With fluffy homemade biscuits, coconut whipped cream and fresh strawberries, this vegan strawberry shortcake is the ultimate summer dessert!
Strawberry shortcake has always been my perfect summer dessert, ranking right up there with Black Raspberry Ice Cream and Peach Crisp. It's not too sweet, it's got all the different textures, and it is one of those things that I only eat during the summer—which makes it even more special. It took me quite a while to get this gluten-free and vegan strawberry shortcake recipe down, but it was well worth the wait. The whole thing is absolutely perfect!
Why This Strawberry Shortcake Is the Perfect Vegan Dessert
We've got a layer of fluffy homemade gluten-free biscuits topped with fresh strawberries and whipped coconut cream. It's absolutely delicious and hands down the best vegan strawberry shortcake I've ever tasted!
- Tested and perfected. Since the biscuits are the most important part, I really had to test them. I mean really test. I went through 7 iterations before I landed on these. They’re a blend of everything you want in a biscuit for strawberry shortcake: buttery, soft, not too dry, but not too moist, and a crumb that soaks up the berries and cream.
- Big strawberry flavor. I went a teeny bit rogue with this one by adding a layer of strawberry jam along with the fresh chopped strawberries. The jam is optional, but it adds a really nice extra strawberry boost!
- Fluffy whipped cream. I used my coconut whipped cream, which is an absolute DELIGHT and so easy to whip up. I think it tastes so much better than store-bought vegan whipped cream!
What You’ll Need
Here are some notes on the ingredients you’ll need for this vegan strawberry shortcake recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
Gluten-free biscuits:
- Quinoa flour – A gluten-free flour that adds a slightly nutty flavor.
- Arrowroot starch – Helps bind the dough and creates a tender texture.
- Almond flour – Adds moisture and a rich, nutty flavor.
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
- Vegan butter sticks – Preferably frozen, to help form flaky layers.
- Almond milk – Or your milk of choice.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Flax egg – Here’s how to make a flax egg.
Strawberries:
- Strawberries – I chopped them, but you can slice them if you prefer!
- Granulated sugar
Coconut whipped cream:
- Coconut cream – Chilled for at least 3 hours.
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla extract – Almond extract can be used for a different twist.
For serving (optional):
- Strawberry preserves/jam
How to Make Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
The biscuits take the most time, but they’re also quite simple to make. Here’s what you’ll need to do and how you’ll put it all together to make strawberry shortcake!
- Start the dough. Cut the butter into your dry ingredients. I like to use a pastry cutter to get the butter into little pieces. You're looking for them to be about the size of a pea.
- Finish the dough. Add your liquid ingredients and fold it together. The dough is going to be sticky, but that's what you want.
- Portion the dough. Use a large cookie or ice cream scoop to form the biscuits and drop them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with almond milk and sprinkle with sugar, if you’d like.
- Bake. Place the pan in a 450ºF oven and bake until golden brown. Cool completely.
- Macerate the strawberries. If you’re adding sugar to the strawberries, place the berries in a bowl and stir them with the sugar.
- Make the whipped cream. Beat together the coconut cream, vanilla, and syrup until fluffy.
- Assemble. Cut the biscuits in half and spread them with strawberry jam if you’re using it. Add the berries, whipped cream, and the other biscuit half.
Tips for Success
Here are some helpful tips to ensure your vegan strawberry shortcake turns out perfectly every time!
- Don’t forget to refrigerate the coconut milk. When chilled, the cream will separate from the liquid and you can easily scoop it out to make your whipped cream.
- Use cold ingredients. Cold vegan butter and almond milk help create flaky layers in the biscuits, so try to keep these ingredients chilled until ready to use.
- Let the biscuits cool completely before assembling. Otherwise, they’ll melt the whipped coconut cream!
Variations
If you're feeling this with some other type of fruit, it would be delicious with peaches, stewed blueberries, even sautéed apples. Or use a combination of summer berries, adding raspberries and blackberries to the mix.
How to Store Leftovers
Store the biscuits at room temperature and the whipped cream and strawberries in separate airtight containers in the fridge. The biscuits will keep for up to 2 days, but are best eaten fresh. The whipped cream will last for about 3-4 days in the fridge, and the strawberries should be eaten within 1-2 days.
More Ways to Use Strawberries
Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
for the gluten-free biscuits:
- 1 1/4 cup quinoa flour
- 3/4 cup arrowroot starch
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar (I like raw cane in this recipe)
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter sticks (preferably frozen)
- 3/4 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 flax egg
for the strawberries:
- 2 cups chopped strawberries (about 1 pound)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (any type, optional)
for the coconut whipped cream:
- 1 cup coconut cream , chilled (preferably 3+ hours)
- 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
for serving (optional):
- strawberry preserves/jam
Instructions
- If you haven't yet, start by popping your coconut cream in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk together the almond milk and vinegar. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for your biscuits. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or forks, until the butter is in small pieces no larger than the size of a pea.
- Pour in the almond milk and flax egg. Stir together with a rubber spatula until combined. The dough will be scoopable.
- Using a large cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the baking sheet. You should get 8 equal-sized biscuits from the dough.
- If desired, brush with a touch of almond milk and sprinkle on a bit of sugar. Totally optional, but helps with browning!
- Bake on the center rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely until serving.
- For the strawberries: place them into a bowl and sprinkle with sugar (if using). Stir together.
- For the coconut whipped cream: beat together the chilled coconut cream, vanilla, and syrup until fluffy.
- To assemble: cut a biscuit in half with a serrated knife. If using, place a layer of strawberry jam on the bottom. Top with 1/4 cup of strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream and top with the other half of the biscuit.
- Enjoy!!
Video
Notes
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