If you’ve read my post about strawberry picking out at Third Day Farm & Ranch, then you know that we came home with over 25 pounds of fresh strawberries.  So what the heck are we doing with over 25 pounds of strawberries?!  That was my husbands first question, too!  Thankfully, I had some ideas going in – and they’ve all been HUGE hits with everyone at my house, which NEVER happens!  In case you also went strawberry picking, and your kids had no chill, and you’re getting the stink eye from your husband, here’s our three favorite strawberry recipes.

(Just a note that I may earn a small commission from any purchases made from items linked here! They make me tell you!)

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Strawberry Jam

Yield: about 8 cups of jam

• 5 cups crushed strawberries, stems removed
• 7 cups of sugar
• 1 package Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin
• OPTIONAL: 1/2 tsp butter to reduce foaming

1. Use dry measuring cup to measure exact amount of prepared, crushed fruit and transfer to large saucepan.
2. Measure exact amount of sugar needed and set aside. (NOTE: Reducing the amount of sugar will result in set failures.)
3. Stir package of Sure-Jell into crushed strawberries. (Add in the 1/2 tsp of butter at this point, if you’ve chosen to do that.)
4. Heat on high, stirring constantly, and bring mixture to full rolling boil, or a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred.
5. Add sugar to strawberry mixture.
6. Return to full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
7. Let boil for exactly 1 minute, then remove from heat.
8. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon.
9. Ladle immediately into prepared mason jars, filling each to within 1/4 inch of the top. (I prefer wide mouth jars for basically anything, but you do you, boo.)

There are a lot of different canning methods out there. I don’t have a canner, so I do it old school on the stove, but you could use an electric canner or your Instant Pot. Just make sure, after the jars cool, to check the seals by pressing the centers of the lids. If the lid pops back, the lid is not sealed properly and refrigeration is necessary. If the lids don’t pop back, the jars are shelf stable for up to 18 months!

Recipe Source: Sure-Jell Insert

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Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes with Strawberry Ice Cream Frosting

Recipe Source: The Happy Foodie UK

Have you watched Nadiya Bakes on Netflix? You MUST. Nadiya Hussain was a personal favorite when she was a contestant on the Great British Bake-Off. She’s so charming and endearing, and I love her willingness to play around and experiment with recipes and flavors. She makes it all seem so easy! She’s a busy mom, just like us, so she doesn’t always have time for intricate, complicated bakes either, which I certainly appreciate. By some stroke of luck, I ended up watching the first episode that featured these strawberry cupcakes the night before we went strawberry picking, and I knew INSTANTLY that this would be a bake I’d be trying out. I was more than a little intimidated, because my piping skills are certainly more suited for something like Nailed It rather than a Bake-Off Winner, but this was SO easy and has quickly become a family favorite. My husband has already requested these for his birthday, which isn’t until October. They’re THAT good.

Because Nadiya is British, the original recipe was written using the metric system. When I baked these, I did my best to convert all the measurements into their US/Imperial equivalent to post here and make it easier for you. Ours turned out beautifully (I’ve baked them twice already!) but let me know if you have issues! (I’ve also linked the original recipe above, if you want to try to convert on your own or use the metric system for more precision.)

NOTE: Nadiya’s original recipe also uses clotted cream, which is almost impossible to find in the US due to requiring unpasteurized milk. So I subbed in butter, and no complaints from any of us.

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YIELD: Nadiya says 12, but I ended up with 18 both times I’ve made this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 butter (1 stick), softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 package Golden Oreos (or any vanilla sandwich cookie of your choice)
• 12-18 strawberries

Frosting:

• 3/4 cup butter (or 1.5 sticks), softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup strawberry ice cream, softened (Blue Bell, of course)
• 2.5 cups powdered sugar

1. The frosting needs to be chilled, so we’ll start there. Whisk the butter until creamy using an electric or stand mixer.
2. Sift in the powdered sugar. Use a spoon to roughly combine so you don’t end up with a powdered sugar explosion in your kitchen, then whisk with the mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Add the softened strawberry ice cream and mix until just combined.
4. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle of your choice, then chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

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While the frosting is chilling, get on with your cupcakes!

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
3. Add a vanilla sandwich cookie to the bottom of each cupcake liner, then top that with a whole strawberry, pointy end up (cut off tops for a flat base, and see photos above if you need a visual aid like me!)
4. Add the butter and the sugar to the bowl of your mixer, and beat until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.
6. Add flour and vanilla extract, and mix until you have a smooth mixture.
7. Divide the mixture among the 12 cupcake cases, making sure that fresh strawberry is fully encased. I used a piping bag because that’s what Nadiya did on the show, and it scared the pants off of me. But after I just went for it, I realized it wasn’t that bad and was WAY easier than trying to divide the mix up with a spoon. I keep these in my baking tools drawer for moments such as this.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until batter is fluffy and golden.
9. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
10. Let cool completely, then pipe the prepared frosting onto the tops. (You can sprinkle freeze dried strawberries on the top if you want to be really extra, but my family preferred it without them.)

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Strawberry Puree Popsicles

A quick google search found me this recipe and I was drawn to it because they’re completely sugar and sweetener free. The other recipes here are loaded with sugar, so aside from fresh snacking, I wanted to include at least one that you could feel good feeding your kids and not having to police their snacking or portions. My parenting style is pretty laid back, and we have a hard and fast “if you can find it, you can have it” rule in my house, so I love that they can grab these after a fun day outside to help them cool off and I don’t have to have that little voice in the back of my head making me feel guilty for loading them full of sugar.

You can find the recipe over at Laylita’s Recipes!

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Did you end up going strawberry picking? Did you try any of our recipes here, or do you have another strawberry recipe that you and your kids absolutely LOVE? Let me know below!