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Vegan strawberry shortcake is one of those desserts that just feels like spring and summer. When I was growing up, we’d usually make it with Bisquick—quick, easy, and always a hit. Bisquick showed up in a lot of our weekend baking, from zucchini bread to pancakes. But recently, I was craving something a little more homemade.
This from-scratch vegan version has all the familiar layers: juicy, ripe strawberries, tender biscuit-like shortcakes, and plenty of creamy coconut whipped cream. All vegan and dairy free!
Originally Published: May 7, 2021 | Updated: April 15, 2025
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor: The combination of ripe, sweet strawberries and tangy lemon zest creates a burst of flavor that complements the rich, buttery shortcake perfectly.
- Texture: Soft and buttery with a sugar crusted top.
- Instructions for Individual Cakes or a 9” Round Cake: You can make a whole cake or individual servings, depending on your preference. This recipe includes baking times and instructions below.
- Vegan Friendly Classic: This classic dessert recipe uses plant-based ingredients. It’s a great option to share with friends and family who have dietary restrictions.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make this easy dairy-free strawberry shortcake, you only need 10 main ingredients! This shortcake uses plant butter and is topped with coarse sugar (or an optional sweet crunchy streusel topping).
What Makes It Work + Easy Swaps
Sugar
You can use other sweeteners like maple syrup or agave syrup instead of granulated sugar in the strawberry mixture. I don’t recommend swapping out the granulated sugar for a liquid sweetener in the shortcake dough.
Plant Based Milk
I used almond milk but if you prefer a different type of non-dairy milk, such as soy milk, coconut milk or oat milk, feel free to use that instead.
Vegan Butter
For the vegan butter, you can use any brand or variety that is solid and cold from the fridge. My favorite brands of vegan butter for baking are Violife Plant Butter and Trader Joe’s Vegan Buttery Sticks. You can also use coconut oil, but the texture of the shortcake may be slightly different. If using coconut oil, increase the amount of salt to 3/4 of a teaspoon.
All Purpose Flour + leavening
I typically use King Arthur’s Unbleached All-Purpose Flour—it’s reliable and works well in most of my baked recipes. For these shortcakes, the combination of baking powder and a splash of apple cider vinegar helps create a light, fluffy texture without needing eggs.
Strawberries
The flavor of this dessert really depends on sweet, ripe strawberries—so if you can, go for fresh, in-season berries. Letting them sit with a bit of sugar and lemon zest helps draw out their juices and creates a simple, naturally sweet syrup.
Helpful Equipment
- Pastry cutter or fork: for cutting in the vegan butter
- Large mixing bowl: for the strawberry mixture and shortcake dough
- Parchment paper and baking sheets: for individual servings
- Round cake pan: for the cake option
How to Make Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
prep the strawberries
Before you make the shortcakes, start by prepping the strawberries. Letting them sit for a few hours gives the sugar time to draw out their juices, creating a sweet, flavorful syrup that’s perfect for spooning over each layer.
Wash and dice up the fresh strawberries.
Mix them together with cane sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract (optional) in a large bowl.
how to make the vegan shortcake
Making this vegan strawberry shortcake is actually really easy. Similar to shortbread, shortcake is made with cold vegan butter, so make sure you pop your butter into the freezer or fridge prior to using it.
Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Then, using a pastry cutter, cut in all the cold vegan butter. You may need to use your hands to incorporate the butter, so the dough is a coarse crumbly texture.
You’ll want to make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Stir until it forms a very thick batter.
Baking the vegan strawberry shortcake
This recipe makes a 9” or 8″ round cake or 10-12 individual shortcakes. If using a cake pan, you’ll want to make sure that you grease the bottom and sides so it releases easily. Then, spread the shortcake dough into the bottom of the pan.
If making individual shortcakes, scoop the dough into 10-12 equally sized dollops of dough. Flatten the dough into a 2-3” round disc, about 2” tall.
Sprinkle coarse sugar on top and bake!
Serving
Once the shortcakes are baked and cooled, it’s time to assemble your vegan strawberry shortcakes! Slice the cake or split the individual shortcakes in half horizontally. Place the bottom half on a serving plate and spoon a generous amount of the prepared strawberries on top.
Add a dollop of vegan coconut whipped cream, and then place the top half of the shortcake on top. Garnish with a fresh strawberry or a sprig of mint for an extra pop of color. Serve immediately and enjoy!
If you don’t have whipped cream on hand you could dust on some powdered sugar or serve the shortcake biscuits with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
Storage
If you have any leftover vegan shortcakes, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. However, it’s best to assemble the shortcakes just before serving to prevent the cake from becoming too soggy.
The strawberry mixture can be kept covered in the fridge for 5-6 days.
Tips from Emily’s Kitchen
- For a more pronounced lemon flavor:
You can add a teaspoon of lemon juice along with the lemon zest to the strawberry mixture. - For a sweeter shortcake:
Increase the amount of sugar in the dough or sprinkle some additional sugar on top before baking. - Use cold vegan butter:
This helps achieve a flaky and tender shortcake dough. You can even freeze the butter for a few minutes before cutting it into the dry ingredients. - No pastry cutter?
If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can use two knives or your fingers to cut the vegan butter into the dough until it resembles coarse crumbs. - Switch it up!
Feel free to customize your vegan strawberry shortcakes by adding in other fresh fruit like blueberries or raspberries, or by drizzling some dairy-free chocolate sauce over the top for an extra indulgent treat!
FAQ
Strawberry shortcake is a summer dessert that consists of a sweet cake or biscuit that is usually topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. This recipe recommends topping the shortcake with coconut whipped cream!
Traditional shortcakes are not vegan because they use dairy based butter. However, plant butter bakes up almost identically to dairy butter! I promise you won’t even know this strawberry shortcake recipe is completely vegan.
Cold butter helps create the flakey texture of shortcake! If the butter is room temperature or melted, the cake will be less biscuit like.
More Classic Vegan Summer Desserts
Easy Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Rate this RecipeIngredients
Strawberries & Serving
- ⅓ cup granulated cane sugar or light brown sugar, plus more to taste if the strawberries aren't very sweet
- 2 lbs frozen or fresh strawberries, diced or sliced thinly (about 4-5 cups)
- 1-2 tsp lemon zest and juice, optional
- Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream, see notes for homemade
Shortcake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, 360g, spooned from the bag into the measuring cup
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 75g – or light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp baking powder, 22g
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda, 7g
- ½ tsp fine salt, 2g
- ½ cup very cold salted vegan butter, diced
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, or other dairy free milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Coarse granulated sugar, for topping
Instructions
Prep the Strawberries
- Prep the diced or sliced strawberries by mixing them together with the sugar, and lemon zest/juice in a large bowl. Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour, preferably overnight. After chilling, taste for sweetness and add more sugar to taste.⅓ cup granulated cane sugar or light brown sugar, 2 lbs frozen or fresh strawberries, 1-2 tsp lemon zest and juice
Make the Shortcake
- Preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C. For a round cake, grease a 8” or 9” round cake pan. For individual shortcakes, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.3 cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ tbsp baking powder, 1 ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp fine salt
- Using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold vegan butter. You may need to use your hands to incorporate the butter so the dough is a coarse crumbly texture.½ cup very cold salted vegan butter
- Make a well in the center and add in the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Stir the wet into the dry until it forms a very thick batter. If the batter looks too dry, add 1-2 tbsp extra almond milk until it comes together.1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- For a round cake: Spread the shortcake dough into the pan.For individual biscuits: Scoop 4-5 tbsp of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the dough into biscuit-like rounds. This will make 10-12 individual shortcakes. You can also roll the dough into a ball, and then roll it out into a rectangle about 1.5-2" thick with a rolling pin. Then, you can use a biscuit cutter to cut the shortcakes into perfect circles.
- Sprinkle the tops with coarse granulated sugar. Bake the round cake pan for 30-35 minutes or bake the individual drop biscuits for 15-18 minutes (or until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake).Coarse granulated sugar
- Let cool before slicing and serving with the refrigerated strawberries and coconut whipped cream.Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream
Video
Recipe notes
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cold vegan butter
- 15oz full fat coconut cream, cold
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Categories:
10 Ingredients or Less, Baked Goods, Comfort Food, Desserts, Recipes, Seasonal, Spring, Summer, Tried & True Vegan Classics, Vegan Cakes,
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