Skip the store-bought and make summertime strawberry shortcake completely from scratch with this recipe! These lightly sweetened biscuits are simply perfect for holding juicy strawberries and fresh whipped cream.
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. I also updated the biscuit recipe in 2022. 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.
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.
One reader, Ruth, commented: “This was phenomenal! Best strawberry shortcake I’ve ever made! Made with local berries that you can only get for a few weeks of the year really put it over the top! The flavors melted together perfectly. I loved the buttermilk flavor of the shortcake, light and flaky, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Excellent! ★★★★★”
Another reader, Debbie, commented: “This was an easy recipe to pull together for the wow-factor presentation it made. Everyone loved not just the look but the taste of this amazing dessert! It made our Fourth of July memorable, and I will definitely be making this again! ★★★★★“
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. It might even be easier than making strawberry shortcake cupcakes. 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
- Strawberry Bread
- Berry Galette
For even more inspiration, view all of my dessert recipes. This recipe also joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipes—ready in 1 hour or less!
Print
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 (12 Tbsp; 170g) 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 silicone 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 (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Pastry Cutter or Food Processor | Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Rolling Pin | 3-Inch Biscuit Cutter or 2.75-Inch Biscuit Cutter | 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Pastry Brush | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- 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 buttermilk 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. 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This may have already been asked, but I am too lazy to read through all of the comments. Are you able to just put this in a pan and bake. I don’t care about the round biscuits I can make square ones but feel this may be easier for me to just put in a pan? I am assuming you can just wondering how long to bake?
Hi Jennifer, if you were to bake it in a pan with sides, you’ll still want to cut into circle or square biscuits before baking. Cutting them first allows them to rise properly, whereas they won’t rise and have as many layers if you put the dough into the pan and bake. If you want to avoid cutting biscuits, you might enjoy this strawberry shortcake cake instead.
What should the temperature be for baking the shortcake?
Hi Emma, 400°F (204°C).
Made a double batch of these for a party. My dough was a bit dry out of the bowl (after adding the buttermilk) but it eventually came together with all the 3/4 turns. I used a bench scraper to help with the folds and used my hands some to keep it together. By the end they had a great consistency and I cut 24 3″ rounds. They were amazing warm & just cooled, but hours later they seemed a bit heavy and had lost their crispness on top. I’d definitely make again if serving within an hour….but toasted this morning with jam they were yum!
Too much baking powder! It’s all you can taste.
Metric measurements for the biscuit are off. The dough was way to wet. I kept adding flour to make it workable. It came out great but I can’t follow this recipe in the future.
Hi Anitha, thank you for trying this recipe, I’m sorry you are having trouble with it. If the weather is particularly humid, I do find that I need to add more flour. I actually made these biscuits this week and had that experience. So you did the right thing, and sometimes it’s simply an environmental/weather-related issue that won’t happen next time!
I’m making these for the Lady Captain Day at the golf club. First time of making them – so light and fluffy .
Best recipe for biscuit/short cake EVER!! The recipe is perfect. It was so flaky and light. I love this recipe so much. Thank you
The very best recipe. Loved it
Making this every week all summer long sooooo perfect
These biscuits are so good, I really didn’t care about the strawberries! But, since it is the 4th of July, the strawberries are ready:)
This was an easy recipe to pull together for the wow-factor presentation it made. Everyone loved not just the look, but the taste of this amazing dessert! It made our Fourth of July memorable, and I will definitely be making this again!
Could I use self rising flour instead of APF, baking soda & baking powder?
Hi Sue, we don’t recommend it. It’s best to use the all-purpose flour and baking soda and baking powder as written here, since self raising flour wouldn’t necessarily be a 1:1 swap.
Can I freeze the raw dough punched out into biscuits and thaw /bake them later successfully? I’d love to be able to bake fresh biscuits on demand.
Hi Elisa, you can freeze the shaped biscuits, but we do recommend baking them thawed, not frozen. After shaping them, place them on a plate or in a freezer-friendly container, cover tightly, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bake as directed. Or, you can freeze the baked biscuits for up to 3 months. They reheat beautifully!
The dough was too wet, had to add at least 2 Tbls more flour. A scant 3 cups of flour would probably be correct.
I found this as well! I added some flour back in to get it to the right consistency, was coming here to see if I was the only one (and I measured using weight!)
This was phenomenal! Best strawberry shortcake I’ve ever made! Made with local berries that you can only get for a few weeks a year really put it over the top! The flavors melted together perfectly. I loved the buttermilk flavor of the shortcake, light and flakey, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Excellent!
I used whole wheat flour (a fine grind) and these turned out fabulous. I added a touch more buttermilk as ww tends to absorb more moisture than regular flour.
I used whole wheat flour (a fine grind) and these turned out fabulous. I added a touch more buttermilk as ww tend to absorbed moisture more than regular flour.
Made the biscuits with about half whole wheat flour. They are divine! I’m freezing them for an upcoming 80th birthday dinner for my guy! Strawberry shortcake is his favourite. We like to make things a little more nutritious, if possible. Thank you!
Can i prepare the strawberries and freeze them a week in advance?
Hi Marianne! We don’t recommend it. The strawberries will change texture and lose a lot of liquid when freezing/thawing.
I halved the recipe using my scale. Everything turned out well! I had left over dough, so I used my cast iron pan again for a second bake. The biscuit lost its shape which was no surprise, but seeing an organic shape for the purpose of a strawberry shortcake was actually nice. Basically, you can opt for not such a circular shape and use a baking sheet if that is all you have. I also sprinkled some sugar on top for a sweet crunchiness on the top.
Would appreciate nutrition info on all of your recipes
Hi Judy, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I don’t have a cast iron skillet. Is there a good alternative pan to use?
Hi Roxanne, We recommend a parchment paper or silicone baking mat lined baking sheet if you’re not using a cast iron skillet.
I have a terrible time making biscuits, but these were fantastic. I was so excited about them , I decided to write you a review They were flaky rose beautifully. Just delicious. My strawberry shortcake was delicious. First berries of the season. Thank you so much . Plus they were pretty easy to make ( a little messy ) but worth it!
Thank you
Fanatastic shortcake. Made with very cold butter from freezer. Added a little extra buttermilk to get the dough consistency just right. Kept in fridge waiting to bake until about 45 minutes before serving.
This was absolutely the best strawberry shortcake I’ve ever had. I followed the recipe as written and it was divine. I will make this again and again!
I grew up having strawberry shortcake using the sponge cake bought at the supermarket. I initially set out looking to replicate that. Boy am I glad I made this instead! Amazing! Everyone in my family enjoyed this so much!
So simple and delicious! I don’t have a biscuit cutter, so I just patted out the dough and cut squares.
Wow! Literally just made them for the strawberries we purchased at the market. Fantastic!
I am excited to make these for our girls’ get-together. We will be at an altitude of 6500′. Any suggestions for making these biscuits at high altitude? Thanks.
I love your site and have made several of your recipes all with huge success!
I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I made this for a dinner party last night, theme was homestyle. Seriously this was the best dish served at the meal – all guests (even those dieting) licked up every drop! I did add 2 – 3 TBSP Cointreau to the strawberries after I cut them up. The sweet biscuits were perfect with the berries and whipped cream. I froze the butter stick and then used a grater instead of using a food processor which resulted in a lovely, flakey biscuit. Overall an excellent recipe and will definitely make again.