Shelby’s Strawberry Shortcake

Remember those pink and white ice cream bars with the crumb coating? If you loved those, then you’re already a fan of Shelby’s Strawberry Shortcake. Prepared in a jar or as a pie, this is a simple to prepare dessert that will have your guests begging for more!

SHELBY’S STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

My cousin, Amy, has a daughter named, Shelby. She is responsible for introducing me to this recipe. Amy had posted a few images of the dessert on Facebook, claiming that Shelby had whipped up the dessert while she was at home alone. Did I mention that Shelby is in highschool?

Anyway, I texted my cousin and told her that I was stealing the recipe for Lord Byron’s Kitchen. It wouldn’t be fair for me to credit anyone else but Shelby now, would it? When I first tried to make it myself, I was a little skeptical.

It doesn’t have many of what I call real ingredients. Whenever I prepare recipes that call for store-bought items such as Cool Whip, a box of pudding mix, and a package or Oreos, I tend to worry. My first thought is that this is going to be way too sweet.

My second thought is that someone is going to call me out for calling it a recipe. Let’s face it, most of this recipe is assembly rather than baking or cooking. But, Dear Reader, I’ll take the hit and/or criticism. Shelby’s Strawberry Shortcake is so delicious. I warn you, you will eat way too much of this. Wear stretchy pants.

JARS OR A PIE?

I must confess, Dear Reader, this recipe makes a big pie. I was able to make four jars and one pie. The jars were 250mL or one cup size. And, I used a 9″ springform pan. You can fit all of this recipe into one pan. It will be extra thick. Or, you can separate it into smaller pans. It’s up to you.

I found that the jars were much, much better! In fact, the next time I make this shortcake recipe, I’ll portion it all out into jars. I’ll probably end up with a dozen jars. But, just look at how cute they are! You can share them with family or friends for Valentine’s Day.

It’s worth noting that we ate the pie first. The pie took up much more room in the fridge, so I wanted to get rid of it. The jars I used are stackable, and much smaller than the pie, obviously. It was much easier to find space for them.

The pie took about four days to eat. There’s only three of us, and the only one of us who craves sweets is John.e. The last jar was eaten exactly 7 days after I had made it. And, it was still very fresh. That’s another reason to use the jars, if you ask me!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE:

1. Cream Cheese – There’s a lot of sweet and sugary components to this dessert, so now is not the time to worry about fat free. However, if it’s a complete must, you can use fat-free cream cheese.
2. Confectioner’s Sugar – Just because life can always use a bit more sweetness! I’ll be serious. You will need this to thin out the cream cheese. Confectioner’s sugar basically melts when it hits moisture.
3. Cool Whip – You can use low fat or fat free. Just make sure that it’s completely thawed, but cold. Keep it in the fridge, not the freezer.
4. Vanilla Pudding – Just a plain box of the powdered mix is all you need.
5. Strawberry Jello – Again, this is just the box. You will use the powder as it is.
6. Flour – Regular all-purpose flour is good.
7. Butter – I used salted butter to offset some of the sweetness.
8. Golden Oreos – These are the vanilla flavoured Oreos. You’ll use one full package of Golden Oreos.
9. Graham Crumbs – This is the base. We’ll make a homemade crumb base using some of the salted butter and a dash of cinnamon.

HOW TO MAKE SHELBY’S STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE:

This instruction list may look long and daunting, but it’s quite easy. There are a lot of steps, but they are very simple and fast. I’ll break it up into sections. So, let’s get to it!

Let’s start with the strawberry/Oreo crumb topping!

1. In a small bowl, beat together the vanilla pudding mix, strawberry jello mix, flour, and two tablespoons of softened butter. It will be rather crumbly.
2. Spread this mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees F.
3. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 3 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to fridge to cool the mixture for the next 15 minutes or more.

Cream cheese filling – who doesn’t love that?

1. Next, in a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese for a few minutes just to make it creamy.
2. Add in the confectioner’s sugar and beat until smooth.
3. Add in the cool whip and mix into the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate this for at least 15 minutes.

Cinnamon helps to make a delicious crumb base!

1. In another bowl, whisk together the graham crumbs and the cinnamon.
2. Next, melt the remaining butter in the microwave. Pour the melted butter over the graham crumb mixture.
3. Beat on low speed until the butter is well incorporated into the graham crumbs. This mixture will be crumbly.

Let’s start assembling!

1. If making a pie, transfer all of the graham crumb mixture to a lightly greased pan. Pressing lightly, distribute the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
2. If making in jars, add four tablespoons of the mixture to each jar. Use a spoon to press lightly on the mixture to get an even layer.
3. By now, the jello and vanilla pudding mixture should be fully cooled. Transfer this to a food processor. Pulse this mixture until it’s crumbly. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Place the Oreos into the food processor and pulse until crumbly. Transfer this to the same bowl as the strawberry mixture. Toss to combine and set aside.
5. Next, spread your cool whip mixture onto the prepared pie base. Or add 8 tablespoons of the mixture into each jar, if using. Spread evenly over the graham crumb layer.
6. Lastly, top the pie or the jars with the strawberry and Oreo mixture.
7. Cover the pie with plastic wrap, or place the lids on the jars. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

STORING:

This pie will last for about 3-4 days in the fridge. Keep it covered well and refrigerated at all times. Once you take it out of the fridge, remove what you want and get it back in there. Trust me, it will prolong the freshness.

If you made this recipe in jars, you can keep it fresh for up to a week. John.e ate the last jar a whole 7 days after I made the recipe, so I can vouch for the freshness. I’m not sure how much longer it would last after that.

Thank you, Shelby, for sharing your recipe with me and my Dear Readers! It’s a delicious version of my favourite childhood ice cream bar!

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