Simple Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Looking for a simple and sweet summer dessert recipe? This from scratch Strawberry Shortcake Recipe is so easy to make and so delicious to eat!

Simple Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

The first and most definitive sign of summer for me has always been when the strawberries are ready to pick. I love picking strawberries with my children!

We would always save some strawberries for eating immediately, of course, and plenty to make strawberry shortcake for that night’s dessert. There is nothing that says summer to me like the taste of fresh strawberry shortcake. I won’t ever order it in a restaurant because I know that it won’t be as good as my from-scratch recipe made from strawberries picked just hours earlier.

Yes, this strawberry shortcake recipe is a 3-step recipe, but each step is pretty simple on its own, and the end result is SO worth it. For a true scratch strawberry shortcake, you’ll need to make biscuits, whip up your own cream, and make a strawberry sauce to pour over it.

First, the biscuits. I use the traditional recipe from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. You can make these real, rolled-out biscuits, but I just make drop biscuits because it’s simpler and quicker, and to me, it doesn’t really matter what the biscuits look like because they’ll be smothered with berries and cream!

Ingredients in Strawberry Shortcake Biscuit Recipe

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup milk

Step By Step Instructions for Making Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in  a large bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture looks like large crumbs. Add the milk and fold in until the mixture is just moistened.

Drop the dough into biscuits 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes in a 450 oven.

Step By Step Instructions for Making Whipped Cream

Next, the whipped cream. You’ll need to whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream on high in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. You could do this by hand – it would certainly be a workout! – but it will take you much longer. Add 1-2 tsp of sugar to the cream and 1 tsp of vanilla to give it a little flavor and set aside (refrigerate if not used immediately).

You can find a full blog post on making homemade whipped cream here.

Ingredients in Strawberry Sauce Recipe

• 1 1/2 cup crushed strawberries
• 1/3 cup sugar

Step By Step Instructions for Making Strawberry Sauce

In a small saucepan, heat the strawberries until nearly boiling. Add the sugar and mix in thoroughly.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside. This can be stored in the refrigerator but is best served – and enjoyed –  immediately.

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More Summer Dessert Recipes

• Lemonade Poke Cake
• Simple Homemade Peach Cobbler
• Fruit Pizza Dessert
• Pear Tart Recipe
• Frugal Homemade Ice Cream

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What is your favorite summer treat? Do you have a special Strawberry Shortcake Recipe of your own?

This recipe for Simple Strawberry Shortcake was originally posted on Little House Living in August 2013. It has been updated as of April 2024.