This homemade strawberry shortcake recipe is a healthy version of the perfect summer dessert. It's so easy to put together with a simple almond flour shortcake, whipped coconut cream with a hint of lime, and fresh strawberries!
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When you find some beautiful fresh ripe strawberries at the farm market, it's the perfect time to make these gluten-free strawberry shortcakes. The combination of sweet juicy strawberries, zesty lime, and whipped coconut cream is a revelation.
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Here's what you'll need
As with any strawberry shortcake, there are three components you'll need to put this classic dessert together.
Almond flour shortcakes - stand in for the traditional shortcakes made with all-purpose flour. You'll need just a few basic ingredients to make this simple recipe for slightly sweet biscuits.
- superfine blanched almond flour (do not substitute coconut flour)
- baking soda
- salt
- eggs
- lime juice (you can substitute lemon juice)
- honey
Fresh ripe strawberries - simply sliced. Fresh berries don't need any added sugar, especially during the summer months.
Whipped coconut cream - replaces the traditional whipped heavy cream or cool whip.
- full fat coconut milk
- vanilla extract
- honey or maple syrup
- lime zest (or lemon zest)
You can also substitute dairy-free ice cream for the whipped cream if you prefer.
How to make almond flour shortcakes
This easy strawberry dessert is really quick to put together with a little advance preparation. The almond flour shortcake biscuits for this recipe couldn't be easier. And it takes just a few minutes to put them together.
Simply stir together the almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Then mix the wet ingredients - eggs, lime juice, and honey - into the dry ingredients to form a soft dough and scoop the cakes onto a baking sheet.
You can make the shortcakes ahead and freeze them until needed. To thaw, put them in a cold oven and turn the oven on to 300 degrees. They can thaw while you whip the coconut cream and slice the strawberries. I like to do this while dinner is cooking, so everything is ready for quick assembly after dinner.
For the coconut whipped cream, be sure to use a full fat coconut milk (like this one) that has just organic coconut milk and water as the ingredients so the cream will separate from the liquid when you refrigerate it overnight.
Pro tip: keep an unopened can or two of full fat coconut milk in the refrigerator. This way it's already chilled and you can make the whipped coconut cream in about five minutes.
With fresh fruit, pre-baked shortcakes in the freezer, and coconut milk in the fridge, this healthy strawberry shortcake recipe is a great dessert any day of the week. And perfect for strawberry season!
For a chocolate cake to top with strawberries, check out this torta Caprese made with almond flour. If you're looking to switch things up, this orange almond cake-also made with almond flour-is a bright with the flavor of whole oranges.
More strawberry recipes to try
- Almond Flour Strawberry Muffins
- Strawberry Coconut Smoothie
- Strawberry Mojito Smoothie
- Strawberry Spinach Chicken Salad
- Arugula Strawberry Salad
Almond Flour Strawberry Shortcake with Lime Coconut Cream
Ingredients
Shortcakes
- 300 grams almond flour about 3 cups
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Lime Coconut Cream
- 1 13.5-ounce can full fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons honey to taste
- 2 limes zested
Strawberries
- 1 quart strawberries sliced
Instructions
Shortcakes
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the almond flour mixture and add eggs, 2 tablespoons honey and lime juice. Stir until well combined and a soft dough forms. Drop biscuits by large spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
Coconut cream
- Open the bottom of a can of coconut milk and pour off liquid. Scoop the coconut cream into a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until it is the consistency of whipped cream. Add vanilla and honey to taste, and beat until combined.
- Fold in the zest of one lime. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Assembly
- Split the shortcakes and layer the bottom with sliced strawberries and whipped coconut cream. Replace the shortcake tops and garnish with remaining lime zest.
jamie@kreyv says
This looks awesome! Can't wait to try it!!
Lisa says
Thanks! Hope you like it!
carol says
What about a different flour than almond. Alert says 3cups is too much almond and will cause serious thyroid disease. It totals too many almonds.
Jennifer says
WOW! That looks AMAZING!! Stopping in from Saturday Sharefest!
Lisa says
It's so easy too - perfect for strawberry season! Thanks for stopping in!
Debra@AModernTranslation says
OMG. That looks delicious. I would have never thought it would be Paleo. I'm gonna have to try. Thanks for visiting my blog earlier. Have a great weekend.
Lisa says
This is one of my favorites - I love strawberries. Thanks for visiting!
CarliAlice (@CarliAlice) says
This is so great and dairy free- totally love this recipe. The only question -- is there any way to replace the coconut milk for something like rice milk?
Lisa says
I don't know if you can whip rice milk. You could try replacing the coconut whipped cream with cashew cream.
Lisa says
Thanks! 🙂
pamstriker60 says
Made these for supper.....wholly yum! Thank you!!
Lisa says
Awesome! I'm so glad you liked them!
Niki says
My daughter wanted strawberry shortcake for her birthday and between me being paleo and another daughter who is gluten free, this seemed the perfect option. O.M.G. Freakin' awesome! All four of my children and 5 of my neighbors REALLY loved it. Awesome job developing this recipe...I wouldn't change a thing. Oh...we do prefer our strawberry shortcake with macerated strawberries instead of fresh, so I kept it paleo by using coconut palm sugar as the juicing agent.
Lisa says
Thank you! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed this recipe! Strawberry shortcake is one of my favorites too.
Celeste Amaral says
Great recipe. I tried it with strawberries and most recently substituted blackberries for the strawberries. Both berries worked great. I will add this one to my recipe repertoire.
Lisa says
Thanks, Celeste! I love it with blackberries too - I think this recipe works with just about any fruit.
maxine says
Wondering what I could use instead of almond flour? Not allowed nuts at work and this looks like a great snack
Lisa says
I haven't tested it, but sunflower seed flour is a common substitute for almond flour. Here's a link on how to make sun-flour from The Kitchn.
Lydya says
Hi what can I replace the eggs with? My friend's son is allergic to eggs
Sabrina B says
Love coconut lime flavor so this got my attention, also nice tip about the storing the coconut milk in the refrigerator and love that the cake has been paleo-ed! Don't miss the too-sweet traditional shortcake anyway, so thank you for this!
Kit says
Looks heavenly! Ill have this this afternoon with my keto-friendly berry smoothie.
Jane says
Dear Lisa,
I've been struggling for a while with how to eat things without sugar.
Thank you so much for sharing all these recipes. It takes work to figure
all of this out. Things just don't magically appear on the dinner table,
as the cooks well know. ) You are an angle for sharing. Thank you.
Lisa says
Thank you so much, Jane! I'm so glad you find my recipes helpful 🙂