19 Sweet Strawberry Recipes to Make the Most of Berry Season

Our favorite ways to turn juicy strawberries into an even sweeter treat.

By
Genevieve Yam
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Genevieve Yam
Senior Editor
After graduating from the International Culinary Center, Genevieve cooked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Per Se. Prior to joining Serious Eats, she was an editor at Epicurious. She grew up between Toronto and Hong Kong and is a graduate of the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She currently lives in New York with her husband and two cats.
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The Serious Eats Team
The Serious Eats Team
At Serious Eats, we’re a team of self-proclaimed food nerds who are ever-curious about the “why” behind cooking. The staff has worked in restaurants, test kitchens, bakeries, and other notable publications, bringing extensive culinary and editorial expertise to the table.
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Published May 02, 2025
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Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Though strawberry season hasn't arrived in the Northeast yet, we're already thinking of all the fun, delicious ways to use the fruit. Ripe, juicy strawberries are delicious eaten on their own, but if you—like me—are too enthusiastic at the farmers market and find yourself with more berries than you can possibly eat, then you'll probably want to find a few other ways to use them. Unsurprisingly, our favorite way to take advantage of fresh, local strawberries is to incorporate them into desserts. Pie and strawberry shortcake are the most obvious choices, but the fruit is wonderful in ice cream, popsicles, cakes, and bars, too. Below, you'll find 19 of our favorite ways to make the most of strawberry season.

July 2020

  • 5-Ingredient Strawberry Shortcakes

    A top-down image of six composed strawberry shortcakes, on a speckled ceramic plate on a textured cloth background.

    Serious Eats / Julia Estrada

    These strawberry shortcakes require just five ingredients and 25 minutes to make. The biscuits are nothing more than self-rising flour, sugar, and cream, and we top them with macerated strawberries and fresh whipped cream. No one will guess you made this comforting dessert in less than half an hour.

  • The Best Strawberry Ice Cream

    Three scoops of strawberry ice cream in a ceramic bowl, with half of a fresh strawberry.

    Serious Eats / Qi Ai

    Strawberry ice cream is often disappointingly bland and icy. We give ours tons of fresh, berry-forward flavor by using a mild, eggless base and adding in raw puréed strawberries. Half-and-half brings a rich milkiness, while corn syrup prevents the ice cream from being too icy. For delicious ice-free mix-ins, we incorporate chopped strawberries macerated in sugar and liquor.

  • Tanghulu (Sugar-Glazed Skewered Fruit)

    Tanghulu sticks on a pink circular plate, with a pink and orange background

    Serious Eats / Melati Citrawireja

    Long before tanghulu—skewered fruit glazed in sugar—became a TikTok darling, it was a snack eaten by Chinese royalty. Today, it’s a popular street food in China and Taiwan. Here’s how to make your own jeweled lollipops at home.

  • Strawberry Lemonade

    Strawberry lemonade in two glasses and a pitcher

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    Macerating strawberries and lemon zest draws out the strawberry's juices and the zest's natural oils, resulting in a refreshing, flavorful lemonade. This no-cook technique also dissolves the sugar, which means there's no need to whisk.

    Continue to 5 of 19 below

  • Ultimate Strawberry Popsicles

    A close-up of a single red strawberry popsicle.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Popsicles are a refreshing treat on a hot summer day, and these strawberry ones are bursting with the bright flavors of fresh strawberries, strawberry jam, and freeze-dried strawberry powder. Though the freeze-dried strawberry powder is optional, we love the extra complexity it offers. The result is a popsicle that requires minimal effort while offering maximum summer strawberry flavor.

  • Strawberry Cupcakes

    overhead shot of strawberry cupcakes on a pink tray and pink surface. with 2 on trays on the corners

    Serious Eats / Jen Causey

    Ripe, juicy berries may be delicious for snacking, but they aren't always the best for baking. Here, underripe berries provide a tangy sweetness without adding excess moisture, while freeze-dried strawberries give the frosting a rosy pink hue.

  • Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

    Overhead view of a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie and the whole pie.

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    This strawberry rhubarb pie is sweet and tangy, with a just-set, slightly saucy texture of softened fruit that still holds some of its shape. We like to incorporate strawberry jam into the pie filling to intensify the berry flavor without introducing excess moisture from fresh berries alone.

  • Strawberry Pretzel Salad

    Angled shot of strawberry pretzel salad cut into bars on a blue plate.

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    Delightfully salty-sweet, creamy, and crunchy, strawberry pretzel salad is a staple at picnics, potlucks, and holiday celebrations. Making the jello with a syrup from fresh strawberries and lemon juice results in a more fruity, flavorful topping, while no-bake cheesecake makes for a creamier, tangier filling than traditional Cool Whip.

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  • Double-Strawberry Cake

    A slice of three layer strawberry shortcake layer cake.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Strawberry in two forms come together to give this cake an all-natural flavor and color. The tang and acidity of strawberry purée keeps the cake moist and tender, while freeze-dried strawberries boost flavor and color without adding extra moisture. Though there are a number of ways to finish the cake, we love topping it with tangy cream cheese frosting to highlight the tart strawberries.

  • Roasted Strawberries

    A dish of ice cream with whole strawberries, drizzling strawberry sauce over the top.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Perhaps you’ve picked your summer strawberries too soon, and now you’re left with a batch of bland berries. This recipe breathes new life into the fruit and amplifies their flavor. Simply roast the strawberries with lemon, sugar, and salt, then mix them with vanilla and rose water. You can use them as a jammy topping for pancakes and waffles, or serve them warm over a bowl of ice cream.

  • Strawberry Banana Smoothie

    Side Angle view of Strawberry milkshake

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    Made with just a handful of ingredients, this strawberry banana smoothie tastes like a sippable version of strawberries and cream.

  • Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

    A homemade strawberry shortcake ice cream bar in a hand with a bite taken out of it.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    We’ll never say no to strawberry shortcake, especially when it’s in ice cream form. Instead of using actual ice cream, our recipe incorporates fluffy Swiss meringue cut with milk and cream for a light and soft texture. The mixture is flavored with vanilla and freeze-dried strawberries, and the finished product is coated with more freeze-dried strawberries and crispy puffed rice. It's a childhood favorite that tastes even better when made at home.

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  • Eton Mess

    eton mess hero

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    With heaps of whipped cream, ripe berries, and crisp-tender meringues, this easy-to-assemble dessert is everything you want in a light summer dessert. Briefly macerating the strawberries with sugar draws out its juices, resulting in more flavorful fruit layers, while lemon juice and zest help offset the sweetness of the cream and meringue.

  • Bright and Fruity Strawberry Jam

    Spooning out some strawberry jam from a glass jar.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    If you've got a serious strawberry patch, you might not be able to eat all the berries, even with the help of our recipes. If that's the case, then try preserving them for the rest of the year by making them into this simple strawberry jam. Though we keep the recipe pretty basic, it's easy to spice things up with additions like freshly ground black pepper or minced tarragon.

  • Summer Strawberry Pie

    A close up of an open face strawberry pie.

    Serious Eats / Yvonne Ruperti

    In the dead of summer, the last thing we want to do is turn on the oven. Fortunately, this no-bake pie is perfect for the hottest days of the year. We make it with a graham cracker crust that we fill with macerated strawberries, strawberry purée, and gelatin. Leaving the strawberries uncooked keeps your house cool, but it also preserves the fruit's fresh flavor.

  • Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

    Two small white dishes of strawberry rhubarb crisp.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Our rhubarb crisp is delicious, but might be a little tart for some. In this recipe, we replace some of the rhubarb with strawberries to give the dessert a sweeter, more complex flavor. The streusel topping starts simply with brown sugar, whole wheat flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, and lots of butter, but we add anise and Chinese five-spice powder to give it extra depth.

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  • Homemade Strawberry-Rhubarb Pop-Tarts

    Plate of strawberry rhubarb pop-tarts on a colorful background

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

    These pastries have the sturdy pastry, jammy filling, and nostalgia you crave, but with made-from-scratch flavor. Here, freeze-dried strawberry powder absorbs excess liquid in the filling, creating a jammy paste that stays put during baking and doesn’t ooze when you take a bite.

  • Sweet Strawberry Pie

    A close up of a slice of strawberry pie with a lattice top.

    Serious Eats / Lauren Weisenthal

    It's just not summer without strawberry pie, and this one sticks to the basics with a filling made of strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch or tapioca starch for thickening. Make sure to taste your strawberries before adding in the sugar, as some strawberries are much sweeter than others.

  • Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

    Strawberry cheesecake bars in a purple tray, on purple velvet

    Serious Eats / Jen Causey

    These sweet, creamy, and tangy cheesecake bars get their richness from a combination of goat cheese and cream cheese. For pops of brightness throughout, gently cook strawberries until they're jammy, then swirl them through the cheesecake batter.

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