The heat index has been in the upper 90s for the past few weeks and while I’m someone who’d normally sit outside until my blood starts to boil, even I have to admit it’s brutal out there. Not as brutal as summers in my parent’s house growing up though, where they had two rules once school let out:
- No TV. Just straight up canceled cable for three months.
- No air conditioning until it reached 90 degrees. Inside the house. INSIDE THE DANG HOUSE.
We were totally unplugged, and as much as we complained in the moment, I’m so glad they did what they did. Let me be clear – I’m so glad they canceled cable and shooed us outdoors every single day, NOT that they were so strict with the AC. Going to bed with fans blasting hot air 5 inches away from your face is not a good time!!
As a result of my parent’s rules though, my brothers and I left the house each morning after breakfast, maybe stopped home for a quick lunch, but most days didn’t come home until dinnertime. Our days were filled with friends, swimming, creek walking, bike riding, chalk drawing, bug collecting, and doing anything that didn’t involve sitting in a hot house staring at a blank television.
Today I’m sharing a recipe that reminds me of those simpler days. No frills, no fuss, just pure deliciousness. Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake calls for just five ingredients, no baking (did I mention how hot it is here?!) is gluten free, and super easy too.
Three Layers of Lusciousness
My Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake features homemade whipped cream layered with sliced fresh strawberries and crispy gluten free sugar cookies. That’s it! The cookies soften in the whipped cream while they meld together in the refrigerator overnight to create a rustic yet incredible dessert that your friends and family will devour.
Origins of Icebox Cakes
Icebox cakes were introduced in America during the 1930s when refrigerators – originally called iceboxes – started to become more mainstream in people’s homes. Cookies or wafers were layered with a creamy filling then placed in the refrigertor to set overnight. The result is a soft, cake-like dessert that requires zero baking time. It’s the perfect treat for a heat wave.
We make this gluten free dessert recipe for Mother’s Day, the 4th of July (swap half the strawberries with blueberries for a festive twist) and every moment in between. Since the icebox cake needs to sit in the refrigerator overnight it’s a great dish to prep a day or two ahead of time. Once it’s dessert time at your get together or cook out, pull out of the refrigerator, slice, and serve. SO GOOD!
Ready to get started?
Step 1: Make the Homemade Whipped Cream
You can of course use store-bought whipped cream — or dairy free whipped cream like SoDelicious Coconut Whip — for this recipe but I’M TELLING YOU, take 5 minutes and make homemade instead. There are few things better than homemade whipped cream, and it’s such a cinch to make.
Add heavy whipping cream and vanilla to the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a glass bowl if you’re using a hand mixer,) that’s been chilled in the freezer then gradually add powdered sugar while the mixer is on low. Turn the speed up as the cream thickens then whip until you have…whipped cream!
Step 2: Layer the Ingredients
Spread a thin layer of the whipped cream into the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish then top with a layer of gluten free crispy sugar cookies. Next add another layer of whipped cream followed by sliced strawberries. Repeat the layers – cookies, whipped cream, and strawberries – two more times to create three layers total.
Tip:Â Save the “prettiest” 1/3 of the strawberry slices for a nice presentation on the top layer!
These are the cookies I use in this strawberry icebox cake: Enjoy Life Sugar Crisp Crunchy Cookies soften beautifully but still retain a little texture, which I love. You’ll need two boxes and you can find them in the gluten free aisle of the grocery store. If for some reason you can’t find these exact cookies, any crispy sugar cookies should work or even graham crackers if you’re in a pinch.
Step 3: Cover and Refrigerate
Last step is to cover the dish with saran wrap then refrigerate overnight, or until the cookies have softened (6-8 hours.) When it’s time to eat, slice, serve, and savor the sweet and simple taste of summer. Enjoy!
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Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake
Description
Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake is the ultimate summer dessert recipe. Sweet, creamy, plus all you need is 5 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2, 6oz packages Enjoy Life Sugar Crisp Crunchy Cookies
- 1-1/2lbs strawberries, trimmed and sliced
Directions
- For the whipped cream: Place the bowl and whisk attachment of an electric mixer, or a large glass bowl and the beaters if using a hand mixer, in the freezer to chill for at least 10 minutes. Add heavy whipping cream and vanilla to the chilled bowl then whip on low speed while gradually adding powdered sugar. Gradually increase the speed as the whipped cream thickens then whip until the cream can hold its shape but is not lumpy.
- Spread a thin layer of whipped cream into the bottom of an 8x8" baking dish. Layer in 9 the cookies, spread on another layer of whipped cream, then top with 1/3 of the strawberries. Repeat layers - cookies, whipped cream, and strawberries - two more times to create three layers total (you might have a little extra whipped cream at the end.) Cover dish with saran wrap then refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, slice then serve.
Notes
- I like Enjoy Life Sugar Crisp Crunchy Cookies for the cookie layer.
- Since the homemade whipped cream has no stabilizers, I recommend keeping the icebox cake in the refrigerator when not serving.
- You can use 2 tubs of SoDelicious Coconut Whipped Topping, or your favorite DF whipped topping, as a dairy free "whipped cream" alternative.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Can this be frozen and then thawed when it’s time to eat?
Hi Liz! I’ve never tried it but I do think it could work! One thing though is that I would use store-bought whipped topping (either regular or dairy free) as homemade whipped cream can separate and become a little watery if frozen and then thawed, and then obviously there wouldn’t be a way to stir it to restore the right consistency, as it would already be layered with the cookies and strawberries. Store bought whipped toppings include stabilizers so that doesn’t happen.
My daughter has food allergies and must be gluten and dairy free. I found vegan whipped topping and I was shocked that it was really good. I could find the sugar cookies, but I found gluten free coconut cookies. This turned out fantastic! Thanks for posting!
I’m so glad you were able to make it work for your family, Cherry!! My daughter is allergic to dairy so we’ll use SoDelicious Cocowhip for this recipe too!
Just made this for a July 4th picnic. I added maple flavoring to the whipped cream because I was short on vanilla. I also made homemade maple-graham crackers to use instead of the cookies. I did this because we’ve stopped buying processed food that can be made at home. It’s going in the fridge now and I can’t wait to try it tomorrow. I have a ton of whipped cream left over. I’m guessing maybe 3c is the finished whipped cream, not the starting amount? It’s not a bad thing because I’ll use it on other things for the picnic. Thanks for posting this.
Oh my gosh, the homemade maple graham crackers sound DIVINE! Love this spin on the recipe!! The 3 cups is the correct amount for the liquid heavy cream. I usually have a bit left over too!
My daughter eats strawberries now! Thankyou thank you Thankyou!! This is our new weekend dessert for the summer, every Saturday! I have to make sugar cookies since I can’t find any gf sugar cookies premade but I found a quick and easy recipe that worked great. Neighbors couldn’t even tell I made it with dairy free whip. Woot woot!
LOVE IT, Jenn!! So very thrilled this is a winning recipe for your family! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Grand mas icebox cake. 1950s. chocolate pudding. gram Gram crackers. line Botton 9inch pyrex deep dish and sides whole crackers. add thin layer chocolate pudding ,say 1/4 inch then thin sliced ripe Bananas layer crackers pudding Bananas continue top off with pudding. other pudding good also or a combo.
Sounds delicious, Joseph!!
I saw this recipe yesterday so decided to try it today. It was successful and my friends all loved it! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Eileen! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
I’m soooo making this! Where did you get your adorable little white scalloped plates?
Lisa B
I think those were an old Pier 1 find! I hope you LOVE this dessert, Lisa!
I just made this using gluten free Nilla Wafer type cookies since I can’t find any GF sugar cookies in my area. It turned out amazing, my whole family loved it. It’s the perfect dessert to bring to a BBQ on a hot summer day.
Love that, Bobbie! So glad you were able to make it work with what you could find – this is a super flexible recipe!
This looks sooo !! Delicious . My arm is in a sling due to surgery but boy oh boy!! When I’m healed completely I’ll be making this. I’m so excited to try this refreshing, delicious looking dessert. Thanks for sharing.♥️
I’m so sorry to hear that, Susan! Wishing you a swift recovery and chance to enjoy this dessert!!
Hi Kristin, I made your Gluten-Free No-Bake Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake this weekend. I’m the only GF family member, but guess what, everyone loved it. I used your Soft and Chewy Gluten Free Sugar Cookies (Cut Out and Drop Options) as the cookie. Let me just say, those cookies got me in big trouble this Christmas b\c I could not stay out of them!!! My family highly recommends I make this for our 4th of July family party this summer & include blueberries.
I’m still navigating the GF/Celiac lifestyle, but your website is my go to. Thanks for all the practical, ingredients are most likely in my pantry (or local store) recipes & tips. You are making GF a lot easier for me!
I’m SO glad this recipe was a hit for you, Lynn, and I can so relate on those cookies. They are irresistable!! I’ll have to try them in this recipe sometime. Great idea!
I just wanted to say we absolutely loved this recipe! The beauty of it is it’s very very forgiving. I couldn’t get the cookies you used, so I got Archway gf sugar cookies which ended up being more like Nilla Wafers. I wish I had used more, because the cookies really added a great flavor, but they worked perfectly. And then after I started making it, I realized I didn’t have enough whipping cream. I ended up mixing what I had with a tub of Coco Whip! I’d have preferred all real cream, but even with my changes it was so so good. We gobbled it up in less than a day. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey, I’m thinking of making this for Christmas in new Zealand. Can I use store bought gluten free shortbread cookies and make it a a day before?
[…] Gluten-Free No-Bake Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake | Iowa Girl Eats | Gluten-Free No-Bake Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake is the perfect gluten-free summer dessert recipe. Just 5 ingredients and make-ahead, too! […]
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I made this for a summer dinner party last weekend and it was so good! As a celiac, I struggle to find yummy desserts that are gluten free. This one was awesome…love those cookies! I wasn’t sure if they would soften but I made the dessert the night before and they were perfectly soft and cake-like by the time I served the cake. Can’t wait to have an excuse to make again.
[…] Gluten-Free No-Bake Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake Gluten-Free No-Bake Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake is the perfect gluten-free summer dessert recipe. Just 5 ingredients and make-ahead, too! […]
This was the most delicious dessert. Thanks so much for sharing it. I was neverous about the whip cream. It was so worth it
Oh I’m so glad you made it! Isn’t homemade whipped cream just the best?!