Fresh & Juicy Strawberry Recipes

Recipe: Strawberry Dream Cake

You'll fall in love with this too-good-to-be-true strawberry cake. Fluffy whipped frosting made with mascarpone cheese, sugar, whipping cream, and vanilla and almond extracts is the perfect finishing touch. We love the presentation of this cake! It is sensational when a slice reveals the upright strawberries frosted in-between the layers, with even more beautiful strawberries on top. The recipe calls for two sixteen-ounce containers of these beautiful berries. Think about it—that's two pounds! When it comes down to the details, however you slice it, this sweet confection takes the cake. 

Recipe: Strawberry Salad with Warm Goat Cheese Croutons

This beautiful Strawberry Salad with Warm Goat Cheese Croutons has ripe, juicy berries and a bed of mixed baby greens for its foundation, and even more of their delicious taste making up a portion of its vinaigrette. To prepare the goat cheese croutons, cut a goat cheese log into rounds. Press each round to 1/2-inch thickness on a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes. This process will help the rounds keep their shape and not ooze out of the breading while they are frying. Serve the salad with a homemade Strawberry-Poppy Seed Vinaigrette. 

Recipe: Mini Strawberry Tarts

These sweet treats start with a pistachio crust. A dreamy mixture of cream cheese, lemon juice and zest, and whipped cream are folded together before filling the individual tarts. Toss the fresh strawberries in sugar, just before topping the tarts, to give them just a hint of added sweetness. Readers love these. One reviewer wrote that the crust added a wonderful flavor to the filling, and the tarts came out perfectly. We certainly hope so! Presentation is part of what makes these so beautiful, so we hope you love the way they look on the table as much as you love how delicious they taste the moment you take your first bite.

Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp with Sweet-and-Savory Granola

We topped this strawberry-rhunarb crisp with a lightly spiced granola. Everyone will be craving this snack all day long.

Recipe: Strawberry Gelato with Almond Shortbread and Elderflower Crème

This homemade strawberry gelato is paired with almond shortbread and elderflower crème for a delcious and fancy dessert.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Cutlets with Strawberry Salsa

You will love this fresh and light wonder for a go-to supper any time. A marinade of pineapple juice, ground ancho chile, cumin, vinegar, and oil will give these chicken cutlets a big hit of flavor. Just give chicken at least 30 minutes to chill in the marinade before putting it on the grill. Just go ahead and make an extra batch of our strawberry salsa to serve with these—once you taste it you will understand why. You could also drizzle some Tangy Strawberry Barbecue Sauce over the chicken. It is a perfect mix of sweet and spicy.

Recipe: Strawberry Biscuits

The Southern staple is given a fruity update with the addition of chopped, fresh strawberries. To ensure the butter doesn't get too soft when forming the dough, we like to freeze it before grating it using the large holes of a box grater. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and chill everything in the freezer for 10 minutes. Be sure to mix up Basil-Honey Butter to serve alongside. These biscuits are sweet enough to serve for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert. Basically that means you can devour them all day, so you may want to double the recipe.

Recipe: Strawberry-Basil Ice-Cream

Homemade ice cream can be a tradition, and discovering new ways to make this frozen favorite can lead to delicious delights. Several incredible flavors collide in this refreshing treat. There is the sweet sensation of coarsely chopped fresh strawberries. Then, there is the richness of sweetened condensed milk. Fresh lemon juice brings in a crisp tartness. And the fresh basil adds the right note of fresh herbs. You will love how these tastes all come together to give you the true experiences of summer, creating an incredible seasonal treat. You will savor every scoop.

Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Layer Cake

Strawberry Lemonade is a delicious treat so turning it into a cake is definitely an inspired idea. Our Strawberry-Lemonade Layer Cake recipe uses Strawberry-Lemonade Jam between its layers, and Strawberry Frosting. That's a lot of seasonal flavor packed into one cake, but it is still a light delight. You can assemble this glorious cake up to two days ahead. If you do, just store it at room temperature. Also, you can freeze cooled layers up to a month in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. The sweet-tart Strawberry-Lemonade Jam and Strawberry Frosting make for a delicious finish.

Recipe: Strawberry-Ginger Lemonade Floats

Few drinks are more delicious than ones that involve pairing the frozen delight of ice cream with the bubbling sparkle of a carbonated drink. If you are looking for something to cool you down during the scorching days of summer, these Strawberry-Ginger Lemonade Floats are the perfect way to beat the heat. Though the ginger is optional, it gives these refreshing floats their signature zing—and part of their name! If you can't find sparkling lemonade, substitute fizzy lemon-lime soda or ginger ale. However you mix the sharp taste of ginger with the sweet taste of strawberries, you will spoon out a little bite of goodness every time.

Recipe: Hazelnut Financiers with Strawberry Jam and Lemon Puree

These little cakes are topped with fresh strawberry jam and a lemon puree.

Recipe: Strawberry Cream Pie

Chocolate wafer cookies and semisweet baking chocolate combine to form a crust that is the foundation for the strawberry goodness to come. Quite simply, this is a rich and delicious crust. Half-and-half helps make the filling creamy and rich, then a mix of both halved and sliced strawberries fill this pie. A little melted red-currant jelly, mixed with a dash of orange liqueur, then brushed over the berries, turns this down-home Strawberry Cream Pie into company-worthy fare. This pie looks so beautiful it may be hard to slice it, but it will be even better served to guests on a plate than it looks whole in a dish. Enjoy!

Recipe: Strawberry-Lemon Shortbread Bars

These triple-layered treats, topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, elevate the classic lemon bar to ethereal heights. Flour, sugar, and lemon zest form a tart taste foundation. A cup of strawberry preserves forms a sweet fruit center that is a sensational taste of summer. Finally, cream cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest are the main ingredients in a rich and creamy spread that covers everything and that is ready to be baked into and incredible topping. These need to be chilled when they emerge from the oven, but it is worth the wait. When you finally slice them into bars, some sweetened whipped cream and a few strawberry slices on top can add the finishing touches.

Recipe: Strawberry Milk

You may feel a little nostalgic for sweet milk treats—since deciding between strawberry and chocolate can be almost impossible—so to save you the trouble we've only given you a single delicious recipe: Strawberry Milk. Use fresh hulled strawberries for a smooth and delicious drink. The recipe also adds in a little vanilla extract, and just a pinch of salt. For an extra kick—we'll call this an "adultified" version—you can add in a little strawberry liqueur to make Spiked Strawberry Milk.  Either way, this drink is sweet, creamy, and delicious.

Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Tartlets

If we had imagined the perfect bite-sized Strawberry-Rhubarb Tartlets it would have been these, so we decided that rather than leave them to our imagination we'd develop this delicious recipe instead. You will love these sweet, small wonders. We used a 2 1/2- x 3-inch fluted rectangular cookie cutter to cut the dough for these adorable tarts. You can also cut them by hand or use a round cutter. What's so wonderful about these tartlets is that you can serve them for breakfast, dessert, or as a mouthwatering snack. You'll love every bite of them, particularly with that powdered-sugar icing drizzled on top.

Recipe: Tangy Strawberry Barbecue Sauce

This Tangy Strawberry Barbecue Sauce is also delightfully sweet, and it brings a unique flavor combo that we know you'll love to the table. Our recipe makes three cups and only takes 10 minutes to whip together. Just process four cups of strawberries with the remaining ingredients until everything is smooth. The Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and apple cider vinegar will all give the sauce just that perfect hint of bite, plus a little bit of spice. This barbecue sauce is great to serve on grilled chicken, to drizzle over salad, or to serve anytime and everywhere as your go-to spring condiment. 

Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Meringue Cake

This strawberry meringue cake features layers of sweet cream and fresh strawberries sandwiched between thin rounds of homemade meringue.  Getting these to look beautiful can be far simpler than it may seem. Securing parchment paper with masking tape (it won’t melt at this low temperature) makes it easy to spread picture-perfect layers of meringue. Now, let's move on to how amazing this tastes. The chopped, toasted pecans are fragrant and rich. The mascarpone cheese keeps everything creamy. And the fresh strawberries make everything taste like summer. It all comes together with the meringue to be crisp, crunchy, creamy, and soft at the same time. This cake is simply magical.

Recipe: Grilled Ham-and-Cheese Sandwiches with Strawberry-Shallot Jam

This may seem like a run-of-the-mill grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich, but the secret is all in the Strawberry-Lemonade Jam. The jam—a reader favorite—brings together the sweetness of strawberries with the tart taste of fresh lemon juice. Add in some minced shallots, and you have just the right amounts of spice and subtle heat. Now, you're ready to build some sandwiches. Sourdough bread toasts perfectly in a skillet, and a rich cheese like Swiss, or Gruyère, melts to perfection. If you prefer, you can use roasted turkey instead of ham. Either way, be sure to include that Strawberry-Lemonade Jam in this toasted sandwich delight.

Recipe: Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie

You won't need to get yourself in a twist because this recipe is simple and it tastes amazing. Not only is this a gorgeous dessert, but also the combination of salt from the crushed pretzels and sweetness from the strawberries makes this recipe irresistible. The pretzels combine with butter and brown sugar for the crust. Strawberries partner with rich ingredients like cream cheese, whipped cream, and sweetened condensed milk, to form a thick, cool filling. Once the crust is prepared, this is a great no-bake pie. The pie sets up in the freezer, and several hours later is ready to be sliced into sections of sheer deliciousness. Topped with whipped cream, this Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie is a light and delicate wonder.

Recipe: Chipotle-Strawberry Glaze

This sauce tastes fantastic on roasted or grilled pork or chicken. For the perfect results, set aside half of the sauce for serving, and brush the rest on during the last 10 minutes of cooking. What makes this glaze sensational is the heat that the minced chipotle peppers have, cut to a just-right level by the sweet strawberries. You'll also love the familiar flavors of chopped yellow onion and minced garlic, as well as the tart hints of apple cider vinegar. And that third of a cup of Strawberry-Lemonade Jam adds the perfect amount of tang.

Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Muffins

Muffins are great breakfast treats, and fresh strawberries make a great fruit addition to a delicious muffin batter. Prepare a batch of these and we are sure you will love these Strawberry-Lemonade Muffins hot and fresh from the oven. The sour cream puts a rich twist on the traditional mix. Before you dig in, top them with some Strawberry Curd, which is a delicious strawberry-based buttery-style spread. Paired with the sugar that's been sprinkled on top, the two make the perfect combination. You might want to make a double batch of these since they probably won't last long.

Recipe: Jicama-and-Bell Pepper Slaw

This fresh side is a twist on traditional the traditional cabbage. Here, some thinly sliced jicama, red onion, and an assortment of juicy bell peppers are the foundation for a deliciously refreshing slaw. Add in some mint leaves, and just a little Strawberry-Lemonade Jam, and its make for a side dish unlike anything you've had before. You'll savor how all the fresh vegetables come together, and how the Strawberry-Lemonade Jam is sweet and tangy at the same time. Drizzle a little extra olive oil and fresh lemon juice on top, and you're ready to enjoy this side-dish delight.

Recipe: Chilled Strawberry Soup

Chilled soups are delicious, and this Chilled Strawberry Soup version is a surprise with a little Riesling and the tart taste of some plain Greek yogurt. You can top with some olive oil to give the soup more body, and freshly ground black pepper to bring in a little bite. Top it with sliced fresh strawberries and you will get the great sensations of sweet and spice in every single bite. No matter how you spoon this out, Chilled Strawberry Soup is the perfect dish to cool off with on a hot summer day.

Recipe: Strawberry-Orange Trifle

The sweetness of strawberries combined with a hint of tart citrus from the orange segments makes this dessert absolutely delightful. Add in your choice of orange juice or orange liqueur and you are assured to get bold and sweet fruit tastes in every single bite. When these soft fruits are layered with a creamy whipped filling and the crunch of shortbread cookies, it is a sensory delight. You'll love the smell of the citrus and strawberries, the texture of everything with every single bite, and the complex flavors of it all. This beautiful dessert is nothing to trifle about.

Recipe: Berries with Tequila Cream

A tall glass filled with fresh berries, and topped with luscious, velvety cream is the perfect treat after a laid-back dinner party. For this recipe, make the delicious cream yourself. If you prefer a sweeter cream, you can substitute orange juice for the tequila. If you want a smokier flavor, use mescal—which is similar to tequila—in its place. Whichever you prefer, the cream will bring a light, delicate flavor and taste to the fresh, sharp fruit. You can choose your favorite seasonal assorted berries. Choose ones that not only taste great, but ones that also look beautiful together.

Recipe: Strawberry-Sugar Biscuit Trifle

Everything about this decadent dessert screams Southern, so it is best to simply go with it and enjoy how delicious it is. From the sugar-topped—and aptly named—Sugar Biscuits, to the fresh strawberries bathed in rich Trifle Custard, this could well be the ultimate Southern dessert. Serve this at your next gathering and it's sure to be a hit. How could it possibly miss? It has the great, rich flavor of biscuits that have been sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon; a custard made with egg yolks, half-and-half, and milk; and two-and-a-half pounds of strawberries. That is a whole lot of fresh fruit. This is a sweet, seasonal treat in every decadent, delicious bite.

Recipe: Strawberry Smoothie Ice-Cream Pie

Kids and adults alike will love the mixture of strawberries, bananas, blueberries and ice cream all on top of a crunchy, waffle-cone crust. This recipe is simple and it only involves working fresh fruit processed with powdered sugar into containers of premium ice cream. It's that simple. Fold in fruit, spread, and freeze; repeat with other fruit and ice-cream mixes. Once this has set up, this four-layer fantasy is ready to be sliced, served, and devoured.  The taste of fresh berries and bananas is absolutely incredible, and the waffle-cone crust is a light and crunchy delight.

Recipe: Strawberry Napoleons

If you are not familiar with this wonderful treat, a Napoleon is a classic puff-pastry dessert that has a sweet cream filling. This unique grilled take on the dessert is perfect for your next outdoor party. Reviewer moorebells gave this recipe 5-stars stating, "Such a nice, light and beautiful dessert! Working with phyllo can be daunting but this was a snap." We've kept it light with fat-free yogurt, and just a small amount of sugar. The real sweeteners here are strawberries, of course, complemented by honey. This is a light, crisp, and incredible dessert.

Recipe: No-Cook Strawberry Ice Cream

You'll be amazed by how incredible this ice cream truly is. A velvety texture meets the sweet juiciness of summer strawberries in a cool summer delight. If ever there was a fruit of the season, the strawberry would belong to summer, so it might as well also be the flavor of that cools its incredible heat. This no-cook sensation can be ready quickly, so you don't even have to plan to get this together.  Let it be the sweet treat for a family get-together, or the finish to a great casual dinner party. This will be your new favorite taste of summer.

Recipe: Strawberry Vinaigrette

Great vinaigrette is the perfect seasoning: it enhances whatever it flavors without being to evident, apparent, or overbearing. Too much and you wish you hadn't used it, too little and you wonder where the flavor is. Strawberry Vinaigrette gets it just right—it begins with Strawberry-Lemonade Jam, and then builds with a chorus of apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, herbs, and spices. Toss this pungent dressing starring Strawberry-Lemonade Jam with fresh baby spinach, kale, or mixed baby greens, some thinly sliced red onion, and toasted pecans. You'll have the perfect light summer salad.

Recipe: Strawberry-Orange Shortcake Tart

This delightful spring dessert more than merited running on our April 2010 cover—not just for its looks, but also for its sweet, summery taste. We couldn’t think of a better way to show off the succulent taste and colorful presentation of strawberries, our pick for the South’s most prized spring fruit. Add in a touch of orange marmalade, and this Strawberry-Orange Shortcake Tart is a subtle mix of sweet and tangy in every single bite.

Baking the orange-marmalade-coated shortcake in a tart pan (available for under $15 at most supermarkets) produces a sweet-and-sturdy base for the berries and whipped cream.

Recipe: Strawberry-Basil Frozen Yogurt

This easy dessert blends the simplicity of packaged plain Greek yogurt and whipping cream. It starts with the tastes of strawberries, chopped fresh basil, sugar, and lime zest. This means it only takes six ingredients to create this cool frozen classic. Reviewers love it. One described it as "very bright and creamy," while another said simply that the taste was "absolutely delicious." Either way you want to describe it the end result is the same: You will love every mouthful. What's even better is that this can be put together in almost no time, and with ingredients that you may already have in your kitchen. Enjoy the tastes of homemade desserts and the pleasures of the season without spending all day in the kitchen.

Recipe: Strawberry Salsa

Salsas can be great ways to bring unique flavors to any meal, but most often when people think about salsas they expect them to be all about the tomatoes. Not this time. Our Strawberry Salsa is a confetti of bright, sunny flavors that adds an over-the-top finish to grilled pork, beef, chicken, or even fried catfish. Made with fresh strawberries, sweetened dried cranberries, and an avocado, then seasoned with great herbs and spices including, crushed red pepper, and cilantro, this really is a new, sweeter twist on the traditional south-of-the-border flavors. This may well become your new favorite salsa.

Recipe: Strawberry Bruschetta

Strawberry Bruschetta are like little tastes of summer. The baguette pieces are the perfect base for smooth and slightly salty goat cheese that gets toasted to golden-brown, bubbly perfection. Then, sliced fresh strawberries, nectarines, grape tomatoes, and a range of great-tasting fresh herbs and spices get generously spooned on top. These are the perfect mouthful of crisp, creamy, and fresh tastes in a single bite. Serve this easy recipe at your next ladies' luncheon or shower. These bite-size pieces are perfect for appetizers. You may be standing by the table enjoying these all evening.

Recipe: Strawberry Caprese Salad

Strawberries substitute for tomatoes in this twist on the classic caprese salad that celebrates all the tastes of spring. Chopped fresh basil, small mozzarella cheese balls, and halved fresh strawberries blend with vinegar, sugar, herbs, and spices to make this delicious salad. Serve over fresh arugula or as an appetizer with toasted French bread baguette slices. Garnish this salad with fresh basil. Chill everything for two hours, and then let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. You'll love how the flavors come together in every bite.

Recipe: Strawberry Chicken Salad

This easy salad full of fresh strawberries, crisp lettuce, and toasted pecans is the epitome of spring. Adding in chopped chicken can turn this salad from a side dish to a meal, but it keeps everything light and is still perfect for your outdoor summer lunch or dinner table. The chopped toasted pecans bring in just the right amount of crunch. We've used lettuce here, but this salad will also pair with many of your other favorite greens. A bottled poppy-seed dressing also keeps preparation time to a minimum while making the flavors of this light, quick-fix supper sensational.

Recipe: Strawberry Salsa

Don't be fooled: Strawberries are the stars here. But, throw in cool and creamy avocado, crunchy baby radishes, lime juice, and cilantro and you'll have a brand-new favorite salsa that will leave everyone at the party asking for the recipe. Serve this salsa over our Grilled Chicken Cutlets at dinnertime or with hearty pita chips when you're looking for the perfect appetizer. Where this Strawberry Salsa really complex is where it mixes in just a little bit of heat: a quarter-teaspoon of black pepper, and some finely chopped chives add in just that right amount of spice to offset the delicate sweetness of the strawberries and the bite of the lime.

Recipe: Strawberry Limeade

This drink is a twist on a classic strawberry lemonade, and a simple substitution makes a wonderful addition. You'll love the difference switching from lemon to lime makes. Strawberries and limes are still perfectly paired, and you'll love the push-and-pull of the sweet and tart that you get in every single sip. Better still, making this from-scratch delight only requires three ingredients plus four cups of cold water. Let it chill a few hours, and this is ready to quench any thirst. Serve this dazzling drink at your next get-together. Use lime wedges for garnish.

Recipe: Strawberry Pretzel Crostini

Pretzel crackers make a great finger food, and topping them with a delicious mixture of strawberries and cream cheese only makes them better. Having it hold together can be a challenge, so finding just the right cracker can make your party go from precarious to perfect. The sturdy pretzel holds the weight of the strawberries and cream cheese, making this bite-sized crostini an ideal finger food. The strawberry-pretzel mixture has a pinch of pepper, some chopped fresh basil, a little minced shallot, and some beautiful minced strawberry. The cream cheese holds it all together. In the words of one reviewer, "make this for your next summer party—you'll love it."

Recipe: Strawberry Mousse Cake

Pretty in pink, this mousse cake recipe is perfect for a shower, family get-together or party. A layer of delicious strawberry mousse is sandwiched between each layer of moist cake, creating a light delight with every bite. Top this creative confection with some strawberry frosting, some halved fresh strawberries, and even some edible flowers, and you will have the perfect layer cake wonder bursting with great strawberry tastes.  Some readers describe the mousse as delicate, and the frosting as rich, so when you put the two together you get just the right amount of sweetness and it becomes the perfect pairing for a fanciful and fantastic Southern dessert.

Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies

These wonderful Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies have a golden brown handmade crust that is cooked to perfection, and a filling that mixes just the right ingredients. Crisp rhubarb has a tart flavor that teams up perfectly with sweet strawberries. Add in a little orange zest, and the filling has subtle flavors that will pair perfectly with the crust: zest and orange juice are mixed into the dough. These handheld—and handmade—pies can be made up to two days in advance, and stored in an airtight container. So make a batch of Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies so you will have some on-hand just in case guests drop by.

Recipe: Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake will be a showstopper on the inside from the moment you serve the first slice. Filled with a delicious strawberry glaze, this cake bakes to be a symphony of strawberry swirls. Preparing this cake requires following a few simple steps, but the little extra effort will be rewarded with a rich pound cake filled with incredible tastes in every bite. Here the cream cheese is added after beating the butter and sugar, and the cake bakes at a slightly higher temperature than usual. So swirl in some strawberry jam, bake this beautiful cake, and get ready to serve beautiful slices to your family and friends.

Recipe: Strawberry-Turkey-Brie Panini

Associate Food Editor Mary Allen Perry raved about the blend of flavors and the prettiness of the sliced berries in our Strawberry-Turkey-Brie Panini. “It’s a fresh, warm-weather spin on a Monte Cristo sandwich,” she said. Thinly sliced smoked turkey, fresh basil, red pepper jelly, and brie come together in this great sandwich, but the true—and unexpected—star is the sliced fresh strawberry. The strawberries bring a subtle sweetness to the richness of the brie and the full flavors of smoked turkey. Put these together and see how much you love these tastes too. Find it: We use a Krups FDE3 Panini Maker in our Test Kitchen.      

Recipe: Strawberry-Fruit Toss With Cornmeal Shortcakes

Sneak a strawberry from the carton, take a single bite, and imagine them topping pillow-soft Cornmeal Shortcakes, tossed in a delicate salad paired with cheese and fresh basil, or dipped in a salty-sweet caramel mixture. That’s what our Test Kitchen Professionals seem to do every April while strawberries are at their prime―sweet, luscious, and juicy—think of amazing new ways to use this incredible fruit that we might never have imagined, and then share these new recipes with our readers. Our commitment to testing in-season makes it a sure thing you’ll get the same flavor-perfect results this year. This Strawberry-Fruit Toss with Cornmeal Shortcakes recipe is just one of those wonderful outcomes.

Recipe: Goat Cheese and Strawberry Grilled Cheese

Grilling bread and cheese is a surefire way to make a wonderful sandwich, and at Southern Living we know that our readers love new recipes for updating this classic sandwich. This is a great way to make a healthier version of grilled cheese by substituting flavorful goat cheese and strawberries. And, the results are in showing that this recipe is a winner. One online reviewer raved, "I am so happy with this! Light& tasty." Another enthused, "The goat cheese, the jelly and berries are a great flavor combination." We couldn't agree more. Make one today and see for yourself. You'll love this new approach to one of our favorite old-standard grilled-cheese sandwiches.

Recipe: Salted Caramel Strawberries 

A quick dip in luscious caramel and a salty roll in finely chopped nuts turns fresh strawberries into a gourmet treat. These are half-dipped, leaving a top of fresh fruit and a bottom covered in caramel and nuts. These can be served shortly after being made, or they can be prepared and chilled for up to eight hours before being served. Top picks: A ripe berry will have a shiny, deep red color from the tip of the berry to beneath the green cap. Check the carton from top to bottom for any damaged or moldy fruit—they’ll cause the others to deteriorate quickly.

Recipe: Creamy Strawberry-Mint Pie

This recipe is delicious but it still has its focus on keeping the calories and fat in check. It uses reduced-fat cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, and either fat-free or low-fat frozen yogurt. You'll get all the wonderful strawberry and chocolate flavors with fewer calories and less fat. The crisp chocolate cookie-crumb crust teams up with fresh strawberries and frozen yogurt for the ultimate make-ahead dessert. You can top this health-conscious creation with some fresh strawberry slices, some edible flowers, or a drizzle of strawberry sauce. Let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving, then slice this delicious pie and enjoy every bite.

Recipe: Strawberry-Lemon Sheet Cake

This fantastic sheet cake covered in Strawberry-Lemon Filling is a moist, sweet and tart delight. Reader "ambermoore" enthused about the strawberry-lemon filling, "Everyone loves it!" Our Test Kitchen shares some useful advice for preparing this recipe: for the smoothest frosting, freeze the cake for at least 30 minutes; then frost it. You can freeze the layers right on the wire rack or on a cookie sheet. If you're not using them right away, wrap frozen layers well in plastic wrap. This cake is also decorated with piped whipped cream on the sides. You'll love the sweet and tart flavors in the filling, and the light sweetness of the cake and whipped cream in every bite.

Recipe: Strawberries and Cream Cake 

We used 6 (8-inch) disposable aluminum foil cake pans, so we could fill all the pans at once. This way, if you bake the layers in batches, the second batch is ready to go in the oven as soon as the first is done. This layer cake has our delicious Strawberry Jam Filling as well as the scrumptious Strawberry Frosting. You'll want to let this cool completely before spreading on the filling, and then cool in the refrigerator for up to a day before frosting this beauty. When this cake is sliced, it looks incredible—but the taste is even better. Share this homemade wonder with the ones you love.

Recipe: Spring Garden Strawberry Salad

This salad could just as easily be called a green wonder because it is filled with so many incredible and delicious vegetables. They bring crispness and crunchiness to this amazing salad. Add in the creaminess of Gorgonzola cheese, the salty smokiness of bacon, and the sweet taste of strawberries and you will surely wow your guests with this refreshing spring salad. Top it with our Sweet Basil Vinaigrette—a homemade wonder that gives this Spring Garden Strawberry Salad the perfect finishing touch. This salad is light yet filling, subtle yet substantial. You will love every single bite.

Recipe: Mile-High Mini Strawberry Pies
If you love the idea of making individual desserts to serve for a special event or at a casual family dinner, these Mile-High Mini Strawberry Pies are a perfect sweet solution. Topped with coarsely chopped fresh strawberries, and filled with a creamy lemon filling, these pies pair sweet and tart in every single bite. To make these simply and easily, we used Wilton's nonstick six-cavity Mini Pie Pan to get these into and out of the oven. Chill reserved crust rounds while the first batch bakes, and allow the pan to cool completely before beginning the second batch.

Recipe: Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake
 

Sheet cakes are fantastic desserts because they are simple to make, serve a large crowd, and look beautiful all at the same time. This Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake celebrates all the flavors of the season, meshing the sweet tastes of fresh strawberries with the richness of buttermilk. Toss in a touch of tartness from the fresh lemon juice and you know this Strawberries and Cream Sheet Cake is a winner. Trust us: This simple and swoon-worthy sheet cake will be a keeper in your recipe box. File it under "Springtime Crowd-pleaser." Spread some strawberry frosting over the top, and see if you have enough if people want seconds.

Recipe: Balsamic Strawberries

Rich balsamic vinegar helps bring out the sweetness of the berries in this dessert featuring shortbread cookies and vanilla ice cream. One of the wonderful aspects of this recipe is how easy it is to pair the Balsamic Strawberries with the ice cream since the frozen treat simply pops right out of the cup. Top some shortbread cookies with it, spoon on the strawberry mixture—the perfect combination of tangy and sweet—and let every mouthful be crunchy, creamy, and fruity. You may want to garnish this with chocolate curls, or fresh basil sprigs, but it will be incredible however you have it.

Recipe: Orange-Berry Swirl

Who says healthy snacks can't also be delicious treats? This low-fat yogurt-based smoothie is perfect for a warm, spring afternoon. It includes only four ingredients and does not call for any added sugar, so this should be one of your go-to smoothie recipes. It also only has one step: put everything together in a blender and process until it is smooth. It could just as easily be described as combine; blend; pour; enjoy. This is how get the delicious flavors of strawberries in a too-good-to-put-down drink. Blend one of these smoothies today. Then settle in for the sweet tastes of summer.

Recipe: Spiked Strawberry-Lime Ice-Cream Pie

This top-rated pie recipe features a unique combination of a salty pretzel crust and sweet strawberry ice cream. The "spike" comes from half-a-cup of tequila and a quarter-cup of orange liqueur. Garnish with lime rind curls, fresh whole strawberries and pretzels for a pretty presentation. If you prefer not to spike your pie, you can substitute a single six-ounce can of frozen orange juice concentrate for both the tequila and orange liqueur together. Let this Spiked Strawberry-Lime Ice-Cream Pie stand for fifteen minutes before serving it or simply enjoy whichever recipe however you prefer.

Recipe: Classic Strawberry Shortcake

Skip those little cups you get from the grocery store and try our simple, Southern Classic Strawberry Shortcake. These are crumbly, rich, golden-brown delights. They are perfect for sopping up a sweet strawberry mixture and being topped with a huge dollop of whipped cream. Top these with a few fresh mint springs for garnish. You will want to take the time to make homemade shortcakes after you've baked your first batch and taken your first bite. We did. If you’re pressed for time, you can bake the cakes ahead and freeze them. Just be sure they are wrapped in foil and stored in a zip-top plastic bag.

Recipe: Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

Not too many things can beat the summer heat like a homemade frozen treat, so if you need to slip away from a scorcher spend some time making a batch of our Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet. Blend buttermilk with your choice of fresh or frozen strawberries to create this creamy springtime treat. This simple recipe only takes 15 minutes to prepare before going into the cream maker. It blends the buttermilk and strawberries with sugar and vanilla extract. That's it. You can garnish yours with fresh mint sprigs, if you like, but the basic sherbet recipe only has four ingredients. You probably have all of these in your kitchen most of the time, so this should be an easy ingredient to enjoy. Scoop out the tastes of the season with this sweet wonder.

Recipe: Irish Strawberry-and-Cream Cheesecake

Smooth cream cheese combined with the wonderful flavors of Irish cream liqueur and strawberry preserves are just the beginning of this decadent dessert. Add in a little butter, a little sour cream, some graham cracker crumbs, and a cup of sugar and this cheesecake is well on its way to being a sweet delight. Finish by spreading sour cream evenly over the cheesecake and garnishing with whole strawberries. One reviewer remarked that the flavor of this cheesecake was good and that it was not difficult to make. Those are qualities we love in Southern Living recipes: great taste and ease of creation make happy bakers and even happier eaters. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as many of our readers already do.

Recipe: Free-Form Strawberry Cheesecake

"This was creamy, delicious, and so easy. The perfect summer dessert!" One reviewer raved about this Free-from Strawberry Cheesecake in part because of the suggestion to use powdered sugar because it dissolves well. This quick-to-put-together recipe is just as delicious as it looks. Using a ready-to-eat cheesecake filling saves loads of time, helping you get this dessert on the table in 20 minutes! The cheesecake filling is a base for a fantastic fruit mixture and crumbled gourmet cookies, meaning that every mouthful is a mix of sweet fruit, crunchy cookies, and creamy cheesecake filling. To keep that delightful mix of sweet and tart, you can dress these with a slice of lime. Stay loose and keep this dessert free form, just like the recipe suggests.

Recipe: Strawberry Semifreddo Shortcake

This recipe includes a simple kitchen trick that can work well in certain recipes. Stirring in marshmallow crème eliminates the traditional use of raw eggs in this light and luscious treat. The crust for this semifreddo shortcake is made entirely of ladyfingers, so you'll have to piece the crust together, but it is incredibly simple to do. Look for soft ladyfingers in the bakery section of the grocery store. Then, layer in the delicious frozen treats: first the ice cream, then the sorbet. Finally top this with the strawberry marshmallow crème mixture for a sweet, rich, cool treat.

Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Jam

You could say that Strawberry-Lemonade Jam is a true team player. Not only is Strawberry-Lemonade Jam spread between the layers of our Strawberry-Lemonade Layer Cake, this sweet-tart jam does double duty as a base for savory sides and entrees. It is in our Grilled Ham and Gruyere Sandwiches, as well as in the Strawberry Vinaigrette. This four-ingredient jam is incredibly simple to make. It just requires processing strawberries, squeezing their juice, mixing in some sugar, and then boiling the ingredients down. This jam keeps for up to two weeks, so you can prepare it in advance and keep it on-hand. What a great way to enjoy the sweet tastes of spring and summer.

Recipe: Strawberry-Lemon-Buttermilk Icebox Pie

From the satiny sheen of the filling to the mounds of fresh fruit piled on top, there is much beauty in an icebox pie, but none more than its sheer simplicity. This Strawberry-Lemon-Buttermilk Icebox Pie has an incredible gingersnap crust. It then gets filled with a concoction of egg yolk, sweetened condensed milk, and buttermilk. Top off the pie with a strawberry mixture made of strawberry jam and fresh strawberries, and you have a slightly spicy crust thanks to the ginger snaps; a creamy pie; and toppings that are sweet and seasonal. Enjoy the tastes of spring and summer with an incredible buttermilk icebox pie.