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Easy Strawberry Fool Recipe (No Cooking Required)

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Few would argue there’s a better way to savor the juiciness of in-season strawberries than with this British favorite, courtesy of my easy strawberry fool recipe.

This chilled, sweet, and creamy delight can be made in no time at all, and absolutely no cooking is required. It’s a simple, stylish dish to enjoy in the warmth of the summer sun with friends and family.

Strawberry fool in a dessert glass

Strawberry Fool Recipe

Strawberry fool in a dessert glass

What is a Fruit Fool?

Coming from the French verb “foulder,” meaning “to crush,” fruit fools have been made in England since the 15th century.

Typically, the dish involves stewing fruit with sugar, mashing the mixture, and passing it through a sieve before letting it cool and, finally, folding it in custard.

Variations

Original recipes were made with gooseberries, but today, fruit fools are made with a range of sweet fruits and berries, including raspberries, blackberries, and apples, among many others. Modern recipes also typically use whipped cream instead of custard.

While some fruit fools do require cooking, such as with apples or rhubarb, where they are stewed to soften, many of the modern recipes no longer cook the fruits unless necessary for the texture.

Today, no cooking is required because we are using fresh summer strawberries. Oh, and if you fancy making another type of fool, I also have a sweet, tart, and creamy raspberry fool recipe for you to try as well.

Ingredients

So, to get started with my strawberry fool recipe, you’ll first need to assemble the following ingredients (to make about 4 servings):

Strawberry fool ingredients on a board
  • Strawberries – 8.8 oz or 250 g fresh strawberries (about 2 cups)
  • Sugar – 1/4 cup granulated sugar (or more, to taste)
  • Lemon Juice – 1 tsp lemon juice
  • Vanilla – 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
  • Cream – 1 cup heavy whipping cream/double cream
  • Shortbread Cookies/Fingers – 4 shortbread fingers/cookies or any crumbly cookie (optional, for texture)

Ingredient Notes

Sugar – The amount of sugar you use depends on how sweet your strawberries are and how sweet you prefer your desserts. If you prefer sweeter desserts, use 1/3 cup of sugar instead of 1/4 cup.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Remove the stems from the strawberries and then chop them.

Chopped strawberries

Step 2 – Add the chopped strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and mash with a potato masher. Set it aside (covered) in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Strawberries, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice in a bowl
Mashing the strawberries

Step 3 – To a cold bowl, add the cold heavy cream (or double cream), and whip either with a hand mixer or a whisk until you get soft peaks.

Whipping the heavy cream
Whipped cream

Step 4 – Fold the mashed strawberries and the cream together gently, leaving swirls (not mixing until well combined).

Mixing the strawberries with the whipped cream
Strawberry fool in a bowl

Step 5 – Serve either in a large bowl or in individual dessert glasses or cups with chopped fresh strawberries on top and, optionally, shortbread fingers or cookies.

Strawberry fool in a dessert glass

I used Scottish shortbread fingers as that’s what we had on hand, but any crumbly cookie will do to give the dessert a bit of texture.

Strawberry fool in a dessert glass

Strawberries and cream together is the epitome of the British summer, so to see these ingredients come together in such a simple yet indulgent way is a beautiful thing in its own right.

But let’s be honest, you can enjoy this simple, sweet treat at any time of year. Let me know in the comments what you thought of this dessert and whether you tried making it with other types of fruit.

Strawberry fools in dessert glasses

Recipe Card

Strawberry Fool

5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Author: Nomad Paradise
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: British
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 8.8 oz or 250 g fresh strawberries about 2 cups
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar or more, to taste
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream/double cream
  • 4 shortbread fingers/cookies or any crumbly cookie optional, for texture

Instructions

  • Remove the stems from the strawberries and then chop them.
  • Add the chopped strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and mash with a potato masher. Set it aside (covered) in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
  • To a cold bowl, add the cold heavy cream (or double cream), and whip either with a hand mixer or a whisk until you get soft peaks.
  • Fold the mashed strawberries and the cream together gently, leaving swirls (not mixing until well combined).
  • Serve either in a large bowl or in individual dessert glasses or cups with chopped fresh strawberries on top and, optionally, shortbread fingers or cookies. I used Scottish shortbread fingers as that’s what we had on hand, but any crumbly cookie will do to give the dessert a bit of texture.

Recipe Notes

Note 1 – Sugar: The amount of sugar you use depends on how sweet your strawberries are and how sweet you prefer your desserts. If you prefer sweeter desserts, use 1/3 cup of sugar instead of 1/4 cup.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nomadparadisefood or tag #nomadparadisefood!

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Save and Pin for Later

Looking for a sweet, easy summer dessert recipe to make for your guests? Keep my strawberry fool recipe for safekeeping by saving it to one of your Pinterest boards.

Strawberry fool in a dessert glass

Authors

  • Doina Johnson is a recipe developer and writer. Doina has been cooking for most of her life, and her style draws from many different influences. She cooked with her mother and grandma growing up in Eastern Europe, before adding modern, western influences to her style when living in the United States for about a decade. Then, she traveled full-time for several years, trying food in Europe, Asia, and South America, and bringing those influences into her own cooking. She strives to introduce passionate homecooks to world cuisine, generally by trying the food herself abroad and then recreating it at home and, at times, enlisting the help of local foodies and chefs.

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  • Hey there! We are Dale and Doina, the founders of Nomad Paradise. We traveled full-time for over three years, and while we now have a home base in the U.K., continue to take trips abroad to visit new places and try new cuisines and foods. Our food guides are curated with the guidance of local foodies, and their contribution is indicated under each article. We also cook the foods we try abroad, and you can discover how to make them in our 'recipes from around the world' category.

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