Very Strawberry Recipe

This Very Strawberry recipe brings together creamy homemade strawberry ice cream and crispy strawberry chips for a bright, nostalgic dessert that celebrates strawberries in two delicious textures. Featured on Bring on the Karbs, this recipe from Erika and Josh Karbelnik combines fresh strawberries, cream, egg yolks, sugar, and dehydrated fruit for a playful frozen treat that is perfect for strawberry lovers.

The Inspiration

Strawberry desserts often carry a strong sense of nostalgia. They can remind people of childhood summers, strawberry milk, ice cream shops, lunchbox snacks, berry picking, birthday parties, and simple bowls of fruit sprinkled with sugar. This Very Strawberry recipe from Bring on the Karbs leans into that memory-filled feeling by turning strawberries into both a creamy frozen dessert and a crisp garnish. The result is a dessert that feels familiar and joyful, but still has enough technique and texture to feel special.

As with all recipes featured in this episode of Bring on the Karbs, this Very Strawberry recipe was improvised by Erika and Josh Karbelnik, and the version below is an approximation of what unfolded during the episode. The spirit of the dish is experimentation, playfulness, and celebrating a single ingredient with enthusiasm. Individual results may vary depending on the sweetness and moisture of the strawberries, the strength of the dehydrator, and the ice cream maker used, but the final goal is clear: a bright, creamy, crunchy strawberry dessert that feels like a childhood memory made fresh.

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Chips

10 oz strawberries
1 tbsp sugar

For the Strawberry Ice Cream

1/2 cup heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1 pint strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
Red food coloring

Method

Make the Strawberry Chips

Slice strawberries and place in a bowl. Add sugar and mix.
Set dehydrator to 135 F(57 C). Place spaced apart on a tray and dehydrate for 16 hours, or until crispy.

Make the Strawberry Ice Cream

Add strawberries to a pot over medium heat along with ¼ cup sugar. Cook down and reduce by half.
In a bowl, whisk egg yolk and sugar.
Heat cream in a pot until it is just about to boil – do not let the cream reach a boil. Slowly pour pour cream into the eggs while whisking so that the eggs do not curdle.
Blend strawberries and strain into the mixture. Add 1drop of red food coloring.
Cool then place in ice cream maker and churn until ready.

Plate the Very Strawberry

Scoop ice cream into a bowl. Crumble over strawberry chips and serve.

Serving Suggestions

This dessert pairs beautifully with buttery shortbread cookies, vanilla pound cake, angel food cake, chocolate brownies, meringues, or a simple sugar cookie on the side. For a more dramatic presentation, serve the ice cream in small glass bowls with extra fresh strawberry slices, a drizzle of strawberry reduction, or a few whole strawberry chips standing upright like delicate crisps.

Because the ice cream is creamy and fruit-forward, it also works well beside bright drinks such as sparkling water with lemon, iced tea, strawberry lemonade, vanilla milkshakes, or coffee. If serving at a casual party, set out the ice cream with bowls of strawberry chips, cookie crumbles, chopped dark chocolate, and fresh berries so guests can build their own strawberry dessert bowls. The flavour is sweet, creamy, and nostalgic, making it especially appealing after a comfort-food meal or as the final treat in a strawberry-themed dessert spread.

Final Thoughts

This Very Strawberry recipe is a celebration of strawberries in their creamy, crisp, sweet, and concentrated forms. By pairing homemade strawberry ice cream with dehydrated strawberry chips, the dessert highlights the same ingredient in two completely different textures. The ice cream is smooth, rich, and cold, while the chips are light, crisp, and intensely fruity. Together, they create a dessert that feels simple at first glance but becomes more exciting with every spoonful.

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