Healthy Vegan Strawberry Shortcakes

A new take on the traditional recipe, these healthy vegan strawberry shortcakes are made with a whole wheat flour biscuit and sweet Kombucha macerated strawberries. Top with dairy-free coconut whipped cream.

This recipe requires advance planning for coconut whipped cream (approx. 12 hours), or simply use your favourite brand of non-dairy whip for a faster prep time.

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Fruits and vegetables growing in my garden inspire me everyday. The good weather of spring and summer graced us with an explosion of fresh strawberries.

Sometimes, I find it hard to bake and cook with freshly picked or local berries because their natural flavours don't require enhancements. Moreover, if you pick them fresh, the sun's warmth enhances their juices and they just melt in your mouth!

A healthy twist on a classic

Traditional strawberry shortcakes are made with a biscuit base and filled with sugar macerated strawberries and whipped cream. This recipe takes the same approach, however, with a few small changes.

The biscuit base for these healthy vegan strawberry shortcakes are made with whole wheat flour instead of refined all purpose flour, and the strawberries are macerated in a mixture of sugar and kombucha which adds such a lovely sweet-zingy flavour.

Finally, this recipe is topped with a homemade, lush (and dairy-free) coconut whipped cream.

This recipe is

• vegan friendly
• dairy-free
• easy to make
• perfect for spring and summer berry season
• delicious and slightly more healthy than traditional shortcakes

A homemade whole wheat biscuit

Whole wheat shortcakes are a perfect vessel for the sweet tart strawberries. However, like traditional shortcakes, they're not very sweet or exciting on their own. They need the good stuff dolloped and sandwiched between 'em.

The whole wheat biscuit base for these healthy vegan strawberry shortcakes is crunchy, semi sweet, and fluffy on the inside. The crust is crunchy, golden and coated in sugar and the crumb is fluffy and tender. Whole wheat flour add fiber and flavour to this recipe, making these somewhat healthier.

The biscuits are quite easy to make too!

Why Kombucha maceration

If you haven't tried Kombucha, it's a widely available fermented tea beverage reminiscent of  apple cider vinegar, but sweeter. It can be made right at home, although it does involve a time commitment; I'll share a simple guide to brewing Kombucha at home in a later post, but for now, you can either use homemade or an unflavoured variety from your favourite brew co.

Kombucha maceration is actually not required for this recipe to turn out well, however it adds such a great zing of flavour. If you've never had kombucha before, you can usually find it at leading grocery chains; it's quite popular now. Kombucha comes in all sorts of flavours, but I prefer to use an unflavoured one for this recipe.

Because kombucha is acidic, it does a nice job of macerating the strawberries, making them, sweet, zesty and supple.

What you'll need

The ingredients for this recipe are as follows, with proportions and quantities for each found in the recipe card below.

• ground flax seeds
• water
• whole wheat flour
• almond flour
• baking powder
• cane sugar
• almond milk
• olive oil
• vanilla extract
• fresh strawberries
• kombucha
• full fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight
• maple syrup

How to make this recipe

The directions for this recipe are straightforward, although, as mentioned above, planning is necessary to make the coconut whipped cream.

The fist step is to macerate the strawberries in the sugar and kombucha and let the sit for about 45 minutes. Again, the longer the sit, the more flavour they will take on.

Once the strawberries are macerated, the whole what biscuit base is made by first preheating the oven and prepping a baking tray with parchment paper. Mix the flax seed and water and let it gel for about 5 minutes. Next, sift the dry ingredients together. The to the flax mixture, add the almond milk, olive oil, and vanilla and stir to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir until moistened and no flour streaks remain.

Next, spoon the mixture onto the lined baking tray roughly form each into a circle about 1" thick (it doesn't need to be perfect). Sprinkle cane sugar over the tops and bake. The shortcakes need to cool completely before filling them.

While the cakes cool, prepare the coconut whipped cream by scooping out the thick coconut cream into a medium bowl (the coconut water is discarded). Add the vanilla and maple syrup and whip for about 2-3 minutes. Chill the coconut cream and then whip again, repeating the process until the coconut fat holds a stiff peak.

Finally, the cakes can be assembled. For detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below.

Substitutions

• Spelt flour can be used in exchange for whole wheat flour in equal measure. I have made this recipe with both light and sprouted spelt flour and it works very well.
• If you're wanting to save on prep time, simply use your favourite non-dairy whip from your local grocer. You can also sub the whip for plain yogurt.
• Almond milk can be exchanged for any plant-based milk of your choosing.
• If you prefer not to kombucha macerate, simply omit and use an additional 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Make ahead options

Advanced planning is necessary if you plan to make the coconut whipped cream. You need to refrigerate cans of coconut milk for minimum 12-24 hours, so be sure to pop them in the fridge the day before you plan to make this.

You can also make the shortcake biscuits in advance and keep them covered at room temperature a day in advance.

Th strawberries can also be macerated up to 24 hours in advance; cover and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

More Recipes

If you love these healthy vegan strawberry shortcakes, you may also want to try these favourites:

Vegan Strawberries & Cream Bircher Museli Bowls

Vegan Blackberry & Basil Galette

Healthy vegan rhubarb oat crumble

And don't be shy! I love hearing from you; if you made this recipe, leave me a comment below or tag me on social media @the_simple_green (instagram) or @thesimplegreen (facebook).

5 from 1 vote

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Healthy Vegan Strawberry Shortcakes with Coconut Whipped Cream

These healthy vegan strawberry shortcakes are a new take on this traditional recipe. Kombucha maceration adds a great sweet tart flavour to the strawberries which perfectly pair with a few dollops of rich dairy-free coconut whipped cream. Advanced planning for the coconut whipped cream is needed (approx. 12 hours), or simply use your favourite brand of non-dairy whip for a faster prep time.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword coconut whipped cream, healthy strawberry shortcake, vegan strawberry shortcake

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 29 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 395 kcal

Author Heidi Richter

Ingredients

For the Shortcakes

• 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 4 tablespoon water
• 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup almond flour
• 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoon sugar plus more for sprinkling
• ½ cup almond milk
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Macerated Strawberries

• 4 cups fresh strawberries stemmed and sliced ¼-1/2"
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 2-½ cups unflavored Kombucha

For the coconut whipped cream

• 2 398ml cans full fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight
• 2 tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare the Macerated Strawberries

1. To a large glass bowl, add the sliced strawberries, cane sugar and kombucha; stir to dissolve the sugar. Cover and place in the fridge for 30-45mins. The longer they sit, the more flavour and softness they will develop.

Make the shortcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the flax meal and water and let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, almond meal, cane sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside.

2. To the flax mixture, add the almond milk, olive oil, and vanilla and stir to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir until moistened and all the flour is combined. Spoon the mixture onto the lined baking tray into 6 even mounds and roughly form each into a circle about 1" thick. Sprinkle cane sugar over the mounds and bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Coconut Whipped Cream

1. While the cakes cool, prepare the cocnut whipped cream. Remove the cans of coconut milk from the fridge and invert them so the top is now the bottom. Open the cans and drain off and discard the coconut water. Into a medium bowl, scoop out the thick coconut cream left at the bottom of the can. Add the vanilla and maple syrup and whip for about 2-3 minutes. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove and whip again. Repeat this process until the coconut fat holds a stiff peak.

Assemble

1. Using a sharp serrated knife, carefully slice each shortcake in half and spoon macerated strawberries and coconut whipped cream on the bottom half. Add the top half and serve right away.

Recipe Notes

If you prefer not to use kombucha, simply omit it and use an additional 2 tablespoons of sugar for the strawberries.

Diary-free vanilla yogurt or ice cream works well if you don't have time to make the coconut whipped cream. Or use your favourite store bought brand of whip.

Nutrition Facts

Healthy Vegan Strawberry Shortcakes with Coconut Whipped Cream

Amount Per Serving

Calories 395 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 10g

Sodium 35mg2%

Potassium 413mg12%

Carbohydrates 51g17%

Fiber 9g38%

Sugar 18g20%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 12IU0%

Vitamin C 60mg73%

Calcium 160mg16%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.