Strawberry Fool (Strawberries and Cream)
Strawberry Fool is a quick and easy dessert made by layering macerated strawberries with homemade whipped cream. It calls for just 4 basic ingredients and can be made a couple hours in advance! Make this elevated version of strawberries and cream for Valentine’s Day, BBQs, family dinners, and more.
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The Strawberry Dessert I Make on Repeat Throughout the Year
Never heard of a “fool” dessert? It’s simply freshly whipped cream with mashed fresh fruit folded in. For this particular recipe, I’ve used strawberries, making this quick recipe a fancier take on strawberries and cream.
Here’s why I know you’ll love this strawberry fool recipe as much as we do:
✔ Bold, Fresh Strawberry Flavor: What I love about this dessert is that it really highlights the flavor of the fresh strawberries.
✔ Fresh or Frozen Strawberries: During the winter it can be harder to find quality fresh fruit, but luckily this recipe works just as well with frozen strawberries! Thaw and drain them of any excess moisture before using and no one will know the difference.
✔ Works with Any Berry: Fresh fruit and whipped cream is always a winning combo, so feel free to use this fool recipe as a jumping off point for a variety of berry dessert creations. (For example, I also have a recipe for Raspberry Fool that I adore!)
Enjoy!
-Katie
The 4 Main Ingredients
Strawberry Fool is so easy to make that any of our kids could prepare it themselves. You’ll need four simple ingredients, and I bet you have most of them already.
- Fresh Strawberries — If it’s not berry season, you may use frozen strawberries that have been thawed and drained of any excess liquid.
- Heavy Cream — AKA Heavy Whipping Cream. Do not substitute with half and half, which can’t be whipped and will make your strawberries and cream the texture of strawberry soup.
- Granulated Sugar — Don’t skip the sugar when macerating the strawberries! The sugar not only sweetens the berries, but it also helps draw out their juices and creates a natural syrup that pairs perfectly with the whipped cream.
- Vanilla — I prefer using vanilla bean paste in the whipped cream and extract in the macerated strawberries, but you may use one or the other for the entire recipe.
- Optional Ingredients — Grand Marnier, Chambord, or another fruit liqueur can be added to the strawberries if serving to a 21+ crowd.
How to Make Strawberry Fool (Step-By-Step Photos!)
Step 1: Whip the cream. To achieve perfectly fluffy whipped cream, place your mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge for 30 minutes before whipping the cream. Once it reaches the stiff peak stage, return the cream to the fridge to keep it super cold while you finish the recipe.
Step 2: Macerate the strawberries. “Macerate” is a fancy way of saying “mash up.” I use a fork to gently mash the strawberries into the sugar (this helps release all that juice!).
Step 3: Gently fold the strawberries into the cream. Strawberry Fool is meant to look fairly streaky; you should see lovely rivers of cream and berries swirled throughout the bowl. (Make sure to reserve a little of each of the plain macerated berries and whipped cream — you’ll be layering the Fool for a prettier presentation.)
Step 4: Assemble and serve. Spoon some of the macerated berries into each serving glass, then top with some of the cream mixture. Repeat this process until the Fool is layered to your liking.
Katie’s Tip: This dessert is really pretty and colorful if you serve it in individual clear glass parfait dishes or cute jars (I love Weck Jars!).
Recipe Variations to Try
- Mix and match fresh berries, if desired. Any type of berry works well, and a blend of berries is really tasty! I’ve also made a Fool dessert with fresh peeled peaches before.
- Make it fancy with fruit liqueurs. Adding different extracts (almond, lemon, etc) to the strawberries or flavored fruit liqueurs like Chambord or Grand Marnier amp up the fancy factor of this simple dessert.
- Add lemon juice. For a strawberry lemon flavor, add a small amount of lemon juice (around 2 teaspoons) and some lemon zest to the strawberry mixture.
Make-Ahead Option
Because this is a whipped cream dessert, it’s best enjoyed within 4 hours of making it. If you wait too long to serve your strawberries and cream, the whipped cream will deflate and the dessert will be runny.
The best way to save some time when preparing this easy strawberry dessert is to do some of the prep work ahead of time to save time. Here are my suggestions:
- 2 days in advance: Wash, dry, and slice your strawberries.
- 24 hours in advance: Prepare the strawberry, sugar, and vanilla mixture. For best results, store the strawberry mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you prepare the remainder of the recipe.
- 4 hours in advance: Prepare and assemble the Strawberry Fool, then keep refrigerated until serving time.
Katie’s Tip: You can also try making stabilized whipped cream instead of regular whipped cream if you need to assemble the dessert further in advance. This will help the whipped cream keep its shape as it sits in the fridge.
More Fresh Strawberry Desserts
You can browse all of the strawberry recipes through the Ingredient Index. Here are some of my all-time favorites:
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Strawberry Fool Recipe
Ingredients
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste*
For the Strawberry Mixture
- 3 cups sliced fresh Strawberries
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
For Garnish
- Extra Strawberries
Instructions
- Whip the cream. Place chilled heavy cream and vanilla bean paste in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, being careful not to overheat. (Make sure the heavy cream is very cold or it might not whip very well.) Set aside or chill until ready to use. You might need to whisk it or beat it again for a few seconds if you don't use it right away and it separates.
- Macerate the strawberries. Place half of the strawberries in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and add vanilla extract. Mash the strawberries, leaving some larger chunks. Stir in the remaining strawberries. Let stand for a few minutes.
- Swirl the berries into the cream. Add about 1/3 of the strawberry mixture to the whipped cream, swirling in with a large silicone spatula (it doesn't need to be completely blended). Reserve the remaining strawberries to use when assembling in the dessert dishes.
- Assemble. Spoon some of the reserved strawberries into six serving glasses or dishes. Then, top with some of the strawberry cream mixture. After that, add another layer of the reserved strawberries mixture, and then another spoonful or two of the cream. Top with extra strawberries for garnish.
- Serve immediately. Or place in fridge for up to 4 hours until ready to serve.
Notes
*Vanilla Bean Paste: You can use double the amount and use vanilla extract instead. Another substitute would be a vanilla bean plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Note: You can also make this recipe with other fresh berries! I also make Raspberry Fool fairly often.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 249Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 17mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy. This provided information is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Try This Quick Strawberry Dessert!
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Josie says
Where does it even say how much of each ingredient you need?
Katie says
At the top of the post slightly under the title is a button that says “jump to recipe” If you prefer to get the recipe without all of the extra tips and educational information about the recipe this button will take you directly to a free printable recipe card.
If you do not click that button, it says at several points in the post: “For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.” or “The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.”
If you are having a difficult time finding the printable recipe card, feel free to email me and I can provide a video tutorial for you.
Andrea Charles says
I love strawberries. I am sure my family will love this simple yet delicious recipe.
Wanda says
How long we’ll this hold?
Katie says
I typically make it just before serving. You can prepare it up to 4 hours ahead without any adverse consequences.
Daisy Dafadil says
Can you use half and half as a substitute for heavy cream?
Katie says
Half and half will not whip the same way that heavy cream will so I would not recommend it as a substitute.
Caitlyn says
Looks decadent! I love berries and fruit desserts. It’s never too late to try this out in any occasion 🙂
dina says
i’m all about strawberries and cream. yum!
DessertForTwo says
This is so simple, but I just know it’s delicious! Wow!
Holly Waterfall says
I love how simple this is! My kiddo would go nuts for this, thinking I’d spent a ton of time on dessert. My favorite simple dessert to whip up is fresh-fruit sherbet.