Skip the store-bought and make summertime strawberry shortcake completely from scratch with this recipe! Biscuits recipe updated in 2021. Using less flour and baking powder, adding a bit of baking soda, and including a dough folding step, these sweet biscuits are better than ever. They’re simply perfect for holding juicy strawberries and fresh whipped cream!
Today is real food and real flavor brought to life without any peanut butter swirls, caramel drizzles, rainbows, chocolate chunks, candy bar pieces, sprinkles, or unicorn magic. Strawberries + sweet biscuits + whipped cream. Every summer has a different song anthem with the latest chart-topping hit, but the summer dessert anthem stays the same year after year. And that dessert we just can’t get out of our heads, tastes delicious any time of day, and soothes our summertime soul is most definitely strawberry shortcake. ♥
Here’s What You Don’t Know About Strawberry Shortcake
Completely homemade strawberry shortcake is easier than you think. Skip the store-bought biscuits and whipped topping. Instead, have fun making strawberry shortcake at home. Load the homemade biscuits up with juicy strawberries and homemade whipped cream that, again, is so simple. If you can reach for store-bought whipped cream in the dairy aisle, you can make fresh whipped cream at home.
I hope I’m not overwhelming you with all this homemade goodness– I promise it’s all very doable. And that’s what summer is about, right? Simple, happy, pure homemade goodness that celebrates the season’s fresh flavors.
Fresh Strawberries for Strawberry Shortcake
You only need two ingredients for the strawberry filling: sugar and fresh strawberries. Chop up the strawberries and mix with a little sugar. The sugar helps strawberries release all their delicious juices, which will seep down into the sweet biscuits and whipped cream. (Aka the best part about strawberry shortcake!) I recommend mixing the strawberries and sugar together before you make the biscuits; this gives the strawberries some time to juice up.
Use Cold & Cubed Butter in the Biscuits
Use a food processor or pastry cutter, like we do for pie crust, to cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients, as detailed in the printable recipe below.
How to Make & Shape These Biscuits
Biscuits for this strawberry shortcake are not nearly as tall and fluffy as regular biscuits. Just to set your expectations appropriately! Don’t expect a super tall biscuit.
The shaping process is exactly like our regular biscuits using the fold and flatten method. Flattening and folding biscuit dough creates multiple flaky layers, just as it does when we make homemade croissants. This step is a lot easier than it looks. First, pour the crumbly dough onto a floured work surface:
Flatten the dough to about 3/4 inch thick with your hands or use a rolling pin:
Fold both ends into the center:
Turn it:
Flatten again and repeat 2 more times.
Use a biscuit cutter to shape them. You can use a 3-inch biscuit cutter or 2.75-inch biscuit cutter. You can bake the biscuits on a lined baking sheet, cast iron skillet, or round cake pan. A brush of heavy cream and sprinkle of coarse sugar gives the sweet biscuits a delightfully crisp top.
Homemade Whipped Cream
Just 3 ingredients here: cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. The colder the heavy cream, the more volume your whipped cream has. Unlike store-bought whipped cream, you can control the amount of sugar. I prefer lightly sweetened whipped cream with strawberry shortcake, so we’ll only use 2 Tablespoons. And another thing! Homemade whipped cream tastes 100x better than store-bought.
With its light and billowy texture, whipped cream is the perfect topping for pies, cakes, cupcakes, cheesecake, trifles, and so much more.
Let’s Assemble Strawberry Shortcake
After the biscuits bake, it’s time to assemble the strawberry shortcakes. Strawberry shortcake is fantastic with warm biscuits, cold strawberries, and cold whipped cream– but you can also wait for the biscuits to fully cool.
Assembling the strawberry shortcakes is the fun part! You can totally set up a “strawberry shortcake bar” where everyone makes their own stacks. And you could definitely add blueberries to the sweet strawberries for a patriotic treat in the summertime.
More Fan-Favorite Summer Desserts
- Key Lime Pie – only 3 ingredients in the filling
- No Bake Cheesecake
- Peach Cobbler – with homemade biscuit topping
- Fruit Pizza
- Lemon Blueberry Cake & Blueberry Pie
Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Shortcake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Fresh summer strawberries shine in this simple homemade strawberry shortcake recipe. The biscuits don’t rise super tall, but you’ll enjoy their crisp crumbly texture paired with the soft whipped cream and juicy strawberries.
Ingredients
Strawberries + Whipped Cream
- 6–7 cups quartered strawberries
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
Biscuits
- 2 and 3/4 cups (345g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for hands and work surface*
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt (I recommend fine sea salt)
- 3/4 cup (180g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup (240ml) cold buttermilk*
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream or buttermilk
- coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Start with the strawberries: Stir the strawberries and 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar together in a large bowl. Cover and set in the refrigerator until ready to use. This time allows the strawberries to release their delicious juices.
- Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Mix the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl or in a large food processor. Whisk or pulse until combined. Add the cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or by pulsing several times in the processor. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. If you used a food processor, pour the mixture into a large bowl.
- Pour buttermilk on top. Fold everything together with a large spoon or rubber spatula until it begins to come together. Do not overwork the dough. The dough will be shaggy and crumbly with some wet spots. Pour the dough and any dough crumbles onto a floured work surface and gently bring together with generously floured hands. Have extra flour nearby and use it often to flour your hands and work surface in this step. Using floured hands or a floured rolling pin, flatten into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle as best you can. Fold one side into the center, then the other side. Turn the dough horizontally. Gently flatten into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle again. Repeat the folding again. Turn the dough horizontally one more time. Gently flatten into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle. Repeat the folding one last time. Flatten into the final 3/4 inch thick rectangle.
- Cut into 2.75 or 3-inch circles with a biscuit cutter. (Tip: Do not twist the biscuit cutter when pressing down into the dough.) Re-roll/flatten any scraps and cut more circles until you have around 10-12 biscuits.
- Arrange in a 10-inch cast iron skillet (see note) or close together on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat lined baking sheet. Make sure the biscuits are touching.
- Brush the tops with 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown on top. Remove from the oven, then cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before assembling.
- Make the whipped cream: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until soft-medium peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- Slice the biscuits in half and layer with strawberries and whipped cream. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Each part of this recipe can be prepared ahead of time. Make the biscuits up to 3 days in advance and store covered tightly at room temperature– or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before using. Prepare the strawberries in step 1 up to 1 day in advance. Prepare the whipped cream up to 1 day in advance. Store both in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools: KitchenAid Stand Mixer | Pastry Cutter or Food Processor | 3-Inch Biscuit Cutter or 2.75-Inch Biscuit Cutter | 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet | Pastry Brush | Silpat Baking Mat | Baking Half Sheet
- Flour: Starting with cold flour is helpful when making biscuits. If you can remember, place the flour in the freezer 30 minutes before beginning.
- Baking Powder: To avoid a chemical aftertaste, make sure your baking powder is labeled aluminum free. I usually use Clabber Girl brand and though the ingredients state aluminum, I’ve never noticed an aluminum aftertaste.
- Buttermilk: You can substitute whole milk for buttermilk if desired. Acidic buttermilk isn’t needed in order for the biscuits to rise since we’re using baking powder. However if you’d like the tangy flavor, which I highly recommend, you can make your own sour milk substitute. Add 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add enough cold milk to make 1 cup. (You need 1 cup in the recipe, plus 2 Tbsp for brushing– you can use regular milk to brush on top.) Whisk together, then let sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe. Whole milk is best for the DIY sour milk substitute, though lower fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch. (In my testing, the biscuits don’t taste as rich or rise quite as tall using lower fat or nondairy milks.)
- If you’re using a cast iron skillet: If your cast iron skillet isn’t well seasoned, I recommend greasing it with a little vegetable oil or melted butter. Brush a thin layer of either on the bottom and around the sides. No need to heat the cast iron skillet before using, though you certainly can by placing it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes before arranging the shaped biscuits in it.
- Older Version of This Recipe: We tested and retested this recipe based on reader feedback in 2021. Old version of this recipe called for 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour and 2 Tablespoons baking powder (no baking soda). The written recipe above yields better results with more flavorful and taller biscuits.
Keywords: strawberry shortcake
This turned out really well! We will definitely make this our go to!
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
I want to make a strawberry shortcake “cake” not the small biscuits, if that makes sense. What should I do? Do you have that version of the recipe you could share, or guide me how to achieve that?
Hi Yugal, here’s our strawberry shortcake cake recipe!
The biscuits turned out like shortbread cookies. Not like biscuits or cake.
★★
by far the best biscuits ever. folding the dough several times added a sublime flakiness. just had leftovers with butter and jam with breakfast.
★★★★★
Hello! I followed this exactly but sadly my shortcake didn’t rise! 🙁 why could that be?
Hi Nabiha, happy to help! Check to make sure your baking powder is fresh. How was the texture of your dough? If the butter was over-mixed into the dough during the cutting step, the dough will end up being pretty wet instead of crumbly. Make sure the butter is extra cold before cutting it in, too. The biscuits can’t rise too high if the dough is heavy and wet. Also, be sure to bake them close together and to not twist the cutter when making the rounds. Hope these tips are helpful for next time!
Perfect flavor and texture.
★★★★★
This was easy and delicious! I bought a quarter flat of strawberries this weekend (it’s season now in Plant City, FL) and decided we needed to make strawberry shortcake. I halved the shortcake recipe as we only had 4 diners and added a few tablespoons of St. Germain to the macerated berries. Everyone loved it and I’ve got 2 extra shortcakes for tonight!
★★★★★
Loved this recipe and brought back great childhood memories.
I cut the recipe in half (only 2 people living at home now) and even used a little less than sugar and they were great. After I rolled the dough realized mine were a little thinner than suggested but with the butter in the recipe I didn’t want to work dough too much. With half the ingredient quantity and rolling dough a little thinner I got 8 biscuits that puffed up just great and were very light an fluffy. Definitely tagging this one for make again and again.
★★★★★
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Hi April, fresh strawberries are best for strawberry shortcake. You can use other fruit that is in season if you prefer! Other berries would be delicious.
I used frozen berries and it was great! Just added a little extra sugar to them.
Amazing recipe, so gooooood! Can you sub the biscuits with something else????
★★★★★
Hi Lucy, for a similar take on strawberry shortcake, how about our strawberry shortcake cake? So glad you enjoyed this one!
Yummy tip – sprinkle the top lightly with cinnamon sugar… your welcome
If we don’t have access to fresh strawberries would it work with frozen ones as well?
Mine looked amazing but I taste the baking powder
Hi Coral, We updated the recipe this year based on reader feedback to include less baking powder and some baking soda. Did you use the older version that you can still find in the recipe notes, or the new one? Some bakers may simply be more sensitive to the taste of baking powder. It could also be the brand. We always use (and swear by!) Clabber Girl and have never had this problem.
My family loved this recipe the best. We don’t eat regular sugar so I mix 1/2 cup pure maple syrup and 1/2 cup milk instead.
The only thing about recipe sites that to me is annoying, is that they go on and on and on talking and explaining the whole recipe.
Hi Elaine! Thanks for the feedback. I can’t speak for other websites, but we receive 100s of questions daily and I’ve framed my pages so that the headnotes help answer many FAQs. We avoid any information that does not pertain to the recipe. Feel free to take advantage of the Jump to Recipe button at the top.
I never thought of that, answering so many questions.
Anyway, I see that it says recipe was updated. Could I have the old one?
Hi Elaine! See recipe notes for details on the older version of the recipe.
Please
1st time and perfect Strawberry Shortcake, to die for.
★★★★★
These were absolutely delicious. Soft and fluffy and so tasty! Your folding directions were also super clear and easy to follow. I will definitely be making them again.
Just one question, how come they need to be touching? Does it affect the texture if they’re not?
★★★★★
Hi Priscilla, We are so happy you enjoyed these! The biscuits rise up nice and tall when they are touching, pressed snuggly against one another in the oven.
Hello! I like the idea of baking the biscuits closer to serving time so they are still warm, but I would like to make the dough in advance – will the dough be ok to rest for a few hours or should it be baked as soon as it’s made?
Hi Hannah, the dough is just fine set aside for a few hours. I recommend covering and refrigerating it before baking. No need to bring to room temperature before baking.
These turned out perfectly! The “laminating” step was worth it since I ended up with fluffy, but lightly layered biscuits. They are chewy on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside. I used a cheese grater to grate well chilled butter into the dry mixture and it worked great, plus takes less time than cutting in the butter! I have found my new favourite biscuit recipe 🙂
★★★★★
Absolutely the best shortcake we’ve ever had. It raised so well during baking and was so light and moist. Very easy to make. I didn’t have any buttermilk, so I added fresh lemon juice to regular 2% milk and let it sit for a few minutes while I prepped the dry ingredients and cut in the butter. My guests could not get enough.
This was a total flop for me and I have baked a fair amount. Way too much butter (3 sticks!!) and my dough was also super wet and I had to add more flour so I had to work dough more and they didn’t end up rising well. More cake texture than biscuit.
★
Hi Ann, it’s likely the recipe didn’t work because you accidentally used too much butter. There is only 3/4 cup of butter in this dough, not 1 and 1/2 cups. 3/4 cups of butter is 1.5 sticks.
I made these last night for my family. So good! I used my biggest cast-iron skillet and it worked great. I used almond milk and put the lemon juice in it and that worked just fine. We used cool whip instead of making whipped cream and we felt a dip of vanilla ice cream on the side was needed. 🙂 Excellent recipe. My family loved it.
★★★★★
So delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and the shortcakes turned out wonderfully! Light and fluffy inside with a golden, crisp crust. Lovely in every way.
★★★★★
Can I bake these in stoneware? Or a toaster oven?
Hi Linda! The biscuits may not get as crisp if baked in stoneware. We’ve never tested them in a toaster oven, but let us know if you do!
This is by far the best shortcake recipe I have found yet. Made it for house guests recently and it was a big hit! Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Wow. Used food processor method. Added the zest of 1.5 large lemons to the dry ingredients. Brushed with cream and used turbinado sugar for sprinkling. Rise was more than I expected given the caveat. One of the best “biscuits” I’ve made and I’m from the south. Less the sprinkles this might become my breakfast biscuit recipe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
★★★★★
Excellent shortcake! Even having to deal with mixing Japanese cake flour and bread flour, they ended up beautiful and just the right texture and flavor. I could eat these every day! Strawberry season is nearing the end, but how about some raspberry shortcake and blueberry shortcake!?
★★★★★
That would work!!!
Not sure what I did wrong. The dough was very wet once I added the buttermilk. Not at all shaggy. I ended up adding another half cup of flour so I could work it at all. They look okay out of the oven. Keeping my fingers crossed that they taste okay.
Jennifer, my dough was really wet after adding buttermilk, so I eventually added slowly another 3/4 cup flour while rolling the dough, came out great….live and learn
Lightly sweet, soft, and perfect for strawberries and cream! My family already loves your Buttermilk Biscuit recipe, so this slightly sweet variation was naturally a favorite too! Thank you for so many tried and true recipes, Sally.
★★★★★
Wow, I’ve been baking Bisquick biscuits for my strawberry shortcake for years and finally felt brave enough to try your recipe. I followed your instructions precisely…. put the buttermilk in the freezer and butter so it was extra cold…. even put the flour in the freezer for 10 mins prior. The biscuits are SO GOOD. wow. I even used the food processor for the first time. Thank you for encouraging bakers to expand beyond their comfort zone. I won’t be buying (chemical filled) Bisquick EVER again.
★★★★★
I have been making biscuits for years yet never hit on a recipe that rang all the bells for me. This one is it! They are light , slightly sweet and rose perfectly. Yummy!
Hi, this recipe looks delicious! I don’t have a cast iron skillet, so would it be okay if I greased and lined a cake pan and baked the biscuits in that instead? Thanks!
Hi A.K., absolutely — you can bake the biscuits on a lined baking sheet, cast iron skillet, or round cake pan.
Really delicious! I’m having trouble waiting to eat the biscuits with the strawberries- they are so tasty!! I was a little worried about the folding part but once you are doing it, it’s actually fine.
★★★★★