Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
What’s not to love about gluten-free strawberry shortcake? Sweet biscuits topped with juicy strawberries, and dolloped with fresh sweetened chantilly cream surely is something everyone will love this summer! It’s truly a classic dessert, made gluten-free!
Made from simple ingredients there are three components that make up classic shortcakes and this gluten-free strawberry shortcake recipe is no different.
gluten-free biscuits
You’ll see two different types of shortcake used in strawberry shortcake: either a cake or pound cake OR a biscuit. I personally prefer the biscuit variety.
To make this gluten-free shortcakes recipe simpler, I use my favorite gluten-free cream biscuits in this recipe. Cream biscuits have no butter, but are instead made using heavy whipping cream!
My gluten-free cream biscuits are a sweeter biscuit and one of my favorites for this recipe since they soak up the juices from the strawberries so easily. They’re very simple to whip together – we don’t cut in any butter, so no grater, pastry blender or pastry cutter needed. Just toss all the biscuit ingredients together in a bowl and mix with a fork.
macerated strawberries
The star of this easy dessert is the macerated strawberries. It’s so simple, too. Just toss the strawberries in a bowl with granulated sugar and lemon juice and let them do their magic.
The natural juices from the strawberries will release and create a sweet syrup perfect for drizzling over your homemade strawberry shortcake. Truly these sweet strawberries are the best way to celebrate strawberry season! If you haven’t macerated strawberries before, check out my recipe for macerating strawberries for more tricks and tips!
whipped cream
You can’t have classic strawberry shortcake without the whipped cream! A simply sweetened whipped cream flavored with vanilla extract is the perfect topping for this dessert. If you haven’t made homemade whipped cream before, you’re in for a treat.
Store-bought whipped cream or cool whip do not even compare! Trust me, you’ll be making homemade whipped cream from now on. Plus it only requires a few simple ingredients to make! There’s no excuse not to make your own honestly!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- gluten-free flour blend – I’ve tested with this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag) which already contains xanthan gum. This flour is meant to be a 1-for-1 swap with all-purpose flour. I have only tested this recipe with this flour and cannot guarantee the recipe will work out if you try another flour.
- xanthan gum – Xanthan gum is a common ingredient in gluten-free baking that acts as a binder and provides elasticity for gluten-free baked goods. The gluten-free flour blend I used already contains xanthan gum. If you do use another gluten-free flour blend that does not contain xanthan gum, you will want to add the amount specified in the notes section of the recipe card. Without xanthan gum, your gluten-free baked goods will crumble.
- strawberries – Use the best strawberries that you can find, because you will certainly taste them in this recipe. I like to cut my strawberries in about 4 chunky slices, but you can also quarter them if you prefer. Thicker slices work out better for this recipe so that you can get a substantial bite of strawberry with each bite of your biscuit. Use 1 lb (or 450g) of strawberries to get approximately 4 cups of sliced strawberries. Slice off the green stems before macerating the strawberries in the granulated sugar and lemon juice.
- lemon juice – While you do not technically need lemon juice to macerate strawberries, I love the little tang and citrus kick that the lemon juice gives the strawberries. Just one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice is enough. If you’d like, you can also add some lemon zest in with the macerated strawberries or in with the gluten-free biscuits.
Step-by-Step instructions
Follow these photos with matching instructions to help you make these easy gluten-free strawberry shortcakes perfectly every time. For ingredient measurements, more detailed instructions, tips, tricks and a printable recipe, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Expert Tips
- Do not assemble all of the strawberry shortcakes, just the ones you plan on eating right away. Assembled strawberry shortcakes do not keep well.
- You can make ahead the macerated strawberries, up to 2 days in advance. Let them macerate and leave covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- You can make the biscuits ahead of time and freeze them until ready to eat. Just warm them in the oven.
- You can freeze biscuit dough and bake from frozen. After cutting out the dough, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and flash freeze for an hour. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze up to 3 months. You will need to add a few minutes of baking time to the biscuits to bake from frozen.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, I much prefer to use fresh ripe strawberries for strawberry shortcake instead of frozen strawberries. However, if you only have frozen strawberries, you can use them. Let them thaw completely and then drain them before proceeding with the recipe for macerating the strawberries.
Strawberry shortcake is best served fresh and right after assembly. However, if you have leftovers you can store the unassembled parts in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Just reheat the shortcake and then top with the whipped cream and macerated strawberries. The whipped cream will lose some of its texture in the refrigerator quickly but will still taste good.
Related Recipes
- Chocolate Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream
- Strawberry Coulis
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know! Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also share your pictures and tag @adashofmegnut on Instagram.
Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
For the macerated strawberries
- 4 cups fresh strawberries (hulled and sliced or quartered (450g from 1 lb of strawberries))
- 1/3 cup sugar (67g)
- 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (15g)
For the cream biscuits:
- 1 3/4 cups gluten-free flour blend (250g, I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour which already contains xanthan gum)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream, plus more for topping (227g)
- 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar (4g)
For homemade whipped cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream (227g)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the macerated strawberries:
- Add the strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight in the refrigerator) to let the strawberries release their natural juices and get juicy.
For the biscuits:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (218 degrees Celcius). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix together with a fork.
- Mix together the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Slowly add heavy cream mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing together with a fork. The dough should be scraggly with some dry spots.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough a few times just until it comes together, it should still be quite scraggly. Pat the dough or roll it out so that it is about ¾ inch thick. Cut into 8 circles using a biscuit cutter that is about 2.5-inches wide. You can also pat the dough into a rectangle and just cut the dough into squares if you prefer.
- Place the dough rounds onto the parchment lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Bake at 425F for 16-18 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly browned. Do not over bake as the biscuits will get gritty and hard.
- Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing down the center with a serrated knife.
For the whipped cream:
- In a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes, until soft peaks form.
To assemble:
- Place a biscuit half on a plate. Spoon macerated strawberries and juices over the biscuit. Top with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Top with remaining biscuit half and garnish with more whipped cream and one strawberry slice. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag) which already contains xanthan gum. If your blend does not already contain xanthan gum, you will need to add ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum to the recipe. I cannot guarantee that other brands of gluten-free flour will work in this recipe, as I have only tested it with Bob’s Red Mill.
- Make the whipped cream just before serving as it will begin to lose it’s silky texture.
- Make sure that the bowl and electric mixer whisk are both very cold before making the whipped cream to help it get very fluffy.
- Let the strawberries macerate for a minimum of 1 hour to let the juices from the strawberries release. You can do this overnight as well. I leave mine out at room temperature for an hour, but if I’m going to do macerate for longer, I’ll cover the bowl and refrigerate it until I’m ready to use.
Nutrition
I’m Megan
A gluten-free food blogger from Chicago and lover of all things food, showing you gluten-free can be easy and delicious, too. Let’s make gluten-free stress free together! Read more…
