A scrumptious summer dessert! Buttery, gluten-free biscuits layered with juicy strawberries and homemade fresh whipped cream... the combination is divine!
Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
Easy recipe for gluten-free Strawberry Shortcakes!
So when a friend asked if I’d make Strawberry Shortcake for her birthday, it seemed like an obvious yes and great gluten-free recipe to add to the website!
Having never made a shortcake before, I scoured the internet and found two recipes — one from Sally’s Baking Addiction and one from the NY Times that both looked like they’d work with gluten-free flour with some adaptations, and ended up with a mix of the two plus one additional change… I needed to add an egg which doesn’t seem to be traditional in a shortcake but I found necessary in order to get some rise and not have it be too dense using gluten-free flour.
So after many iterations of recipe testing (some recipes come easily and quickly, others seem to take more time), finally sharing a Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake I hope you will love too!
How to make Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
This gluten-free recipe is actually quite simple!
What you will need:
gluten-free all purpose flour with xanthan gum (we use GF Jules -affiliate link)
granulated cane sugar
baking powder
baking soda
salt
cold butter or dairy-free butter
egg
buttermilk (or make your own as we do– with apple cider vinegar + milk of choice)
strawberries
heavy whipping cream
strawberries
shortcake
whipped cream
As an aside, you may have noticed that we are affiliate for GFJules. To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, click here.
Bonus: at the bottom of that post is a one-time use affiliate Discount Code.
And importantly, purchasing through an affiliate link does not change your cost at all. It generates a small percentage of the sale for me, and purchasing through an affiliate link helps me fund this website and all the recipes I share, so thank you!
Back to the Gluten-free Strawberry Shortcake…
Step by Step Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
Start by prepping the strawberries
The strawberries are simply fresh strawberries mixed with a little sugar. The sugar helps the strawberries release their juices which is part of the allure of the strawberry shortcake.
Simply mix the strawberries and sugar and gently mash about one-quarter of them so help with the juicing, and let sit, covered in the refrigerator while you make the biscuits.
How to make Homemade Whipped Cream
The whipped cream can be made ahead or while the biscuits bake.
Homemade whipped cream is one of the easiest things to make! And you can taste the difference between homemade and store-bought.
The key to making great whipped cream is making sure the heavy whipping cream is chilled (ie do not bring to room temperature) and if you can, chill the mixing bowl and whisk as well.
The cooled cream and bowl will help the cream to whip the quickest and it will be the lightest and fluffiest.
If everything is chilled, it whips together in about 5 minutes, and can be overmixed so definitely watch it as it mixes.
You want it to form peaks so that when you lift the beaters or whisk out from the bowl, a peak should form on them. The peak may slightly droop down, but not lose its shape entirely. It will neither be soft and liquid-y nor heavy and curdled.. You can always stop the mixer and check along the way.
How to make the Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits
The biscuit dough recipe is super simple and comes together quickly!
And of note, this is recipe that works best done by hand, not an using an electric mixer as I often do.
It comes together in 3 easy steps:
Mix together all the dry ingredients.
Cut in the butter to make a coarse crumb.
Add in whisked egg and buttermilk and use a large spoon to combine and form a dough.
The gluten-free biscuit dough will be be crumbly and does not need to form into a ball. Spoon all the dough, crumbs and all on a lightly floured pastry mat and using your hands pat the dough into an approximately 7-8 inch square about 1 inch thick.
Use a biscuit cutter (affiliate link) to cut out 3 inch biscuits.
And use the remaining dough to form a 5th biscuit.
Place all the biscuits on a baking sheet so that they are touching. Lightly brush with milk or buttermilk to get a golden top while it bakes, and bake for just 12 minutes!
Let rest for about 5 minutes, then pull the biscuits apart.
The exterior is a bit like a scone but the interior is soft and airy.
And you’ve probably noticed, they don’t rise a lot… they are indeed short!
Then it’s time to assemble the gluten-free strawberry shortcakes!
Slice the biscuit in half and place the bottom half on individual plates.
Layer it generously with strawberries and strawberry juice and a big dollop of whipped cream. Top with the second half the biscuit and add more strawberries and whipped cream and serve!
You could top with a mint leaf if feeling fancy, like I did here.
And enjoy!
The biscuits are not sweet but are buttery and so tasty! Paired with the juicy strawberries and fresh whipped cream, it is divine!
Buttery, gluten-free biscuits layered with juicy strawberries and homemade fresh whipped cream. A scrumptious summer dessert! While we love it with strawberries, it would work equally well peaches or mixed berries.
1½cupsgluten-free all purpose flour with xanthan gumwe use GF Jules(affiliate link)
2tablespoonsgranulated cane sugar
1½teaspoonbaking powder
¼teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonsalt
4tablespoonsCOLD butter or dairy-free buttercut into cubes
1largeegg, whisked well
½cupbuttermilk (or make it by adding 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then milk of choice - we used 2% milk, to fill to the 1/2 cup line and let sit for 10 minutes)
2-3tablespoonsgranulated cane sugar **according to how sweet you want it and how sweet your strawberries are
Homemade Whipped Cream
1cupheavy whipping cream, chilled
1-2teaspoonsgranulated cane sugar **depending on how sweet you like it; we use 1 teaspoon most often
Instructions
Prepare the Strawberries
In a medium bowl, mix sliced strawberries with sugar and using the back of a spoon or a fork, gently mash about 1/8 of the strawberries to release some of the juices. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator while you make the biscuits.
To make ahead, slice strawberries but don't mix with sugar until day of; If you decide to mix with sugar a day ahead, don't mash any of the strawberries as they will release enough juices on their own.
Make the Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Add dry ingredients (gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt) into a large mixing bowl, and with a pastry cutter or fork, mix to combine.
Add COLD cubed butter to the dry ingredients, and using a pastry cutter or fork, cut into the dry ingredients until a coarse crumb forms. (You could use a food processor and pulse several times but then you have to move the mixture into a large mixing bowl for the next step).
Add whisked egg and buttermilk to the dry ingredients, and using a large spoon, mix to just combine and form a somewhat wet, somewhat shaggy dough.
Add the entire dough, crumbs and all, to a lightly floured pastry mat. Gently pat the dough into a square about 1 inch thick and large enough to fit 4, 3-inch biscuit cutters. Using a 3 inch biscuit cutter, cut out 4 biscuits. Use scraps from the edges to form one more square about 1 inch thick and cut out a 5th biscuit. Do not overwork dough. Pro tip: Cut straight down, don't twist and turn when cutting out dough.Place the biscuits on a baking sheet with the edges toughing. Lightly brush the top of the biscuits with with milk (this will help give a golden top). Pro tip: if you don't have a biscuit cutter, you could use a glass jar or glass cup.
Bake for 12 minutes or until the tops are just turning golden and a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Let rest for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then separate the biscuits and assemble your shortcakes.
Best served immediately/ day of. Store in an air tight, sealed container.
Make the Whipped Cream
Chill the mixing bowl and whisk for 15 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer. Keep the heavy cream chilled as well. Cold cream is easier to whip and makes the lightest whipped cream.
Add heavy cream and sugar to the chilled mixing bowl and whisk about 3-5 minutes or until creamy and pillowy. Do not over mix. It is done when the whipped cream lightly "peaks"-- when you lift the beaters or whisk out from the bowl, a peak should form on them... You can always stop the mixer and check along the way.
Make while the biscuits bake ,or can be made a day ahead and stored in a sealed container.
Assemble the Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcakes
When ready to serve, slice each biscuit in half, placing the bottom half on a individual plate, and layer generously with strawberries and their juices and a big dollop of whipped cream, top with the second half of the biscuit and more more strawberries and whipped cream. Finish with a mint leaf if you're feeling fancy.
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...
