Strawberry season: 6 creamy desserts for the whole family (vegan options too)

May to June — the only 8 weeks for good strawberries

From mid-May to the end of June there are German outdoor strawberries — a short, intense season, and at the weekly market they cost €4–6/kg. In February you get “Spanish strawberries” for €8/kg that taste of water and have been transported 2,500 km. These eight weeks are the best time to make strawberry desserts.

Storage tip: do NOT wash strawberries before they go in the fridge — moisture shortens their shelf life. Rinse them under running water only just before eating, with the stalk still on (otherwise the berry soaks up water).

The 6 recipe ideas

1. Strawberry tiramisu (15 min preparation + 4 h in the fridge)

Instead of the classic version with espresso: layer mascarpone + cream + vanilla + sugar with sponge fingers (dipped in strawberry syrup) and fresh strawberries. Leave to set for at least 4 h. Vegan alternative: soya quark + cashew cream and vegan sponge fingers (available in the organic or vegan aisle).

2. Strawberry galette (shortcrust pastry + 25 min in the oven)

Roll out shortcrust pastry (or ready-made puff pastry), pile 400 g halved strawberries mixed with 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cornflour in the middle, fold the edges over. 25 min at 200 °C → a rustic French tart. Looks like it came from a pâtissier.

3. Strawberry ice cream without an ice cream maker (5 min preparation + 4 h in the freezer)

500 g strawberries + 200 ml cream (or coconut milk for a vegan version) + 60 g sugar in the blender. Into a freezer container, stir every hour (ready after 4 h). Almost as creamy without a machine — the secret is the stirring.

4. Strawberry and spinach salad (10 min)

You're thinking “berries in a salad?” — give it a go. Baby spinach, halved strawberries, feta, toasted almonds, balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette. Sweet, salty and tangy — perfect alongside a main course from the barbecue.

5. Vegan: overnight strawberry chia pudding

3 tbsp chia seeds + 200 ml plant-based milk + 1 tsp vanilla + 1 tsp maple syrup in a jar, 4 h or overnight in the fridge. Topping: puréed strawberries, whole berries, toasted coconut chips. Breakfast or dessert — looks like something out of a fitness magazine.

6. Strawberry lemonade — as an aperitif with sparkling wine if you like

500 g strawberries with 80 g sugar and the juice of 2 lemons, blitzed with a hand blender. In a jug with 1 litre of still or sparkling water, ice, mint. As a family drink, or with a splash of sparkling wine as an aperitif — the garden party classic.

When the family eats differently

From Standard — and already in the free trial account — you can store up to 6 family members, each with their own diet style, allergens and excluded ingredients — e.g. Anna (vegan, allergic to nuts), Markus (eats everything, doesn't like coriander), Lisa (lactose-intolerant). For the strawberry dessert you tap who's eating under “Who's eating?”, and the AI generates a version that respects all three at once — in this case probably something along the lines of a chia pudding.

So you don't have to make 3 different desserts in parallel, but one that everyone can eat.

Bonus: what to do when you've bought too many strawberries?

Strawberries stay fresh for 2–3 days at most. If you can't use up the special-offer kilo from the weekly market within 48 h:

• Freezing: wash the berries, remove the stalks, spread them out individually on a baking tray in the freezer for 2 h, then put them together in a bag. Keeps for 6 months — perfect for smoothies.
• Jam: 500 g strawberries + 250 g 2:1 jam sugar (gelling sugar) + the juice of one lemon, boil rapidly for 4 min, pour into jars. Keeps for 1 year.
• Syrup: leave the berries to steep with sugar 1:1 + lemon for 1 h, strain, bring briefly to the boil. Pour into a bottle — keeps in the fridge for about 3 months. A splash in sparkling water — a summer classic.

→ Try 2 recipes for free — no sign-up, e.g. with the strawberries from your fridge.