Healthy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Strawberry season is almost over but I couldn’t resist to make as much desserts as possible.

Our local farmer’s market just started getting them in and my girls practically dragged me out of bed last Saturday to go get some.

Every year when strawberries hit their peak, our kitchen turns into a strawberry processing factory.

I have been having fun creating all kinds of strawberry treats like strawberry cake and muffins.

And, next is this delicious healthy strawberry shortcake!

It’s a lightened-up version of our family favorite that still tastes indulgent enough that the kids don’t realize its actually good for them.

The best part?

It’s simple enough that all three girls can help without creating total kitchen chaos. Well, less chaos than usual anyway.

So if your counter is overflowing with strawberries like mine or you just need a dessert that feels like a treat without the sugar crash, this recipe is about to become your new summer favorite!

Fresh Strawberry Shortcake – What You Need

For this healthier version, you’ll need:

• Fresh sliced strawberries (frozen work too)
• A little coconut sugar for the berries
• White Whole wheat flour (trust me on this one – it’s way better than regular whole wheat)
• Baking powder
• Sea salt
• Milk
• Honey
• Coconut oil, melted
• Vanilla extract (the real stuff makes such a difference)
• Eggs
• Whipped cream
• Turbinado sugar (optional)

The best thing about this strawberry shortcake recipe?

It uses 100% real ingredients! No weird preservatives, artificial flavors, or ingredients you can’t pronounce.

As a mom of three very active girls, I’m always reading labels these days and trying to avoid the junk while still making food they actually want to eat.

White whole wheat flour is my secret weapon now.

It’s still 100% whole grain with all the fiber and nutrients, but it’s made from a different variety of wheat that’s naturally lighter in color and flavor.

It makes the shortcake so much less dense and heavy while still giving you all the health benefits.

How to Make Healthy Strawberry Shortcake

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan.

For greasing the pan, I use a little coconut oil on a paper towel.

Step 2: Toss the sliced strawberries in a bowl with sugar. Set them aside to sweat it out.

This is where the magic happens! It’s time to let the berries sweat as the sugar pulls the juice out of the berries.

I store mine in the fridge while making the cake because if I leave them on the counter, my oldest will mysteriously “sample” half of them before they make it to the shortcake!

Step 3: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt.

The white whole wheat flour makes such a difference though – it’s worth the mess.

Step 4: In another bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Add this wet mixture to the dry mixture.

I usually mix these wet ingredients in my glass measuring cup to save on dishes.

The honey is always the tricky part – it sticks to everything!

When combining wet and dry, remember NOT to overmix! Just stir until combined.

Overmixing makes the cake tough.

Step 5: Mix with a big spoon until you have a cohesive dough.

This dough is stickier than regular shortcake because of the honey and whole wheat flour.

If it feels too sticky to handle, just let it rest for a few minutes – the flour will absorb some moisture.

If it’s truly unmanageable after resting, just add one more tablespoon of flour. Any more than that and you’ll end up with dry shortcakes.

Step 6: Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough onto it.

This is where having a dedicated pastry mat helps contain the mess, but let’s be real – flour still ends up everywhere!

Step 7: Knead a few times and press into a square.

The key word here is FEW!

Overworking the dough makes tough shortcakes. Just knead it 3-4 times max, then gently press it into a square about 1 inch thick.

Step 8: Cut the dough and place on baking sheet.

I use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the dough into 9 squares (3 rows by 3 columns). A bench scraper works great too if you have one.

Space them out on the baking sheet so they have room to expand. If they’re too close, they’ll grow into each other and you’ll have one giant shortcake (which honestly isn’t the worst thing).

Step 9: Brush with coconut milk and sprinkle with sugar.

This step makes such a difference in the final product!

The coconut milk gives them a beautiful golden top, and the turbinado sugar adds a delicious crunch.

Step 10: Bake for 20-22 minutes until firm to touch.

Set that timer!

These are done when they’re lightly golden and feel firm when you gently press the top.

My oven has a hot spot in the back right corner, so I rotate the pan halfway through. The whole house smells amazing while these bake!

Step 11: Allow to cool. Top each serving with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

This is the hardest step – waiting for them to cool!

When it’s finally time to serve, everyone gets to build their own shortcake towers with as many berries and as much whipped cream as they want.

It’s the one dessert where all three girls agree there’s “no wrong way” to eat it!

Fresh and Healthy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

For the Strawberry Topping:

• 4-5 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut sugar

For the Shortcake:

• 1⅓ cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• ½ cup milk (any kind works!)
• ½ cup honey
• ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• Turbinado sugar (optional)

For Topping:

• Whipped cream

FAQs You Might Have

If your strawberry shortcake didn’t come out just right, maybe these answers can help you next time!

1. Can I use regular whole wheat flour instead of white whole wheat?

You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you want something that tastes like a hockey puck! Regular whole wheat flour makes these way too dense and heavy. White whole wheat flour is still 100% whole grain but has a lighter texture and milder flavor. My oldest daughter could immediately tell when I tried to substitute regular whole wheat flour and asked if we were “eating bread for dessert.” Not exactly the reaction you want! If you absolutely can’t find white whole wheat, try half regular whole wheat and half all-purpose flour instead.

2. How do I know when the strawberries are done “sweating”?

They should look juicy and slightly syrupy, usually after about 15-20 minutes.

If you’re in a rush, you can speed this up by adding a tiny splash of lemon juice along with the sugar.

The sugar pulls the juice out of the berries creating that amazing syrupy texture. If your berries aren’t very sweet or ripe, let them macerate longer.

3. Can I make this dairy-free?

Absolutely!

I’ve made this with almond milk many times when my youngest had a friend with dairy allergies over.

For the whipped cream, you can use coconut cream instead (the kind that comes in a can – refrigerate it overnight, then scoop out just the thick part). \

Just make sure your coconut oil is melted but not hot when you add it to the batter.

4. Can I make these ahead of time?

The shortcakes themselves can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container.

The strawberries can also be macerated ahead and kept in the fridge.

But don’t assemble until right before serving or you’ll end up with soggy shortcakes!

The whipped cream is definitely best made fresh, though in a pinch you can make it a few hours ahead and keep it refrigerated.

5. My dough seems too wet/sticky. What did I do wrong?

Nothing!

This dough is naturally stickier than traditional shortcake dough because of the honey and whole wheat flour.

If it’s too sticky to handle, first try letting it rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb more moisture.

If it’s still too sticky, add just ONE more tablespoon of flour at a time until it’s manageable.

Too much flour will make your shortcakes dry and tough. A slightly sticky dough means you’ll have moist, tender shortcakes!