Decadent, delicious, and piled high with coconut whipped cream! This vegan strawberry shortcake is the perfect dessert for summer celebrations. It's easy to make, and always a hit!
- 1 cup unflavored soy or almond milk, chilled, plus a bit more for brushing
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup organic granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan butter, chilled
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled, cleaned and sliced
- ¼ cup organic granulated sugar, plus more to taste
- 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut cream (Note 1) refrigerated at least 12 hours (ideally 24-48 hours - Note 2)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Preheat the oven to 400º. Either line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, or gather a large cast iron skillet (or a couple of smaller ones).
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Stir the milk and vinegar together in a small container, such as a liquid measuring cup. Place the container in the fridge to keep the mixture cool while you prepare the dry ingredients.
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Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
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Cut the butter into eight to ten slices and add them to the bowl. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or a couple of butter knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Continue until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
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Remove the milk mixture from the fridge and pour it into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir everything together just until the dough is combined. Don't overwork the dough. It will appear uneven and shaggy, which is fine.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use an approximately 3-inch round biscuit cutter (Note 3) to cut circles in the dough. Dip the cutting edge in flour before making each cut, and avoid twisting it when cutting the dough circles.
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Gently re-roll any leftover dough and continue making circles until all the dough is used.
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Place each dough round into the skillet(s) or on the baking sheet, arranging them so that the edges are just touching.
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Lightly brush the tops of the biscuits with non-dairy milk.
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Bake the biscuits for 15 to 18 minutes, until they're fluffy and golden brown.
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Place the skillet or baking sheet on a cooling rack and let the biscuits cool for about 10 minutes. Remove them from the skillet or baking sheet and place them directly on the racks to finish cooling.
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While the biscuits bake or cool, place the strawberries and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Stir them well and optionally use a fork to mash a few of the berries.
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Allow the berries to sit for about 20 minutes.
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Open the cans of coconut cream. The cream should appear semisolid and opaque.
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Transfer the coconut cream to a large mixing bowl, discarding any watery liquid in the cans.
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Beat the cream on high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed, about 1 minute.
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Beat in the maple syrup and vanilla.
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Slice each biscuit in half. Spoon some coconut whipped cream and berries over the bottom portion. Place the top portion of the biscuit over the fillings, the spoon additional berries and whipped coconut cream on top.
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Serve.
- If you can't find canned coconut cream, buy three cans of full-fat coconut milk instead. Chill them for at least 24 hours, then discard the liquid that separates out. The remining solids are coconut cream.
- Some brands of coconut cream and coconut milk work better than others. I've had luck with Thai Kitchen and Wegman's brands. I've been warned by others to steer clear of Trader Joe's brand. A good way to test a can at the store is by shaking it. If you feel a lot of liquid sloshing around inside, it's probably best to try another one.
- You can use a cutter as small as 2 ½ inches, which will give you more shortcakes. If you don't have a biscuit cutter you can use a sharp knife to cut squares or trace around a round template such as a drinking glass.