Creamy, fruity and utterly delicious, strawberry semifreddo is made with fresh, ripe strawberries and finished with a simple strawberry sauce. This easy Italian summer dessert is packed with bright flavour and is wonderfully cool and refreshing—perfect for warm weather when strawberries are at their best.
If you want a simple, impressive summer dessert to make when strawberries are at their peak, this semifreddo is a fantastic choice.
Strawberry season is one of my favourites: when berries are fully ripe they bring natural sweetness and vibrant colour that make desserts sing.
Semifreddo literally means “half cold” in Italian. It’s similar to ice cream but has a lighter, mousse-like texture that’s airy yet rich. This recipe is intentionally straightforward—made with just five main ingredients—so the strawberry flavour remains the star.
A neat benefit of this version is that you don’t need to make a separate sauce for serving. Reserve a small portion of the cooked strawberries before blending them into the base and use that as a bright topping when serving.
Ingredient notes
- Fresh strawberries: choose ripe, sweet berries. Their quality strongly influences the final flavour.
- Heavy cream (double cream in the UK): full-fat cream gives the best structure and richness—avoid low-fat varieties.
- Lemon juice: a little lemon brightens the fruit and balances the sweetness.
- Sugar: caster sugar works well for even dissolution; granulated sugar is fine too.
Recipe tips
Keep the cream cold – chill the cream in the refrigerator until you are ready to whip it so it reaches stiff peaks cleanly.
Whipping the eggs and sugar – whipping egg yolks with sugar until pale and thick can be time consuming by hand. Gently heating the yolks in a double boiler (to pasteurise) and then finishing with an electric whisk speeds this step and gives a stable, airy base.
Cool the strawberry mixture completely – the cooked strawberries must be cold before folding with the cream. To speed this up, refrigerate or briefly freeze the strawberry mix until chilled.
Chop the strawberries small – smaller pieces break down faster when cooked, producing a smooth, fragrant sauce more quickly.
No problem—this still makes an excellent semifreddo. The flavour will remain delicious and you can serve it as-is or make an extra quick sauce to spoon over slices if you prefer a visible topping.
Yes. Use the same weight of frozen strawberries and cook them straight from frozen; they will simply take a little longer to break down into a sauce.
More Italian summer desserts to try
Italian Desserts
Stracciatella Gelato (No Churn)
Italian Desserts
Chocolate Semifreddo Recipe
Italian Desserts
Italian Ice Cream Sandwiches (Gelato Biscotto)
Italian Desserts
Paciugo (Ligurian Ice Cream Sundae)
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Strawberry Semifreddo with Strawberry Sauce
By Emily
Equipment
- 1 loaf pan (see notes about sizes)
- Plastic wrap (cling film)
- Electric whisk
- Hand whisk
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs (675g) fresh strawberries
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar (separate into 100g (½ cup) and 50g (¼ cup))
- 2 cups (450g) heavy cream (double cream in the UK)
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
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Wash and chop the strawberries into small pieces. Place them in a large saucepan with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the strawberries break down and the sauce thickens, about 12–13 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool. Reserve about 1/3 cup of the sauce for serving and refrigerate it once cool.
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Whisk 1/4 cup (50g) sugar with the 3 egg yolks over a pot of hot water (a double boiler) until pale and thick. Use a hand whisk on the double boiler for about 5 minutes, then finish with an electric whisk to achieve a light, airy texture.
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Remove the yolk mixture from the heat and stir in the cooled strawberry sauce. Allow the combined mixture to cool for 10 minutes, then chill in the freezer for 20–30 minutes until completely cold.
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Whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks, being careful not to overwhip. Gently fold one third of the whipped cream into the chilled strawberry-egg base to loosen it, then fold in the remaining cream in two additions. If large lumps of cream remain, use a hand whisk to smooth the mixture.
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Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, pour in the semifreddo mixture, and cover the top with plastic. Freeze for at least 5–6 hours until firm. Remove from the freezer about 15 minutes before serving to allow slightly easier slicing. Serve slices topped with the reserved strawberry sauce.
Notes
- Loaf pan sizes – this recipe works well in a 10×5 inch or 9×4.5 inch loaf pan. For wider slices choose the smaller pan.
- Storage – store the semifreddo in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. Wrap tightly to avoid freezer burn.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- Use extra virgin olive oil in recipes unless otherwise stated.
- All vegetables are assumed to be medium unless specified.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven unless noted otherwise.
- Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 20 g
| Protein: 2 g
| Fat: 16 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.