15 things you never knew you could do with strawberries

15 things you didn't know you could make with strawberries

Strawberry sandwiches

The recent launch of the Marks & Spencer limited-edition strawberries and cream sandwich has been everywhere on our social media, inspiring even sweet sandwich sceptics to try it out. Strawberry sandos are easy to make at home, inspired by Japanese sweet sandwiches and using just five ingredients. They're an easy picnic dessert or after-school treat. Fluffy white bread, sweetened whipped cream and juicy strawberries may sound an unusual combination at first, but give it a try to see if you can be convinced too...

Strawberry and elderflower tiramisu

No coffee? No problem! A tiramisu makes a great prep-ahead dessert for summer and we've given it a fruity twist with strawberry and elderflower. It's essentially the classic 'strawberries and cream' but elevated to new heights with a fluffy mascarpone cream and green tea-soaked sponge fingers. Layer into cups for individual portions or make one giant one in a baking dish, perfect for sharing.

For more twists on tiramisu, check out our recipes for blackberry tiramisu, tropical tiramisu or an indulgent pistachio tiramisu.

Strawberry, feta and thyme tart

Cheese might not be the first flavour combination you think of when looking for something to pair with strawberries. However, this quirky strawberry, feta and thyme tart perfectly balances sweet and savoury notes for an elegant summer lunch. The pairing of buttery puff pastry, salty tangy cheese and the juicy roasted berries are a winning combination that is sure to get your lunch guests talking. Serve with a crisp green salad and perhaps a glass of rosé...

Strawberry gin

Have you tried making your own booze? Capture the taste of summer by transforming a punnet of strawberries into a bottle of homemade strawberry gin. Leave the strawberries, gin and caster sugar to macerate for a few weeks in the fridge, then strain - et voila! Your fruity gin is ready to use in cocktails or the prettiest G&T. It also makes a great gift for the gin lover in your life, if you can bear to part with it...

Strawberry tarte tatin

This is the easiest three-ingredient summer dessert – a great staple recipe for entertaining to add to your repertoire that takes just 10 minutes to prep. The traditional apples of a classic tarte tatin are replaced with juicy strawberries. The cooking process means it's also great for using strawberries that are less sweet or ripe than you'd like, as the berries will soften and caramelise during cooking, releasing their juices. A scoop of ice cream to top is essential!

Strawberry, tomato and watercress salad with honey and pink pepper dressing

Strawbs don't have to be saved just for dessert. This healthy and fresh salad uses peppery watercress to cut through the sweetness of strawberries – a new twist on a tomato salad that makes a quick lunch ready in just 15 minutes. Strawberries are also used in the dressing, getting smashed together with fiery pink peppercorns to get a balance of sweet, salt and spice in every bite.

Strawberry and chocolate focaccia

Baking with strawberries doesn't just mean crumbles and cakes. We've added strawberries and dark chocolate to a chewy focaccia dough to make a sweet loaf. Because who says focaccia has to be savoury? This makes a great summer brunch or part of a sharing picnic lunch.

For more sweet bread ideas, check out our recipes for peshwari naan (with a nutty creamed coconut filling) or our next level chocolate babka.

Avocado & strawberry ices

Strawberry ice cream is a summer staple, but here we've given it a dairy-free twist to make a vegan summer scoop that everyone can enjoy. Avocado replaces the dairy for an easy ice cream recipe that blitzes together in an instant. Maple syrup, vanilla and the natural sweetness from the berries ensure this is still sweet with no added sugar, for a healthy way to cool down.

Strawberry lemonade cake

Want something different to a classic Victoria sponge? For a summer showstopper, this strawberry lemonade cake is great for entertaining and summer birthdays. Channelling the flavours of a tangy strawberry lemonade, every element comes together easily to make an impressive final result: fluffy lemon sponges, strawberry cream cheese icing with juicy fresh berries too, plus chewy candied peel for decorating. Finish with a flourish of popping candy (to recreate that signature lemonade fizz) and a heap of more fresh berries.

Strawberry labneh

Labneh is a thick, strained Greek yogurt often used in savoury dishes – see our roasted carrots with spiced labneh or asparagus and labneh flatbreads with almond dukkah. However, we've given it a sweet spin for this easy strawberry labneh summer dessert. Swirl sweet strawberry purée through the rich and creamy labneh, top with pistachios for some crunch and serve with buttery biscuits alongside.

Strawberry cream tea cake

It's time to supersize your scones. The simplest way to feed a crowd for afternoon tea, this giant cream tea cake means no more cutting and rolling lots of individual bites. Instead, the whole scone gets baked in a sandwich tin, ready to be generously topped with mounds of clotted cream and strawberries – just slice to serve. The berries are also tossed in some jam for extra sticky sweetness.

Eton mess freak shake

You may be familiar with strawberry milkshakes – but have you tried a freak shake? A freak shake is essentially a completely OTT milkshake, loaded up with extravagant toppings. They're a fun school holidays project or Friday night treat. Here, we've taken the flavours of Eton mess to inspire the freak shake toppings: think meringue, strawberries and plenty of squirty cream. We've added Lucky Charms cereal for some crunch – but the joy of a freak shake is getting creative with your own favourite flavours, so experiment with what you have in the cupboards.

Strawberry rice brûlée

Two classic puds combine in this rice pudding and creme brûlée mash up. As an easy hack, we've used ready-made fresh rice pudding from the chiller cabinet which makes this recipe just four ingredients, but you could also make your own rice pudding from scratch if preferred. With a base of juicy strawberries soaked in orange liqueur (you could also use amaretto or strawberry liqueur to switch up the flavours) and a crunchy caramelised sugar topping, it's a comforting new strawberry dessert you'll want to make again and again.

Strawberry green goddess smoothie

Make the most of strawberry season by enjoying them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Green goddess may be better known as a salad dressing but we've taken that inspiration to turn it into a breakfast smoothie. Using just five ingredients – avocado, spinach, yogurt, oranges and the all important berries – this makes a healthy breakfast that gives a dose of calcium, vitamin C, folate and fibre.

Strawberry jelly summer pudding

Summer pudding and jelly are both classic retro desserts and here we've combined them into something new with this smart terrine. Instead of plain bread found in a classic summer pud, chef Tommy Banks has used brioche to make a richer dessert and layering everything in a loaf tin makes it easy to slice up and serve.