Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Cake
It’s no secret we love ice cream cakes and bars — there are so many variations on this website. This Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Cake, however, is the first fruity-flavored ice cream cake and I couldn’t be more excited with how it turned out.
This cake is bursting with strawberry flavor and has luscious, rich, and creamy bites of cheesecake bites rippled throughout. And the best part? There is no baking required and the assembly comes together in minutes. It’s such an easy dessert and yet a complete show-stopper — guests will think you slaved over this cake for hours; it’s that impressive tasting!
The two-ingredient filling ingredients
That’s right — only two ingredients in the filling for this spectacular ice cream cake — it doesn’t get much easier than this! Since there are only two ingredients, be sure to get the best quality available for the best ice cream cake flavor. Below are my personal (not sponsored) recommendations:
- Tillamook® Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream. This ice cream is creamy, sweet, and intensely strawberry flavored. It has a lot of chunks of strawberry pieces which also makes the pie slices look more enticing. If using this particular brand, you will need 1 and 1/2 containers.
- SaraLee® Classic Cheesecake. I’ve tried several different frozen cheesecakes and this particular brand is always the winner. It doesn’t have whipped cream (see “quick tip” below), cuts up nicely without falling apart, and tastes great.
Quick Tip
A lot of other frozen cheesecakes have a layer of whipped cream on top which doesn’t work well for this recipe — it gets melty too quickly and doesn’t cut up nicely to mix into the ice cream. Avoid frozen cheesecakes that are whipped or have frozen whipped cream on top.
Graham cracker crust
This is my favorite graham cracker crust. It’s sweet, buttery, and comes out perfect every time! Here are a few tips:
- Let the melted butter cool: Once the butter is melted, it needs to cool back to room temperature. If the butter is hot, it will melt the sugar and graham cracker crumbs, and that causes a greasy crust.
- Measure the crumbs. While it’s easiest to just count graham cracker sheets to throw them in the blender, there can be a good amount of variation from cracker to cracker and from brand to brand. For a fool-proof crust, measure the crumbs instead of counting out graham cracker sheets.
- Blend graham crackers thoroughly. To ensure there aren’t large chunks of graham cracker in the crust, which will affect how nicely this pie cuts out, thoroughly blend the graham crackers until they are in fine crumbs. Add any large chunks back into the blender to fully blend into fine crumbs.
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Cake Toppings
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Cake is honestly delicious without any toppings, so don’t feel like you need to add them! That said, if you’d like to add some, we love whipped cream and a fresh strawberry (or sugared strawberries if you’re feeling extra!).
- Whipped cream. To keep things simple, use store-bought spray whipped topping. Alternatively, make your own whipped cream and add a dollop to each slice (here’s a how to make whipped cream tutorial).
- Fresh strawberries. Cut off the stem and slice a fresh strawberry in half. Add on top of the whipped cream.
- Sugared strawberries. Quickly sugar strawberries and add a spoonful on top of the whipped cream. See how to make sugared strawberries in the quick tip box below.
Quick Tip
Combine 1 and 1/2 cups fresh sliced strawberries, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons white sugar in a small bowl. Gently toss. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes, toss again, and let stand for 5 more minutes. Toss once more and then add on top of whipped cream on individual Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Cake slices.
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Cake Storage
- Once firm, cut into slices and enjoy. Serve as is or with optional toppings (see paragraph above) and enjoy immediately.
- Do not add any optional toppings to slices that will be leftover. Promptly return leftovers, covered tightly, to the freezer and store for up to a month.
Quick Tip
To get clean slices, run a large sharp knife under hot water for a few seconds, wipe dry, make a slice, and repeat.
More frozen treats
- Cookie Dough Ice Cream Bars with a cookie dough crust
- Gelato two different flavors
- Churro Ice Cream Sandwiches with chocolate sauce
- Frozen Yogurt Recipe with topping ideas
- Healthy Ice Cream without bananas!
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Cake
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Springform pan 9-inch
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1-3/4 cups blended honey graham crackers 12 to 13 full sheets of graham crackers
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
Filling
- 1/2 gallon strawberry ice cream 8 cups, I love Tillamook’s Oregon Strawberry
- 1 (17-ounce) prepared frozen cheesecake see note 1
- Toppings as desired see note 2
Instructions
- Graham Cracker Crust: Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Once melted, set aside to cool for 5 minutes. (Hot butter will cause a greasy crust.) In a blender or food processor, process graham crackers until they are crumbs (reblend any large chunks). Measure to get 1 and 3/4 cups crumbs and add to a large bowl. Add sugar and salt. Use a spatula to scrape all the cooled, melted butter into the bowl. Gently stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1/2 inch up the sides. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to thoroughly compress the graham cracker crumbs into a firm crust. Place in the freezer while you make the pie filling.
- Allow ice cream to soften about 5–10 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. (You don’t want the ice cream to get too melty or it becomes icy when refrozen.) Scoop ice cream into a very large bowl.
- Remove cheesecake from package and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Add cheesecake pieces on the ice cream. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix until the ice cream and cheesecake are integrated. Don't overmix—it’s fine to have chunks of cheesecake visible.
- Pour the mixture over prepared graham cracker crust. Press down with the back of the wooden spoon to form an even layer. Use a spatula to smooth the top. Cover tightly and put in the freezer to set at least 8 hours or until completely firm.
- Once the pie is firm, remove from the pan and cut into slices. (To get clean slices, run a sharp knife under hot water for a few seconds. Wipe to dry, make 1 slice, and repeat.) Serve as is or with optional toppings: a spray of whipped topping or a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Garnish with a fresh strawberry or sugared strawberries (see note 2). Enjoy immediately. Do not add toppings to slices that will be leftover. Promptly return leftovers to the freezer, covered tightly.
Video
Recipe Notes
- To make sugared strawberries: Combine 1-1/2 cups fresh sliced strawberries, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl. Gently toss. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes, toss again, and let stand 5 more minutes. Toss once more and add on individual slices.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
my husband LOOOOOVED this! oooohmygosh
Haha thanks Kayle! 🙂 xo
Chelsea, this sure is the most easiest ice cream cheesecake pie and the prettiest, I must say! This post and video gave me so much inspiration. Thank you!