Paleo Strawberry Shortcake (gluten-free, dairy-free)
A classic dessert gets a healthy upgrade with this Paleo Strawberry Shortcake! Fluffy almond flour biscuits, juicy berries and whipped coconut cream are piled together for a light yet indulgent treat. Plus it's naturally gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free!
Prep Time45 minutes mins
Cook Time12 minutes mins
Total Time57 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 655kcal
Author: Don Baiocchi
For the biscuits:
- ½ cup palm shortening
- 2 cups blanched superfine almond flour
- ½ cup arrowroot starch/flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt*
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
For the strawberries:
- 1 pint fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon honey
- a pinch of fine sea salt (or kosher salt)
For the whipped coconut cream:
- 2 (15 oz.) cans full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk, chilled for at least 24 hours
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
For the biscuits:
Heat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt the palm shortening in the microwave (takes around 1 minute) and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and vinegar until well blended.
Add the melted, cooled shortening and egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until blended. The dough should come together like play dough. If it's crumbly, add a bit more melted, cooled palm shortening at a time until it comes together. If it's too wet, add a teaspoon each of almond flour and arrowroot until it dries.
Sprinkle a bit of arrowroot on a cutting board and wipe it around with your fingers. Turn the dough out onto the board and use your hands to flatten it to a 3/4-1" high slab. [Note: 3/4" inch high will yield approx. 10 flatter biscuits, while 1" high will yield approx. 6 taller biscuits like seen in the photos.] It can be any shape as you'll have to re-shape it after cutting out a few biscuits anyway.
Dip a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter (I use one that's 2¾" wide; see notes) into the arrowroot. Cut out biscuits and transfer to the lined baking sheet. (If the biscuits just fall right out of the cutter before you can get them to the baking sheet, I slide a bench scraper under them and use that to lift them to the sheet.) When necessary, reshape the dough to form smaller and smaller slabs (they should always be 3/4-1" high) and continue to cut out biscuits. If necessary, smooth any cracks in the tops of the biscuits without pressing down too much. Any cracks will get bigger as they bake and make the biscuits more crumbly. If you find your biscuits sticking to the cutter, dip the cutter in more arrowroot. Transfer the biscuits to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until they're puffed and golden brown. Let cool.
For the strawberries:
While the biscuits are baking, hull (slice off the green stem) and chop the strawberries.
Add the berries to a medium bowl with the honey and a pinch of salt, stir and let sit for at least 30 minutes to let the berries release their juice. Toss occasionally.
For the whipped coconut cream:
Open the chilled cans of coconut milk and scoop out the cream into a large bowl. Reserve the coconut water as you might need it.
Add the honey and vanilla extract. Using a whisk, electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the coconut cream until light and fluffy. If it's too thick/stiff, add the reserved coconut water one teaspoon at a time to loosen it.
For serving:
Once the biscuits are cool, cut in half horizontally. Place one half cut-side up on a plate, top with the berries and their juice, then the cream (or reverse the order, if you like) and top with the other half of the biscuit. If you want to add another layer of berries and cream on top of that, go for it!
*Note: the original version of this recipe used 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt - it was updated to 1/2 teaspoon on 4/4/23.
Make ahead
For the biscuits:
Once baked, the biscuits can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 48 hours, then kept in the fridge for 1-2 more days.
To freeze, let the biscuits cool to room temperature. Place them on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1-2 hours).
Transfer the frozen biscuits to a resealable bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge. Rewarm in the microwave or a low oven.
For the strawberries:
Cover tightly or transfer to an air-tight container and chill for up to 24 hours. Any longer and they might start to get soggy (but if you're okay with that, they'll still be fine to eat).
For the whipped coconut cream:
Cover tightly or transfer to an air-tight container and chill for up to 3 days. Re-whisk to loosen, if necessary.
Leftovers should be stored separately so the biscuits don't get soggy.
Substitutions and variations
- You can other fruit but it helps if it's the kind of fruit you have to cut, like peaches, so they release their juice. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and cherries would all taste good but if left whole you might not get as much of the juicy sauce.
- You can use maple syrup or regular sugar in the strawberries and whipped coconut cream (but obviously if you use regular sugar it won't be refined sugar-free).
Calories: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 568mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 2mg