Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

My vegan shortcake biscuits bake up to be perfectly tender and flaky. They’re the ideal blank canvas for a pile of juicy strawberries and swirl of thickly whipped coconut cream!  

To me, no summer is complete without at least one strawberry shortcake, ideally eaten al fresco–be it on a friend’s patio, at a neighborhood barbecue, or quietly on the porch at home. Sure it’s a tasty dessert any time of year, but something about the warm summer evening, lingering sunlight, and slightly slower pace of life just make this treat all that much more special. 

Made with just 8 ingredients, the biscuits for my strawberry shortcake are supremely simple to whip up and are done in just 20 minutes. Add some macerated strawberries and whipped coconut cream and you’ve got a midsummer evening in a bowl! 

Ingredients

For the Shortcake Biscuits:

• Coconut milk – The inherent thickness of this milk makes it perfect for replacing the buttermilk that many traditional biscuit recipes call for. I recommend using full fat coconut milk here. 
• Lemon juice – When added to the coconut milk, the acidity will produce a buttermilk-like flavor and consistency. 
• All-purpose flour – Stick to plain AP flour as the base for these biscuits, I don’t recommend swapping gluten free flours or blends into this recipe as it will change the final texture of the shortcakes. 
• Almond flour – I like the flavor and bump of protein that almond flour adds! It does not produce enough hold to use on its own though, which is why I like to use 1 cup each of AP and almond flour. 
• Organic cane sugar – Because this is a dessert after all! I like to use organic cane sugar, but any raw or unrefined sugar should be vegan-friendly as well. Check the label on yours. 
• Baking powder – In combination with the steam created by coconut oil (more on that in a moment!) baking powder helps your shortcakes rise up nice and fluffy. 
• Cornstarch – To help thicken and bind the dough together. 
• Solid coconut oil – It is very important that the coconut oil you use be solid not liquid for this application, as we will be cutting the solid fat into the flour mixture–a technique that produces flaky, layered biscuits! If you prefer, you could also use an equal amount of your favorite vegan butter, but depending on the base ingredients of your butter and sodium content, it may change the final flavor of the shortcakes. 

For the Strawberries:

• Fresh strawberries – The star of the show! I think that fresh strawberries are without a doubt the way to go here, but if you’re craving this dessert when berries are out of season or otherwise don’t want to use fresh, frozen berries would work too. They will have a spongier, less juicy texture but their flavor is still delicious!
• Organic Cane Sugar – Tossing the berries with just a bit of sugar enhances their sweetness and pulls out some of their juices, creating a tasty, saucy, perfectly sweet strawberry filling!

For the Topping:

• Vegan whipped cream – I like to make my own homemade vegan whipped cream using canned coconut cream (I explain the procedure in the Chef Tips section below!), but if you have an alternative or a store bought option you like to use, that would be great here too. 

How to Make Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small pitcher or bowl, whisk the coconut milk and lemon juice together. Set it aside and let it sit for about 5 minutes to thicken. This mixture will serve as a buttermilk-style substitute for your shortcake biscuit dough! 
2. Prepare the berries. In a medium bowl, sprinkle the sliced strawberries with 2 tbsp of cane sugar, then stir to combine. Set them aside while you finish the biscuit dough, as the berries will become juicier after a bit of time! 
3. Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the all purpose flour, almond flour, cane sugar, baking powder, and cornstarch in a bowl.Whisk to incorporate.
4. Cut in the coconut oil. Add the coconut oil and use a pastry cutter or spatula–or use your hands if you like!–to work it into the flour until the mixture takes on a sandy consistency. A mixture of small lumps and larger lumps here is a good thing! Add the coconut milk + lemon juice mixture you prepared earlier and use a spatula to fold it in. 
5. Form the dough. Keep stirring and folding just until the dough comes together. I find at a certain point, it’s easiest to use your hands here.  
6. Cut the shortcake biscuits. Transfer the dough onto a floured board or clean countertop flatten it with clean hands or a rolling pin. Aim for an overall thickness of about ½-inch. Using a flour-dusted cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut out six circles and place them onto the baking sheet, arranging them so that they touch each other.
7. Bake. Transfer your biscuits to the preheated oven and bake until risen and slightly golden brown, about 18 minutes. Cool the biscuits completely before you separate them, then use a serrated knife to slice them each in half along their equator.
8. Assemble and serve! Place a spoonful of strawberries and juice on the bottom half of each biscuit. Top the berries with a dollop–or two, if you’re like me!–of whipped coconut cream and place the top half of the biscuit on each. 

Watch Us Make Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

Chef Tips

Making homemade whipped cream is easy! All you need is canned coconut milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Let the can of milk sit in the fridge overnight and skim off the cream that has solidified on top. Whip the cream until light and fluffy with a hand mixer or stand mixer, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip for a few more minutes until everything is combined and lightly sweetened. 

When baking, “cutting in” means to incorporate a solid fat into a flour mixture until it is crumbly. In the case of our vegan shortcakes, this solid fat is coconut oil. By using this technique, you end up with small lumps of fat dispersed throughout the biscuit dough which in turn create small pockets of steam during baking, thereby giving the shortcakes a more flaky texture than if the fat were melted and evenly mixed into the dough. Ensuring that your coconut oil is in solid form is key here, so depending on the ambient temperature of your location, you may opt to refrigerate it before use. 

How to Store Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

Refrigerating. For best results, only assemble as many strawberry shortcakes as you plan to serve, that way you can store any leftover components separately. Place the shortcake biscuits in a zip-top bag or wrap in plastic wrap, place any leftover strawberries in an airtight container, and any leftover coconut cream in another airtight container. All of these components will keep for up to 4 days, but take note that the texture of the strawberries get less and less pleasant as time goes on. 

Freezing. I do not recommend freezing the strawberry mixture or the frozen coconut cream, but the shortcake biscuits freeze very well! Whenever I make these, I love to make a double batch and freeze the extras so that way I have a quick and easy dessert on hand anytime–just need to add berries and cream! To freeze the shortcakes, individually wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then place them all in a freezer-safe tupperware or a zip-top bag. They will last for up to 3 months. 

Thawing. To thaw the biscuits, just transfer them to the refrigerator and let them defrost overnight. It’s best to let these thaw at their own pace, resist the temptation of that microwave “defrost” button here!