Much like spring, strawberry season is short and sweet. From the first warm day on, you have a limited amount of time to make as many strawberry desserts as possible while the fruit is at its flavor peak—which is during June in most of North America, according to Epicurious. Though it can be hard to resist the urge to devour an entire carton on your way home from the farmers market, so much potential lies ahead if you’re willing to wait (or splurge for two cartons—one for now, one for later).
While this ruby red berry is definitely a treat on its own, it can be truly phenomenal with the right recipe. Whether you’re looking for a baking project to test your skills or a speedy dessert that you can enjoy in mere minutes, there’s almost always a way that strawberries can be of service. Need to satisfy a sweet tooth stat? Blend up a simple strawberry smoothie recipe. Want to springify an old favorite? Try strawberry banana bread. Or go all out and use strawberries to fill and decorate a decked out cake for spring.
As for how to properly wash this fruit before getting started, that part is easy. Avoid soaking strawberries in water for an extended period of time because they’re highly porous and will act like a sponge, as SELF previously reported. And don’t remove the stems before washing, as doing so creates another opening where water can enter—you’ll end up with mushy, waterlogged berries. Just wait until you’re ready to get baking, then simply place the berries in a colander and run under a faucet until all visible dirt is gone, and gently pat dry.
Next step? Whip up one of these 25 easy strawberry recipes. These fresh ideas will help you figure out what to do with strawberries galore while they’re in season—and churn out some of the most beautiful and delicious springtime treats you’ve ever seen or tasted.
Sumac, a type of spice that has a naturally tangy taste, is the perfect complement for the sweet-tart strawberries and rich cheesecake.
The simply sliced fresh strawberries in this creamy custard recipe are also an excellent topping for any other very rich dessert, like ice cream or crème brûlée.
Making strawberry shortcake can be highly elaborate and involved, but these simple scones provide all the same flavors with a fraction of the work.
Despite the seeming complexity of this beautifully tiered treat, it’s actually incredibly simple to make. Just fill a mason jar with layers of fresh sliced strawberries, your favorite store-bought lemon cookies, and ice cream—and dig right in.
This refreshing, traditional Mexican treat (fresas con crema) is made with just four ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, Mexican crema, cinnamon, and strawberries. If you can’t find crema, crème fraîche will produce similar results.
This berry-packed version of a Japanese fruit sandwich is as simple as it gets. With just white bread (preferably fluffy milk bread), strawberries, and whipped cream, it’s like strawberry shortcake in cute sandwich form.
Here’s another great Japanese-inspired way to take advantage of strawberries this spring. Layers of chewy mochi and creamy red bean paste perfectly complement the juicy, fruity interior of this treat.
Although fresh strawberry recipes are great, this fruit is also excellent when cooked. In this case, roasting strawberries low and slow concentrates their natural sweetness, making them the perfect pairing for this fluffy, non-dairy coconut whipped cream.
This fiery red treat, which recipe author Meiko created as a dessert for Juneteenth celebrations, will make you wonder why you’ve never thought to combine cornbread and strawberries before.
This take on the iconic New York–style cheesecake uses a bit of Greek yogurt to complement the tangy strawberry topping we all know and love so well.
