Such an easy dessert, this single serving strawberry icebox cake is made with cookies, fresh strawberries, and a creamy mix of whipped cream and cream cheese.
We absolutely love no-bake desserts like this mini strawberry icebox cake. When a dessert craving strikes, there's no easier remedy than this lovely layered dessert. Just mix together the creamy filling and layer it between cookies and berries, and the dessert is ready.
What Is An Icebox Cake?
An icebox cake is a no-bake dessert made by layering ingredients such as cookies, fruit, and a simple creamy filling and letting it set in the refrigerator.
Icebox cake gets its name from the icebox, which is a non-mechanical refrigerator common in the early twentieth century before the development of electric refrigerators.
An icebox cake recipe is really more of a technique than a recipe because there are thousands of ways you can customize it as long as you stick to a cream and cookie base.
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and easy dessert: There's no cooking or baking required when you make an easy icebox cake. Simply layer cookies or graham crackers with a whipped cream and cream cheese mixture and thinly sliced fruit.
- Recipe doubles well: Although we're featuring a single serving version, the recipe can actually be doubled, tripled, and so on. Just increase the ingredient amounts by the number of servings you want to make and use a dish large enough to hold them all.
- Incredibly delicious: I love how the graham crackers contrast with the rich cream and sweet fruit. In the refrigerator, the cookies soften just enough to slightly resemble the layers of a sponge cake filled with a light and airy filling and fresh fruit.
- Easy to customize: Consider this single serving recipe as a starting point and allow yourself to get creative with ingredients. See below for a few glorious possibilities!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Cream cheese: Technically, an icebox cake can be made with just whipped cream and cookies but I LOVE adding cream cheese to the whipped cream. Cream cheese adds richness and a delicious, slight tang to the cream. Use room temperature cream cheese from a block of real cream cheese, not cream cheese spread or whipped cream cheese. To soften cream cheese, leave it on the counter for 30 minutes and the cream cheese should be soft enough to use.
- Sugar: Sweetens the dessert beautifully.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds a wonderful flavor to the creamy filling.
- Heavy cream: Icebox cake recipes traditionally call for homemade whipped cream made from heavy cream (double cream) or heavy whipping cream. You can use a pre-made whipped topping such as Cool Whip instead.
- Graham crackers: Graham crackers are sweet whole wheat cookies made from graham flour. They are commonly found in the US in the cookie aisle of the grocery store. Although I use graham crackers (digestive biscuits in the UK), you can use just about any kind of cookie. Store-bought vanilla wafers or chocolate wafers or homemade cookies such as ladyfingers, oatmeal cookies, ginger cookies, or double chocolate chip cookies work beautifully in icebox cakes.
- Strawberries: Since this is a strawberry icebox cake, strawberries are the star of this dessert. Fresh strawberries are best but if they aren't available to you, use frozen and thawed strawberries instead. Understand that frozen and thawed strawberries tend to turn mushy because of the extra water in them. If using them, be sure to pat the strawberries gently with a towel to remove excess liquid.
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
How To Make A Strawberry Icebox Cake For One
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl and beat well with an electric hand mixer. Set the bowl aside.
- In a separate small bowl, whip the cold cream with an electric mixer until the cream holds thick peaks.
Pro Tips: Use cold cream because cold cream whips better. You can also use a whisk to beat the cream until stiff peaks begin to form. This is an arm workout, switch arms if you need to.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and blend well. Layer the bottom of a small dessert dish with graham crackers. Break them up if necessary.
Pro Tip: I use a 10-ounce ramekin when making a single icebox cake. For best results use a dish of similar size.
- Gently spread half of the cream mixture evenly over the cookies.
- Place half of the sliced strawberries on top of the cream.
- Cover the strawberries with a second layer of graham crackers.
- Top the second layer of graham crackers with the remaining cream mixture and sliced strawberries.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
Expert Tips
- Let the cake rest: Although you can enjoy your icebox cake right after you make it, it is best to allow your cake to "rest" in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to allow the cookie layers to absorb moisture and become softer.
- Choose the right vessel: Icebox cakes can be assembled in any vessel you choose. The ingredient amounts in our small strawberry icebox cake recipe are perfect for a 10-ounce ramekin. Feel free to use a similarly sized dessert dish or bowl with sides.
- Have fun with the toppings: Consider drizzling melted chocolate or caramel over the top of the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This strawberry dessert should be made ahead so that the graham crackers have time to soften. Three hours ahead at least and overnight is great!
An icebox cake will last two to three days in the refrigerator.
Absolutely! If you'd like to make a larger cake, double or triple the ingredient amounts and use a larger dish to hold the icebox cake.
Yes. Cover your cake well with a layer of plastic wrap and another layer of aluminum foil. It will keep for up to one month in the freezer. Thaw for a few hours in the refrigerator before eating.
Variations
A retro icebox cake is one of the simplest desserts and one that you can customize to your heart's content. Here are a few delicious icebox cake variations:
- S'mores Icebox Cake: Layer with graham crackers, whip ½ cup of heavy cream with ½ cup of marshmallow fluff. Drizzle melted chocolate between the layers and over the top to make the perfect s'mores cake!
- Fall Icebox Cake: Perfect for Thanksgiving! Layer with ginger snaps, and add ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg to the whipped cream.
- Icebox Cake With Pudding: Layer with graham crackers or cookies and add pudding between the layers. You might like to use our chocolate pudding recipe or our vanilla pudding recipe with this version.
- Ice Cream Icebox Cake: Layer with your favorite cookies and use your favorite flavor of ice cream between the cookie layers. Our vanilla ice cream would be perfect!
- Lemon Icebox Cake: Layer with cookies, graham crackers, OR try it with salty Ritz crackers and add lemon curd.
Icebox Cake Toppings
Consider topping your mini cake with any one of the following:
- Crushed cookies
- Shaved chocolate
- Cocoa powder
- Fresh fruit
- Toasted coconut
- Mini chocolate chips
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small strawberry icebox cake recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Strawberries: Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Scones, Strawberry Milkshake, Watermelon Strawberry Sorbet
- Graham crackers: Mini S'mores Dip, Key Lime Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Lemon Meringue Pie
- Cream Cheese: Cheesecake, Mini Hummingbird Cake, Mini Carrot Cake, Mini Red Velvet Cake
- Vanilla: Rice Pudding, Peach Crisp, Oatmeal Cookies, Mini Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Heavy Cream: Mini French Silk Pie, Mini Tres Leches Cake, Alfredo Sauce, Vanilla Pudding
More No-Bake Desserts
If you're looking for other no-bake desserts, you'll love these popular single serving desserts that are so easy and incredibly delicious!
If you’ve tried this "Strawberry Icebox Cake For One" or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Strawberry Icebox Cake For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 sheets graham crackers (1 ounce/30 g), you may also use vanilla or chocolate wafers
- ½ cup sliced strawberries
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl and beat well with an electric hand mixer. Set the bowl aside.
- In a separate small bowl, whip the cold cream with an electric mixer until the cream holds thick peaks.Use cold cream because cold cream whips better. You can also use a whisk to beat the cream until stiff peaks begin to form. This is an arm workout, switch arms if you need to.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and blend well. Layer the bottom of a small dessert dish with graham crackers. Break them up if necessary.I use a 10-ounce ramekin when making a single icebox cake. For best results use a dish of similar size.
- Gently spread half of the cream mixture evenly over the cookies.
- Place half of the sliced strawberries on top of the cream.
- Cover the strawberries with a second layer of graham crackers.
- Top the second layer of graham crackers with the remaining cream mixture and sliced strawberries.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
Notes
- Let the cake rest: Although you can enjoy your icebox cake right after you make it, it is best to allow your cake to "rest" in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to allow the cookie layers to absorb moisture and become softer.
- Choose the right vessel: Icebox cakes can be assembled in any vessel you choose. The ingredient amounts in our small strawberry icebox cake recipe are perfect for a 10-ounce ramekin. Feel free to use a similarly sized dessert dish or bowl with sides.
- Have fun with the toppings: Consider drizzling melted chocolate or caramel over the top of the cake.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Teresa says
This recipe is great using Biscotti brand cookies (like the ones that used to be served on airplanes).
Nonna says
Love your recipes and can't wait to try this one. Was shopping earlier this week and found some beautiful strawberries and this recipe is top of the list of gotta make! Thank you so much, I am truly addicted to your great recipes and have yet to find one that doesn't hit the spot when I find myself alone and cooking just for myself.
J. Hegyi says
Great recipe.