December 28, 2023
Review RecipeStrawberry Shortcake Fudge
Table of Contents
This irresistible strawberry shortcake fudge is a divine treat that will not last long. A creamy, vibrant pink fudge is layered with crunchy cookies and topped with a cookie crumble topping to create this deliciously decadent recipe.
Strawberry Shortcake Fudge Ingredients
Strawberry shortcake fudge is a scrumptious treat that is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
With its creamy texture and fruity flavor, it offers the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.
You’ll need:
For The Cookie Crumble Topping:
- 1 cup (10 cookies) of finely crushed vanilla sandwich cookies (I used Golden Oreos)
- 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, divided into 3 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon of strawberry-flavored gelatin powder
- 2 to 3 drops of red food coloring
PRO TIP:
For the freeze-dried strawberry powder, you will just need to place about ½ to ⅓ cup of freeze-dried strawberries into a Ziploc bag and crush them up until you have a fine powder.
They are very delicate, so it did not take much effort to squeeze the bag with my hands to get a strawberry powder from them to use to flavor and help color the fudge mixture.
For The Fudge:
- 3 cups of white chocolate chips
- 1 (14-ounce can) of sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons of freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 1 teaspoon of strawberry extract (I used LorAnn Gourmet Strawberry bakery emulsion. It can be used interchangeably with the extract)
- 2 to 3 drops of red food coloring, optional (use it if your strawberry extract does not have a pink tint)
- 1 cup of mini vanilla wafers
Substitutions And Additions
COOKIES: You can substitute the vanilla sandwich cookies in your crumble mixture with mini vanilla wafer cookies if you do not want to use two different types of cookies for this recipe. Shortbread cookies would also make a great alternative.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: I used a good quality chocolate chip (Ghirardelli brand) for this delicious fudge recipe because I find that the generic brands do not melt as well, and the flavor is not as good.
You can also use white chocolate baking bars broken into small pieces if you prefer. Three cups of chips are roughly 20 ounces or 5 (4-ounce) baker’s bars.
STRAWBERRY FLAVOR: I used the LorAnn brand strawberry bakery emulsion for flavoring. This can be used interchangeably with any strawberry extract. I like to use it because the flavor is excellent, and it is a red-colored extract, so I do not need to add any extra food coloring to my fudge.
This is easily found at big box craft stores like Michaels, and JoAnn, or online. With the addition of the freeze-dried strawberry powder and the LorAnn flavoring, this fudge has a beautiful pink color and amazing strawberry flavor without the use of additional food coloring.
How To Make This Strawberry Shortcake Fudge Recipe
The first part of making this fudge is creating the crunchy strawberry-flavored cookie topping.
Next, you will make the fudge mixture before layering it with the crunchy cookies.
For The Cookie Crumble Topping
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
STEP TWO: In two small bowls, evenly divide ½ cup of the finely crushed vanilla sandwich cookies into each bowl.
Our Recipe Developer Says
To crush your cookies quickly, pulse cookies in the food processor until they are fine crumbs.
STEP THREE: Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter into a small microwave-safe bowl.
Pour half the melted butter over one bowl of crushed vanilla sandwich cookies and stir to evenly coat all the cookie crumbs with the melted butter.
STEP FOUR: Add the strawberry-flavored gelatin powder and red food coloring to the remaining melted butter.
Stir to thoroughly combine the butter with the gelatin and food coloring. Pour the butter over the second bowl of crushed vanilla sandwich cookies.
Stir to evenly coat the crushed cookies with the strawberry-flavored butter.
STEP FIVE: Spread both bowls of the butter-coated crushed cookies onto the prepared rimmed baking sheet, gently tossing them together, and bake for 8 minutes.
STEP SIX: When they come out of the oven, use a small spatula to gently break up the cookie crumbles so that it does not cool into one big piece.
You want them to cool as a crumble. Allow the cookie crumble to cool on the counter while preparing the fudge mixture.
For The Fudge
STEP ONE: Line an 8×8-inch square pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
STEP TWO: In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine the white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, remaining two tablespoons of unsalted butter, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and strawberry extract.
You can add 2 to 3 drops of red food coloring at this time if your brand of strawberry extract is clear or if you prefer your fudge to be a deeper shade of pink.
PRO TIP:
If your brand of strawberry extract is clear, then you may want to add a couple of drops of food coloring to the fudge mixture.
You do not need to do this as your freeze-dried strawberry powder will also help to lightly color your fudge pink, but if you want a deeper shade of pink, then you can add the additional food coloring.
Be careful not to add too much as too much liquid (from extracts and food coloring) added to the melted white chocolate can cause it to seize up and not melt properly.
You can use a good quality gel food color, which will lend to better results. Remember that gel food color is typically more intense in color than liquid, so just a drop of red should do for a pink color.
STEP THREE: Melt the chocolate and other ingredients, stirring often to prevent the chocolate from burning and ensuring that all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. This can take 3 to 5 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Transfer half of the fudge mixture to the prepared pan and spread it out into an even layer.
STEP FIVE: Evenly spread the mini vanilla wafers into a single layer over the first half of the fudge in the pan.
Pour the remaining fudge over the top of the mini vanilla wafers and spread into an even layer as well.
STEP SIX: Sprinkle the reserved cookie crumble evenly over the top of the fudge. Gently press the crumble into the top of the fudge to ensure that it does not fall off the strawberry shortcake fudge when sliced.
STEP SEVEN: Cover the pan in plastic wrap and chill the strawberry shortcake fudge in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours or until firm before cutting it into squares.
How To Serve
This creamy strawberry fudge is a very quick and easy fudge recipe that is perfect for adding to any summertime dessert tray or even a pink-themed party.
Wrap your fudge squares in clear treat bags and add to Easter baskets or share with your loves on Valentine’s Day.
Crumble the strawberry shortcake fudge over vanilla ice cream, drizzle with strawberry sauce, and top with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.
The fudge chunks will add an irresistible crunch to the sundae while infusing it with the essence of strawberry shortcake.
Add our tiger fudge and Reese’s peanut butter fudge along with this sweet treat for a delightful variety of flavors for gift-giving or a special treat.
MORE FUDGE RECIPES
Storage
Here are some handy tips on how to keep your fudge fresh and delicious for as long as possible.
IN THE FRIDGE: You can store your strawberry shortcake fudge in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
IN THE FREEZER: You can also freeze your fudge for longer storage. You will want to wrap it tightly in wax, or parchment paper, then place it into an airtight freezer-safe container.
A heavy-duty freezer bag works great because you can squeeze most of the air out of it. You will want to thaw your fudge in the refrigerator for the best texture.
Layers of strawberry fudge combined with a surprising cookie crunch will have you addicted to this rich and creamy strawberry fudge. It’s so easy to make and is such a beautiful vibrant pink that you will fall in love with this strawberry shortcake fudge.
Frequently Asked Questions
This sweet strawberry shortcake fudge recipe can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months.
To easily slice the fudge, dip a large sharp flat knife in boiling water, dry it completely, and cut one long slice (the heat will help the blade to glide through).
If you’d like to experiment with different cookies in this recipe, you can. Shortbread cookies and Nilla wafers are two tasty choices.
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Strawberry Shortcake Fudge
Ingredients
Cookie Crumble Topping
- 1 cup finely crushed vanilla sandwich cookies, 10 cookies (I used Golden Oreos)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into 3 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon strawberry flavored gelatin powder
- 2 to 3 drops red food coloring
Fudge
- 3 cups white chocolate chips
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 1 teaspoon strawberry extract, I used LorAnn Gourmet Strawberry bakery emulsion. It can be used interchangeably with extract.
- 2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
- 1 cup mini vanilla wafers
Instructions
Cookie Crumble Topping
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In two small bowls, evenly divide ½ cup of the finely crushed vanilla sandwich cookies into each bowl.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small bowl. Pour half the melted butter over one bowl of crushed vanilla sandwich cookies and stir to evenly coat all the cookie crumbs with the melted butter.
- Add the strawberry-flavored gelatin powder and red food coloring to the remaining melted butter. Stir to thoroughly combine the butter with the gelatin and food coloring. Pour the butter over the second bowl of crushed vanilla sandwich cookies. Stir to evenly coat the crushed cookies with the strawberry flavored butter.
- Spread both bowls of the butter-coated crushed cookies onto the prepared rimmed baking sheet, gently tossing them together, and bake for 8 minutes.
- When they come out of the oven, using a small spatula, gently break up the cookie crumbles so that it does not cool into one big piece. You want them to cool as a crumble. Allow the cookie crumble to cool on the counter while preparing the fudge mixture.
Fudge
- Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine the white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, remaining two tablespoons of unsalted butter, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and strawberry extract. You can add 2 to 3 drops of red food coloring at this time if your brand of strawberry extract is clear or if you prefer your fudge to be a deeper shade of pink.
- Melt the chocolate and other ingredients, stirring often to prevent the chocolate from burning and to ensure that all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. This can take 3 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer half of the fudge mixture to the prepared pan and spread it out into an even layer.
- Evenly spread the mini vanilla wafers into a single layer over the first half of the fudge in the pan. Pour the remaining fudge over the top of the mini vanilla wafers and spread into an even layer as well.
- Sprinkle the reserved cookie crumble over the top of the fudge evenly. Gently press the crumble into the top of the fudge to ensure that it does not fall off the strawberry shortcake fudge when sliced.
- Chill the strawberry shortcake fudge, in the refrigerator, for 1 to 2 hours or until firm before cutting into squares.
Notes
- For the freeze-dried strawberry powder, you will just need to place about a ½ to ⅓ cup of freeze-dried strawberries into a Ziploc bag and crush them up until you have a fine powder. They are very delicate, so it did not take much effort to squeeze the bag with my hands to get a strawberry powder from them to use to flavor and help color the fudge mixture.
- To crush your cookies quickly, pulse cookies in the food processor until they are fine crumbs.
- If your brand of strawberry extract is clear, then you may want to add a couple of drops of food coloring to the fudge mixture. You do not need to do this as your freeze-dried strawberry powder will also help to lightly color your fudge pink, but if you want a deeper shade of pink, then you can add the additional food coloring. Be careful not to add too much as too much liquid (from extracts and food coloring) added to the melted white chocolate can cause it to seize up and not melt properly. You can use a good quality gel food color, which will lend to better results. Remember that gel food color is typically more intense in color than liquid, so just a drop of red should do for a pink color.
Comments
Joy says
Rich and creamy!