In honor of National Strawberry Shortcake Day, we are digging into this lightened up strawberry shortcake recipe with much enthusiasm. Made with whole grains, no butter, and natural sweeteners, this is a healthy strawberry dessert you’re going to love.
Traditionally, strawberry shortcake is made with buttery biscuits, heavy cream, and table sugar. While the classic is delicious, it’s not very health conscious, especially when you’re trying to eat clean.
Instead, to create this lightened up strawberry shortcake recipe, you’re going to be using coconut milk as an alternative to heavy cream. You’ll also be using honey (or maple syrup if you want to make this a vegan recipe) to sweeten the dessert as a healthier swap for granulated sugar.
Because of strawberry shortcake’s delicate and fresh nature, it’s best served immediately after assembling. This strawberry shortcake recipe is perfect as a dessert for an intimate dinner or as an accompaniment to afternoon tea.
As a shortcut to this recipe, you can also use store-bought coconut whipped cream. This way, you’ll just need to prepare the biscuits and then assemble them with the whipped cream and strawberries.
Summary |
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Cook time: 30 minutes
Prep time: 20 minutes
Idle time:
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Level
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Servings:
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Ingredients
- For the shortcakes:
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cups full-fat coconut milk (from a well-shaken can at room temperature) plus more for brushing on top,
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the coconut cream:
- 1 can (14 oz.) full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream chilled for at least 12 hours
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the Strawberries
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries hulled and sliced lengthwise, divided
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- To a large bowl, add the whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
- Add in the coconut milk, honey or maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture into a dough. Let the dough rest for a few minutes. If the dough looks too sticky to handle after a few minutes, add another tablespoon of flour and stir again.
- Flour your work surface and dump out your dough onto the surface. Knead the dough together to create one compact dough, then flatten it out into a large square that's about 1" deep.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 9 squares. Use a sharp-edged spatula to transfer the biscuits to your prepared baking sheet. Brush the top of each square with some coconut milk.
- Bake the biscuits for 20 to 22 minutes, until they're firm to the touch.
- Remove the chilled coconut cream from the can, leaving behind the watery residue and only add the solid white part to a large bowl. Add the honey or maple syrup and the vanilla, then use an electric mixer to beat the cream until its fluffy and whipped. Chill until ready to use.
- Pour half of the strawberries into a large bowl. Use a potato masher to mash the strawberries, then stir in the rest of the strawberries and honey or maple syrup. Stir well to combine everything.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the biscuits in half horizontally so that you have a top and bottom.
- Scoop the strawberry mixture onto the bottom half, then top with coconut cream. Top the whole thing off with the top half of the biscuit. Serve immediately.
Additional information
Recipe adapted from cookieandkate.com
