This luscious gluten-free strawberry shortcake recipe is made with gluten-free vanilla cupcakes instead of biscuits. It's quick and easy to make with a gluten-free flour blend! You won't need any special flours to make this delicious strawberry dessert with fluffy whipped cream!
Here's a quick and easy gluten-free strawberry shortcake recipe that's made with a vanilla cake batter instead of biscuits.
This recipe makes soft and fluffy cupcakes with a slight chew, the perfect texture to hold sweet strawberry sauce, fresh berries and pillows of whipped cream!
Strawberry Shortcake is a favourite dessert in our home and I make it all year round. My recipe for Sugar-Free Keto Strawberry Shortcake is equally delicious. It uses a cake recipe that has the texture of a pound cake and it's naturally sweetened with Monkfruit sweetener to make it a low-carb strawberry dessert.
If you're not following a low-sugar diet, I know you'll love this gluten-free strawberry shortcake recipe made with vanilla cupcakes instead!
Love fresh strawberries? So do I! Here's a collection of more than 20 gluten-free strawberry recipes.
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🛒 Ingredients
Ready to make a batch?
Vanilla cupcakes
- flour: a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. I use either Cup 4 Cup Gluten-Free Flour or Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- sugar: granulated (white) sugar
- baking powder: gluten-free
- sour cream: makes a moist, rich batter and helps to make a fluffy texture
- vegetable oil: a light oil like avocado oil
- pure vanilla extract
- egg, at room temperature
- water and sea salt
Strawberry Sauce (Topping)
- strawberries: fresh or frozen to make the sauce. Save a few fresh berries to slice and add to the dessert before serving.
- sweetener: granulated sugar
- the juice and zest of half a lemon
- cornstarch or arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce
Whipped Topping
- heavy cream: also known as whipping cream OR you can use sweetened vanilla Greek yogurt to add a dollop of topping to the shortcakes.
- confectioner's sugar: also called icing sugar or powdered sugar
- pure vanilla extract
🔪 Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. and line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) in a large bowl.
- Combine the egg, sour cream, oil, vanilla extract and water in a smaller bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until no trace of flour remains.
- Cover the bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes. This step is important! * See below for an explanation.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling them about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 19-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Strawberry Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, make a slurry by combining 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoons warm water. Stir with a fork until no lumps remain. If you don't make a slurry first, you'll end up with lumps of cornstarch in the sauce.
- Add the lemon juice, sugar and strawberries to the pan and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, bringing it to a simmer. You can mash the berries slightly if you like a chunky sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken slightly. Remove from the heat. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Whipped Cream
- Use an electric mixer to whip the cream.
- Once it starts to thicken slightly, add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Whip until it forms stiff peaks.
Assembling the Strawberry Shortcakes
Remove the cupcake liners from the cupcakes and split in half horizontally. Place the bottom half on a small plate, top with a generous scoop of strawberry sauce and a few freshly sliced berries.
Lean the top half of the cupcake against the bottom half and top with whipped cream. Add a few more sliced berries and a mint leaf to the plate if you'd like.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips to Make Gluten-free Strawberry Shortcake
Using a large cookie scoop to add the batter to the cupcake liners makes this an easy job and allows you to portion the batter evenly.
Don't worry about overmixing this gluten-free batter as you would with batter made with regular flour. A well-mixed gluten-free batter will have a better structure and will rise higher.
🔁 Possible Variations
Change the fruit! This sauce recipe for shortcake can be made with other berries like raspberries, blueberries or blackberries. You can also make it with fresh or frozen cherries, if they've been pitted and halved.
Change the topping! Substitute whipped coconut milk for the whipped cream.
To make one cup of whipped coconut milk, start by chilling a bowl and beaters for at least 20 minutes. Then, using only the hardened portion of a well-chilled can of full-fat coconut milk, combine it with 1½ teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat until the mixture thickens about 2 - 3 minutes. It will form light peaks.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Allowing gluten-free batter to rest gives the flours and starches time to absorb the liquid before baking and improves the structure of baked goods. It also helps to thicken the batter and prevents it from becoming overly sticky. You can read more about the benefits of resting batter in this article from America's Test Kitchen.
Yes! Double the recipe to make an 8-inch square cake. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350°F.
I don't recommend it. White sugar will take longer to dissolve and may prevent the cream from thickening. If you don't have confectioner's sugar, grind white sugar in a blender to give it a finer texture.
Yes, and no. Sour cream contains the fat necessary to make a rich, moist cake. Greek yogurt contains less casein protein than sour cream resulting in a cupcake that will have a less fluffy texture. If you do substitute Greek yogurt, I'd suggest using a full-fat variety.
🥶Storage and Freezing Instructions
The cake portion of these strawberry shortcakes (the cupcakes) can be stored on the counter for 2 days or in the fridge for 5 - 6 days. You can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Store the strawberry sauce in the fridge for up to a week. To freeze, cool it completely, then freeze in an airtight freezer-friendly container for 3 months or more. Thaw in the refrigerator. After refrigeration, the sauce may be thick, so warm it in the microwave for 15 - 20 seconds, or in a saucepan on the stove top.
Whipped cream will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container, but be sure to check the "Best Before" date on the carton before starting.
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When you make this gluten-free strawberry shortcake recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below. Thanks in advance! Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 ⅓ cups gluten-free flour blend, with xanthan gum
- 1 cup granulated sugar (white sugar)
- 1 ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ½ cup water
Strawberry Sauce
- 1 pound strawberries, fresh or frozen, plus a few more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoon warm water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ medium lemon, zest and juice of
Whipped Cream
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
- 2 tablespoon confectioner's sugar (or more, depending on taste)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. and line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) in a large bowl.
- Combine the egg, sour cream, oil, vanilla extract and water in a smaller bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until no trace of flour remains. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes. This step is important! * see Notes
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling them about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 19-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Strawberry Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, make a slurry by combining 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoons warm water. Stir with a fork until no lumps remain. If you don't make a slurry first, you'll end up with lumps of cornstarch in the sauce.
- Add the lemon juice, sugar and most of the strawberries to the pan and stir to combine. (Reserve a few strawberries to slice to garnish the finished dessert.)
- Cook over medium heat, bringing it to a simmer. You can mash the berries slightly if you like a chunky sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken slightly.
- Remove from the heat. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Whipped Cream
- Add whipping cream to a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer (or to the bowl of a food processor) and beat on high. Once it starts to thicken slightly, add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Whip until it forms stiff peaks. Be careful not to overbeat, as it may turn to butter.
How to Assemble Individual Strawberry Shortcakes
- Remove the cupcake liners from the cupcakes and split in half horizontally. Place the bottom half on a small plate, top with a generous scoop of strawberry sauce and a few freshly sliced berries. Lean the top half of the cupcake against the bottom half and top with whipped cream. Add a few sliced fresh berries and a mint leaf to the plate if you'd like.
Liz
I made this for Mother's Day. I am really happy with the way the cupcakes turned out. They have a tiny bit of chewy texture which works well with the strawberries. Thank you!
Elaine
Yes! Love these cupcakes, too! Thanks for the 5 stars!