45+ Fresh Strawberry Recipes That Are Pretty In Pink

Recipe: Homemade Strawberry Shortcake

Skip those spongy little cups you get from the grocery store and try our simple 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. You always 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: 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-Lemonade Cake

Strawberry lemonade is a delicious sipper, 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.

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake

What's better than individual strawberry shortcakes? A sheet cake that slices like individual cakes, that's what. Classic strawberry shortcake is similar to a biscuit or scone with whipped cream and strawberries. That makes the shortcake dense and crumbly. We turned that rich texture into a sheet cake, which is normally airy and light, but we keep the cake fluffy with soft winter wheat, a type of Southern wheat that makes for a more tender biscuit.

Strawberries are in two places: in the cake and on top. There is no reason not to enjoy more fresh strawberries when they're in prime season. For extra juicy berries, let the macerated berries sit even longer.

Recipe: Key Lime Slab Pie with Strawberry Whipped Cream

Classic Key lime pie is a stand-alone Southern dessert star, but never missing an opportunity to improve upon the classics, this recipe adds drama with the surprise addition of strawberry-infused whipped cream.

If that wasn't enough, we love this strawberry dessert recipe because it is designed to feed a crowd. The slab pie is made in an 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan, which means it can serve 12 people at a party, potluck, or family reunion.

If you want to make it ahead, cook the pie the day before, and keep is well wrapped. Make the Strawberry Whipped Cream just before serving.

Recipe: Strawberry-Pretzel Jello Salad

The nostalgic jello strawberry pretzel "salad" has long been the centerpiece of many church potlucks, family reunions, and holiday meals. The combination of silky cream cheese, smooth jello, and crispy pretzel crust is unbeatable—and truly iconic. This strawberry pretzel salad is just as you'll remember it, down to the bites of fruit in the gelatin layer. This recipe can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge until it's ready to be sliced and served.

Recipe: Strawberry and Peach Sangria

You've just found your signature dish for summer porch parties. This sangria combines strawberry and peaches in a dry wine and sparkling water sangria that's just sippable enough to go down really easily. You've been warned!

Recipe: Strawberry Vanilla Cake

When the berries first start popping up at the farmers' market, we have one thing on our minds: strawberry cake. This strawberry cake recipe will be welcome at every springtime occasion, from Easter brunch to bridal showers. The layers have both chopped strawberries and strawberry-flavored gelatin so you get the ultimate flavor and color. We like frosting this with a simple Vanilla Buttercream, but if you wanted a bit more tang, try a Cream Cheese Icing.

Recipe: Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

This layered strawberry dessert invites flavors of banana pudding and strawberry icebox desserts into an unforgettable mash-up sweet that will leave everyone at your potluck or party asking for the recipe. The pudding filling is thicker so the cake keeps its shape. Instead of vanilla wafers, we use graham crackers which keep a little texture even after resting for several hours. You can make the layers ahead and let them sit overnight the day before you plan to serve. Just don't make the whipped cream until you're ready to remove the icebox cake from the pan and serve.

Recipe: Cakey Strawberry Cobbler

Batter cobblers are cakey cobblers that perform a bit of magic while in the oven. Batter is poured into the baking pan, then fruit is sprinkled on top. While the cobbler bakes, the batter rises above and envelopes the fruit, turning each piece tender and sweet.

This kind of cobbler is right for scooping into a bowl and topping with vanilla ice cream. Unlike crisps or buckles, there's no streusel topping on this strawberry cobbler, so if you want a little crunch, feel free to add candied nuts or granola.

Recipe: Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Turn the classic fruity strawberry cake on its head with a dose of deep, dark chocolate. The fudgy layers of this chocolate cake are separated by buttercream that is studded with fresh strawberries. And for more strawberry punch, you can adorn the top of the cake with whole berries. We might even suggest using chocolate-dipped strawberries to tie the dessert's theme together.

Recipe: Strawberry-Rosé Snack Cake

Snack cakes are perhaps our favorite cakes of all. Informal and unpretentious, these single-layer cakes are frosted simply, haphazardly if you're in a hurry to eat them. The ratio of frosting to cake borders on perfection, especially for those who find layered cakes to have too much frosting.

This strawberry snack cake gets its strawberry color and flavor from freeze-dried strawberries, not fresh. So make sure you slice a few fresh berries before plating your piece for the full berry experience.

Recipe: Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

A staple of Bible studies and book clubs, pound cake is always welcome on Southern tables. This recipe uses strawberry glaze for the vivid pink striping, so to get fresh berries on the plate, be sure to serve each slice with a few whole berries or a spoonful of chopped berries that have been tossed in sugar.

Recipe: Strawberry Cream Pie

Flip the script on strawberry pie by trading the crust's graham crackers for chocolate cookies. The chocolate crust sets a new tone for this strawberry pie, which is carried through to a surprise ingredient in the strawberry topping: red currant jelly. This jelly is bright with citrus notes, which is why we chose it over strawberry jelly or glaze (and added the orange liqueur). That lets the true flavor of the fresh strawberries shine. If you can't find red currant jelly, an all-natural strawberry jam would work.

Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake

Imagine chocolate-covered strawberries. Now imagine them in creamy, decadent cheesecake form. That's what you should expect from this chocolate-covered strawberry cheesecake. The crust and strawberry filling remain timeless. The twist we add is a thick layer of chocolate ganache—and then, of course, more berries. It's rich and beautiful enough for a special occasion dessert like Valentine's Day, but we also think this fresh strawberry dessert could be served at barbecues, pool parties, even housewarming showers.

Recipe: Strawberry Margarita Spritzers

Take us to the pool, pronto! These spritzers capture the fruity essence of strawberry margaritas, but we've lightened them up with club soda. That makes them a little easier to sip—and a lot easier to keep pouring up for friends, no blender required.

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

Remember those strawberry shortcake ice cream bars from the ice cream truck that made its rounds in your neighborhood as a kid? Now imagine them in a grown-up version that you'd be thrilled to serve your friends at your next backyard barbecue.

This strawberry ice cream dessert is made with just five ingredients, and while it doesn't call for fresh strawberries, you could certainly serve a few slices on top, or keep this for late summer when seasonal berries are long gone and you're daydreaming of them once again.

Related: When Are Strawberries in Season?

Recipe: Strawberry Vinaigrette Recipe

When fresh strawberries are in season, there's no excuse to not keep a bottle of this simple strawberry vinaigrette in the fridge, ready for weeknight side salads, pasta salad tosses, or grain bowls. Adjust the sweetness to your liking. With sweeter berries, you may need less honey. Berries that are more tart? Add a bit more honey or a sprinkling of sugar.

Recipe: Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Raise your hand if you've found yourself craving strawberry cheesecake late at night but you didn't have any in the freezer and certainly no time or energy to make a whole dessert yourself. Now, you do.

These Strawberry Cheesecake Bites capture everything you love about cheesecake: creamy, decadent, lightly sweet cheesecake filling with the tartness of strawberries to contrast. There's even a sprinkle of graham crackers on top for the full, top-to-bottom strawberry cheesecake experience. If you liked the Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake, consider dipping these in a bit of melted chocolate for a truly special treat.

Recipe: No-Bake Strawberry Pie

At the height of summer, no one wants to add extra heat to the home by flipping on an oven. So how do you get centerpiece-worthy desserts without the cooker? No-bake desserts, of course.

This No-Bake Strawberry Pie is similar to an icebox pie, with a filling made from sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream. Fresh strawberry pieces are mashed up so every bite of this dessert has a hint of delicate strawberry sweetness. If you want a more strawberry-forward flavor, cover the top in strawberry slices so each slice has the fruit in several forms.

Recipe: Strawberry Fields Cocktail

If you make a batch of the strawberry syrup, you can whip up one of these strawberry cocktails every night until the syrup runs dry. Use as much syrup as you like. The more you pour, the sweeter the drink. But if you like gin, use the strawberry syrup lightly, to gently blunt the gin's string. Bonus: You'll have even more syrup for extra cocktails on the porch.

Recipe: Strawberry Tart

If you like the decadent creaminess of cheesecake but don't have the patience to make one (or fear you won't get it right), consider this strawberry tart the easier, nearly-foolproof alternative. Instead of a cream cheese filling, this tart uses ricotta cheese, a faintly sweet but luscious alternative. It delivers that same silky smooth mouthfeel, and it's honestly just as impressive.

This creamy strawberry tart is best assembled right before you plan to serve. You can make all the elements a day or two ahead, but the ricotta may separate a bit as it sits, producing a watery layer that won't impact flavor but might not be the most visually appealing presentation.

Recipe: Strawberry Cobbler

A cobbler is the recipe of choice for home cooks who have a bushel of fruit and no more ways to use it. This recipe calls for two quarts, so you'll surely make a dent in those berries you picked. The berries are combined with a bit of sugar to enhance their natural sweetness, then cornstarch and sugar so that the berries' natural juices thicken up while in the oven. Be sure to let the cobbler cool before serving, as that firms up the fruit filling and cakey top. When it is time to serve, don't forget the vanilla ice cream.

Recipe: Strawberry Crêpes

The classic crepe recipe, much like an old-fashioned pancake recipe, should be in any home cook's back pocket for special brunches or weekend breakfasts. This recipe turns out gauzy, paper-thin crepes that are the perfect blank canvas for a multitude of toppings, but if you ask us, we'll pick the Honeyed Strawberries in this recipe every time.

Recipe: Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

This strawberry dessert salad is an ideal pick for potlucks or your next family gathering because it comes together quickly, and you don't have to worry about a layer sliding off on the way to the party.

Plus, it has what everyone craves in a dessert: creamy spoonfuls of fresh, fruity bites, and a hint of crunch from graham cracker pieces. You can make this ahead, but to keep the texture of the crackers, don't fold those in until just before you serve.

Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pretzel Pie

The early stars of the spring produce season, strawberries and rhubarb, come together for a show-stopping dessert. In place of traditional graham crackers, pretzels provide a gentle saltiness that blunts the pie's sweet filling. You could call this a more gussied up version of the vintage strawberry-pretzel salad.

If it's no longer strawberry season, you can use frozen strawberries in the topping. Frozen berries are frozen at peak ripeness during strawberry season, so they capture the truly delightful flavors of spring. Out-of-season berries can be more tart, and in this strawberry dessert, sweetness is key.

Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Pie

Turn one of your favorite summer drinks, strawberry lemonade, into a tart, refreshing pie that will be welcome with open arms at the summer family reunion. Lemonade concentrate delivers a bright kick to the sweetness supplied by strawberries and condensed milk. The best thing about this pie is that it can be made ahead, but if you're going to decorate with whipped cream or topping, do so just before serving so it doesn't dissolve into the pile filling.

Recipe: Skillet Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp with Salted-Almond Streusel

The beauty of this recipe is in how little effort it takes from you—and how high the reward will be when it's done. With just 15 minutes of active time, you can turn rhubarb and strawberries, oats, almonds, and sugar, into a restaurant-worthy dessert that just happens to be easy enough to make on a weeknight. A bit of sugar and cornstarch will turn the berries' natural juices into a thick fruit filling, but if you let it cool a bit before spooning in, the crisp will thicken up even more. While you could make this strawberry recipe the day before, we recommend you cook it just before you plan to serve so it's still tender and warm. But if you have leftovers, give them a gentle heat in the microwave on reduced power so it'll taste straight-from-the-oven fresh again.

Recipe: Spring Salad with Berries and Bacon

Most strawberry salads don't give the springtime fruit the respect they deserve. Not this one. It's loaded with strawberries and topped with a strawberry vinaigrette, too. We love the pairing of bacon with this fruity salad as it provides a salty contrast and a hint of smokiness against the fruit's tartness. Need this salad to be more of a main dish? Add shredded rotisserie chicken.

Recipe: Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler

The most complicated part of this strawberry cobbler is deciding when you want to make it—and if you're willing to share. Much like a batter cobbler, this version is layered before it's baked, and the magic happens while it's in the oven: The fruit sinks and is enveloped by the batter, turning it tender and juicy. But with the added decadence of cream cheese, the final result is a pillowy cobbler that will have everyone asking for seconds.

Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Cupcakes

For occasions when you're looking to impress but need to shave off a little stress, reach for flashy but not fussy recipes like these strawberry cupcakes. The recipe begins with white cake mix, and we enhanced the flavor with lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. The hint of lemonade flavor matches the fruity flavors of strawberry jam in the frosting. Top each swirl of frosting with a halved fresh strawberry for the perfect finishing touch.

Recipe: Strawberry Jam

If you can't eat, cook, or puree all your strawberries before they're begin to turn mushy, put some up for later with homemade strawberry jam. You can use this jam in desserts like pound cake or icebox pies, or spoon some on biscuits, toast, or oatmeal. It's made with three simple ingredients and can last up to two months in the refrigerator, too, so a jar of this jam would make a delicious gift for neighbors or new parents.

Recipe: Strawberry-Avocado Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Asian-inspired salads frequently feature orange sections for a zap of sweetness and tang, but this recipe uses strawberries instead. The sesame-ginger dressing provides a nutty yet tangy base to the lighter lettuces, while avocado adds depth and richness. If strawberries are going out of season, reach for tomatoes or watermelon in the berries' place. The dressing is a year-round star.

Recipe: Mile-High Mini Strawberry Pies

What's better than a slice of pie? A whole mini pie to yourself, that's what. These petite pies are sized right for one person, and you get the perfect balance of crust, filling, and fruity topping. If you can't find mini pie pans, you can use the same recipe to make one large, nine-inch pie. It will still be delicious, if not quite as cute.

Recipe: Strawberry Kuchen

Kuchen is the German word for "cake," and in the South, you'll find kuchen in family recipe books across many states, but often specifically in Louisiana, Texas, and Kentucky. The German cake is frequently served with coffee (you'll see a lot of similarities between this recipe and classic coffee cakes). This recipe, however, is more similar to a bread, as it's yeasted and needs time to rise, whereas many coffee cakes are closer to quick breads or pound cakes.

Recipe: Strawberry Galette

If the precise crimping and styling of a pie is just too much for your carefree culinary ways, consider a galette instead. The open folds and freeform shape make this dessert more approachable for some folks. (Of course, for others, the lack of a pan may be stressful and nerve-racking.) To each person, their own pie.

Recipe: Strawberry-Basil Sweet Tea

If your wedding shower, bridal tea, or birthday party needs an on-theme, colorful sipper, look no further. This beverage retains a strong tea flavor, but the strawberry-basil syrup adds floral notes and bold red-pink color. Garnish each glass with a strawberry (slice through the center to make it easier to put on the rim), and your super simple drink is a real stunner.

Recipe: Strawberry Truffles

Give chocolate-covered strawberries an update with these bite-sized truffles. Instead of dipping the berries in chocolate, the ingredients all mixed up into a fudgy filling that's rolled into truffles and adorned with sprinkles, chocolate, or coconut. Gift a few to your favorite gals, or keep them all for yourself. We won't tell.

Recipe: Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

This non-alcoholic frozen lemonade is the perfect drink for the hottest summer days. Crisp lemonade, frozen strawberries, and club soda blend up into a bubbly, effervescent drink that'll tickle your nose and your taste buds. Kids will love this recipe as much as the adults.

Recipe: Sour Cream Flag Cake

Strawberries play a vital role in this cake's decoration (as do blueberries and frosting), but the real star is the pillowy sour cream cake that sits below the patriotic display. If you love the cake as much as we do but don't always need the Stars & Stripes at your event, consider making flowers or other intricate designs with fruit instead.

Recipe: Grilled Endive-and-Halloumi Salad with Strawberries

When is a salad not just a salad? When it's unexpectedly interesting and unique. The combination of grilled endive and grilled halloumi is filling enough to be a vegetarian main dish salad, but you could also bring this to a barbecue and still win the show as a side. Halloumi, a dense, waxy cheese, turns delicately creamy and chewy when heated. It's the perfect textural pair to crunchy endive and juicy strawberries.

Recipe: Roasted Strawberry Compote

Roasting strawberries concentrates their sugars and delivers a powerful hit of the berries' sweetness. Some cooks prefer to roast strawberries in the oven, which help dehydrate them a bit to concentrate the sugar. This recipe roasts them on the stovetop so it comes together quickly enough for a pancake topper at breakfast or fruity side to store-bought cakes.

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake with Bourbon-Soaked Berries

Soaking strawberries in sugar releases their natural juices, but adding bourbon, dark brown sugar, and vanilla makes for a decidedly more grown-up treat than standard macerated strawberries and shortcakes. If you're planning to serve kids, you can skip the bourbon, keeping everything else the same, and the recipe won't be worse for it.

Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Skillet Coffee Cake

The beauty of a skillet cake is how little effort it really takes to go from batter to beautiful centerpiece. While this coffee cake would be an excellent option for a tea or shower, it's really most at home for a weekend brunch or Mother's Day breakfast, where the homey nature of the skillet cake really shines.

Recipe: Strawberry-Banana-Peanut Butter Smoothie

Did you freeze strawberries at the end of the season and now need a way to use them up? Don't overlook the classic strawberry smoothie. This recipe uses almond milk and creamy peanut butter, but you can use whatever dairy or non-dairy beverage you have on hand, as well as any of your favorite nut butters. The honey isn't necessary if you want to eliminate it, but the floral notes complement the strawberries' sweetness. Blend up a few for you and the kids, and take them to go on your way to school or work.

Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Jam

There are few strawberry recipes that aren't made better with the addition of lemon, and this jam, which you'll find in our Strawberry-Lemonade Layer Cake, is proof of that. The tartness of lemon is the perfect partner to strawberry's subtle sweetness. You can make this jam and store it up to one week, so it's great for cakes, biscuits, toast, oatmeal, and more.

Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Meringue Cake

Layers of fluffy meringue provide a cloud-like crunch against juicy berries and whipped cream filling. It's a show-stopping dessert that will draw the oohs and aahs, no matter where you serve it.

• Sweet Strawberry Desserts
• Refreshing Strawberry-Lemonade Recipes to Sweeten Your Summer
• Strawberry Salad Recipes That Will Brighten Your Spring Table