Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
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An easy recipe for gluten-free strawberry shortcake. The classic dessert of sweet and fluffy shortcake biscuits layered with strawberries and whipped cream.
Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
Making a homemade gluten-free strawberry shortcake is super easy! Strawberry shortcake is different than traditional Gluten-Free Strawberry Cake. A classic shortcake is not made with cake but sweet biscuits that are filled with sliced strawberries and whipped cream.
This easy gluten-free dessert recipe uses a sweet version of my Gluten-Free Biscuits to make the shortcakes. So if you have tried my gluten-free biscuit recipe, you are going to love these gluten-free shortcakes!
It only takes a few simple ingredients to make these gluten-free strawberry shortcakes. You can see just how easy it is to make in the recipe step photos and the recipe video.
Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients
STRAWBERRIES
- strawberries: The strawberries are a star of the recipe. Make sure that your strawberries are ripe.
- granulated sugar: A little bit of sugar brings out the sweetness of the strawberries.
SHORTCAKES
- unsalted butter: The butter adds fat and moisture to the biscuit dough.
- gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum: This recipe was developed with Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose. If you use Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 or King Arthur Measure for Measure you will need to add an extra 1/2 cup of flour to the dough.
- baking powder: This gives a lift to the biscuits.
- granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, & salt: These ingredients add flavor and sweetness to the shortcakes.
- milk & white vinegar: Making homemade buttermilk gives the shortcakes a tender texture.
- egg: The egg is the binder ingredient and gives extra protein that is often needed in gluten-free baking.
WHIPPED CREAM
- heavy whipping cream: The whipping cream should be very cold.
- granulated sugar & pure vanilla extract: These give the sweet flavor to the whipped cream.
How To Make Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
- Preheat your oven to 450°F and grease a large cast iron pan or baking sheet.
- Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to the cup of milk and let stand 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator to keep cold.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and put it in the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Slice the strawberries. Stir together sliced strawberries and sugar in a medium-sized bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator. (photo 1)
- In a large bowl, add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, and stir to combine the ingredients. (photo 2)
- Cut in cold butter (or dairy-free butter) into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork until it looks like the size of small peas.
- Add the pure vanilla extract to the buttermilk. Stir in the buttermilk and the whisked egg and stir until a soft dough forms. The key is to not over mix because over-mixing causes the dough to yield tough shortcakes. The dough will be sticky. (photo 3)
- Add one tablespoon of flour to a large piece of parchment paper. PLEASE DO NOT ROLL OUT THE DOUGH.
- Place the dough on top of the floured parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough with 1 tablespoon of flour and gently fold the dough over on itself 2 times. You do this by folding the dough in half on top of itself and then doing it a second time. (photo 4 & 5)
- With your hands, form a dough round that is about 7 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. If you make it any larger or flatter you will end up with hard, flat shortcakes.
- Use a 3-inch or 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out the dough. (I used the 3-inch cutter) Do not twist the cutter when cutting; this will crimp the edges and will cause it not to rise well. Reform the dough scraps into a dough round and cut out more shortcakes. Put the shortcakes on a greased large cast iron pan or baking sheet. You will have 9-12 shortcakes to bake. (photo 6)
- Brush the tops of the dough with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake the shortcakes for 15-20 minutes at 450°F. At the 15-minute point, please check your shortcakes to see if they are golden brown. Please watch your shortcakes because all ovens are different. Allow the shortcakes to cool.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, pure vanilla extract, and sugar to a large bowl and whip with a mixer for 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks form. Instead of making your own whipped cream, you can also use Cool Whip, canned whipped cream, or dairy-free whipped cream.
- Slice the shortcakes in half, top with strawberries and whipped cream, and enjoy!
- Store leftover shortcakes in an airtight container.
Tips For Making the Best Strawberry Shortcake
- You can use frozen strawberries in place of fresh strawberries. Just make sure to defrost the frozen strawberries.
- You don’t have to make homemade whipped cream. You can use Cool Whip, canned whipped cream, or dairy-free whipped cream.
- If you use Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 or King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour you will need to add an extra 1/2 cup of flour to the dough.
- It’s best to measure the gluten-free flour with the “spoon & level” method. This keeps you from getting too much flour in the recipe.
- This recipe can be easily made dairy-free by using Smart Balance butter, unsweetened almond milk, and dairy-free whipped cream.
Easy Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
This classic gluten-free strawberry shortcake recipe is a family favorite dessert. You can make this easy gluten-free dessert in just 30 minutes. It’s the perfect dessert for both spring and summer when strawberries are in season!
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes To Try!
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Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcakes
An easy recipe for gluten-free strawberry shortcake. The classic dessert of sweet and fluffy biscuits layered with strawberries and whipped cream.
Ingredients
STRAWBERRIES
- 3 cups sliced strawberries (1 1/2 quarts)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
SHORTCAKES
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum, I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons course sugar , (optional)
WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Or substitute with Cool Whip, canned whipped cream or dairy-free whipped cream.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450° F and grease a large cast iron pan or baking sheet.
- Add the white vinegar or lemon juice to the milk and let stand 5 minutes in the refrigerator to stay cold.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and put in the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Slice the strawberries. Stir together sliced strawberries and sugar in a medium-sized bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator.
- In a large bowl add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and stir to combine the ingredients. I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- Cut in the cold butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork until it looks like the size of small peas.
- Add the 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to the buttermilk. Stir in the buttermilk and the whisked egg and stir until a soft dough forms. The key is to not over mix because over-mixing causes the dough to yield tough shortbread. The dough will be sticky.
- Add one tablespoon of flour to a large piece of parchment paper. PLEASE DO NOT ROLL OUT THE DOUGH.
- Place the dough on top of the floured parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough with 1 tablespoon of flour and gently fold the dough over on itself 2 times. You do this by folding the dough in half on top of itself and then doing it a second time. (see the recipe video)
- With your hands form a dough round that is about 7 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. If you make it any larger or flatter you will end up with hard, flat biscuits.
- Cut out 3-inch or 2-inch biscuits using a biscuit cutter, the mouth of a glass or the lid of a mason jar. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this will crimp the edges and cause it not to rise well. Reform the dough scraps into a dough round and cut out more shortcakes. Put the shortcake on a greased large cast iron pan or baking sheet. You will have 9-12 shortcakes to bake.
- Brush the tops of the dough with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake the shortcake for 15-20 minutes at 450° F. At the 15-minute point please check your shortcake to see if they are golden brown. Please watch your shortcake because all ovens are different. Allow them to cool.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, pure vanilla extract, and sugar to a large bowl and whip with a mixer for 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks form. Instead of making your own whipped cream you can also use Cool Whip, canned whipped cream or dairy-free whipped cream.
- Slice the shortcake in half, top with strawberries and whipped cream, and enjoy!
- The left-over shortcakes can be stored in an airtight container.
Notes
- I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- The best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method.
- For dairy-free: Smart balance butter and unsweetened almond milk.
- For egg-free: use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Egg Replacer. The egg-free sweet biscuits were not as fluffy as the regular sweet biscuits but were still flaky and delicious!
- For vegan: use egg replacer, vegan butter, and plant based milk.
- I have the K&S Artisan Complete Pastry Cutter Set
- Mama says, “Check all of your labels!”
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 357kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 6gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 315mgPotassium: 277mgFiber: 4gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 706IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 141mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @mamaknowsglutenfree or tag #mamaknowsglutenfree!
These were perfect! I followed directions precisely and they came out great. I had to bake a little longer though for them to brown a little. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing Janet!
I’d love to make this tomorrow but I’m worried about not having access to Pillsbury gf flour. Would Cup 4 Cup be a good replacement?
Hi Kayt, We’ve only tested it with the Pilsbury.
These shortcakes are delicious! I just followed the directions and they came out perfect! Adding the strawberries and some whipped cream made this a truly delightful dessert! This is a recipe that I will make again and again! Thank you!
Very thoughtfully written recipe with all the tips for GF baking. I do a lot of GF baking and my experience goes along with her tips. I appreciate the advice about the sorghum flour in the King Arthur Measure for Measure which I used and did not like the sweetly dominant flavor it gave. But the biscuits had a nice rise and browning, and good internal texture. I will use a different flour next time. The blend makes a big difference in gf baking just like the author indicated. Has anyone tried oat flour for these or part oat/almond flour?
These are just perfect! I used King Arthur 1:1 GF Flour (added an extra 1/2 cup per instructions). I made the recipe exactly as written the first time and used a 2 3/4 in biscuit cutter and only got 6 shortcakes (plus a tiny 2 in one). We noticed that they were VERY filling, so the next time I used a 2 1/4 in biscuit cutter instead and got 9 shortcakes plus a tiny 2 in one (perfect for our 3 year old!). Also, I forgot to put the egg in the second time I made them and they turned out just fine, maybe a little less rise. So if you need egg-free, I’d just leave it out!
PERFECT! SO DELICIOUS! Thank you! This will be the only recipe for shortcake biscuits that I will use!
Can I use oatmilk as a substitute for almond milk?
That should work!
Hello, I used Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free Flour instead and oatmilk and I couldn’t get the dough to not be sticky. What should I do differently?
Hi Kylie, Did you add an extra 1/2 cup of flour to the dough for using Bob’s?
After trying several GF shortcake recipes, this one takes the cake 😁. It’s light and airy for a biscuit and the sugar adds a nice sweetness.
Curious, could this be made with King Arthur’s gluten free bread flour?
Hi Tina, Yes, If you do that, you’ll need to add an extra 1/2 cup of flour to the dough. The King Arthur flour has sorghum in the blend and it does not absorb liquid the same a the Pillsbury gluten-free flour.
How long do these last in an airtight container? Are they still as good the second and third day?
Hi Michelle, the biscuits will keep well for up to 3 days at room temperature. As with most baked goods, they are best on the day they are made but still delicious a few days later!
Can I put the dough into a baking dish to make one big cake? Will it rise the same?
Hi Mary, we have not tried baking it as one big cake, but it could work. It will need to bake for longer, though.
Plan on making these for a Memorial Day family gathering Monday. Can actual buttermilk be substituted for the custom vinegar/lemon juice milk? Need to add some baking soda I presume.
Yes, you can use buttermilk if you prefer! No other adjustments would need to be made.
Can you use vegan butter for this recipe?
Yes!
Wonderful recipe and turned out great with strawberries and coconut whipped cream 😀 Made it for my husband and he loves it ❤️
i was making shepherd’s pie the other day and really wanted biscuits on top.
My wife, daughter son in-law and 4 grandkids are all GF and Milk intolerant, so I’m gettin good at subbing with coconut everything. That’s when i saw your website. I love the buttermilk hack. we use lemon and full fat coconut milk and it works like a dream. tomorrows a birthday for one of the kids so i made strawberry shortcake with the biscuit recipe, absolute hit.
Gotta go make coconut whipped cream…. so thanks papa loves “mama knows gluten free”. Greg
My family and I LOVED this recipe! The first gf shortcake recipe I have tried that didn’t turn out like hockey pucks 🤣 These were so light and fluffy, and on repeat in our household!
Light and fluffy GF shortcakes! The dough was sticky before baking. I used Gluten Free Krusteaz, next time I will add more flour. This will be the only way I make Strawberry Shortcake. Great recipe
Love the biscuits. Making shortcake for my grandchildren tomorrow. Thanks.
My dough was too sticky and kept getting stuck to the parchment paper whenever I folded the dough. How can I fix that? I’m using King Arthur’s flour.
Hi Jennifer! You will need to add an extra 1/2 cup of King Arthur measure for the measure when making the dough. The King Arthur flour has sorghum in the blend and it doe not absorb liquid the same a the Pillsbury gluten-free flour that I bake with. You can also add more flour to the bottom of the parchment paper too. I hope you enjoyed the shortcakes!
I made these tonight, and they were awesome. Didn’t taste gluten free! Served with fresh sliced strawberries and cool whip. Thank you!
Would these freeze?
Yes, Freeze them wrapped tightly in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.
You’ve answered someone else about freezing them but wanted to distinguish if you could freeze them raw and then bake them straight from the freezer as you would a normal/non gf biscuit or did you mean yes to freezing fully baked and cooked shortcakes? Thanks!
Hi Sandra, Freezing the dough should be fine as well 🙂
I made these tonight using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour and they turned out awesome! Thank you!
Excellent!
Best recipe ever! Even the non vegan and non gluten free people in my house loved it! Gone within a day!
My husband said, “Grand slam!!””Make it again!!” I followed the recipe using milk alternative and a duck egg. I have found recently that duck give more loft to gluten free baking.
Delicious! My whole family loved them! I will definitely make these again!
Hello! Just made these shortcakes and they came out great! I spooned the dough onto some parchment paper for more of a rustic looking shortcake. They’re slightly crunchy on the outside/soft on the inside… and tastes delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Made these last night. Used blueberries and topped with vanilla lactose free ice cream. . Turned out great. Love the little video.
Thank you so much Teri for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the shortcakes. I love blueberries and cream too. Thanks for your kind words about the video, I am trying to make more recipe videos. Thank you again for the recipe review!
Hello Audry
I made these today and they turned out great and have a delicious flavor.
I missed the note about adding extra flour if not using Pillsbury and I did use another brand and the dough looked the same as the dough in the video. I will try Pillsbury next time see if it makes a difference.
All I have to say is thank you for sharing such a great and delightful, delicious gluten free recipe.