Strawberry Crunch McFlurry Copycat

Nothing is more nostalgic than those strawberry crunch ice cream bars we ate as kids! This recipe is the McFlurry version and it tastes just as good, if not better than McDonald’s. The strawberry shortcake crunch is so delectable and turns this cold treat into the most delicious dessert!

THE STRAWBERRY CRUNCH

The most iconic part of the ice cream bars is the strawberry crunch which is not sold anywhere and has always been a mystery to me about how to make it until now. I once made it using crumbled Nilla Wafers, chessman cookies, and freeze-dried strawberries. It was absolutely delicious and very easy but nothing like the real deal. I found this video on Youtube and tested it out myself and it was absolutely perfect, like the real deal.

YOU ONLY NEED FOUR INGREDIENTS:

• instant vanilla pudding mix
• strawberry jello mix
• all-purpose flour
• unsalted butter

To one bowl, add the vanilla pudding mix, all-purpose flour, and unsalted butter. Combine until a thick paste/dough forms again.

To the second bowl, add strawberry jello mix, all-purpose flour, and unsalted butter. Combine until a thick paste/dough forms again.

Mix the two together a bit and then flatten into a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop in the oven to bake for a few minutes, just until the edges turn golden.

Once out of the oven, allow it to cool completely. You can pop it in the freezer to speed up the process. I just crumble it up with my hands so fewer dishes for me and I also like thicker crunch pieces. You can also use a food processor. And that’s it! If you have any leftover strawberry crunch after this recipe, store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for longer.

The Soft Serve

Now moving on to the soft serve which is the easiest part! This is the ultimate hack to make soft serve at home without making ice cream from scratch using a machine. Soft serve is basically vanilla ice cream that has been whipped more to incorporate lots of air. It is soft, creamy, and incredibly smooth. You basically need two ingredients:

• whipped cream
• vanilla ice cream

For the whipped cream, you can either make it from scratch or use Cool Whip. I’ve tried both methods and both work just fine!

To make homemade whipped cream, beat together heavy cream and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.

Then combine the whipped cream and vanilla ice cream in a chilled bowl and mix together to combine. The best way to do this is by using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. You don’t want the ice cream to be rock hard to else it’ll be hard and messy to fix. Let it thaw for 5 to 10 minutes first.

The final result will be so creamy like the consistency of soft serve!

*NOTE: My favorite brand of ice cream for making McFlurries at home is Tillamook Old Fashioned Vanilla. My second choice is Haagen Dazs Vanilla!

Assembly

Once the soft serve and strawberry crunch is ready, we can assemble the layers!

Just fill any cup halfway with the soft serve, add the strawberry crunch topping, fill the rest of the cup with more soft serve, and finish it off with a sprinkle of strawberry crunch.

I also love to add strawberry sauce and golden Oreos in the middle but that is completely optional!

Now just enjoy. This recipe makes about 4 McFlurries! If you have any leftover soft serve, just transfer it into an empty ice cream container or Tupperware and keep it in the freezer.

More Sweet Desserts to Try

• Twix Cookie Cups
• Sticky Date Cake
• Chocolate Almond Croissants
• Mini Apple Pies
• Strawberry Croissants

If you tried this recipe and loved it, drop by down below and let me know how you liked it with a rating and comment! Feel free to also leave a question there about this recipe and I’ll get right back to it.

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