Mini Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake: The Best Summer Dessert
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Gluten-free strawberry shortcake is a family favorite dessert made from scratch with homemade vanilla muffins stuffed with whipped cream and juicy strawberries. It has the same light and fluffy texture as a good old-fashioned cake but is grain-free with a coconut flour base.
These delightful strawberry shortcakes are the perfect dessert for summer when strawberries are in season. The recipe makes 12 mini shortcakes that make a great weekend dessert.
Add them to your celebration table for small gatherings like birthdays, anniversaries, and outdoor barbecues. They’re guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!
These keto strawberry shortcakes stay moist for several days, making them a great make-ahead dessert, too. Keep reading for the full recipe details!
Table of Contents (click to view)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
My simple mini strawberry shortcake recipe is bound to be a summer showstopper. Plus, it’s gluten-free — not that you could guess! I’m sure this will be a hit with your family. Here’s why:
- Budget-friendly
- Family-friendly and kid-approved
- Simple ingredients: Uses wholesome ingredients you can find right in your kitchen.
- Short prep and cooking time: The whole recipe takes just 45 minutes to make from start to finish.
- Amazing flavors: Soft and moist vanilla muffins reminiscent of buttermilk biscuits, with a light crumb that melts in the mouth, combine perfectly with the summery sweetness of fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
- Easy-to-follow directions: Follow 5 straightforward steps — no complicated prepping and baking techniques.
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions to make this sweet and indulgent bite-sized gluten-free strawberry shortcake.
How to Make Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
In our household, summer isn’t summer until we have these keto strawberry shortcakes. This mouth-watering pastry takes less than an hour to bake using fridge and pantry staples, so there’s every reason to give this a go for your next summer get-together.
Once you get to know the ingredients and techniques for low-carb baking, making recipes like this gluten-free strawberry shortcake will be a breeze. Use The Ultimate Guide to Low-Carb Baking to prepare for the holidays, satisfy sweet cravings without guilt, and serve oven-fresh baked goods the whole family can enjoy.
Ingredients You Need
You might be tempted to go for store-bought shortcakes, but my recipe is easy to make from scratch using everyday ingredients. All you need are the following:
For the muffins:
- Butter
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs: Use large free-range or pastured eggs, or raise your own.
- Coconut flour: There’s no better gluten-free alternative for this recipe as changing the flour can impact the texture of the muffins.
- Baking powder: Must not be confused with baking soda; helps the muffins rise and become light and fluffy.
- Cream cheese: Adds richness and a slightly tangy flavor, on top of contributing to the moisture and fluffiness of the cake.
- Natural sweetener: I prefer using keto-friendly Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener to add a clean sweetness without the unusual aftertaste. Both the Classic and Golden are good to use for this recipe. However, you can use any granulated sugar you like if you’re not keto.
For the filling:
- Strawberries: I like them fresh and in-season as they taste sweeter but if you only have frozen strawberries, make sure to thaw and drain excess liquid.
- Whipped cream: Alternatively, use mascarpone cheese for a decadent twist.
Variations
Strawberry shortcake is a classic dessert but you can always experiment with ingredients and vary the recipe to your liking. Here are some popular suggestions:
- Flour alternatives: If you’re not a fan of coconut flour, use a gluten-free flour blend of your own choosing, although this will impact the texture and consistency of the muffins.
- Berries: If you don’t have strawberries on hand, substitute with other summer berries or even sliced peaches.
- Frosting: Instead of whipped cream, finish off the top with a swirl of Keto Maple Buttercream, or Classic Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Add-ins: Garnish with mint leaves or a sprinkle of chocolate shavings for a touch of elegance.
Step-By-Step Instructions
For the uninitiated, this recipe might seem too hard. But trust me, it’s quick, easy, and oh-so-yummy, as long as you follow these steps:
- Mix the wet ingredients. While preheating the oven, whisk together butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, then add eggs two at a time.
- Combine the dry ingredients to make the batter. Slowly add and combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar substitute. Start with just a third of the bowl, then gradually mix and add the second third and final third, until you achieve a mousse-like batter.
- Shape into muffins and bake. Transfer and portion the batter equally into a well-greased 12-muffin pan and bake until golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once done, remove from the pan and let cool.
- Stuff with filling. Once the muffins are ready, slice each one in half and stuff them with whipped cream and sliced strawberries. If you’re using mascarpone cheese, spread a little on one half of the muffin and layer with strawberries before sandwiching with the other half.
If you love the “mini” part of this recipe, check out these delish keto mini cheesecakes from Tasteaholics!
Expert Tips
- Choose the best strawberries. Take advantage when they’re in season. Ripe strawberries are bright red and fragrant, while off-season ones aren’t as sweet and fragrant. For the sweetest, juiciest flavor, opt for the brightest berries with very little whiteness around the stems.
- Use an electric mixer. For these mini strawberry shortcakes, you’ll have to use an electric mixer to achieve that fluffy mousse-like batter. But if you don’t have an electric mixer, no worries because I’ve made this recipe both ways and it always comes out nicely. Beat the ingredients until stiff peaks form. Take note that mixing by hand may create a denser texture.
- Keep it simple. Don’t go overboard with the toppings! We don’t want fancy garnishes stealing the spotlight from those luscious strawberries and the creamy goodness.
How to Store This Recipe
If you’re planning to make this gluten-free dessert recipe for a crowd, I suggest making the vanilla muffins in advance. Let cool and store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.
For long-term storage, you can keep them in the freezer for up to 2 to 3 months, as long as you remember to cover them in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Make sure to thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.
For the whipped cream, it’s best made fresh, but you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Once ready to enjoy, simply whip it again as needed.
What to Serve with Mini Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Cake
You can serve these keto strawberry shortcakes as a full dessert, but you can take it up a notch by serving them with any of the following:
- Fresh lemonade or a cup of your favorite hot tea or coffee
- Chewy chocolate chip cookies
- Coconut macaroons
- Sparkling water with fresh fruit or a glass of Sauvignon Blanc
More Easy Summer Fruit Recipes to Try
- Cinnamon French Toast
- Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
- Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie
- Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes
- Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie
If you make this gluten-free strawberry shortcake recipe, please leave a review. I really appreciate each and every 5-star rating and comment!
Mini Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcake
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice about ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut flour
- ½ cup Keto sugar substitute or white sugar, if not keto
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 large eggs
Filling
- ½ cup strawberries sliced
- ½ cup heavy cream for whipping or mascarpone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
- Cream the butter, cream cheese, lemon juice and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, two at a time.
- SLOWLY add the dry ingredients. Begin with 1/3 of the bowl, mix and add the second third. Mix again and add the final third. Aim to keep the batter mousse-like. If the batter gets thick and chunky, that's ok also. It makes for a more dense muffin, closer to shortbread, rather than a fluffy cake-like base.
- Divide the batter equally into all the muffin wells. Bake for 350 °F for 30 minutes until golden brown around the edges. They should be firm to touch in the top, once done. Remove from the oven, let cool. After at least 10 minutes, separate the edges with a knife and remove them from the pan. Place on a cooling rack.
- Whip the cream and gather the strawberries. Once the muffins are cool, slice in half and stuff with fresh strawberries and a generous amount of whipped cream. Top with extra whipped cream if you have it.½ cup strawberries, ½ cup heavy cream for whipping
Notes
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
