My quick and easy strawberry shortcake recipe combines refrigerated biscuit dough, homemade whipped cream, and fresh strawberries for a sweet party dessert that’s ready in less than an hour!
Easy Strawberry Shortcakes with Refrigerated Biscuits
Of all the ways to whip up a strawberry shortcake, making it easy with refrigerated biscuits is absolutely my favorite option. There’s something about the flakey biscuits with the sweet, thick whipped cream and juicy berries that always makes me smile! If you want to make homemade biscuits, more power to you! However, I’ve found that a can of store-bought biscuit dough is so delicious in this recipe, and it saves me a ton of time.
My secret ingredient is a little yogurt in the whipped cream. It makes it delightfully thick and silky, so it’s much denser than your typical whipped cream. But as good as my homemade hack is, these strawberry shortcakes also taste great using standard Cool Whip. Either way, this dessert is always a hit at potlucks!
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Don’t Use Frozen Fruit!
While I often recommend using frozen fruit to save some cash, this is one recipe where it simply doesn’t work. The strawberries just won’t taste fresh enough, and the texture will be mushy. I highly recommend using fresh berries in your shortcakes for the best results.
Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Strawberries:
- 1 pint fresh strawberries (rinsed, stems removed and sliced; about 2 cups sliced strawberries)
- ½ cup granulated sugar for macerating
For the Biscuits:
- 16 ounces biscuit dough (1 tube)*
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream for brushing
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling
For the Whipped Cream:
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream chilled
- ¾ cup plain yogurt chilled**
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup chilled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Prep:
- Slice the strawberries and combine with sugar in a bowl, enough to fully coat the berries. Place in the refrigerator to macerate, until they become syrupy.1 pint fresh strawberries, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Put the mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
- Preheat oven according to the directions on the can of biscuits.
Bake the Biscuits:
- Take the biscuit dough out of the can and separate the biscuits. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet.16 ounces biscuit dough
- Brush each biscuit with heavy cream.1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- Then sprinkle the biscuit tops with sugar.2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Bake the biscuits for the number of minutes indicated on the can, until the bottoms of the biscuits are golden and the tops are lightly browned. Set the baking pan on a baking rack to cool.
Make the Whipped Cream:
- Take the mixing bowl and beaters out of the freezer. Place the heavy cream and yogurt in the chilled bowl, and beat until soft peaks form.1½ cups heavy whipping cream, ¾ cup plain yogurt
- Add maple syrup to taste, then add the vanilla extract, and combine. You don’t have to worry about over-beating this whipped cream here.3 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Assemble:
- Once cooled, split the baked biscuits in half crosswise.
- Spoon macerated strawberries onto the bottom half of each biscuit.
- Top the berries with whipped cream.
- Place the other half of each biscuit on top. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can adjust the amount of maple syrup added to your whipped cream. I tend to like it a little less on the sweet side (with 3 tablespoons) because of the sweet strawberries. Feel free to adjust it based on your personal preferences.
- The longer the strawberries sit in the sugar, the juicier your results will be. If you want super sugary berries, macerate them overnight.
- While I highly recommend using fresh berries; if you do use frozen berries, simply let them thaw, then combine the juices with sugar. They may be a bit mushy though.
- Make sure the biscuits are room temperature before topping them with whipped cream, or the cream will melt and lose shape immediately.
- If you want to add even more berries, I recommend tossing some blueberries into the mix! That would make an adorable Fourth of July dessert.
- I recommend not assembling the shortcakes until you’re ready to serve them. If you assemble them too early, the whipped cream will soak into the biscuits and it’ll all get soggy. If you’re planning a party, you can make these shortcakes and keep them in the fridge for about an hour or so before guests arrive.
- Strawberry Shortcakes can also be assembled with angel food cake or pound cake instead of biscuits.
Make Ahead for Parties and Potlucks
Strawberry shortcake is one of my favorite desserts to make for summer potlucks and holidays (like the 4th of July) because it’s simple and easy to transport. Here are my tried and true tips for party prep!
- Macerate berries overnight. The longer the strawberries sit in the sugar, the sweeter and juicier they get. Let them sit in the fridge overnight so they’re ready to use the next day. I macerate them in a sealed bowl with a lid so I can take them with me too!
- Bake and store the biscuits. Go ahead and bake the biscuits according to my instructions. Then let them cool, and store them in an airtight container until you need them.
- Use the right whipped cream. When I make this recipe ahead of time, I opt for my stabilized whipped cream to prevent weeping. Or I just grab a tub of Cool Whip for convenience!
- Assemble this dessert fresh. Once all the components are prepped and stored, it’s easy to assemble fresh strawberry shortcakes at the party.
How to Store
Store leftover fully assembled strawberry shortcakes in the refrigerator for up to 1 hour. You can store the biscuits, whipped cream, and strawberries separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I recommend assembling everything just before serving for the best texture.
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