This easy, from-scratch individual strawberry shortcake recipe is the perfect base for fresh summer berries. Easy to assemble and ready in just over 30 minutes, it's a definite crowd pleaser!
If you love easy fruit-filled summertime recipes, you may also like my healthy peach cobbler, my apple pie dump cake or my strawberry rhubarb dump cake recipe!
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Quick Look at This Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Individual Strawberry Shortcake Recipe (From-Scratch)
- 🕒 Ready In: ~45 minutes
- 👪 Yield: 6 servings
- 🍽 Calories: 491 (calculation does not include whipped cream)
- 🥄 Tools: Stand mixer, measuring utensils, muffin tins
- ❄️ Freezer Friendly: Yes – let shortcake cool completely and store in an air-tight freezer-safe container. Wait to make the strawberries and whipped cream until ready to serve.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Slightly sweet from-scratch shortcake with fresh strawberries that scream the flavors of summer! Served with a dollop of homemade whipped cream, this recipe is perfect for serving to company.
- 👩🍳 Tip: Macerate your strawberries about an hour before serving so they have plenty of time to release their juices.
Featured Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jessica M. says: “AMAZING!!!! Best we have had.
I used 1 cup soft wheat and 3/4 cup spelt."
Ingredients
- Fresh Strawberries - There is nothing like in-season local strawberries. While fresh strawberries are best, you can also use frozen strawberries for this recipe. Allow them to defrost before adding sugar. If you'd like to have strawberries around longer, check out these tips on how to preserve strawberries.
- Plain yogurt - While yogurt may seem like a strange ingredient for shortbread, trust me, the texture it brings to this type of baked good is divine. Use this plain yogurt recipe or this homemade Greek yogurt recipe. Both are beginner-friendly and simple to make.
- Flour - All-purpose will get the job done, but for my fresh flour enthusiasts, Spelt or soft white wheat berries work well.
- Vanilla extract - Once you see how easy it is to make real homemade vanilla extract, you'll never go back to store-bought.
- Freshly whipped cream OR vanilla ice cream - It's so hard to choose, but with how easy this strawberry shortcake recipe is, why limit your options?
- Chocolate Sauce - Seriously, isn't everything better with a drizzle of chocolate? While you could use store-bought... it's super easy to make and with only five ingredients. Grab my easy homemade chocolate sauce recipe here.
Pro Tip: Make this recipe even more decadent by adding chocolate sauce! Seriously, isn't everything better with a drizzle of chocolate? While you could use store-bought... it's super easy to make and with only five ingredients. Grab my easy homemade chocolate sauce recipe here.
Step-by-Step Directions
Before You Begin! Macerate strawberries (see tips below) an hour or so before making your strawberry shortcake.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350° F.
Cream together softened butter and sugar.
Step 2: Beat in room-temperature eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined.
Step 3: Add yogurt and vanilla to the wet ingredients.
Step 4: Combine dry ingredients with wet and blend until just combined.
Pro Tip: Avoid overmixing or you'll have tough shortbread.
Step 5: Grease either an 8x8 pan OR large jumbo muffin tins. Fill three-fourths full with the shortcake batter.
Step 6: Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick, when inserted into the center of the shortcake, comes out clean.
Let it cool for 10 minutes in the tin before removing and letting cool completely on a rack.
How to Assemble Individual Strawberry Shortcakes
- Once the shortcakes have cooled completely, cut them in half (as shown in the picture above).
- Spread a layer of whipped cream (or ice cream) on the bottom half and add a spoonful of macerated strawberries.
- Place the top half of the shortcake on top and then spread a dollop of whipped cream and a few more berries.
- Serve immediately and experience the best single-serve strawberry shortcake of your life!
How to Macerate Strawberries
What happens if you let strawberries sit in sugar? When strawberries sit in sugar, they turn into a delicious, juicy strawberry delight! Technically, it's called macerating fruit, which simply put means letting fruit sit in sugar to draw out the juices.
To Macerate Your Strawberries:
- Rinse, hull, and slice strawberries and place in a large bowl.
- Mash lightly with a potato masher or fork for juicier berries.
- Sprinkle with sugar and allow them to sit at room temperature for two hours. (If you're short on time, an hour will do.)
How Much Sugar to Macerate Strawberries? A good ratio is 1 to 2 Tablespoons of sugar per cup of strawberries. This is a taste preference and depends on how sweet (aka ripe) your strawberries are.
How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
- Place 1 cup COLD heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar (see pro-tip below), and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
- Whip on medium high for approximately 3 to 5 minutes until it forms soft peaks.
- Serve immediately!
Pro-Tip: If you don't have powdered sugar, you can place granulated sugar in a high-powered blender or food processor and pulse until powdered.
Pro-Tip: If you don't have powdered sugar, you can place granulated sugar in a high-powered blender or food processor and pulse until powdered.
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Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a star ⭐ rating and your comments in the recipe card below. Then, snap a photo of your shortcake and tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see!
📖 Recipe
Individual Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Jumbo Muffin Tins
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Topping
- 3 cups strawberries sliced
- 1/2 cup sugar
For the Shortcake
- ½ cup butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 ¾ cup flour Use soft white wheat berries to grind your own cake flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream make sure it's cold!
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Strawberry Topping
- Rinse, hull, and slice strawberries and place in a large bowl.
- Mash lightly with a potato masher or fork for juicier berries.
- Sprinkle with sugar and allow them to sit at room temperature for two hours. (If you’re short on time, an hour will do.)
For the Shortcake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cream together softened butter and sugar.
- Beat in room-temperature eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined.
- Add yogurt and vanilla to the wet ingredients.
- Combine dry ingredients with wet and blend until just combined.Pro Tip: Avoid overmixing or you’ll have tough shortbread.
- Grease either an 8×8 pan OR large jumbo muffin tins. Fill three-fourths full with the shortcake batter.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick, when inserted into the center of the shortcake, comes out clean.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes in the tin before removing and letting cool completely on a rack.
Jessica Magyar
AMAZING!!!! Best we have had. I used 1 cup soft wheat and 3/4ths cup spelt.
Kim
Melissa,
This recipe looks delucious! I was wondering what you could suggest I use to replace the yogurt as I am out and can't get any until the end of the week. Would your cream work?
Thank you for your time!
Kim
Melissa Norris
Kim, I'd try cream!
joanna n.
i found your site through wondermill's feature of your oatmeal pancakes; your delicious-looking, healthy recipes are keeping me here! =) btw, i usually cut sugar in half when i'm baking, but it looks to me like most of your recipes wouldn't be extremely sweet to begin w/. would u agree?
Amanda @Natural Living Mamma
I Loooooove strawberry short cake! I can't eat eggs or gluten so have an extra serving for me. 😉
Melissa Norris
Amanda, I'm sure you could use another form of flour, but not sure about what to use in place of the eggs. I hate to see anyone miss out. 🙂
Becky Daye
Looks and sounds delicious! My current favorite way to enjoy strawberries is dipped in a nutella/yogurt mixture. So good!
Melissa K. Norris
Leslie, barbecue and potluck starts at 6, fireworks at dark. 🙂 My favorite recipes are ones with common ingredients, and that taste good of course. lol
Leslie
Looks yummy! Can I come over for the Fourth for some? Ha ha. We don't have plans yet, and hubby and I were talking about what to do last night so I thought I'd ask. 😉 😉 I like this because it does have ingredients I keep in the kitchen and is easy. Thanks for sharing; I'll be pinning it!