What’s not to love about a vegan strawberry shortcake? The sweetness of the fresh strawberries and that shortcake catching all the flavor from the juices makes summer dessert magic. This takes longer because you make the shortcake from scratch, but it’s worth it for an amazing dessert like this!
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Vegan strawberry shortcake for everyone!
I love to tinker with recipes and it drives Cheryl crazy. It’s just my nature to change things up each time. That’s why I made an out-of-the-box Lavender Gin Strawberry Shortcake instead of the plain one I grew up on.
Also, I’m always looking for ways to make recipes that you can tailor to fit your diet and making an oil-free option was a must.
The old non-vegan strawberry shortcake
My mom prepared her strawberries for shortcakes, just like most people in the 70s. She would cut up the strawberries and sprinkle them with sugar, mix and let marinate in the refrigerator.
Those strawberries then went into store-bought cake cups and topped with a large spoonful of Cool Whip. I have a much healthier version for you that’s tastier too!
DIY strawberry shortcake cake “cups”
Since then I had wanted to make a strawberry shortcake that reminded me of my childhood — the little cake cups that were displayed in front of the fresh strawberries at the grocery store. The best part of those was that they were spongy and soaked up all the sweet strawberry juice.
I had someWilton Mini Tasty Fill 4 Piece Pansin the cupboard and they made the exact shape I was looking for. The trick is to just barely cover up the middle part so they don’t get too thick.
Can I make this with no oil added?
I made one version with oil and another one with no oil, but I will admit to spraying the pans with olive oil for both to make sure they didn’t stick. But you can cook the batter in a muffin pan and use liners to keep them oil-free.
How to make strawberry shortcake filling
It takes no time to mash up the strawberry filling. It’s just chopped strawberries mashed with a little gin, balsamic vinegar, and some NuNaturals Simple Syrup made with stevia. Depending on how sweet your strawberries are, you may not need the simple syrup and you can use your choice of sweetener to taste if you don’t care for stevia.
What can I use in place of Stevia?
You can use date syrup, maple syrup, or even dissolve your favorite solid sweetener in a little hot water to create the sweetener of your choice.
Why I use gin
I love the botanical taste of gin and love to add it to desserts to give them a slightly herbaceous flavor. You can also leave it out if you don’t imbibe or make some strong lavender tea to use in its place.
My favorite gin is Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin. It has an unusual combination of herbs that are amazing together: juniper, cucumber, lemon, sage, and lavender. The flavors are subtle, but the slight lavender flavor is what makes it my favorite. You can use plain gin if you can’t find Val’s.
Do I have to buy lavender balsamic vinegar?
I happened to have some lavender balsamic vinegar on hand, but you can use regular balsamic and add some lavender extract into the strawberry mixture. If you don’t like lavender just use plain balsamic. This dessert is meant to make you happy, so feel free to change out ingredients if that’s what it takes.
What is aquafaba made of?
Aquafaba is one of my go-to vegan substitutes for eggs and egg whites as it’s easy to whip into a stiff foam. It’s basically “bean water,” that is, the liquid leftover after you cook the beans.
Is aquafaba only from chickpeas?
Most of the time, the aquafaba I use is chickpea water. It’s super accessible. Actually, I mostly use the water from canned chickpeas. And that’s what I use in this lavender shortcake recipe!
Other cooks use more neutral-tasting beans such as cannellini. You can even use soy. So to answer the question, aquafaba isn’t only from chickpeas.
Does aquafaba taste good?
When used in baking, aquafaba is nearly flavorless. Before baking, you could smell or taste its slight beany flavor.
Can you over-beat aquafaba?
Just like whipped egg whites or heavy cream, you can also over-beat aquafaba. You need to watch when stiff peaks have formed and stop whipping. When you whip too long, it will deflate.
Are strawberries gluten-free?
All fresh fruits and veggies are naturally gluten-free. “Gluten-free” simply means it doesn’t have any gluten—a kind of protein you’ll find in wheat, rye, barley, and triticale. So the short answer isyes, strawberries are definitely gluten-free.
But, if you’re referring to processed fruits and vegetables, then some of them may contain gluten. For example, food manufacturers may use gluten to add more flavor or thicken some preserved strawberries.
Can you freeze strawberries?
Yes! Strawberries are one of my favorite freezer-friendly fruits. One downside (which some people don’t find very pleasant) is that strawberries turn softer after they’re frozen and thawed.
That said, they remain incredibly tasty! That’s why I experiment with lots of strawberries in my vegan dessert recipes.
Can you freeze shortcake?
Shortcakes are best served fresh, but you can freeze them whenever you feel like keeping them for tomorrow or next week. When you take them out of the freezer, you can simply reheat them in the oven.
I recommend you allow the shortcakes to cool completely before freezing. To defrost the shortcakes, place them on a wire rack and set them aside at room temperature for about an hour.
How long is vegan strawberry shortcake good for?
You can keep your vegan strawberry shortcakes in the freezer for up to one month, as long as you’ve placed them in airtight containers or resealable bags.
Once you’ve filled and frosted your homemade strawberry shortcake, you can put it in the fridge for up to a day or two before serving. You can also leave your shortcakes out on the dessert table while your party’s still going—it’ll stay just fine even after a few hours.
If you have some leftovers, you can keep them in your fridge for a few more days. Take them out whenever you feel like having desserts again!
What makes a cake a shortcake?
First up, the name “shortcake” comes from the English cooking term, “short,” which means we’re making the food crisp by adding fat.
Meanwhile, when you say “cake,” you expect it to be soft, fluffy, springy, and sometimes, even moist. So, keeping the “short” term in my mind, you’d easily understand why “shortcakes” are supposed to be crispier and crumblier—as opposed to the typical soft texture in cakes.
You could think of cakes as closer to sponges, and shortcakes, to scones.
Is strawberry shortcake a biscuit?
If you ask Americans, we would consider shortcakes as a type of biscuit. It’s like crumbly bread, leavened with either baking soda or baking powder. And, in case you never knew, an American biscuit is similar to a British scone.
What is the difference between shortcake and shortbread?
I know people are confused because these two sound pretty similar, right? But they have different textures.
You can make a shortcake with vegetable fat instead of butter. With shortcakes, you’ll also add a leavening agent such as baking powder, which makes its texture different from that of a shortbread.
A shortbread is like a firm, dry cookie, and it contains a lot of butter. So it’s more “short,” if you will. All its other ingredients are just flour and sugar, and it’s not too sweet.
So just a recap here to make it super easy for you. In order of fluffiness—from least fluffy to fluffiest—it’s shortbread, then shortcake, then cake.
Vegan strawberry shortcake ingredients:
This lavender strawberry shortcake looks like it’s got plenty of ingredients to prep, but it’s all worth it!
Let me first give you the complete list here. We’ve got wet and dry essentials, plus the ingredients for the strawberry filling which is the highlight of it all.
Wet Ingredients
- Vegan yogurt, unsweetened or plain
- Unsweetened non-dairy milk – use your favorite or make a batch of quick Instant Pot almond milk if your pantry is bare
- Applesauce
- Avocado or olive oil, make oil-free by using an additional 1/4 cup applesauce instead – your choice!
- Aquafaba – the liquid from a can of chickpea that has some properties of egg and are great in baking
- Vanilla extract
- NuNaturals liquid stevia or NuNaturals Lo Han Guo extract, monk fruit, or sweetener of your choice, to taste
Dry Ingredients
- Whole wheat pastry flour – use a gluten-free baking mix to make this gluten-free
- Baking powder – makes it fluffy
- Salt
Strawberry Filling
- Strawberries, hulled and chopped
- Gin (Uncle Val’s uses lavender and is my favorite) – leave out if you don’t imbibe alcohol
- Lavender balsamic vinegar, or plain balsamic plus 1/4 teaspoon lavender extract
Extras
- Whipped coconut cream
- Chopped mint
- Culinary lavender
How to make vegan strawberry shortcake
I’ve grouped the following steps into three: making the cake, prepping the filling, and the most exciting part, putting it all together. 😉
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 6 mini cake pans or line a muffin pan with cupcake paper.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a medium bowl and the dry ones in another. Add the dry to the wet and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Use a ¼ cup scoop and add one scoop per muffin cup. If you are using the Wilton Mini Tasty Fill 4 Piece Pans, use 1½ scoops per pan.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Make the filling
- Put all the strawberry filling ingredients in a bowl and mash some with a potato masher.
- Note: You just want to extract some of the juices, but most of the berry pieces will be whole.
Put it all together
- Generously ladle the strawberry mixture over the cake. If you’re using muffins, you can split them first.
- Top with vegan whipped cream, culinary lavender, or even more strawberry mixture.
Enjoy!
Looking for more spring and summer recipes?
You might be craving more vegan desserts and refreshments, so I’ve made the following ready for you.
This Fresh Herb and Watermelon Gazpacho feels truly refreshing on the hottest summer days. Everything’s easy to prep when you have a blender or food processor. If you want something creamy and thick, this Elvis Popsicle – Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Fudgsicles will surely satisfy your taste buds.
Need something other than water to quench your thirst? My Blackberry Mint Lemon Switchel has kept me hydrated for some time now, especially when it’s too hot outside.
Lavender Gin Strawberry Shortcake
Yield: 9 cupcakes or 6 mini cakes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Everything is good with just a hint of lavender! So now you can make the cake cups of your childhood with no oil added, with no refined sugar, and this time, also make it vegan. For this recipe, I use something called *aquafaba or bean water. I used the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas, but you can also use the liquid from homemade beans.
Ingredients
wet ingredients:
- 1/2 cup vegan yogurt, unsweetened or plain
- 1/2 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil, make oil-free by using an additional 1/4 cup applesauce instead
- 3 tablespoons aquafaba*, see note in the summary above
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15 drops NuNaturals liquid stevia or 25 drops NuNaturals Lo Han Guo extract, monkfruit or sweetener of your choice, to taste
dry ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
strawberry filling:
- 1 quart strawberries, hulled and chopped
- 2 teaspoons gin, Uncle Val's uses lavender and is my favorite
- 2 teaspoons lavender balsamic vinegar, or plain balsamic plus 1/4 teaspoon lavender extract
extras:
- whipped coconut cream
- chopped mint
- culinary lavender
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 6 mini cake pans or line a muffin pan with cupcake papers.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a medium bowl and the dry in another. Add the dry to the wet and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Use a ¼ cup scoop and add one scoop per muffin cup. If you are using the Wilton Mini Tasty Fill 4 Piece Pans, use 1½ scoops per pan.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Make the filling
- Put all the strawberry filling ingredients in a bowl and mash some with a potato masher.
- You just want to extract some of the juices, but most of the berry pieces will be whole.
Put it all together
- Generously ladle the strawberry mixture over the cake. If you are using muffins you can split them first.
- Top with vegan whipped cream, culinary lavender or even more strawberry mixture. Enjoy!
Notes
*Aquafaba or "bean water" is used as a substitute for egg whites. I usually use the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 432Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 10mgSodium 417mgCarbohydrates 79gFiber 10gSugar 15gProtein 13g
Nutrition information is provided from nutritionix.com as a close estimate. If you have specific health issues please put the recipe information, including the exact ingredients you use, into the nutritional calculator your Dr. recommends.
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