cream soft and fresh, while keeping out odors and ice crystals.

📸Photo Tutorial: How to Make Easy Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream

This ice cream is a breeze to throw together. Here’s a quick photo tutorial, and you can find printable instructions in the recipe card above.

Make the ice cream base

1. Prep berries and cake: Begin by dicing both your strawberries and pound cake into 1” cubes. Set aside.
2. Whip cream: In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
3. Fold in milk: Use a rubber spatula to then gently fold in your sweetened condensed milk. Be careful not to beat too much air out of your whipped cream in the process.
4. Fold in berries and cake: Add your chopped pound cake and strawberries to your ice cream base and carefully mix until evenly distributed.

Chill well

5. Freeze: Transfer the mixture to an ice cream storage container or 9×5 inch loaf pan. Cover tightly, then place in the freezer for 4-6 hours.
6. Enjoy! Scoop, serve, and dig in!

💭Variations

Make this ice cream your own by getting creative with your toppings and variations! Try serving it with some of these toppers, or stir them into the ice cream before chilling it. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Swap the cake: Chocolate pound cake or brownie cubes
• Add some crunch: Chopped Oreo cookies, shortbread cookies, waffle cone pieces, chopped walnuts or other nuts
• Fun toppings: Homemade whipped cream, strawberry sauce or syrup, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, or strawberry popping boba
• Fruit: Fresh berries or thinly sliced bananas

💡Tips and FAQs for Success

• Check the milk. It’s far too easy to grab evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk. The sweetened condensed milk is key to getting creamy, scoopable ice cream!
• Chill the bowl and whisk. The colder equipment creates a lighter whipped cream which creates a lighter ice cream. 15 minutes of chill time should be plenty.
• Whip to firm peaks: When making whipped cream, it goes through a few general stages of development. As it begins to incorporate air and thicken, you want to get it to a stage called firm peaks. You can identify this stage by how the cream reacts when you lift the whisk out of the mixing bowl. If you pull the whisk out and the cream flops over and does not hold a pointy shape, it’s at the soft peak stage and needs to be whipped longer. Mix a little longer and test the cream again by pulling up the whisk. You’ll know it’s at the firm peak stage when the cream points upward with hardly any flopping and retains its shape well.
• Don’t over mix. When you’re mixing the ice cream ingredients, gently fold only until just combined. Over-mixing deflates the cream and ruins the texture of the ice cream.
• Store in the back of the freezer. The further back the ice cream, the better the temperature is regulated. If the ice cream temperature fluctuates too much, ice crystals can form.
• For smooth swirls: Not a fan of whole fruit in your ice cream? Try using a strawberry sauce or jam instead of strawberry chunks.
• For big chunks: If you like bigger swirls of fruit and cake throughout your ice cream, be sure to leave your berries and shortcake in bigger chunks before mixing into your ice cream base.