43 Strawberry Recipes That Aren’t Just Shortcake
We know how hard it is to resist the sight of gleaming-red, peak-season strawberries at the farmers market or grocery store. Impulse buying too many cartons is basically a spring rite. Put your overzealous haul to use with our best strawberry recipes. From early-morning smoothies to late-night cocktails, this roundup will keep you properly dosed all strawberry season long. Think celebratory cakes, quick-and-easy tarts, breakfast treats, and even a few savory applications. And if you somehow aren’t able to work your way through your berry stash before they start to head south, there’s always this handy trick. Now, onto the strawberries.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.1/43Milky Shaved Ice With Strawberries
No need to turn on the oven. This cool summertime dessert showcases fresh berries, jeweling a bowl of milky shaved ice. It’s a strawberry recipe to keep on repeat from now through the end of summer.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka Morris2/43Strawberry Hand Pies
Take everything you love about strawberry pie—the sweet, bright pink filling, the ultra-flaky crust—but make it portable.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Prop Styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling by Drew Aichele5/43Triple Strawberry Cheesecake
Photo by Emma Fishman9/43Lacy Cornmeal Pancakes With Strawberry Compote
It doesn’t get more summery than these delicate cornmeal pancakes with rum-spiked strawberry compote. Make a stack for brunch, cooking until lacy and browned.
Alex Lau10/43Oven-Dried Strawberries
Wondering what to do with strawberries that are slightly past their prime. Dry them in the oven to concentrate their flavor, preserving them for an extra week. Use the oven-dried berries to garnish cupcakes or toss them into a summery salad.
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio11/43Strawberry Doughnut Muffins
Enriched with coconut oil and sour cream, these muffins have an ultra-plush texture—no yeast or frying required. They’ve also got a double punch of strawberry flavor from a jam filling and a freeze-dried strawberry sugar coating.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime12/43Salted Strawberry Daiquiri
Photograph by Joe Lingeman, food styling by Shilpa Uskokovic, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua13/43PB&J Dome Cake
14/43Roast Rack of Lamb With Strawberry Pan Sauce
Strawberries can skew savory too. Toss them in a hot pan with chicken broth, rosemary, and balsamic vinegar to make a buttery strawberry sauce to drape over lamb chops. Keep on theme with a pitcher of sangria or strawberry margaritas.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Alison Attenborough, prop styling by Heather Greene15/43Coconut-Strawberry Ice Cream Pie
Photograph by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell16/43Strawberry Sufganiyot
Sufganiyot are pillowy, jelly-filled doughnuts traditionally enjoyed on Hanukkah, but we see no reason why you can’t fry fresh doughnuts year-round.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski17/43Strawberry-Raspberry Fools
Alex Lau18/43Corn Waffles With Strawberry Syrup
Break out the waffle maker. Yellow cornmeal adds crunch and aroma to the batter, while a homemade strawberry syrup sweetens things up.
Christopher Testani19/43Strawberry-Lemon Lattice Pie
We’re calling it: This is the ultimate summer dessert. It has a jammy filling reminiscent of a tall glass of strawberry lemonade. Thick strips of dough make for a rustic yet modern look—plus, they’re easy to weave into a lattice.
Photograph by Jaida Grey Eagle, prop and food styling by Rose Daniels20/43Strawberry and Wild Rice Tartlets
Fill wild rice shells with a jewel-toned purée of cherries and strawberries. The sweet and savory tartlets can be served as a dinner party appetizer or one-bite strawberry dessert.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Anna Billingskog21/43Strawberry–Graham Galette
This laid-back strawberry tart is one of those easy dessert recipes that’s way more impressive than it is challenging. The crust is made with crushed graham crackers plus a little all-purpose flour and melted butter.
Peter Frank Edwards23/43Strawberry-Almond Cornmeal Cake
Equal parts fruit crumble and coffee cake—some might call it a buckle—this dessert starts out bright pink, then bakes to a toasty golden brown. The crumbly strawberry topping would also be excellent on blueberry or strawberry muffins.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman, Food Styling by Jesse Szewczyk24/43Creamy-Dreamy Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
What’s our smoothie secret? Use frozen strawberries but a fresh, not frozen, banana for consistent flavor and lush texture.
Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie Yeh25/43Strawberry-Pretzel Ice Cream Pie
Softened store-bought strawberry ice cream meets salty pretzel crust in this no-bake dessert, an ideal summer treat.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca26/43Strawberry Salad With Black Pepper-Feta Croutons
Alex Lau27/43Quick-Pickled Strawberries
Once you’ve pickled the strawberries, don’t toss the brine: It can be used like a mild vinegar in sauces and salad dressing. As for the fruit? Spoon it over pound cake or panna cotta for a sophisticated finish.
Peden & Munk30/43Roasted Strawberry Trifles With Lemon Cream
With layers of roasted strawberries and lemon cream, these pretty little trifles would make a lovely Easter dessert. They get dynamic crunch from a quick gluten-free crumble made using your favorite store-bought granola.
Oof Verschuren31/43Berry and Tarragon Pavlova
This showstopper of a dessert acts almost like a fruit salad, with the jumble of berries and herbs contained in a crisp, edible meringue bowl.
Alex Lau32/43Strawberry Milk
The strawberry syrup that flavors this drink is also perfect for topping ice cream and yogurt. Mix a few tablespoons into room temperature butter to spread on biscuits, pancakes, or French toast.
33/43Strawberry Jam
The secret ingredient to this strawberry jam? A grated apple. Since apples are full of pectin, they’re a natural thickening agent.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk36/43Strawberry-Halva Shortcakes
This recipe riffs on classic strawberry shortcake by incorporating chunks of sesame halvah and bittersweet chocolate into the biscuits.
Alex Lau38/43Masa Shortcake With Macerated Strawberries
These shortcakes get their coarse texture and golden color from masa harina, the ground, nixtamalized corn flour commonly used to make corn tortillas.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich40/43Strawberry-Rose Agua Fresca
This refreshing beverage melds peak-season strawberries with mint, lime juice, and a touch of rose water.
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski41/43Fruit Galette With Buckwheat Crust
This galette (a.k.a. free-form pie) requires no crimping and bakes on a sheet tray, making it an excellent project for beginner bakers. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich42/43Strawberry Eton Mess
Allow us to introduce you to the easiest dessert for summer. This fresh strawberry recipe showcases the fruit with layers of whipped cream and store-bought meringues. Seeking sweet-savory balance? Whisk a big dollop of mascarpone, sour cream, or crème fraîche into the cream.
