These sweet and juicy vegan strawberry shortcake biscuits make the perfect summertime treat! Piled high with a fluffy homemade gluten-free biscuit, fresh ripe strawberries, and cool coconut whipped cream. This recipe is simple and easy and comes together in under half an hour!
Let's chat strawberry season. In the US at least, strawberry season occurs throughout the months of April, May, June, and sometimes into July. Said another way, strawberries are the quintessential summer fruit. When ripe, they are plump and juicy and filled with natural sweetness (perfect in my fig newton recipe!). Using them in a dessert is an easy way to highlight their most special characteristics!
In this vegan strawberry shortcake recipe, we pair fresh strawberries with a sweet biscuit and cloud-like coconut whipped cream. Once assembled, you get a bite doughy biscuit and naturally sweet fruit covered in whipped cream all in one!
Ingredient Notes
These biscuits are simple and easy to make at home. Here is what you need to make vegan strawberry shortcakes:
- Coconut milk - make sure to use full-fat. This adds moisture to the biscuits.
- Apple cider vinegar - combined with the coconut milk, this mixture is called "vegan buttermilk".
- Cassava flour - this is best gluten-free flour for biscuits. It has a soft and fluffy texture and will rise like traditional biscuits. If needed, substitute gluten-free 1:1 flour.
- Tapioca flour - if needed, substitute the tapioca flour with the arrowroot starch.
- Coconut sugar - this is used to add just a touch of sweetness to the vegan strawberry shotckae biscuits. Maple syrup will also work in this recipe.
Step by step directions
These vegan strawberry shortcakes are a breeze to whip up! All you need is a large mixing bowl or stand mixer and a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter.
Step 1 : Prepare the vegan buttermilk
First, prepare the vegan "buttermilk" by mixing the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and setting aside. You won't taste the vinegar at all, it simply gives the baking powder an acid to react with (making your biscuits fluffy).
Step 2 : Whisk together dry ingredients and coconut oil
Next, add the cassava flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, and coconut sugar in a large bowl and whisk to mix together. Add the melted coconut oil (make sure it's at room temperature) and stir until little crumbs start to form. I like to use a wooden spoon for this.
Step 3 : Add the wet ingredients
Pour in the vegan "buttermilk" and continue to stir until the flour is well incorporated. The mixture will be pretty sticky. This is okay as we will add more tapioca flour when rolling it out. Your dough should look like the pictures below.
Step 4 : Roll and cut out biscuits
Using extra tapioca flour, roll out the dough no less than 1 ½ inches in thickness (this is how we get the height). With a biscuit cutter or the top of a glass, press circles into the dough and place on a baking sheet. This recipe makes about 6 large biscuits.
Step 5 : Bake!
Brush a little extra coconut oil over top of the biscuits and bake in the oven until golden brown. Let cool before adding the strawberries and cream.
Coconut Whipped Cream Tips
The whipped coconut cream is a key component of this vegan strawberry shortcake recipe. Although homemade coconut whipped cream can be intimidating, it's quite easy to make with a few quick tips!
- Use high-quality full-fat coconut milk. This will not work with "light" coconut milk. You need the solid part (the cream) at the top of the can which is found in full-fat coconut milk. You can also use one of these or these cans of coconut cream as they are specifically designed for coconut whipped cream.
- Place your coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight. Yes, this is annoying but you need to have the cream on top at a cool temperature before whipping it. I personally always keep a can in the fridge because you just never know when the craving will hit! Or, if you know you are going to make this recipe ahead of time, just make sure you place one in the fridge the day before so it's ready to go.
- Whip the coconut milk in a cold mixing bowl. This is one of those small tricks that can do wonders. Place your mixing bowl in the freezer for about 5 minutes right before you plan on making the whipped cream. This will help keep the coconut milk at a cool temperature while you beat it with a mixer.
Serving
These vegan strawberry shortcake biscuits are best when assembled right before serving.
First, slice open a biscuit in half. Spoon a layer of coconut whipped cream over top. Use a large dollop, don't be shy! Next, layer a couple of sliced strawberries over top of the whipped cream. Place the other half of the biscuit on top and finish it off with another dollop of coconut whipped cream and a few strawberry slices.
Et voila! Deliciously sweet vegan strawberry shortcakes made from scratch!
If you'd like to make these shortcakes ahead of time...
These vegan strawberry shortcakes make the perfect brunch item or dessert to bring to a gathering! To make ahead of time, you can make the biscuits ahead of time and bake them at the gathering if you have an oven. Simply prepare the dough and cut into biscuit shapes. Place the cut biscuits on a plate or cookie sheet and cover with cling wrap to transport to the event. Bake on a cookie sheet once there for fresh biscuits!
Alternatively, bake the biscuits at home a couple hours before the event. Store them in an air-tight container once they have cooled to transport them to the event. Once ready to serve, slice them open and start assembling.
For the coconut whipped cream, again this can be made ahead of time. Whip the coconut milk at home and store in an air-tight container in the fridge until ready to transport.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! These vegan strawberry shortcakes can be made ahead of time. Refer to the section above with details on how to best do this.
Cassava flour provides the perfect fluffy yet sturdy texture to the vegan strawberry shortcake biscuits. However, if need substitute gluten-free 1:1 flour in place of the cassava flour.
No, full-fat coconut milk is needed in this recipe as the cream on top adds the necessary moisture.
Looking for more fruity treats? You'll love these recipes!
PS : If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star review and comment below! Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and Pinterest to stay up to date on all tasty recipes here at The Fit Peach!
Recipe
Deliciously Sweet Paleo Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits
Ingredients
For the Biscuits
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk - *You will want to store a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight first*
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups cassava flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour - plus more for rolling out dough
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup coconut oil - melted and cooled (plus another 1 teaspoon to brush on top, optional)
For the Strawberries
- 2 cups fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - optional
For the Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1 13.5- oz can full-fat coconut milk - refrigerated overnight
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup - can sub honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the Biscuits
- Preheat oven to 425 F. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside.1 cup full-fat coconut milk, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the cassava flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, and coconut sugar. Add the melted coconut oil and stir until small clumps form. Pour in the coconut milk mixture and continue to stir until the flour is fully incorporated. The dough will be sticky. It will become less so once you stop stirring.2 cups cassava flour, ¼ cup tapioca flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 2 tablespoon coconut sugar, ⅓ cup coconut oil
- Sprinkle extra tapioca flour over top of a clean surface. Transfer dough onto surface and sprinkle more tapioca flour on top. Roll out the dough to a thickness no less than 1 ½ inches (this is how we give the biscuit some height). With a biscuit cutter or the top of a glass, cut biscuit circles out of the dough. You should be able to get 6 biscuits with the dough.
- Transfer the cut biscuits to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted coconut oil (you can also use water or an egg if not vegan). Bake for 17 - 22 minutes until golden brown. Let cool before slicing.
For the Strawberries
- Wash and slice your strawberries into thin slices. Place in a bowl and mix with lemon juice (optional, this will extract some of the juice from the fruit to create a little strawberry "syrup"). Set aside until read to assemble the shortcakes.2 cups fresh strawberries, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the Coconut Whipped Cream
- Place your mixing bowl in the freezer for about 5 minutes before whipping the cream. This isn't absolutely necessary but will help to stabilize the cream when beating.
- Spoon the solid part of the chilled coconut milk into the cold bowl. Keep the liquid part for smoothies or other recipe if desired. Whip with a hand mixer until fluffy (this can take 2 - 3 minutes). Once fluffy, add in the vanilla and maple syrup and continue to beat until you achieve a pillow-like consistency. Store in an air-tight container until ready to assemble the shortcakes.1 13.5- oz can full-fat coconut milk, 2 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla
To Assemble
- When ready to serve, slice open a the biscuits in half. Layer a large dollop of coconut whipped cream on top followed by a layer of sliced strawberries. Place the other half of the biscuit on top and finish it off with another dollop of coconut whipped cream and strawberry slices.
- These shortcakes are best served freshly assembled. If looking to make ahead of time, see notes above about the options you can take.
Could I bake the biscuit recipe into a pan to make bars?
How crucial is it to use coconut oil? Could one swap it out for another, such as avocado oil?
Any neutral oil should work.