Strawberry Crunch Icebox Cake is an easy and delicious icebox cake recipe that uses fresh strawberries, cheesecake filling, nilla wafers, and strawberry crunch topping. It’s light, delicious, and the perfect easy dessert recipe.
Looking for a Strawberry Shortcake crumble recipe? Check out my Strawberry Crunch Topping recipe.
I love a good dessert recipe that doesn’t require a lot of steps, ingredients, or a hot house. While you do need to bake the strawberry crunch topping, you can totally skip that step and use premade strawberry crunch topping if you want a no bake dessert.
Strawberry Crunch Icebox Cake
Strawberry shortcake icebox cake is great during summer, but can also be enjoyed all year long. The simple ingredients are easy to find in stores and it’s great for parties, bbq’s, gatherings of any size, and even a perfect dessert after a night of grilling.
What is an Icebox Cake?
An icebox cake is a no bake dessert. An icebox cake layers cookies or crackers, a cream filling, and sometimes fruit. The cream filling can vary from a fresh whipped cream filling to a pudding filling depending on the recipe. An icebox is the “old” version of a refrigerator back when you used blocks of ice to keep them cold. Icebox cakes are similar to a trifle and became popular in the 1920’s – 1930’s when cookie and condensed milk companies would print recipes for them on the back of their boxes/packaging.
An icebox cake layers cookies, crackers, or wafers, a cream filling, and sometimes fruit to make a no bake cake. It is then stored in the fridge to set and is enjoyed cold, but not frozen.
Can I substitute Fresh Strawberries in Strawberry Icebox Cake?
Depending on where you live strawberries can be found all year long. They might just be a little bit more expensive and not as sweet. You could substitute fresh strawberries for strawberry pie filling or frozen sliced strawberries. If using frozen thaw them out and try to dry them off some since they have a lot more moisture.
What Cookies or Crackers to Use for Icebox Cake?
In this recipe, I used Nilla Wafers, but you could also use:
- Lady Fingers
- Shortbread Cookies
- Golden Oreos
- Graham Crackers
- Sugar Cookies
What pudding mix to use
In this recipe, I used cheesecake pudding mix, but it can be substituted for vanilla, french vanilla, white chocolate, or even lemon pudding mix.
How to Store Icebox Cake
An icebox cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container. An icebox cake is good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
You can freeze an icebox cake. To freeze an icebox cake store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw the icebox cake in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy it.
How to Make a Strawberry Crunch Icebox Cake
To make our icebox cake you’re going to need a few ingredients. There are a few steps to making this delicious strawberry cream cheese icebox cake, but they’re all easy!
To make an icebox cake you’ll need:
- Nilla Wafers
- 2 boxes of Cheesecake Pudding
- 8oz of Cream Cheese, room temp
- 8oz of Cool Whip
- 2 cups of Milk
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 20 golden Oreos
- 1 box (3oz) of Strawberry Jello
How to Make a Strawberry Icebox Cake Recipe
Wash and dry your strawberries. Cut off the tops and cut them into slices.
*If your strawberries aren’t super sweet you can add a spoonful of sugar to the strawberries to help sweeten them up. All you do is place the strawberries in a bowl and pour a spoonful of white sugar over them. Gently mix until the strawberries are coated and let them sit while you prep the rest of the icebox cake.
First, you’re going to mix together (defrosted) cool whip, cream cheese (room temp), and 2 boxes of pudding mix with an electric mixer. Mix for 1-2 minutes or until everything is combined. The mixture will be thick.
Note* If your cream cheese is not room temp it will make your mixture lumpy and you’ll need to mix it longer.
Add the 2 cups of milk and mix for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Take a baking dish and place a layer of Nilla wafers evenly on the bottom of the dish. I used a 7 x 11 size baking dish, but an 8×8 works too. If you want to use a 9×13 double the cream cheese mixture.
Take half your cheesecake mixture and spread it over the layer of Nilla wafers, evenly.
Place an even layer of strawberries over the cheesecake mixture.
Place another layer of Nilla Wafers over the strawberries.
Set aside 2 spoonfuls of the cheesecake mix.
Add the rest of the cheesecake mixture over the Nilla wafers.
Add another layer of strawberries.
Take the 2 spoonfuls of cheesecake mix and spread it over the top layer of strawberries. You want this layer of cheesecake mix to be very thin. It’s a “glue” layer for the strawberry crumbles to stick to later.
Cover your baking dish with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to set. Let chill for 3-4 hours before serving.
While your icebox cake is chilling it’s time to make your Strawberry Crunch Topping. Get the recipe and step by step instructions. When your strawberry shortcake crumbles are done, let them cool to room temp. Break them apart and store them in the fridge.
Once your Icebox cake has chilled add the strawberry crunch topping. Coat the top of the icebox cake with strawberry crunch topping and gently push the crumbles into the cake so they’ll stick.
Now it’s time to enjoy every bite of this no-bake cake recipe.
Looking for More Strawberry Crunch Recipes? Check out these Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Cones!
Strawberry Crunch Icebox Cake
No bake Strawberry Crunch Icebox cake is like a strawberry cheesecake with strawberry shortcake crumbles. Crunchy cookies, sweet strawberries, and a creamy cheesecake filling combine into a delicious and easy recipe.
Ingredients
- For the Icebox Cake
- Nilla Wafers
- 2 boxes of Cheesecake Pudding (3.4 oz)
- 8oz of Cream Cheese, room temp
- 8oz of Cool Whip
- 2 cups of Milk
- For the Strawberry Crunch Topping
- 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
- 20 golden Oreos
- 1 3 oz box of Strawberry Jello or 1 cup of freeze dried strawberries
Instructions
How to make the Icebox Cake
- Wash and dry your strawberries. Cut off the tops and cut them into slices.
- First, you’re going to mix together (defrosted) cool whip, cream cheese (room temp), and 2 boxes of pudding mix with an electric mixer. Mix for 1-2 minutes or until everything is combined. The mixture will be thick.
- Add the 2 cups of milk and mix for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Take a baking dish and place a layer of Nilla wafers evenly on the bottom of the dish.
- Take half your cheesecake mixture and spread it over the layer of Nilla wafers, evenly.
- Place an even layer of strawberries over the cheesecake mixture.
- Place another layer of Nilla Wafers over the strawberries.
- Set aside 2 spoonfuls of the cheesecake mix.
- Add the rest of the cheesecake mixture over the Nilla wafers.
- Add another layer of strawberries.
- Take the 2 spoonfuls of cheesecake mix and spread it over the top layer of strawberries. You want this layer of cheesecake mix to be very thin. It’s a “glue” layer for the strawberry crumbles to stick to later
- Cover your baking dish with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to set. Let chill for 3-4 hours before serving.
While your icebox cake is chilling it’s time to make your Strawberry Crunch Topping.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Take the golden Oreos and crush them in a food processor or with a rolling pin. You want them in very small chunks.
- Melt your butter.
- Mix together the golden Oreos, strawberry jello mix, and melted butter. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread oreo mix onto the baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Break the strawberry crunch topping into a crumble. I do this by placing it in a Ziploc bag and smacking it with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Icebox Cake
- Once your Icebox cake has chilled add the strawberry crunch topping. Coat the top of the icebox cake with strawberry crunch topping and gently push the crumbles into the cake so they’ll stick.
- Now it’s time to enjoy every bite of this no-bake cake recipe
Notes
You can substitute the strawberry jello for freeze-dried strawberries.
I used a 7 x 11 size baking dish, but an 8x8 works too. If you want to use a 9x13 double the cream cheese mixture.
Theresa
Monday 4th of July 2022
Thank you. This is fantastic. I have made it twice and everyone loves it!