Description

This Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake recipe is superb! With just the right amount of sweetness, these shortcakes let the bright flavor of the strawberries shine. Finish with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and you have the perfect springtime dessert. These GF Shortcakes are so much better than store-bought, both in flavor and texture, and are surprisingly easy to make. Plus, you control the amount of sugar in them so you can always adjust the amount to your liking.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Shortcakes:

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup gluten-free flour

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons sour cream (or yogurt)

1/2 cup Half & Half

For the berries:

1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries (about 15 berries)

2 teaspoons granulated sugar (or more if you prefer more sweetness)

For the whipped cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Cut 4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter into small pieces and place back in the refrigerator until ready to mix the batter. Cold butter is essential for the shortcakes.
Measure and stir dry ingredients into a mixing bowl: 1 cup Gluten-Free Flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar.
Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it forms pea-sized pieces.
Whisk 2 Tablespoons of sour cream into ½ cup Half and Half (or milk) and pour into the dry mixture. Mix gently with a spoon until the flour mixture is incorporated. Do not overwork the dough. If there is a little of the flour left in the bowl, that is ok.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface, such as a parchment lined countertop, and knead gently 2-3 times.
Divide the dough into 8 sections and shape into rounds.
Place rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden. I find that gluten-free baked goods dry out much more quickly than those made with wheat, so don’t be afraid to pull them at 8 minutes and check for doneness. A knife inserted will come out clean when they are ready.
Meanwhile, wash, slice, and macerate the strawberries by sprinkling them with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Let them sit until ready to serve. The retired science teacher in me can’t help but point out the beauty of osmosis at work here. Yay, science!
Combine the ingredients for the whipped cream in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk or use an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Remove your beautiful, slightly golden shortcakes from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
Slice and layer with strawberries and a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

Notes

Tips and Tricks

The trick with making shortcakes is to not overwork the dough. When you mix the wet and dry together, do so until the mixture just holds together. Overworking or handling the dough too much will result in tough, dense shortcakes. Allow the mixture to be a bit crumbly and untidy and fight the urge to smooth every last bit of flour into the dough. This is especially true when using gluten-free flour.

I find the two knives method much easier than using a pastry cutter and it’s my preferred method when baking with my kids. My grandmother was well-known and celebrated for her pies and always used this tried and true method for cutting the fat into the flour. It works so well for these shortcakes!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes