Too hot to cook? No problem! This easy no-bake Strawberry Icebox Cake is a vintage treat that features layers of graham crackers, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream for a delicious dessert with no baking required.
This recipe is one you may have seen before. It’s an old-fashioned Strawberry Icebox Cake just like our grandmothers made.
According to my research, icebox cakes originated in the 1920’s as a way for Nabisco to promote some of their cookie wafer products. The original icebox cakes were simply cookies layered with whipped cream and allowed to stand until the cookies softened and became very much like a thin cake layer.
This old fashioned icebox recipe uses plain graham crackers layered with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Yum. This is the easiest recipe I know for a no-bake strawberry dessert. Just layer everything in a dish and let it sit for a while. Slice and serve!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Quick to Prepare. This strawberry refrigerator cake recipe takes 20 minutes of easy hands-on preparation. The remainder of the time is spent in the fridge.
- No Baking Required. Keep the house cool with this recipe. You won’t need the oven at all!
- Great to Make Ahead. In fact, you need to make it ahead of time. I recommend allowing it to sit for at least four hours, and up to overnight, before serving.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“This was the EASIEST no bake I have ever done and it will continue to be part of my hot summer cool desserts.”
— Lynne
Ingredient Notes
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- Fresh Strawberries – Choose strawberries that are plump, ripe, and bright red without any visible blemishes. If you can taste one before buying, even better!
- Sugar – A small amount of granulated, white sugar is used to sweeten the berries and start the juices flowing.
- Heavy Whipping Cream, Confectioner’s (Powdered) Sugar, Vanilla Extract – These three ingredients are combined to make the whipped cream that is slathered between the cake layers. See the instructions below for details.
- Graham Crackers – These form the “layers” of the cake and may be substituted with other types of cookies as outlined later in the post.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Strawberry Icebox Cake
Prepare the Strawberries
- Start by washing, hulling, and slicing 2 pounds of fresh, ripe strawberries.
- Place the sliced strawberries in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Toss lightly to combine, and allow to sit for about 15 minutes.
👉 PRO TIP: Allowing the strawberries to sit for a few minutes with the sugar will start some of the juices flowing.
Whip the Cream
- Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Take care not to over-whip the cream. Add the confectioner’s (powdered) sugar and vanilla extract. Whip again briefly to combine.
Layer the Cake
- On a platter or baking pan, spread a small amount (just enough to hold the first layer of crackers in place) of the whipped cream. Begin layering starting with the graham crackers, then a layer of strawberries, and a layer of whipped cream.
- Continue until you have four layers in all, ending with a layer of whipped cream.
- And now, here’s the hardest part of making this dessert. You have to cover it and let it sit in the refrigerator (or “icebox” if you like) for at least 4 hours! No, you can’t slice it right now and dive into that whipped cream, strawberry, graham cracker goodness. You must have patience. Something I sorely lack. But your icebox cake needs that time for all the cream and strawberry juices to be absorbed into the cookies and work its magic.
- When you’re ready to serve this stack of deliciousness, just cut it into squares and top each with a fresh strawberry.
Recipe Variations
- Drizzle the top lightly with chocolate syrup.
- Substitute the strawberries with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries…whatever’s currently in season and fresh!
- Substitute all or part of the graham crackers with vanilla wafers, Oreos, shortbread cookies, gingersnaps, or digestive biscuits. I often add one or two layers of Nabisco’s Famous Chocolate Wafers or Pepperidge Farm Chessman Cookies. Just be sure that the cookie you choose is a sturdy, crispy cookie. Soft cookies won’t work well in this recipe.
Storage Information
Store any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. This cake is easiest to store in a rigid container rather than wrapping with plastic – plastic wrap sticks to the whipped cream and makes a bit of a mess, to be honest.
It’s also possible to freeze the completed cake. Assemble the cake on a freezer-safe baking pan or dish. Place the cake and pan, uncovered, in the freezer for 24 hours. Remove the frozen cake from the pan and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Place the wrapped cake in a sturdy container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Questions About Strawberry Icebox Cake
For a gluten-free option, substitute with gluten-free graham crackers or other sturdy, gluten-free cookie.
It depends, of course, on the size of the slices, but it should yield about 10 servings more or less.
Of course, you can use Cool Whip whipped topping if you like. But there’s really nothing better than homemade! It only takes a few minutes and tastes so much better.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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Strawberry Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 20 whole graham crackers
Instructions
- Wash the strawberries and spread them on a double thickness of paper towels to dry.
- Hull and slice the strawberries into a large bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar, toss to combine and allow to sit for about 15 minutes.
- Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract. Whip again briefly to combine.
- On a platter or in a baking pan, spread a small amount of the whipped cream. Begin layering starting with the graham crackers, then a layer of strawberries, and a layer of whipped cream.
- Continue layering until you have four layers . End with a layer of whipped cream.
- Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until the graham crackers and cookies have softened.
- Cut into servings and top each with a fresh strawberry.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. This cake is easiest to store in a rigid container rather than wrapping with plastic.
- To freeze – assemble the cake on a freezer-safe baking pan or dish. Place the cake and pan, uncovered, in the freezer for 24 hours. Remove the frozen cake from the pan and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Place the wrapped cake in a sturdy container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on April 22, 2013. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
do you have to use graham crackers or can you use another type of cookie
I haven’t tested this recipe with any cookies other than graham crackers and the chocolate wafers. You could try other plain cookies and see how it works out.
I made this icebox cake today to take to my daughter’s home where we had a small get-together and EVERYBODY loved it! I used a whole liter (quart) of 35% whipping cream (4 cups) to which, when it started to set, I added a can of condensed milk. It really turned out heavenly. Next one I make will be for MY HOUSE! I think I will try Nilla Wafers in place of the graham wafers and see that turns out. You can make so many delicious variations. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re very welcome, Mary! I’m so glad to know that it turned out well for you.
Loved this recipe! I made it exactly and it was great! Next one I made, I used coarsely crushed Oreo cookies instead of graham crackers…yum. Then the next one used Oreo cookies…coarsely crushed, cheesecake pudding, strawberries, whipped cream. So much you can do with this recipe! I even added different types of alcohol to the Strawberry mixture for an adult version! Yum! Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
Can’t wait to try this!!
Ah…another Southern favorite I forgot about! I need to make this; betting my neighbors would love it. They love what I make but don’t cook like I do; I need some great recipes that are easy and still delicious and this one fits the bill!
It is a great old recipe, Barb, and best of all – no baking!
Well – duhhh – found it.
Is there a print button for this recipe?
Hi Stella – yes, the print button is in the top right corner of the recipe box. Just to the right of the Save Recipe button.
There was a recipe using French Vanilla Pudding and I bought the boxes of pudding and now I cannot find the recipe. Can someone help me.
This cake is terrific! If you want to make it even easier than it already is….just use “Cool Whip”, instead of whipping your own cream. I used the ‘lite’ “Cool Whip”, and it turned out beautifully.
Thanks Angela! I’m glad you found a way to make the recipe easier for you. I don’t care for Cool Whip and real whipped cream only takes me about 3 minutes to make, so that’s why I use it. Hope you enjoy the recipe again and again!
Thanks Lana, and I do appreciate your comment regarding the real whipping cream. Yes, real whipped cream is definately delicious….but some of us like to keep the calories and the fat down in our recipes as much as we can. It was just a suggestion to some of we ladies who like to stay slim, and how not to feel guilty when making a delicious dessert. I’m 5’7″, and I weigh 105 lbs. I want to keep it that way!! What about you?
Somewhat late reading this recipe. The use of so much whipped cream makes me wonder if you ever use a whipped cream stabilizer. I have been using this for some time now and like the way it holds the cream together for a longer time. Anyway, the recipe, along with the photo
Hi Stella – I don’t use a stabilizer and it works fine for me. However, I know a lot of people will use a small amount of gelatin to help whipped cream hold longer.
2 layers work* fine ;)
So I’m not sure what I did, but I didn’t have enough ingredients to make 4 layers. Barely had enough of any of the ingredients. Ran out of whipped cream all together, and had to make more (and I wasn’t doing thick layers either). Managed one layer of graham crackers and one layer of chocolate wafers. Will it still turnout? I only made a 9 x13 pan (which is what I thought it looked like you used from your picture.).
Erin – I really don’t know what may have happened. You can see the photos above where I assembled the cake using exactly the ingredients called for in the recipe. I assembled mine in a small baking dish just for convenience. It didn’t actually fill the pan. It doesn’t really matter what size pan or platter you make your cake on so long as you stack it in layers with 5 graham crackers (or 12 chocolate wafers) per layer.
Fyi, 2 layers works fine. It was still a huge hit. :) I also melted some doc.chocolate with some coconut oil and drizzled it over the top of the cake. When it cools, it becomes hard (kind of like magic shell). It was an awesome compliment to the rest of the cake. Yummy!
Hi Lana,
I tried your Strawberry Icebox Cake yesterday. My husband just loved it! And his mom too! I did use the whipping cream as it was my first time with it and I just love it. Took no time at all. The remaining slices tasted even better the next day as the juices really incorporated into the crackers. You are right, it does need the original 4 hours to soak in.
This was the EASIEST no bake I have ever done and it will continue to be part of my hot summer cool desserts.
Thank you and God Bless!
You’re welcome, Lynne! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it.
I’m glad I found your site, it’s almost strawberry season here and cannot wait to try this! Thanks for the recipe. I’ve never made whipped cream before, does it take long?
No, not at all, Annie. Just 3 or 4 minutes. You can always substitute with a whipped topping like Cool Whip instead.
Sounds refreshing. I’m looking for a recipe for this weekend. This one will do. Thanks
Enjoy it!
Lana, some of the questions posed to cooks indicate that the questioners have not even read the entire recipe; that’s why I wish you and others would include extras like chilling time, setting time and rising time. Thanks for reading.
Love the recipe but take issue with total time being listed as 20 minutes when chilling time is one hour minimum.
Hi Diane. I don’t count standing or chilling time in total time. It’s hands-on and cooking time only.
I am having a group of ladies over in two weeks, if you make this icebox
cake the evening before will it still be nice for the next afternoon? Or do you advise getting up early and making it. My friends are coming at noon.
I would definitely make it the night before, Rosemarie. It needs a long standing time for all the wafers to soften. Just be sure to cover it well so that the whipped cream doesn’t dry out.
We can’t get fresh OR frozen strawberries here, but occasionally get cans of strawberry pie filling…think that would work if I rinsed the strawberries?
I’m pretty skeptical that would work, Marie. Maybe try a different berry or fruit. Or just leave them out. The original icebox cakes were just cookie wafers and whipped cream.
Okay….maybe I COULD just make it without the fruit, but just before serving, top each serving with a bit of the strawberry pie filling??
We actually have a similar dessert here called “mango float”… pretty tasty!!
Good idea!
Just wondering if you can use cool whip or a whipped topping instead of heavy whipping cream? Just curious.
I’m sure you could, Becky! I just don’t care for whipped topping so I always use whipping cream.
Ok I’ve never used heavy whipping cream before . I will try it thank you. Just mix it with beaters, is it found by the milk
No you can’t use cool whip because then the cookies never get soft. I used cool whip for the stand up chocolate recipe and they never got soft. There must be something different in real whipping cream that makes the cookies get soft, which is what you want. For everyone who is having trouble finding the cookies; they are called Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers and are “always ” on the top shelf in the grocery store where the cookies are located.
Gerry – the difference is that Cool Whip is mostly oil. Whipping cream is a dairy product, the fattest part of the milk. Also, in each of the grocery stores where I shop the Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers are *always* in the ice cream cone and toppings section.
Fabulous dessert! But my market didn’t have chocolate wafers. So I bought chocolate sandwich cookies, (the cheapest kind), scraped off the frosting (used it on the left-over graham crackers), and it worked just fine.
Great idea, Heather! Glad it worked out for you.
We always make icebox cake with ONLY the chocolate wafers, standing on end. Will try this with graham crackers and the chocolate wafers.
Jeannie-I’m trying to figure out how you assemble it with the chocolate wafers standing on end. I’d love to know how that’s done!
Wonder how it would be just using layers of choc graham crackers?
I’m sure it would be just delicious, Elyse!
I don’t think I have ever made an icebox cake, but I have heard how lovely they are! This cake would be awesome for any summer bbq gathering, and looks like it tastes AWESOME!!! Love that you added the chocolate cookies along with the graham crackers:-) Hugs, Terra
Thanks, Terra! This is a great summer time dessert especially because there’s no baking required! You can keep the oven off and the house cool.
I’ve never made an icebox cake, but I’m loving the looks of this one, for sure!! :)
You should try one, Brenda! They’re really great for summer when it’s too hot to bake.
Growing up, icebox cake was one of my all time favorite desserts! Love the idea of mixing the chocolate with the graham crackers -making a note to try that the next time I make an icebox cake!
Nancy – I was getting the graham crackers out of the pantry and the box of chocolate wafers literally fell in my hand. I took it as a sign :-)
I have been trying every supermarket to find the Nabiscos Chocolate wafers and have had no luck. Just come from a Walmart superstore.
Can somebody please help me. I need them urgently.
In my grocery stores, they’re *never* with the cookies. They’re with the ice cream cones and ice cream toppings.
Goodness. I love the mix of graham and chocolate wafers. This looks delightful.
Shaina – that one little layers of chocolate wafers really added a nice touch to the original recipe. Just the right amount of chocolate!
This looks delicious! Strawberries and whipped cream and chocolate…that’s what I call paradise in dessert. (:
Isn’t that almost a perfect combination, Monica? Strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate are always winners!
Looks delicious! I can’t wait to make it for my family.
Thanks, Lora. Hope your family enjoys it as much as we did.
I love old fashioned ice box cakes, and this one looks amazing!!
Thanks, Deborah. We sure did like it. Especially the chocolate wafer layer. I may make another one with just chocolate wafers and strawberries!