This post features my gluten-free strawberry shortcake recipe and is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill and contains affiliate links.
Strawberry shortcake feels as American as apple pie, right? In case you didn’t know, a shortcake is a sweet and crumbly biscuit or cake that has been leaved with baking powder or baking soda. There are minimal liquid ingredients in a shortcake, just enough to hold the dough together, resulting in what is known as a shortened dough.
Most shortcake recipes are made with drop biscuits on a baking sheet, while other more stylized shortcakes are rolled and cut into evenly matched biscuit circles. The cake is always baked at a high temperature just until the dough sets.
Now that you know the basics behind the phenomenon known as shortbread, let’s make a gluten-free strawberry shortcake using my secret gluten-free flour blend, shall we?
How to Make Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
The first step in making strawberry shortcake is tending to the strawberries. In a large bowl, you’ll want to mix together sliced strawberries, granulated sugar and pure vanilla extract until combined. Place the mixture in the refrigerator while you make and bake the biscuits. This will help release the juices from the strawberries.
Next, you’ll need to make the shortbread biscuits. My secret, but really not-so-secret anymore, ingredient in making the shortbread is using my trusty Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. This flour blend, which consists of a blend of flours, starches and xanthan gum, is perfect and has helped me create delicious, 100 percent gluten-free recipes over the years. It’s truly the best invention since [gluten-free] sliced bread!
To make the biscuits, combine Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Then you’ll add the cubed, cold butter. Make sure your butter is very cold. I like to cube my butter and then place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes until I’m ready to use it.
There are a few ways that you can cut the butter into the flour. If you have a pastry cutter, you can use that to quickly cut the butter into the flour. Another way is to use your hands. All you have to do is rub the butter with your fingertips until it is the size of peas. If you prefer, you can also use your food processor and pulse about 10-20 times until the butter is cut into the flour. Do this until the butter resembles coarse sand.
Next, you’ll need to gradually, stir the buttermilk into the flour mixture until combined. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can combine one cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice and let it sit for five minutes before using.
Now you’re ready to create those delicious shortbread biscuits. Dollop the biscuit mixture onto the prepared baking sheet into eight equal portions. Pile the dough high rather than wide so they bake up tall and fluffy.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with a little buttermilk or melted butter and then sprinkle with coarse sugar (regular sugar is fine too). Bake the biscuits at 425º F for 15-18 minutes until biscuits are lightly browned on the top and bottom. Let them cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack.
While the shortbread biscuits cool, go ahead and make your whipped cream topping. To do this, combine heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl. With an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat until stiff peaks form. Alternatively, simply use store-bought whipped cream (and you can even find vegan whipped cream made from coconut milk in many grocery stores nationwide).
Assemble those Shortcakes
Now for the FUN part – you get to assemble those beautiful, gluten-free strawberry shortcakes. Cut each biscuit in half with a serrated knife, then spoon strawberries onto one half of the biscuit, top with whipped cream, and then cover with the other half biscuit. You can add an additional dollop of whipped cream and a small strawberry on top for decorative purposes too. I think it looks pretty if you do.
I think these gluten-free strawberry shortcakes looks so beautiful … I have to show you more pictures – all for your viewing pleasure, of course!
This gluten-free strawberry shortcake tastes incredible too. It’s a light, flaky and crumbly dough… and those strawberries, wow! They are sweet and juicy. You will garner lots of smiles when you serve up this delicious and totally summery dessert at your next BBQ.
All of this is possible thanks to Bob’s Red Mill … “I get by with a little help from my friends.” Right?
You can purchase Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend on Amazon or on the Bob’s Red Mill website.
Strawberry shortcake is a sweet and crumbly biscuit (or cake) combined with sweet strawberries and mouth-pleasing whipped cream. This recipe has been made gluten-free by using Bob's 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend instead of wheat flour.
- 1 pint strawberries sliced
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 8 tablespoons butter cold and cubed
- 1 cup buttermilk cold
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk or melted butter for brushing on top
- 1 teaspoon coarse sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 425º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together sliced strawberries, granulated sugar and pure vanilla extract. Stir until combined. Let sit in the refrigerator while you make the biscuits. This will help the juices release from the strawberries.
- To make the biscuits, combine Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add cubed, cold butter. Cut butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or with your hands until the butter resembles coarse sand. Alternatively, you can use a food processor to pulse the butter into the flour blend.
- Gradually, stir the buttermilk into the flour mixture until combined.
- Dollop the biscuit mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in 8 equal portions. You want the dollops to be piled high rather than wide.
- Brush the tops of the biscuits with 1 tablespoon of buttermilk or melted butter. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until biscuits are browned on the top and bottom. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack.
- To make the whipped cream, combine heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl. With an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat until stiff peaks form.
- To assemble, cut each biscuit in half with a serrated knife. Spoon strawberries onto one half of the biscuit, top with whipped cream, and cover with the other half biscuit. You can add an additional dollop of whipped cream and a small strawberry on top for decorative purposes if you wish.
- This strawberry shortcake recipe uses drop biscuits rather than rolled biscuits. They’re easier to make and come out of the oven light and fluffy every time.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can combine 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Do not use heavy cream in place of the buttermilk, it is too thick and has too much fat.
- You can use shortening and a non-dairy milk, such as almond milk (mixed with lemon juice as described above), to make the biscuits dairy-free. Use a coconut whipped cream for serving.
- Be sure to measure the flour correctly. I use the spoon and level method, meaning I use a spoon to add the flour to my measuring cup and then level it off. This method is more precise than scooping with the measuring cup directly in the container, which tends to pack the flour down into the measuring cup.
- Make sure that your butter is very cold. I like to cube my butter and then place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes until I’m ready to use it.
- There are a few ways that you can cut the butter into the flour. If you have a pastry cutter, you can use that to quickly cut the butter into the flour. Another way is to use your hands. All you have to do is rub the butter with your fingertips until it is the size of peas. If you prefer, you can also use your food processor and pulse about 10-20 times, until the butter is cut into the flour.
- When forming the biscuits onto the baking sheet, pile the dough high into a mound so that it bakes tall and fluffy.
- This strawberry shortcake recipe is great for making ahead. You can make the biscuits up to 2 days in advance. Store the biscuits at room temperature. The macerated strawberries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a day in advance. The fresh whipped cream can be made a few hours in advance. Keep it in the refrigerator. It tends to fall flat if kept for longer.
- Only assemble what you plan on eating right away. Assembled strawberry shortcakes do not keep well as the whipped cream and the strawberries will make the biscuit soggy. Keep all of the components separate until you’re ready to serve.
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