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Celebrate summer in style with a Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake. This classic dessert recipe combines soft buttermilk sweet biscuits, juicy strawberries, and homemade whipped cream into one satisfying treat!
The Best Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry shortcake always hits the spot. But this recipe makes it more irresistible than ever, thanks to the fluffy from-scratch shortcakes and the sweet homemade whipped cream. The strawberries are mixed with sugar and then chilled in the fridge to bring out all of their amazing flavor!
This family favorite dessert is done in just over 30 minutes. It’s super easy to prepare the toppings while the sweet biscuits are cooling off. Once everything is ready for assembly, the biscuits will be comfortingly warm, but not hot enough to melt the whipped cream!
What You’ll Need
Here’s a little information about the ingredients and below are details about the recipe. But for the full quantities and step-by-step instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
This classic recipe uses tried and true strawberry shortcake ingredients. Here’s what that entails:
- Gluten-Free Buttermilk Sweet Biscuits: This recipe makes 6-8 biscuits, and it can be halved or doubled as needed.
- Strawberries: Hulls removed and quartered, 4-5 cups.
- Granulated Sugar: For coating the berries.
- Heavy Cream: Chilled.
- Powdered Sugar: Also called confectioners sugar.
- Vanilla Extract
Selecting the Best Strawberries
Since this dessert centers around the strawberries, it’s important to make sure they’re ripe. Oftentimes, you can tell when a strawberry is ripe by its color, but that isn’t always the case. Some types of strawberries aren’t as bright and shiny as others, so I recommend judging by what you feel and smell rather than what you see.
Ripe strawberries are firm with a small amount of give when you press into them. They also have a sweet smell. If your strawberries are too firm with no detectable aroma, they’re most likely underripe. If they’re super squishy, they’re overripe.
Can I Use Frozen Berries?
Frozen strawberries are fine to use, which makes this recipe friendly for all seasons! If you’re using frozen berries, simply let them thaw completely before you start baking. You can do this by moving them to the fridge 6-8 hours before making your strawberry shortcakes. Alternatively, you can place them under cold running water for about half an hour.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake with Gluten Free Biscuits
Each component of this classic dessert is super easy to whip up – from the biscuits to the strawberry filling to the light and fluffy whipped cream! Putting it all together is even simpler.
Make the Biscuits
Homemade biscuits start with a basic mixture of dry ingredients. Then, cold cubes of butter are mixed right in, followed by a cup of buttermilk. After that, it’s just a matter of kneading, cutting, and baking! For more detailed instructions and extra tips on making gluten-free shortcakes, check out my recipe for gluten free sweet biscuits.
Make the Strawberry Filling
Combine Strawberries & Sugar: While the biscuits are cooling, mix the strawberries and granulated sugar together in a mixing bowl.
Chill Berry Mixture: Place the strawberries in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.
Make the Whipped Cream
Place the bowl and whisk attachment for your stand mixer or a metal or glass bowl and beaters for your hand mixer in the fridge or freezer until they are cold. This will help your cream whip to perfectly soft peaks without overbeating.
Beat Cream, Sugar & Vanilla: Add the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to the chilled bowl, and beat on medium-high to high speed until soft peaks form. Do not over-beat.
Assemble the Shortcake
Cut Biscuit: Cut a biscuit in half.
Add Berries & Cream: Add a layer of the prepared strawberries onto the bottom half, followed by a layer of the whipped cream.
Finish Layering: Add the remaining half of the biscuit and another strawberry and cream layer on top. Repeat with the remaining shortcakes and enjoy!
Tips for Success
Now that we’ve covered the recipe steps, let’s move on to my tips and tricks! Keep these things in mind when making homemade strawberry shortcakes.
- Chill Berries for 10 Minutes: Once the strawberries have been combined with the sugar, the mixture needs to sit for at least 10 minutes in the fridge. This will draw out some of the moisture from the berries and create that filling consistency we all know and love!
- Whip to Soft Peaks: Be very careful to avoid over-beating your whipped cream. This could cause it to take on a more meringue-like consistency. Go for soft peaks that curl rather than stiff peaks that stand straight up.
- Chill the Whisk & Bowl to Save Time: The reason I recommend chilling your bowl and beaters is because it makes the whipped cream come together much quicker. And who doesn’t want to save time?
- See Sweet Biscuit Tips: Want more tips for making the homemade shortcakes? Check out the full recipe for the biscuits, linked above!
How to Store Extras
If you’re not serving all of your strawberry shortcakes at once, hold off on assembling them all! The filling, whipped cream, and sweet shortcake biscuits should be stored separately.
To store the biscuits, let them cool completely and place them in a Ziploc bag with all the air squeezed out. They should be kept at room temperature. Instead of using a resealable bag, you can elect to wrap each biscuit tightly with plastic wrap. They’ll stay fresh for a maximum of 2 days.
On the other hand, the strawberry filling and whipped cream should be stored in the fridge. Place them in separate jars or airtight containers. The whipped cream will last for up to 3 days, and the filling for up to a week (depending on how old your strawberries were to begin with).
Things You’ll Need
- I don’t like to buy a lot of extra gadgets when basics will do the job, but I do love a strawberry huller for making quick and easy work of removing the strawberry stems.
- But if you prefer, a small paring knife will do the job and is just the right size for cutting the berries.
- You can use the beaters or whisk attachment that comes with a hand mixer if you don’t want to take out your big stand mixer to whip the cream.
- If you need to store the strawberries or whipped cream, I like these glass storage bowls with lids.
Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
For the Buttermilk Sweet Biscuits
- 2 1/4 cups 1:1 gluten-free flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp milk for brushing, optional
For the Strawberry Filling
- 4-5 cups strawberries, quartered
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 pint heavy cream, chilled
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until well combined.
- Add the cold butter and use your hands to rub the butter into the flour until coarse crumbs form.
- Pour the buttermilk into the flour mixture and use a wooden spoon to mix until the mixture comes together.
- Turn the mixture out onto a floured surface and use your hands to knead the dough a few times.
- Press the dough into a rectangle about 1 1/2 inches thick and use a round cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits.
- Place the biscuits on a greased baking sheet. Brush the top of each biscuit with milk, if using.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes. Allow the biscuits to cool
For the Strawberries & Cream
- While biscuits are cooling, mix the strawberries and granulated sugar together in a mixing bowl.
- Place the strawberries in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.
- Place the bowl and whisk attachment for your stand mixer or a metal or glass bowl and beaters for your hand mixer in the fridge or freezer until they are cold.
- Add the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to the chilled bowl, and beat on medium-high to high speed until soft peaks form. Do not over-beat.
- Assemble the strawberry shortcakes by cutting the biscuits in half.
- Add a layer of the prepared strawberries. Top with a layer of the whipped cream.
- Add the remaining half a biscuit and repeat the strawberry and cream layer on top.
Did you make this?
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