I Tried Strawberries Arnaud, the 1920s Dessert That's Still a New Orleans Gem

Published on June 7, 2025

Strawberries Arnaud is a classic Southern dessert first created by Arnaud’s, a historic restaurant located in New Orleans' French Quarter. The dish is made with sliced strawberries, a port wine sauce, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream. The dessert has been on the menu for decades but gained popularity when the restaurant offered a luxury version (complete with a 10-carat diamond engagement ring) for nearly $10 million. Now is the time for strawberry desserts, so I put the historic recipe to the test. Here's what we thought.

How to Make Strawberries Arnaud

Arnaud's Restaurant shared their signature recipe, and it only takes a handful of ingredients and steps to pull it together at home.

1. Start by prepping the wine sauce for your strawberries. Combine port and red wine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in sliced oranges and limes, a cinnamon stick, and sugar. Return to a boil and let cool completely. Refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the dessert.
2. To assemble, place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a dish. Cover the ice cream with sliced strawberries and drizzle on a generous amount of the wine sauce. Top with homemade whipped cream and a sprig of fresh mint.

Tips for Making Strawberries Arnaud

Strawberries Arnaud is a great dish for parties because every component can be made in advance. Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind when you try the recipe for yourself.

• Choose a port and red wine that you would drink. There aren't many components to the sauce, so the flavor of the wine really comes through. It's important to choose the type you like best.
• We found that we had leftover sauce, even with generous pours over the 6 servings. The extra sauce would be delicious drizzled over other berries, like raspberries, or topped with club soda for a refreshing cocktail.
• The classic recipe calls for vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. For more fruit flavor, try swapping in strawberry ice cream or mango or raspberry sorbet.
• Everyone who tried this recipe loved the balance of the creamy ice cream, juicy strawberries, and slightly bitter wine sauce. If you want a bit more sweetness, try macerating the sliced strawberries in a couple of spoonfuls of sugar before assembling the dessert.
  

The Verdict on Strawberries Arnaud

If you love strawberry shortcake or Strawberry Romanoff, this is the next dessert you need to try. The red wine sauce adds a layer of flavor that takes strawberries and vanilla ice cream to the next level. It feels like an elevated take on classic flavor combinations we know and love. When berries are at their best, it doesn't get much better.