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Creamy, fruity and delicious strawberry semifreddo made with fresh, ripe strawberries and topped with a simple strawberry sauce. This easy Italian summer dessert is bursting with flavour and is super cool and refreshing.
If you are looking for an easy summer dessert to make when strawberries are at their very best, then this is it!
Strawberry season is one of my favourites, and there’s nothing better than ripe, sweet strawberries at the height of summer.
This strawberry semifreddo is the perfect way to make the most of them. It’s a classic Italian dessert which literally translates as ‘half cold’. It’s similar to ice cream but has a lighter mousse-like texture.
This version is really simple and is made with just five ingredients, so the strawberry flavour really shines through.
Another thing I love about this dessert is that you don’t have to make a separate sauce for serving. Simply reserve some of the strawberry sauce before mixing the rest through the eggs and cream; it really couldn’t be easier.
Ingredient notes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It- Fresh strawberries: use fresh, ripe strawberries. The quality of the strawberries will really make a difference to the overall flavour of the semifreddo.
- Heavy cream (also known as double cream in the UK): heavy whipping cream will also work well. Just don’t use low-fat cream.
- Lemon juice: this really helps cut through the sweetness of the sugar and strawberries, so don’t skip it.
- Sugar: I used fine caster sugar, but you can use granulated sugar instead.
Recipe tips
Keep the cream cold – keep the cream in the fridge until you are ready to whip it so it stays cold.
Whipping the eggs and sugar – it can take a long time to whip the eggs and sugar until thick and pale by hand. I gently heat the egg yolks in a double boiler to pasteurise them, then remove them from the heat and switch to an electric whisk to whip the eggs quickly.
Cool everything right down – The strawberry mix must be completely cold before mixing it with the cream. I pop my strawberry mix in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to cool down quickly.
Chop the strawberries into small pieces – the strawberries break down into a sauce relatively quickly if they are chopped into small pieces.
There’s a reason why I’m adding this section. I’ve made this semifreddo so many times and once forgot to separate the sauce. Don’t worry if this happens; it’s still absolutely delicious and works just as well. You can serve it without sauce or make extra if you prefer.
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries instead of fresh. Make sure you use the same weight, then cook the strawberries straight from frozen; they’ll just take a little longer to break down.
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)
If you’ve tried this Strawberry Semifreddo recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest or sign up to our Newsletter to see more of our delicious food.
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Strawberry Semifreddo with strawberry sauce
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 the sugar into 100g (½ cup) and 50g (¼ cup)
- 2 cups (450g) heavy cream, (double cream UK)
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash and chop the strawberries into small pieces and add them to a large saucepan with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar (photos 1 and 2).
- Bring to a boil and then simmer until the strawberries have broken down and thickened (about 12-13 minutes). Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool. Remove 1/3 cup of strawberry sauce and set aside for serving (refrigerate it once cool) (photos 3 and 4).
- Whisk the 1/4 cup (50g) sugar and 3 egg yolks in a bowl over a pot of hot water until pale and thick. I use a hand whisk over the double boiler for about 5 minutes to temper them, then remove from the heat and use an electric whisk to whip until pale and thick (photos 5 and 6).
- Remove from the heat and add the strawberry sauce to the egg mixture. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes, then transfer it to the freezer for 20-30 minutes until completely cold (photos 7 and 8).
- Once cold, whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks; be careful not to overwhip. Fold the cream 1/3 at a time through the cold strawberry mixture. If you notice lots of lumps of cream, use a hand whisk to gently whisk the mixture (photos 9 and 10).
- Pour the mixture into a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap, making sure the top is also covered. Let it set for at least 5-6 hours. Remove from the freezer around 15 minutes before serving. Cut it into slices and serve with the remaining strawberry sauce (photos 11 and 12).
Notes
- Loaf pan sizes – I’ve tested this in two loaf pan sizes: 10×5 inches and 9×4.5 inches. Both work well. If you want wide slices of semifreddo, go with the smaller size.
- Storage – the semifreddo will keep well in the freezer for up to 1-2 months.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
