5-Ingredient Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

If you love strawberry shortcake — and who doesn't, really? — then you're going to absolutely adore this recipe. Courtesy of recipe developer Jessica Morone, this 5-ingredient strawberry shortcake recipe is easy to make, comes together quickly, and doesn't skimp on sweetness. "I love that these are so easy and quick to make, so you could do these for a fun weeknight dessert, or really any other time," Morone raves.

So, what makes this recipe so delightful? Well, you start with a can of buttermilk biscuits, which adds to the effortless ease of the recipe. You'll sweeten those up a bit, top them off with fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream, and voila! A perfect strawberry shortcake that will no doubt please your whole family. And, since you only need 5 ingredients to bring this recipe to life, you'll spend much more time enjoying this dessert than fussing over measuring out tons of flour, baking powder, and so forth. If you love strawberry shortcake and easy, simple variations of the classic recipe, give this 5-ingredient recipe a spin.

As you already know, this recipe requires just 5 ingredients, so let's get right into it. You'll need a can of buttermilk biscuits, granulated sugar, fresh strawberries, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract. That's it! Morone does acknowledge some room for ingredient swaps. "You could definitely use a different fruit if you want to, any fresh fruit could work here," she says. Of course, she also notes that "strawberries are just the classic choice for a shortcake." After all, what's a shortcake without strawberries?

For this recipe, the base, or shortcake part of it, comes from the biscuits. While biscuits do indeed have wonderful texture and flavor, they aren't particularly sweet, which is what you want in a dessert. Luckily, Morone has a quick fix for that! First things first, preheat your oven to 350 F. Pop open the biscuit can and separate the dough into eight biscuits. Now, place 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a small bowl, and roll each biscuit in the sugar, ensuring that the tops and sides are evenly covered. Place your sugary biscuits onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 1 inch apart, and bake them for 14 to 16 minutes. You'll know they're done baking when each biscuit has a golden-brown hue. 

With the biscuits ready to go, you can turn your attention to the toppings for the shortcake: strawberries and whipped cream. First, slice your strawberries. You can either halve or quarter them, depending on personal preference. Once they're all sliced up, toss them in a bowl with ¼ cup granulated sugar, and let them set aside for 30 minutes.

Now, let's make some whipped cream! It's so easy to make homemade whipped cream, and it tastes much more fresh than any store-bought version. Simply add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to a mixing bowl. Beat these ingredients with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. 

Grab one of the sugar biscuits and split it in half. Place a dollop of whipped cream inside the biscuit, then a spoonful of strawberries. Place the other half of the biscuit on top, then add more whipped cream and strawberries. Just like that, you're ready to serve and enjoy these sweet strawberry shortcakes! 

While these are intended to be enjoyed immediately, there is some room to prep ahead. "You could make the biscuits up to 2 days early if [stored] at room temperature, or up to a week in the fridge, and the strawberries and cream can be made 1-2 days early as long as you refrigerate them," Morone explains. "Then, put everything together right before you are ready to eat them and they will be fresh." We hope you enjoy this wonderful 5-ingredient strawberry shortcake recipe!