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This pretty, no-bake, Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Cake is your new go-to summer cake. The crust is made up of salty pretzels mixed with sweet ginger cookies. The crust is then layered with creamy vanilla ice cream and strawberry ice cream swirled with fresh strawberry jam. A generous topping of fresh strawberries finishes it off. This icy cold cake is creamy, extra berry-filled, and requires very little effort.
Once again this summer I’m really embracing ice cream and using up all the berries in the process too! In the last month or so, I feel like I’ve made a new ice cream recipe every few days. And I still have more coming your way…both berry-filled and chocolate heavy.
Ice cream isn’t the easiest to work with since it melts so fast. When it comes to how-to videos and photos, ice cream is always challenging. But even though it’s often made me want to cry, I somehow can’t resist creating a summertime ice cream recipe!
I loved ice cream as a kid, so making it and enjoying it always brings me back to the carefree summer days of my childhood. Those easygoing days were the best.
The details – let’s talk about the crust
First, make the crust. This is super easy. Simply combine salty pretzels, gingersnap cookies (I buy mine from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s), and butter. I find this easiest to do in a food processor, but it can also be done in a bowl. Do what works best for you.
Now, press the pretzel crust into a square baking pan. No baking is required. Simple. Simple.
The layers
For the layers, vanilla ice cream, strawberry ice cream swirled with homemade strawberry jam, and then one final layer of vanilla.
I wanted the strawberry ice cream to have pockets of sweetness and fresh summer berries, so I ended up swirling in my homemade strawberry jam. You can use my homemade jam or your favorite store-bought jam. Both will be equally delicious.
The only semi-annoying piece to this cake is that you do have to freeze the crust and each of the layers.
But it’s not a long wait time. 15 minutes for the crust, then 30ish for the first layer of vanilla and another 30 for the strawberry layer. You’ll have some downtime in between freezes.
Once all of the layers are together, I top with sliced strawberries, then freeze. And wow, that’s pretty much it. I like to freeze overnight to really make sure the ice cream is frozen nicely.
Also, for both the vanilla and strawberry ice cream, I love to use Tillamook. Especially their Oregano strawberry ice cream, it never fails. And for the vanilla, their vanilla bean or old-fashioned vanilla are my favorites.
Once frozen, slice and enjoy every last creamy, berry-filled bite. It’s sweet, heavy on the ice cream, swirled with berries, and has just the right amount of salty pretzel crunch on the bottom. The perfect balance of sweet and salty that leaves you longing for another bite.
Looking for other Summer ice cream recipes? Here are some favorites:
No Churn Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Creamy Vegan Chocolate Fudge Pops
Blackberry Lavender Ice Cream Sandwiches
Lastly, if you make this Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Cake
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 971 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mini salted pretzels
- 15 gingersnap cookies
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 5 cups vanilla ice cream
- 4 cups strawberry ice cream
- 1 cup strawberry jam
- 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
Instructions
- 1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.2. In a food processor, pulse the pretzels and gingersnaps into fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture holds together when pinched. Press into the bottom of the pan. Freeze 15 minutes. 3. Scoop 4 cups vanilla ice cream out onto the frozen crust. Flatten/spread into a mostly evenly layer. Freeze 30 minutes. 4. In a bowl, gently swirl together the strawberry ice cream and strawberry jam. Spread onto the vanilla layer. Freeze for 30 minutes more.5. Take a 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream and flatten/spread onto the strawberry layer. Top with sliced strawberries. Wrap the cake and freeze 4 hours or until frozen.5. Remove the cake from the freezer. Use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Let sit 5 minutes. Slice and enjoy immediately.
Notes
No Food Processor: If you do not have a food processor just add the cookies to a large ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to smash the cookies into crumbs. Or simply crush them by stepping all over the bag!
You make art. I do not. Lol. I will make this again but one problem was my pan was a round 9” and I think if i used a bigger pan it would be thinner. As it was it was very tall and hard to serve. My strawberries were SO hard after freezing i considered getting a hacksaw to get thru them. Any tips for next time on getting such a nice cut like yours? Thanks!
Hey Fern,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Make sure to use a super sharp knife and run it under hot water, also let the cake sit for a little before cutting:) xTieghan
Made this and was a hit! I improvised and used raspberry sherbet with Cabernet jam swirled in the middle. Ground salty almonds on top really jade it!
Hey Elaine,
Amazing!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review! xxT
This looks great, and I cannot wait to make it. I am not a fan of pretzels though. Do you have a good idea of something to substitute for it? More gingersnap cookies? Graham crackers? Something else crunchy?
Hey Leah,
Sure, you could do more gingersnap cookies or graham crackers, either would be great! I hope you love the recipe! xx
This is a yummy summer treat. And SO easy with no baking! I did add a browned butter and gingersnap crumble on the top for a little crunch on top.
Hi Noell,
Happy Friday! I am so excited that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a go! xT?
Can you tell me about how many of the 48oz containers you needed of the Tillamook vanilla or strawberry ice cream? I’m having a hard time gauging how much 4 or 5 cups would be…I dont want to over or under buy. Thank you!
Hi Erin,
You should be good with 1 container of ice cream:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xx
I’m not a big fan of ginger snap cookies. Is there another cookie I could use.
Hi Kelli,
Graham crackers would work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Hi I cannot wait to try this! Do you have a recipe link for the homemade jam you added? I feel like it would be even better then store bought. Thanks!
Hi Krisha,
Here is the recipe for my homemade jam:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/strawberry-jam-dutch-baby/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Made it and it was oh so yummy. Super easy too. I really liked how the slight saltiness from the pretzels complimented the ice cream so well. I use that brand of cheese regularly and had never tried their ice cream. It is so very creamy. Your strawberry jam recipe, also amazing! I did it with honey instead of maple syrup since it is what I had in the pantry. Thanks for sharing:)
Hi April,
Thanks so much for your kind message and making this recipe! So glad to hear it was a winner! Hope you’re having a great Wednesday! xx
Made this and it was delicious and beautiful. I would suggest topping it with sliced fresh strawberries just before serving, as I found the frozen slices stayed icy and detracted from the dessert. I loved that there was a homemade element (crust and jam) and store bought (ice cream), for just-enough but but too-much effort.
Hey Carly,
Thanks for your comment! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a go! ?xTieghan
Made this for my daughter 2nd birthday party and it was such a hit with parents and the kids! I added the strawberry right before serving and it was so delicious.
Hi Kelley,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe:) I am so glad it was enjoyed! Hope you’re off to a great Monday! xxT
I made this and it was a hit! Instead of an 8×8 pan, I used two loaf pans (that way I could give one away to my neighbors and not eat the ENTIRE treat). I also played with a swipe of chocolate and created a chocolate ring filled with some of the strawberry preserves. Chocolate and strawberries are always a great combo.
Hey Kevin,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe:) I am so glad it was enjoyed! Hope you’re off to a great Monday! xxT
Fabulous dessert, ideal with this scorching heat in France!!!
I do not know where you find your ideas, but this one is sublime !!!
It’s in the freezer, we’re testing it this afternoon after our meal…
Many thanks to you
Hi there,
Thanks so much for your kind message and making this recipe, so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
How do you think this would turn out with peaches? Peach ice cream and peach jam?
Hey Christi,
I think that would be a great idea! Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xx
Can you please post your jam
Recipe in the recipe ?
Hi Angie,
Here is the link for the jam recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/strawberry-jam-dutch-baby/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Those teensy little blue flowers are everything as far as the photographs go. ? They make the photos!
Thank you so much Paula!!
I made this for a small dinner party a few days ago and it was a HUGE hit! One friend even thought it was purchased from a local ice cream shop since it looked so fantastic! This could not have been more easy and it will definitely become my go-to for a delicious summer dessert. Another knockout!
Hey Jennifer,
Amazing!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback:)