When I think about strawberry shortcake, the word that comes to mind is wholesome. It’s a quintessentially American sweet that conjures an image of grandmas patting together biscuit dough and whipping cream by hand. But just because it’s wholesome doesn’t mean there isn’t room to make it a touch more healthy. This is exactly what I had in mind when I came up with this Open-Faced Strawberry Shortcake recipe.
Traditional Strawberry Shortcake (with a few upgrades)
This recipe has all the essentials of traditional strawberry shortcake (biscuits, berries, whipped cream), just with a few healthy tweaks.
- I use a combo of whole-wheat and all-purpose flour in the biscuit dough. The cakes also call for less butter and use yogurt instead of cream to achieve a tender crumb.
- Instead of using a whole biscuit for each serving, these are done open-faced. That means the shortcake portion is cut in half and the ratio of strawberries to biscuit is greater. Translation: more delicious, nutritious berry bang for your buck.
- The whipped topping is a mixture of Greek yogurt and heavy cream, which means less saturated fat and a dose of “good” bacteria with every bite. The yogurt also gives the whipped cream a pleasingly luscious texture and makes it more stable. You can confidently whip it hours in advance and it will stay reasonably fluffy until dessert time.
It’s worth noting that the method for making the shortcakes is a little easier on the baker, since there’s no need to pull out your cookie cutters to make perfect rounds. I just use a knife to cut the dough into quarters and bake as is.
Swaps and Substitutions
One of my favorite ways to play around with shortcake is to experiment with other fruits. Frozen raspberries, for example, are excellent when left to thaw and then spooned onto shortcake.
This also means you don’t have to wait for strawberry season to make it. Since raspberries are a tangier berry, you’ll want to bump up the sugar a bit. You can also swap in other berries or try this with sliced stone fruits, such as peaches, plums, and nectarines.
If you’re looking to make this gluten-free, use a standard cup-for-cup gluten-free all-purpose flour. It should yield good results, though you might not get quite the same rise.
Make Ahead Tips for Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake is an excellent make-ahead recipe. If you prep it early in the day, store the strawberries and yogurt cream in separate containers in the fridge until ready to serve.
You can make the shortcakes a day ahead of time and store them in a covered container at room temperature. Reheat them just before serving in a 350°F oven until they’re good and warm. Leftover shortcakes are excellent split in half and heated until crisp in a toaster oven, then slathered with jam.
More Great Strawberry Recipes
Lemon Yogurt Icebox Cake with Berries
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Open-Faced Strawberry Shortcake with Yogurt Whip
A few little tricks give these shortcakes a healthier spin on the standard recipe. The biscuits have less butter and more whole-grain flour than your typical recipe and the whipped topping is equal parts Greek yogurt and heavy cream. Serving them open-faced keeps them on the lighter side. All that being said, they remain a scrumptious treat. Serve leftover shortcakes for breakfast, warmed in the oven and spread with a favorite jam.
Ingredients
For the berries
- 16 ounces strawberries, stemmed and sliced (or other favorite berries)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the shortcakes:
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (or white whole wheat flour)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Zest of 1 medium lemon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons milk (whatever you have in the fridge)
Yogurt Whip
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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In a medium bowl mix together the sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter to incorporate it into the flour. Alternatively, use your fingers to pinch the pieces of butter one-by-one and toss them with the flour until your dough is crumbly.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, 1/2 cup yogurt, and milk until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together in clumps.
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Turn the dough onto a lightly floured baking sheet and firmly pat it into a 5 1/2-inch square. Cut the dough into quarters and separate the four shortcakes so they have room to expand as they bake.
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Bake until lightly browned along the bottom, 20- 25 minutes. When the shortcakes are done, let them cool for at least 10 minutes before using a serrated edge knife to split them in half.
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Put the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract into the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the 3/4 cup yogurt into the whipped cream.
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To assemble, divide the shortcake halves onto 8 small plates. Spoon the strawberries on top of the shortcakes and add a generous spoonful of yogurt whipped cream.
Photo credit: Rebecca Nassimi, Nutrition Intern