Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream (No-Churn Vegan)

This no-churn Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream is creamy, fruity and sweet, packed with homemade edible shortcake cookie pieces and gooey strawberry compote. It’s also vegan, gluten-free and nut-free.

I am so happy to be back with another ice cream recipe and this turn, let’s talk strawberry shortcake. This was one flavour in particular that my social media followers have asked for and finally, here it is. This Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream is different to regular strawberry shortcake ice cream you’d find in the shops as it’s refined sugar free, made with wholesome, plant-based, gluten-free and nut-free ingredients yet it’s still light, creamy and so moreish.

Why will I love this Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream?

This ice cream is a winner on a few levels, it’s:

• Light, creamy, refreshing yet rich
• Fruity, sweet and packed with real strawberries
• Studded with edible raw shortcake cookie pieces
• Made with wholefood ingredients
• Naturally vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and easily nut-free
• Easy to make and does not required any fancy equipment
• No-churn, no-soak and so creamy
• Great for all the family

If you already love this Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream then skip ahead to the recipe card below, or first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.

What ingredients do I need?

This recipe is split into three parts; the strawberry compote, the shortcake cookies, and the ice cream base. Let’s start with the strawberries:

• Strawberries: fresh is best as they have less water in them. If you only have frozen, allow them to defrost thoroughly and then drain away the excess water. Chop them small to add to a saucepan.
• Maple syrup: even though strawberries are naturally sweet, the syrup is needed to make the compote really sticky and less watery meaning it freezes better. You can swap this to other syrups like agave or use vegan honey. This bubbles away till thick and glossy.

As for the cookie pieces:

• Oat flour: or use oats and blend them into a flour yourself. Make sure the oats are gluten-free where needed. Do not swap this for another flour as oats are safe to eat un-cooked where as other flours are not.
• Vegan vanilla protein powder: this adds a boost of lovely sweet vanilla flavour and I love the sticky, rich texture it adds. My favourite is the Vanilla Buttercream one from Macromike (MM-AMY-10 saves you 10% off everything) or you can use more oat flour.
• Salt: for flavour.
• Smooth cashew butter or tahini: the smoother the better for the shortcake. I love using cashew butter as it’s naturally sweet and cookie-like but to keep this nut-free use tahini or sunflower seed butter. You can also use other nut butters too like almond, peanut or hazelnut.
• Maple syrup: for sticky sweetness and texture. As above, you can use other syrups.
• Evaporated oat milk: this is from Natures Charm and is creamy yet light and adds a touch of moisture to these cookie pieces. You can use regular dairy-free milk, too.

Finally, for the ice cream mix:

• Oat whipping cream: this is brand-new from Natures Charm and is such a lovely alternative to their Oat Whipping Cream, which I also love. The flavour is mild and just like their other whipping creams, it’s thick and creamy, creating the perfect ice cream texture. If you cannot find the Natures Charm whipping creams, use antoher dairy-free double whippable cream.
• Sweetened condensed oat milk: this is also from Natures Charm and it’s so sticky and sweet, it makes for the perfect no-churn ice cream texture and adds lots of the sweetness. You can also use other dairy-free sweetened condensed milks.
• Vanilla essence and salt: for flavour.
• Freeze dried strawberry powder: for flavour and colour. This is great for adding tons of strawberry flavour without the moisture (which can ruin the texture). If you cannot find the powder, use regular freeze-dried strawberries and blend them at home to a fine powder – this is the one I use.
• Pink gin: this is optional but is important for the overall texture. As the alcohol does not freeze at this temperature, it creates a softer ice cream once the other ingredients have frozen, making it softer and less icy. You can use other alcohol too, like regular gin, vodka or amaretto, for example.

How do I make this Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream?

There are a few steps to make this ice cream so plan ahead as it also needs to set overnight.

• Chill the whipping cream overnight: this is important for the Natures Charm brand but may not be as important for other brands.
• Make the strawberry compote: add the strawberries and syrup to a pan and allow to bubble over a high heat for 8-10 minutes till really thick and glossy. Allow to cool fully.
• Make the shortcake cookie: stir together all the ingredients to a cookie dough then break apart.
• For the ice cream: add the whipping cream and condensed milk to a mixing bowl and whisk till smooth. Gradually whisk in vanilla and salt.
• Add the strawberry powder with half the strawberry compote: and whisk again also adding the gin.
• Pour half the ice crema into a lined dish: and spoon over some strawberry compote and cookies pieces.
• Top with the remaining ice cream add more strawberry and cookie pieces: and cover tightly (with two layers of wrap).
• Freeze overnight: until set.
• Allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before scooping: and enjoying.

Can I add whole strawberries instead?

It’s important to first make the strawberry compote, or macerated strawberries if you are being technical and going the extra step, as this removes a lot of the water content naturally in the berries. Too much excess liquid would make this ice cream icy as opposed to creamy. So, to combat this, first make the sticky sweet compote which has less water and a more intense flavour.

Is this ice cream nut-free and gluten-free?

Yes, this recipe is nut-free as long as you use tahini for the shortcake cookie pieces and follow the ingredients listed. This recipe is also gluten-free, just use gluten-free oats and check that all your ingredients do not contain hidden gluten.

How long will this keep for?

Once made, this will keep wrapped well in the freeze for 2-4 weeks but is creamiest and most delicious within the first 1-2 weeks.

Can I make this into other flavours?

Yes, you can use other berries in place of the strawberries here, just follow the same steps to make the berry compote and then swap the berry powders for a similar one.

What other ice cream can I make?

I hope you are going to love making and eating this no-churn Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream and for more ice cream ideas, how about my:

• Double Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream
• Tahini Pistachio Ice Cream
• Vegan Neapolitan Ice Creams
• Chocolate Orange Caramel Ice Cream Magnums
• Raspberry Vanilla Chocolate Magnum Ice Cream

I look forward to hearing what you think of this Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream in the comments below so please do leave a message. If you do make this ice cream, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With strawberry shortcake ice cream love x