Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Turn things up a notch with this Vegan Strawberry Shortcake, especially for Valentine's Day! This is the perfect healthier classic dessert with fresh strawberries, coconut whipped cream, and buttery, flaky, tender, cinnamon-infused vegan biscuits. All dairy-free + vegan ingredients.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links via Amazon for products that I wholeheartedly love.
I truly love biscuits, especially when they're so flaky, buttery, and soft. It's been something that I've been loving since childhood. Growing up, my grandmother would bring me to church every Sunday with her and after service, we'd go to Popeyes and enjoy some really good fried chicken and those buttery biscuits. Trust, it was those biscuits with some jam/jelly that truly made the day better. Haha. Ever since then, I've never lost my love for them and this Vegan Strawberry Shortcake recipe is SO amazing! plus, this Best Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream is definitely a must try!
It's THE FINAL DAY OF LOVE WEEK on Orchids + Sweet Tea and I couldn't be more excited for the deliciousness coming your way all week long---in honor of Valentine's Day next week! Be sure to watch all recipes via IG Reels for a nice visual.
While you might think that making biscuits from scratch is hard, it really isn't. These vegan cinnamon-infused biscuits use a standard biscuit cutter, however, the concept still remains similar to these Flaky Honey Buttermilk Biscuits ----- the"pat and stack" method is worth the work, trust me. It makes the biscuits come out almost in a "pull apart" texture in their standard roundness. It's an incredible combination that everyone will notice!
What is a Strawberry Shortcake?
Everyone loves strawberry shortcakes! It has the components of a perfect dessert:
- Flaky, buttery shortcake (aka biscuits)
- Sweet and saucy strawberry slices
- Whipped fresh cream
Basically, strawberry shortcakes are a dessert that usually comes in the form of a crumbly scone-like texture that is topped with whipped cream. While strawberries are a classic choice, in the UK, it is common to have blackberry + clotted cream shortcake and lemon berry shortcake, which has a lemon curd in place of cream.
How to Make Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Overall, this Vegan Strawberry Shortcake recipe isn't very hard to make at all. You'll need to first start with the biscuits. Like you would any biscuit or pastry recipe, you start with all cold ingredients and adding the dry ingredients together followed by cubed butter, the wet ingredients, and mixing everything together. Then you do the "stack, pat, + roll" method a few times, cut out the biscuits using a biscuit cutter, and bake. Then, you'll need to make the strawberry topping/compote over the stovetop in a saucepan, let it cool, and then assemble.
Top with coconut whipped cream, fresh strawberries, + a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired. Wallah!
Ingredients in Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
- All-purpose flour. I like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s organic flour, which is certified vegan. I like to mix in organic pastry flour, but you can sub with all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda. Works as a leavener. See further post below to ensure that they are still fresh.
- Buttermilk. It's easy to make your own vegan version. Makes things nice + soft when COLD; I use Almond milk, but you can sub with your fave plant-based milk or regular dairy milk + apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
- Vegan butter. I like to bake with COLD vegan buttery sticks by Earth Balance, however, you can substitute with regular vegan butter, cut into pieces.
- Cinnamon + nutmeg. I love using a bit of this spice for a nice warm flavor.
- Strawberries. The use of fresh organic strawberries with the stems cut off makes for a nice burst of fresh flavor. Plus, you need them for your additional topping.
- Water. For the strawberry topping/compote.
- Lemon juice. Use a big, juicy lemon to freshly-squeeze for strawberry topping/compote.
- Coconut whipped cream. Use either store-bought (my faves are from So Delicious Dairy-Free) or homemade or yogurt.
- Cane Sugar. I like to use organic sugar to make sure it’s fully vegan.
- Arrowroot. This acts as a thickener to make the compote a bit more thickened.
- Strawberry preserves. The use of organic strawberry preserves or jam is a great way to add strawberry flavor without adding too much additional moisture to the strawberry compote. You can also make your own strawberry puree/jam instead.
- Vegan 'Egg' Wash. You'll need Almond milk + maple syrup mixed together to ensure biscuits are golden.
Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour
When it comes to the main ingredient of the vegan cinnamon biscuits recipe—-the flour, I enjoy using Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour, which is ideal for all kinds of baking, including this one.
However, I do occasionally use Super-Fine Cake Flour which adds a nice airiness and fluffiness to your biscuits as well.
How To Make The Perfect Flaky Biscuits
Creating the perfect flaky vegan cinnamon biscuits isn't a tough process once you follow these tips below:
TIP 1: VERY COLD INGREDIENTS ARE KEY!
Ensuring that your butter and buttermilk are cold helps the biscuits to uphold their structure and expand nicely as they bake. This creates a light, fluffy texture which is exactly what you want!
TIP 2: CUTTING WITH A BENCH SCRAPER OR KNIFE WORKS MAGIC!
I love cutting my biscuit dough with a bench scraper or sharp knife because it helps me to avoid any "toggling" of the dough which causes them to come out "lean" or "lop-sided". Usually, I have this trouble with standard biscuit cutters because twisting during the cut is a huge NO, NO!
TIP 3: STACKING THE LAYERS OF THE DOUGH IS A MUST!
Stacking the layers of the dough for these biscuits is a game changer! It definitely creates a flaky, almost pull-apart like texture that you won't regret.
TIP 4: THE OVEN HAS TO BE HOT!
Much like other baking recipes, ensuring that your oven is preheated is super important! In addition, baking these biscuits at 400 degrees Fahrenheit ensures that they rise and crisp up nicely enough to cook through.
How to Know If Your Baking Powder + Baking Soda are Fresh
Baking is such a science, but more importantly because certain ingredients like your leaveners (aka baking powder + baking soda) are completely fresh so that your vegan cinnamon biscuits (and other baked goods) fully rise and bake through nicely and are the right texture.
Incase you weren't aware, there's an easy to double check both the baking powder and baking soda. Here's what you need:
BAKING SODA HACK:
-Add 1 teaspoon baking soda with ¼ cup vinegar or lemon juice in a bowl and if it's fresh, the mixture should "bubble/fizz". If no bubble/fizz is present, then your baking soda needs to be replaced.
BAKING POWDER:
-Add 1 teaspoon baking powder with ¼ cup Hot tap water in a bowl and if it's fresh, the mixture should "bubble/fizz". If no bubble/fizz is present, then your baking powder needs to be replaced.
STRAWBERRY PUREE/JAM
To make the purée or jam for your vegan strawberry topping, you'll need just four ingredients, plus water:
- 1-2 cups Strawberries. Fresh or frozen berries both work!
- ¼ cup Cane or coconut sugar. Either work well to make your fruit puree.
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice. This bit of acid helps bring out the natural sweetness in the fruit.
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract. Adds a warming under-note to the bright, fresh berry flavor.
- 1 tablespoon Arrowroot starch. This is an excellent gluten-free thickener. It doesn't add any flavor but thickens up your purée to the perfect pourable consistency without turning it into jelly.
Make the puree by first combining all of the ingredients in a medium pot on the stove. Then simmer the berries until they break down, about 10 to 12 minutes. Next, add the arrowroot starch, whisk well, and watch as your puree thickens up beautifully. Finally, reduce the mixture for a few more minutes, then let it cool fully.
You can speed up the cooling by placing the puree in a bowl in the fridge. Stir it every few minutes to help it cool evenly.
How to Store + Reheat Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Best when shortcakes are consumed within the same day. Leftovers can be stored separately in tightly sealed airtight containers in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. To serve warm biscuits in the oven or heat in the microwave and top with toppings.
Can I Freeze the Flaky Vegan Biscuits?
Absolutely! For longer storage–the biscuits can be stored in the freezer. After they have baked and are completely cooled, simply individually wrap the biscuits with foil paper or plastic wrap and add them to a zip loc bag and freeze.
How to Use a Food Processor for Biscuit Dough
If using a food processor to incorporate apple cider vinegar-milk mixture to flour/butter mixture, ONLY ADD ¼ cup of mixture AT A TIME to your dough, keeping it on “pulse” to avoid the dough from breaking down too much and it becoming “watery”.
Other Great Valentine's Day Recipes You’ll Love
If you are a fan of my Vegan Strawberry Shortcake, you will also love these other Valentine's Day options also!
- Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake
- Gluten-Free Hot Honey Bacon Pizza [Valentine's Day Edition]
- Creamy Salmon Alfredo Pasta
- Nashville Hot Cauliflower + Kale Grits
- Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Plant-based Sesame ‘Chicken' + Noodles
- Strawberry Grapefruit Mocktail
- Best White Russian Mocktail
- Vegan Pot Pie
- Delicious Strawberry Shortcake Baked Oats
- Creamy Lemon Herb Parmesan Chicken
MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
If you make this Vegan Strawberry Shortcake recipe, be sure to Tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea!
Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
VEGAN CINNAMON BISCUITS:
- 1 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour
- 1 cup organic pastry flour (See Notes)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 6 Tbsps VERY COLD vegan butter, cubed or cut into pieces (I like to use buttery sticks by Earth Balance)
- 1 cup Almond milk, COLD (You can use your fave plant-based milk)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
FRESH STRAWBERRY TOPPING/COMPOTE:
- 2-3 cups sliced strawberry, stems removed (You can use fresh or frozen)
- 3 Tbsps organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- 2 Tbsps organic strawberry preserves/jam
- Pinch of sea salt
- 2 tsps arrowroot starch + 2 Tbsps WARM water (See Notes)
TOPPINGS:
- Coconut whipped cream, homemade or store-bought
- Sliced fresh strawberries
VEGAN 'EGG' WASH:
- 2 Tbsps Almond milk (You can use your fave plant-based milk)
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
TO MAKE THE VEGAN CINNAMON BISCUITS:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a measuring cup or bowl, add the milk and apple cider vinegar together, stirring to combine and allowing it to sit for 3-4 minutes until mixture has thickened.
- In large bowl, add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, whisking them all together until combined.
- Add the pieces (or cubed) of butter and using a pastry blender, blend butter into dry ingredients until the mixture becomes “peas-like” and crumbly.
- Pour the cold acv-milk mixture and stir (working it together with one hand) until the dry ingredients are moistened and able to form into a ball. NOTE: If the ingredients feels a little too dry, add 1 tablespoon of cold milk at a time, until it’s moistened BUT not too wet!
- Add the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat (or roll using a rolling pin) into an 8-inch square (about 1-inch thick). Then use a bench scraper (or large knife) to cut the dough into 4 equal squares. Stack the squares atop each other and pat or roll into an 8-inch square again. Repeat this process about 2 more times (patting/rolling and stacking).
- Using a biscuit cutter, press it into the dough (NO twisting), lift, and remove the circular biscuit shaped dough and place unto baking sheet. Repeat until all biscuits are cut out. NOTE: Be sure to space out the dough about 1-inch apart when on the baking sheet.
- To make the vegan egg wash: add the milk + maple syrup together in a bowl, mixing until combined.
- Brush the tops with the vegan 'egg' wash to ensure that the tops are golden brown.
- Bake in the oven 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and everything looks crispy. Remove from oven and let cool until warm.
TO MAKE THE STRAWBERRY TOPPING/COMPOTE:
- In a saucepan, add together all ingredients over medium-high heat, stirring until combined. Once strawberries begin to soften, continue stirring until mixture begins to thicken a bit, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. NOTE: If the compote isn't thick enough, stir together the 2 tsps arrowroot + 2 tablespoon water in a bowl and add to the compote, stirring until it thickens.
ASSEMBLY:
- TO SERVE: add 1-2 biscuits unto your prepared plate(s), followed by: strawberry topping/compote, coconut whipped cream, + sliced fresh strawberries. You can add a drizzle of maple syrup or pinches of cinnamon, if desired. Repeat until all shortcakes are assembled.
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Best when shortcakes are consumed within the same day. Leftovers can be stored separately in tightly sealed airtight containers in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. To serve warm biscuits in the oven or heat in the microwave and top with toppings.
- FREEZE BISCUITS FOR LONGER: For longer storage–the biscuits can be stored in the freezer. After they have baked and are completely cooled, simply individually wrap the biscuits with foil paper or plastic wrap and add them to a zip loc bag and freeze.
- FOOD PROCESSOR FOR DOUGH: If using a food processor to incorporate apple cider vinegar-milk mixture to flour/butter mixture, ONLY ADD ¼ cup of mixture AT A TIME to your dough, keeping it on “pulse” to avoid the dough from breaking down too much and it becoming “watery”.
- EQUIPMENT: Here, I’ve curated a list of bakeware essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baking treats, especially with these Vegan Strawberry Shortcake. Everything from my fave baking sheets, parchment paper, mixing bowls, wooden spoons, pastry cutter, and more.
Nutrition
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