By: Jill Mills Posted: Apr 12, 2025

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Strawberry Icebox Cake is a light and fruity cold treat that everyone will ask for by name! With layers of luscious whipped cream, juicy fresh strawberries, and soft graham crackers, it’s the perfect no-bake treat for any occasion.

A close-up of a single serving of strawberry icebox cake on a decorative white plate, showing its layers and fresh strawberry topping.

No Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake Recipe

If you want an easy and delicious no-bake strawberry dessert, this Strawberry Icebox Cake should be on your list. It’s light, fluffy, and irresistible. Each bite has homemade vanilla whipped cream, strawberry slices, and graham crackers. It reminds me of a strawberry shortcake! As it chills, the graham crackers soften and absorb the flavors, making each bite taste like a cake. It has the perfect amount of sweetness with a subtle tartness from the fruit.

If you are interested in more icebox cake recipes, you will love Lemon Icebox Cake and Peanut Butter Icebox Cake.

Strawberry Icebox Cake is a light and fruity cold treat that everyone will ask for by name! With layers of luscious whipped cream, juicy fresh strawberries, and soft graham crackers, it’s the perfect no-bake treat for any occasion.

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Icebox Cake

It’s only 5 ingredients. You can make this impressive strawberry dessert with just 5 ingredients. The bonus is that those items are also inexpensive. It’s the perfect minimal-effort dessert that everyone will enjoy.
It’s perfect for summer. This strawberry icebox cake is a chilled treat that is best enjoyed straight from the refrigerator. I love enjoying a cold dessert on a hot day in the middle of summer. Move over ice cream, this icebox cake is going to be something will always want to have in your fridge.
It’s kid-approved. If you have picky eaters, don’t worry! My kids generally love all types of fruit but when they’re home, it’s hard to get them to eat something healthy. This dessert is one of my favorite ways to get a little more vitamin C into them!

What You’ll Need

With just 5 ingredients, you will have a rich and creamy strawberry icebox cake to enjoy. Take a look at the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Heavy whipping cream: This is the base of the rich and luscious sweetened cream component. When you whip the cream, it becomes so light and fluffy and it retains some of that texture after sitting in the refrigerator. It prevents the recipe from feeling heavy.
Powdered sugar: The perfect sweetener for any no-bake treat is powdered sugar. It sweetens without compromising the texture of whatever you’re adding it to. Please don’t substitute granulated sugar as it will make the cream gritty!
Vanilla extract: I love the subtle hint of vanilla in the whipped cream. I prefer to use pure vanilla for authenticity but imitation will work in a pinch.
Strawberries: Ensure the strawberries are perfectly ripe and sweet to get the best results. They are the star of the show after all!
Graham crackers: The graham crackers will soften as they sit in the refrigerator with the cream and berries. This is what we want! It gives this recipe a cake-like texture, which is where the term “icebox cake” comes from.

How to Make Strawberry Icebox Cake

The most intricate step of this process is making the whipped cream. Beyond that, it takes just a few minutes to layer this no-bake dessert so you can pop it in the fridge to set!

Make the whipped cream. Add the heavy cream to a large mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes or until soft peaks form. Mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract into the whipped cream and beat until stiff peaks form.

Add the first layer. Spread a layer of whipped cream on the bottom of the pan and then top it with a single layer of graham crackers.

Top with cream and berries. Top the crackers with about ⅓ of the whipped cream and a layer of strawberry slices.

Repeat. Continue to layer the graham crackers, cream, and berries twice more. Finish it with whipped cream and reserve strawberries for decoration if you like.

Cover and chill. Cover it and put it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Serve. Top with reserved strawberries, slice, and enjoy!

Tips and Variations

Add more fruit. Include more fruit to make a fun variation! Add more berries like blueberries, raspberries, or peaches. Even banana slices would be delicious. Swap the strawberries entirely and use blackberries. Even topping the dessert with lemon zest elevates it to another level. Get as creative as you like!
Use chocolate crackers. Try this recipe with chocolate graham crackers for a different and slightly richer flavor. You may even use Oreo cookies—whole or crushed— for an even more indulgent experience.
Try Greek yogurt. Swap some of the heavy cream for Greek yogurt. It will add a delightfully tangy flavor to the creamy filling and make it healthier, too.
Use a natural sweetener. There are natural alternatives to the powdered sugar, too. Try using honey or even maple syrup to sweeten the whipped cream. Just don’t use any sort of granulated sugar to keep it smooth and creamy.
Try Cool Whip as a shortcut. If you’re short on time, you can cut corners and still have a yummy dessert! Try a tub of Cool Whip instead of making the whipped cream yourself. Just ensure that is thawed first.
Allow enough time to set. It takes a minimum of 6 hours for it to set or ideally overnight. It’s great to make ahead! Let it have that time to set and I promise it will taste even better. Waiting is the hardest part!

Proper Storage

Store the icebox cake tightly covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You may freeze it tightly covered for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying it.

More No-Bake Dessert Recipes to Try

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