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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Published: Jun 16, 2021 · Updated: Jun 16, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links · We donate 10% of our profits to support good causes.

    Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

    Jump to Recipe 1 Comments Share Pin Save Saved!
    A collage. Text reads 'vegan strawberry shortcake'. Top image and bottom image show strawberry shortcakes both filled and topped with whipped cream and strawberries.

    This vegan strawberry shortcake recipe will show you how to make this amazing summer dessert. The shortcake biscuits are easy to make, and taste wonderful filled with juicy strawberries and whipped vegan cream.

    Two layers of golden baked biscuit are filled with juicy strawberries and whipped cream. The top biscuit is topped with more cream and a fresh strawberry.

    Strawberry shortcake is a highlight of the strawberry season. There’s even a whole day dedicated to it in the United States - June 14th! Because the berries are not cooked, but simply soaked in sugar, this recipe is one of the loveliest ways to celebrate the fresh taste of strawberries. 

    When a blistering hot summer day requires a quick refreshing cooldown, we go for strawberry milkshakes. But when we are looking more for a substantial and slightly decadent summer dessert, these strawberry shortcakes are perfect!

    Strawberry shortcake served with fresh strawberries.

    Strawberry shortcake is sometimes made with sponge or Angel food cake, but here we use biscuits that's more like what's known as a scone in Britain. We only had to adapt our easy vegan scones recipe to make them a bit richer to match the indulgence of the strawberries and cream!

    Shortcake dates back to the 16th century in Britain, when a recipe appeared in an Elizabethan cook book. Shakespeare even named one of his characters in The Merry Wives of Windsor, "Alice Shortcake".

    But it wasn't until later in 19th century America that shortcake became famously served with strawberries and cream and it evolved into the iconic dessert we enjoy today! Now we are continuing the evolution of the recipe with this vegan version of strawberry shortcake - ready for a plant-based future!

    The ingredients for vegan strawberry shortcake: Strawberries, white flour, sugar, baking powder, cubes of vegan butter, soy milk, vegan whipping cream, vanilla extract and a small piece of lemon.

    Ingredient tips

    For the shortcakes you'll need:

    • Flour - plain or all purpose
    • Sugar
    • Baking powder and a pinch of salt
    • Vegan butter, or non dairy margarine
    • Soy milk, but other non-dairy milks would work
    • and a teaspoon of lemon juice

    And for the toppings:

    • Vegan whipping cream, with some added sugar and vanilla extract for extra flavour.
    • And strawberries, heavenly juicy once macerated with sugar.

    Step by step

    Here's a visual guide to help you make your own delicious strawberry shortcakes. You can find the detailed instructions below in the recipe card!

    Quartered strawberries combined with granulated sugar in a glass bowl.

    Step 1 - To macerate the quartered strawberries, mix them with sugar and let them steep for at least 30 minutes.

    A whisk used to combine several dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

    Step 2 - Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.

    cubes of butter in a dry floury mix of ingredients in a mixing bowl.

    Step 3 - Rub in the vegan butter using a fork or your hands, until no big lumps remain.

    Soy milk is poured into a mixing bowl containing other ingredients already combined.

    Step 4 - Add soy milk and lemon juice, and mix to form a loose, slightly sticky dough.

    Round shapes cut from a rolled dough using a cookie cutter.

    Step 5 - Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out round shapes.

    Round shapes of dough on a baking tray being brushed with a milky liquid.

    Step 6 - Brush the top of the shortcakes with a mix of soy milk and maple syrup.

    Nine golden brown baked biscuit cakes on a baking tray.

    Step 7 - Bake for 12 minutes at 220℃.

    A bowl of freshly whipped, white cream.

    Step 8 - Whip up the vegan cream, then add sugar and vanilla extract and whip again.

    A whisk is dropping a dollop of whipped cream onto a bisuit topped with juicy red strawberries.

    Step 9 - The best part... Assemble the strawberry shortcakes and enjoy!

    Variations and substitutions

    For the vegan whipping cream, we used Elmlea Plant Double. If you can’t buy a vegan cream suitable for whipping you can try making your own from chilled coconut cream or soaked cashews.

    Shortcake isn’t just great with strawberries! Swap them out for other seasonal fruits such as blueberries, peach or raspberries and adjust the sugar to taste.

    A tall biscuit with a cream and strawberry filling and topping served on a plate with fresh strawberries. More shortcakes on a serving platter in the back.

    Serving

    It’s totally up to you how you assemble your vegan strawberry shortcake! You can go for cream first and strawberries on top, or the other way round. Dig in with a fork and enjoy!

    We often top and eat each half separately, in which case you can gleefully pick it up with your hands and take a big bite!

    Storage

    If you don’t plan on eating all the strawberry shortcakes right away it’s best to leave them unfilled.

    They are best enjoyed fresh, but you can store the shortcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. 

    To reheat the shortcakes before filling and eating, you can put them in the microwave for 10 - 20 seconds. You can also refresh a batch of them in the oven at 150°C (300°F) for 5 - 10 minutes.

    Strawberries in a bowl after being macerated to become soft and juicy.

    FAQs

    What is macerating?

    Macerate means to soften. In cooking, it is a technique typically used to soften fruit with no heat involved. A soaking liquid, or a sprinkle of sugar, is used to draw out the juice from the fruit.

    Can I use frozen strawberries for shortcake?

    Yes, frozen strawberries work well in this recipe. They won't be quite as firm as fresh strawberries, but they still taste delicious! Simply defrost your strawberries by leaving them in a bowl in the fridge overnight or gently in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time at low power.
    Because the defrosted strawberries will already be quite juicy, you don't need to let them macerate for so long, just until the sugar is dissolved.

    Can I freeze shortcakes?

    The baked shortcakes can be frozen when they have completely cooled down. Wrap well and place in an airtight container to freeze.
    To thaw the shortcakes, place them on a wire rack and defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour. You can refresh them in the microwave or oven, as mentioned above, before serving them with the strawberries and cream.

    A golden baked biscuit filled with strawberries and whipped cream. The juice from the fruit is running down the side of the biscuit base.

    We hope you enjoy your vegan strawberry shortcakes! Try these other fruity desserts...

    Vegan Strawberry Tart

    Summer Pudding

    Vegan Redcurrant Meringue Tart

    📖 Recipe

    Two layers of golden baked biscuit are filled with juicy strawberries and whipped cream. The top biscuit is topped with more cream and a fresh strawberry.

    Vegan Strawberry Shortcakes

    by Sophie & Paul
    5 from 1 vote
    Vegan shortcake biscuits filled with macerated strawberries and dairy free whipped cream - The perfect summer dessert to celebrate strawberry season!
    Print Pin Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Makes: 10 servings
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, British

    Ingredients
     

    Macerated strawberries

    • 3 cups (450 g) strawberries quartered
    • ¼ cup (50 g) sugar

    Shortcakes

    • 4 cups (500 g) plain or all purpose flour
    • 2 tbsp baking powder
    • ¼ cup (50 g) sugar granulated or caster
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ½ cup (110 g) vegan butter
    • 1 cup + 2 tbsp (270 ml) soy milk
    • 1 tsp lemon juice

    Cream

    • 1 cup (240 ml) vegan whipping cream
    • 2 tbsp (25 g) sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Instructions
     

    Macerated strawberries

    • Wash and quarter the strawberries. Stir together with the sugar and let steep for 30 minutes. In the meantime, make the shortcakes.
      3 cups (450 g) strawberries, ¼ cup (50 g) sugar

    Shortcakes

    • Preheat the oven on fan to 220°C (430°F).
    • Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.


      4 cups (500 g) plain or all purpose flour, 2 tbsp baking powder, ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, ½ tsp salt
    • Rub the cold vegan butter into the flour mix, using a pastry cutter, a fork or your fingertips. 


      ½ cup (110 g) vegan butter
    • Add the soy milk and lemon juice and mix to form a loose, sticky dough. 


      1 cup + 2 tbsp (270 ml) soy milk, 1 tsp lemon juice
    • Place the dough on a flour-dusted surface, and roll it out or just pat it down about ¾ - 1 inch (2 - 2.5 cm) thick.


    • Using a 3 inch (8cm) cutter dipped in a bit of flour, cut out circles and set them down on a lined baking sheet. Gather the leftover dough and cut more circles. You can shape the final shortcake from remaining bits of dough using your hands.
    • 

Combine the soy milk with maple syrup and brush the tops of the shortcakes.
    • Bake at 220°C / 430°F on fan, for about 12 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Let the shortcakes cool down on a wire rack.

    Serving

    • With an electric whisk, whip up the vegan whipping cream to soft peaks. Then add the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to whip until stiff. It's best to whip up only as much cream as you need at a time as it can lose its stiffness over time.
      1 cup (240 ml) vegan whipping cream, 2 tbsp (25 g) sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • Cut open a shortcake, place some whipped cream and macerated strawberries on the base. Cover with the shortcake top and decorate with a little bit more whipped cream and a fresh quarter strawberry.
      Alternatively, top each shortcake half separately.

    Notes

    For the vegan whipping cream, we used Elmlea Plant Double. Other varieties may vary in their sweetness so, depending on what brand you have, you may want to leave out the sugar and/or the vanilla if it is already flavoured. If you can’t buy a vegan cream suitable for whipping you can try making your own from chilled coconut cream or soaked cashews. For a stiffer cream, you can add a pinch of cream of tartar or xanthan gum to stabilise it before you start whipping it.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 214mg | Potassium: 403mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 3mg

    This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.

    Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment to let us know! Share a photo and tag @veganonboard - we love to see what you make!
    « Vegan Strawberry Milkshake
    Vegan Souvlaki Tofu Skewers »

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      5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    1. ROSE says

      June 17, 2021 at 2:08 pm

      PERFECT!... I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT TO HAVE WITH OUR CUPPA TODAY... NOW I KNOW... THANK YOU BOTH 🙂

      Reply

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