Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake

Name: Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups fresh sliced strawberries; 3 tablespoons coconut sugar or organic cane sugar; ¾ cup canned coconut milk; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 6 tablespoons butter, ghee, or dairy free alternative, cubed and cold; 2 ¼ cups gluten-free all purpose baking flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour); 5 tablespoons coconut sugar or organic cane sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 large egg, whisked; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Whipped cream or coconut whipped cream

Easy gluten free strawberry shortcake made from scratch! These gluten free shortcakes are flakey, sweet, and perfectly tender. Top with strawberries and regular or coconut whipped cream! Dairy free options included.

Gluten free strawberry shortcake assembled with whipped cream and strawberries on top.

I’ve never met a cake I don’t like. I’m a fan of paleo chocolate cake, gluten free pound cake, healthy carrot cake, and of course, strawberry shortcake. While there are many different ways to make it, this gluten free strawberry shortcake recipe holds true to the traditional interpretation. Shortcake has a long and rich history in North America. In fact, the first time a recipe for shortcake with strawberries was published was in a newspaper in Ohio in 1845. We even have a Strawberry Shortcake Day in the US on June 14th!

So, what is strawberry shortcake made of? It consists of sweet and tender biscuits filled with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. The shortcake is dense and slightly crumbly, which pairs perfectly with juicy strawberries and light and fluffy cream. It’s a refreshing and fun summer dessert that’s perfect for a crowd or family gatherings.

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Why Do They Call it Strawberry Shortcake?

Despite the name, strawberry shortcake isn’t all that short. In the 16th century, the word short actually meant crisp. More specifically, it was used to describe food that was made crisp with the addition of butter or lard.

With shortcake dough, the dry ingredients are whisked, and then cold butter is “cut” into the flour. This is what makes shortcake more crumbly and biscuit like rather than springy.

Ingredient Notes

There are just a few simple ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. Here are my notes:

Bowl of ingredients including strawberries, butter, sugar, and milk.

Fresh sliced strawberries – You’ll need about 1 1/2 quarts to get 3 cups of sliced strawberries.
Coconut sugar or organic cane sugar – Coconut sugar is my preferred sweetener. You can also use cane sugar or any other granulated sugar.

Coconut milk – Make sure to use full-fat coconut milk from a can. You want thick and creamy milk.
Lemon juice – Fresh or bottled both work.
Butter or ghee – You can use butter, ghee, or other dairy-free butter alternative. Just make sure to cube it and let it sit in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes.
Gluten-free all purpose baking flour – Most all purpose flours will work, but I prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour.
Baking powder – Make sure to get aluminum free baking powder.
Sea salt – I like to use an unprocessed sea salt like Real Salt.
Whipped cream: You can use store-bought, make your own with a simple recipe, or make my coconut whipped cream.

Substitutions

Coconut sugar – You can also use cane sugar or any other granulated sugar.

Butter – You can use ghee or a butter substitute. Just make sure to cube it before chilling/freezing for 5-10 minutes.
Whipped cream: You can use store bought, make your own with a simple recipe, or make my coconut whipped cream for a dairy free option.

How to Make Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake

1. Prep: Place the strawberries and sugar in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate to let the juices release. To make coconut milk buttermilk, combine the coconut milk and lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup and let it stand in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes. Cubed your butter and place in the freezer for 10 minutes so it gets nice and chilled.

2. Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Cut the butter: In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, and sea salt. Add the cold cubed butter and cut it into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands. Continue to cut the butter into the flour until it resembles small pebbles.

How to cut the butter into the dough for the biscuits.

4. Make the dough: Pour the buttermilk, whisked egg, and vanilla extract into the flour mixture and fold everything together with a flexible spatula until evenly combined. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.

5. Bake: Using a large cookie or ice cream scoop, drop eight balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, placing them about two inches apart. Flatten the biscuits slightly with the back of a spoon and gently shape them into rounds if necessary. Brush the tops with coconut milk. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top. Let the biscuits cool.

How to form the gluten free biscuits for the shortcake.

6. Make the whipped cream: Make homemade whipped cream or coconut whipped cream.

7. Serve: Slice each shortcake biscuit in half. Layer with strawberries and a generous dollop of coconut whipped cream. Cover with shortcake top and add more whipped cream and strawberries. Enjoy!

Close up of strawberries in a shortcake.

Baking Tips

Make sure to chill your cubes of butter for 5-10 minutes in the freezer before cutting it into the flour mixture. You want the butter to be very cold so the biscuits hold their shape when baking.
If making coconut whipped cream, make sure to chill your can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge the night before.
You can use a jumbo cookie scoop or greased ¼ cup measuring cup when transferring the dough to the pan.
I like to flatten and brush the tops of the biscuits with coconut milk in one move by dipping a spoon in coconut milk and using it flatten and shape the biscuit.
Want extra juicy strawberries? Add the sugar, then remove about 1/3 of the strawberries from the bowl and and mash them to help them release juices.

Recipe FAQs

What’s the difference between shortcake vs cake?

While they are both popular sweet desserts, the difference between shortcake and cake comes down to texture. Shortcake is like a sweet and tender biscuit, while cake is typically spongy and light. Because shortcake is more crumbly in comparison to cake’s softness, it’s perfect for strawberry shortcake because it soaks up all the juices of the strawberries.

Can I make one big strawberry shortcake?

Yes! You can bake this recipe in an 8-inch round cake pan to make one large shortcake. Just grease and flour your cake pan, and cook for slightly longer than the recommended time, about 15-20 minutes, or until golden on top. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the shortcake horizontally. Place half of the strawberries on the bottom layer and cover with whipped cream. Top with the top layer and add the remaining strawberries. Top with whipped cream and serve!

Do I have to sweeten the strawberries?

You don’t have to sweeten the strawberries if you don’t want to! Adding a little bit sugar helps pull the juices out. If you want to skip the sugar, just mash up about 1/3 of the strawberries and let them sit for about 30 minutes in the fridge until the juices are released.

Can I use frozen strawberries?

You sure can! Just let them thaw in the refrigerator. If pre-sliced, just mix them with a little sugar and let them thaw for a few hours in the refrigerator. If using whole frozen strawberries, slice them after they’ve thawed. Then, mix with the sugar and let them sit in the refrigerator.

Dairy Free Shortcakes

This recipe can easily be made dairy free. For dairy free strawberry shortcakes, just make sure to use the coconut milk as prescribed, and use either ghee or a vegan butter alternative in place of the butter.

Ghee is butter with all of the milk solids removed, so it’s completely casein and lactose free. Many people (including myself) who are sensitive to dairy do great with ghee. When serving, layer with dairy free whipped cream like my coconut whipped cream recipe.

How to Serve

Plate with layers of gluten free shortcake biscuits, whipped cream, and strawberries with a fork on the side.

You can serve gluten free strawberry shortcakes with:

Homemade whipped cream or coconut whipped cream
Cool whip or whipped cream from a can
Vanilla ice cream, like Nadamoo coconut milk ice cream!

Storage and Freezing

TO STORE: Store any leftover shortcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If you have leftover strawberries, they’ll stay good for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

TO FREEZE: While best eaten the same day, you can freeze the shortcakes for long term storage. Because shortcakes are delicate, place them in a freezer-safe bag in a single layer. They’ll last in the freezer for 1-2 months. Make sure they’re stored on top of other items in the freezer so they don’t get crushed.

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