Whenever I think of July I think of strawberry season, and what’s the best thing to do during strawberry season? Make strawberry shortcake. Strawberry shortcake might be one of my favorite desserts of all time, which is why I’m so excited to be bringing you this easy vegan strawberry shortcake recipe.
I’ve always found the shortcake part of strawberry shortcake to be a bit too sweet and cake-like, so I’ve created a vegan shortcake recipe that’s a little more savory. The result is a light, fluffy, subtly sweet and savory shortcake that pairs perfectly with strawberries and coconut whipped cream.
The best part of this strawberry shortcake recipe? It’s insanely quick and easy. The longest portion is cooking the biscuits, which takes just 20-25 minutes in the oven. Meanwhile, you’ll be whipping the coconut cream!
Shortcake
As mentioned, the shortcake I’ve made for this recipe is only slightly sweet and leans more towards the savory-side. First, we start with the dry ingredients, then cut plant-based butter in. The result is flaky, savory biscuits that pair perfectly with juicy ripe strawberries. These shortcakes may be flatter or smaller than the ones you’re used to. Feel free to double up for each portion, or to roll the dough out a bit thicker to make them taller. Just remember that you may need to cook them longer, too! If you prefer your shortcake a little sweeter you can add a tablespoon or two more of sugar, but be warned that I haven’t tested this out! I baked these shortcakes on a greased cast-iron pan, and they turned out perfectly, but a regular baking dish would work totally fine, too.
Strawberries
While most strawberry shortcake recipes involve letting the strawberries sit in some sugar to soften and sweeten the strawberries and create juice, I’ve never found this step to be necessary when using in-season, sweet and juicy strawberries. If you can’t get your hands on in-season strawberries, you may choose to let the strawberries sit in a little bit of sugar (maybe 1 tablespoon) while the shortcake cooks to sweeten them up.
Coconut Whipped Cream
Making coconut whipped cream from scratch for this recipe requires a bit of foresight, but I promise, it’s worth it. place a can of coconut milk in the fridge the day before you decide to make this recipe so the coconut cream can separate from the coconut water. Once the coconut milk is completely chilled, open the can and scoop out the cream part, leaving the coconut water behind. You’ll then whip the coconut cream with a splash of vanilla and maple syrup (or icing sugar) for a delicious coconut whipped cream topping. The key to this is using canned coconut milk that doesn’t have any ingredients besides coconut milk. If there are any emulsifiers (such as cellulose or polysorbate 60) the coconut milk won’t separate properly, and you won’t be able to whip the cream.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! If you try it out, don’t forget to leave me a rating and review on this blog post, and tag me in your photos on Pinterest and Instagram!
Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp vegan butter
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk alternative I used oat milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Chill canned coconut milk in the fridge overnight, or at least 12 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Grease a baking sheet or cast-iron pan, or lay down parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine plant-based milk with apple cider vinegar.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk thoroughly to incorporate.
- Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, 'cut' butter into the dry mixture. Work quickly so the butter melts as little as possible. Cut in until the dry mixture has the texture of sand and butter is evenly incorporated.
- Pour plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over stir.
- Using your hands, press out the dough onto a floured surface until 1/2 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter (I used the top of a mason jar), press out the dough into circles. Re-press out the scraps, until you have about 10 circles.
- Place shortcake dough on baking sheet close together so that the sides are touching. Bake at 425 F for 20-25 minutes, or until slightly golden brown on the edges.
- Meanwhile, open can of coconut milk and scoop out the firmed coconut cream into a large bowl (do not scoop out the coconut water). Add maple syrup and vanilla, and whisk until soft peaks are formed.
- Arrange shortcake, strawberries and coconut whipped cream in a stack and enjoy!
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