This Christmas dessert with strawberries looks like a party in a glass, but it is very easy to make. You mix strawberry syrup with gelatin, let it set at an angle and top it with soft ice cream and whipped cream. It is "weekend special" in taste, weekday simple in work. Perfect when you want something fun on the table without spending hours in the kitchen.
At a glance
- Preparation: about 10 minutes • Cook time: 25 minutes • Chilling: 3 hours
- Servings: 4
- Calories: 578 kcal per serving
- Difficulty: easy
- Key ingredients: strawberry syrup, water, gelatin sheets, strawberry ice cream, cream, icing sugar and fresh strawberries.
- Allergens contains: milk (cream, ice cream), gelatin. Does not contain nuts, gluten, soy, shellfish (based on listed ingredients; always check labels to be certain).
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Easy Christmas Dessert with Strawberries (Kids Will Love It)
You know those nights in December when the tree is on, the kids are buzzing, and you still need to sort dessert? That is where this Christmas dessert was born. While the jelly is setting in the fridge, you can wrap gifts or hunt for that missing Christmas ornament. The kitchen smells like strawberries, and there is this quiet hum from the fridge door opening every ten minutes: "Is it ready yet, mum?"
The best part is serving. You pull out these tilted glasses with shiny red jelly, scoop on soft strawberry ice cream and add a cloud of whipped cream. A few fresh strawberries on top and suddenly everyone is quiet for that first spoonful. It tastes like a sundae and looks like you worked all afternoon. You and I know you didn't.
Are you looking for more kids-friendly Christmas idea. Try this children's Christmas menu (inclusing an amuse, soup, mini pizzas and this dessert), Mini Christmas pizza's and cheesy puff pastry stars with soup.
Why This Works
- Make-ahead magic: The strawberry jelly sets in the fridge, so the real work is done hours before dinner.
- Kid magnet: Bright red jelly, ice cream and whipped cream in one glass; this just screams "kids' table hero".
- Simple ingredients: Syrup, water, gelatin, cream and strawberries; all easy to find in any supermarket.
- Fun presentation: Setting the glasses at an angle gives you that fancy restaurant look with almost no extra effort.
- Flexible timing: Jelly waits in the fridge; you only need a few minutes just before serving to finish.
When to Serve this Kids Dessert?
- At your Children's Christmas Table as their own special dessert.
- A make-ahead dessert for busy Christmas days.
- A December 'movie night treat' when you wnt something fun without baking.
- Kid-friendly dessert option alongside a more grown-up dessert.
What You'll Need
Exact amounts are in the recipe card.
- Strawberry syrup: Gives colour and flavour to the jelly; use one you like to drink.
- Water: Thins the syrup so the jelly is not too sweet.
- Gelatin sheets: Make the jelly set; soak them well before melting. Or use 4 teaspoons gelatin powder.
- Strawberry ice cream: Soft, sweet layer on top of the jelly; take it out of the freezer a bit earlier.
- Heavy cream: Whips up into a firm topping.
- Confectioners sugar: Sweetens the whipped cream and dissolves fast.
- Fresh strawberries: For a fresh bite and a pretty garnish.
How to Make It
You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe card below.
- Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. Heat the strawberry syrup with water until just below boiling. Stir in the squeezed gelatin until dissolved.
- Pour into glasses set at an angle and chill until firm.
- Shortly before serving, let the ice cream soften a bit and whip the cream with icing sugar. Spoon ice cream on top of the jelly.
- Add whipped cream and finish with fresh strawberries.
Top Tips
- Use clear glasses so you can really see the red jelly layer.
- Set the glasses in a muffin tin or bowl to keep the angle while the jelly firms up.
- Make the jelly a day ahead if you like; keep it covered in the fridge.
- Soften the ice cream on the counter so you can scoop neatly without breaking the jelly.
- Keep the strawberry pieces small, so kids can eat easily with a spoon.
Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I love to see what your creation looks like and regularly share the most beautiful photos of you! Did you like this recipe? Then leave a rating on the recipe card! Your feedback helps other home cooks and me enormously.
Need more inspiration?
- You can find video recipes on my YouTube channel.
- And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest, so you can easily find them again next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
- 6 sheets gelatin, or 4 teaspoons gelatin powder
- 1 cup strawberry syrup
- 1¼ cup water
- 3 cups strawberry ice cream
- ⅔ cup cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- 4 strawberries , fresh for garnish, quartered or halved
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water until soft.6 sheets gelatin
- Heat the strawberry syrup with the water until it almost boils.1 cup strawberry syrup, 1¼ cup water
- Turn off the heat, take the gelatin out of the water, and mix in the strawberry syrup mixture. Stir well with a whisk so no lumps are formed.
- Pour the mixture into glasses placed at an angle and chill until the jelly is firm.
- About 15 minutes before serving, take the ice cream from the freezer to soften.3 cups strawberry ice cream
- Whip the cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form.⅔ cup cream, 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- Add a scoop of strawberry ice cream on top of each jelly.
- Pipe or spoon whipped cream on top and garnish with fresh strawberries.4 strawberries
Notes
- Mixed berry version: Replace part of the strawberry syrup with another red berry syrup and use a mix of berries on top.
- Big bowl dessert: Set the jelly in one large glass bowl instead of glasses and scoop at the table.
- Fridge: Jelly alone keeps covered for up to 2 days. Once topped with ice cream and whipped cream, serve right away.
- Freezer: Not suitable once assembled; the cream and jelly will change texture.
- Serving: Keep the jelly cold. Add ice cream, cream and strawberries just before you are going to serve dessert.
Nutrition
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