Cottage Cheese Protein Strawberry Crunch Ice Cream

If you grew up loving strawberry crunch ice cream bars, you are going to appreciate this homemade version.

Today I want to show you how to make cottage cheese protein strawberry crunch ice cream right in your own kitchen.

Using blended cottage cheese is the secret here because it creates a remarkably smooth, creamy texture without tasting sour at all.

Because of the cottage cheese base, this dessert is naturally high protein, so you get a much more filling treat than regular ice cream.

The crunchy strawberry cookie layers on the top and bottom give you that classic bakery taste in every single bite.

Why I Love This Recipe

High Protein Treat – Thanks to three cups of cottage cheese, this dessert gives you a serious dose of muscle-building protein.

Nostalgic Ice Cream Bar Flavor – The homemade cookie crumble recreates that classic strawberry shortcake crunch bar taste from your childhood.

No Ice Cream Maker Needed – You only need a blender and a hand mixer to whip up this impressive frozen dessert.

Pure, Bold Berry Taste – Freeze-dried strawberries deliver concentrated fruit flavor and a gorgeous bright pink color without any artificial dyes.

The Ingredients

For the Strawberry Crunch

• 12 Golden Vanilla Sandwich Cookies
• 1/2 cup Freeze-Dried Strawberries
• 3 tbsp Melted Butter

For the Ice Cream

• 1 cup Freeze-Dried Strawberries
• 3 cups Full Fat Cottage Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Heavy Cream, Cold

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1

Pulse the vanilla sandwich cookies and 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor into coarse crumbs. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse until it looks like wet sand with a few bigger crunchy pieces.

Step 2

Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and place it in the freezer. Blend 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries in a high-speed blender until it becomes a fine pink powder.

Step 3

Add the cottage cheese, sweetened condensed milk, honey, vanilla and salt to the blender with the strawberry powder. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until completely silky and bright pink.

Freeze-dried strawberries give intense berry flavor without adding extra water, which keeps the ice cream creamy instead of icy.

Step 4

In a large chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 5

Stir a large spoonful of the strawberry mixture into the whipped cream to lighten it. Gently fold in the rest until smooth and evenly pink.

Step 6

Press one third of the strawberry crunch into the bottom of the lined pan and spread half of the ice cream over it. Sprinkle with another third of the crunch, add the remaining ice cream and finish with the rest of the crunch, pressing it in lightly.

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Step 7

Let the ice cream soften at room temperature for 10 minutes, then scoop or lift out with the parchment and slice into thick bars.

Quick Tips

Blend the Base Until Completely Smooth

Blend the cottage cheese mixture for a full two minutes until you see zero curds left. This step makes the texture velvety and gives you a rich, protein-packed ice cream without any gritty texture.

You’ll get the best results if you stop the blender once or twice to scrape down the sides. That way, all the little bits get completely liquefied.

Stick with Freeze-Dried Strawberries

From my experience, you should avoid swapping in fresh or frozen strawberries for the freeze-dried ones. Fresh fruit adds too much water, which turns the ice cream icy instead of creamy.

Freeze-dried strawberries give you a concentrated punch of real berry flavor while keeping the texture wonderfully scoopable.

Keep the Crunch Layer Coarse

When pulsing the sandwich cookies and strawberries, be careful not to turn them into fine dust. You want coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized chunks mixed in.

Those larger crunchy pieces are what give the dessert that classic strawberry shortcake ice cream bar texture.

More Favorites

• Cottage Cheese Protein Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles
• Cottage Cheese Protein Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream
• Cottage Cheese Protein Frozen Berry Bark
• Cottage Cheese Protein Salted Honey Pistachio Ice Cream
• Cottage Cheese Protein Strawberry Cheesecake Cups

Quick Answers

Can I use fresh or frozen strawberries instead of freeze-dried ones?

Fresh and frozen strawberries contain lots of water, which will make the ice cream icy instead of creamy.

Freeze-dried strawberries give you concentrated berry flavor and vibrant color without adding any extra liquid.