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These paleo strawberry shortcakes are a decadent and delicious summertime treat! They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, and AIP-compliant.

Who doesn’t love strawberry shortcake? It’s light and fluffy, creamy, sweet…. basically, all of the things we all love in a summertime baked good. It’s a nostalgic homemade treat that isn’t too complicated to make but is pretty and delicious enough that it feels perfect for a special occasion like parties or summer holidays.

I wanted to make a paleo, gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and AIP version of this beloved dessert for those of us with food intolerances. It’s yummy enough to share with everyone regardless of whether or not they have food intolerances and isn’t too fussy to make.

The Ingredients for the Strawberry Shortcake

• Tapioca starch. This is the base of the shortbread. You can likely also use arrowroot starch
• Coconut flour. This helps to offset some of the moisture of the coconut milk and bind the shortbread together. I have not tried to use anything other than coconut flour in this recipe.
• Palm shortening. This gives the shortcake that cakey texture. Be sure to use a sustainable palm shortening! I have not tried coconut oil in this recipe.
• Maple syrup. This is used for added sweetener. I have not tried other sweeteners but maple syrup will likely work.
• Coconut milk and apple cider vinegar. I haven’t tried to use other milk like almond milk, but I assume this would work. Combining both coconut milk and ACV makes somewhat of a buttermilk!
• Strawberries & coconut sugar. Letting the strawberries sit in coconut sugar allows them to soften and sweeten up a bit.

How To Make Paleo Strawberry Shortcake

• Step 1. Combine the strawberries and coconut sugar. Set aside in the refrigerator.

• Step 2. Combine the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar.
• Step 3. Mix the dry ingredients together.
• Step 4. Cream the palm shortening and maple syrup together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix in the coconut milk and stir until a batter forms.

• Step 5. Form the batter into 4 small, round shortcakes and place them on the baking sheet.

• Step 6. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. Slice when cooled.

• Step 7. Assemble and serve!

Tips & Tricks for Making Paleo Strawberry Shortcake

• For easy coconut cream, set coconut milk in the fridge overnight and use the cream on top. This is an easy way to get coconut cream without too much fuss, but I also like coconut cream from Thrive Market and Arroy-D.
• When baking the shortcake, don’t flatten the dough too much. It will spread a bit in the oven so make sure you make them pretty round.

How long will the shortcakes last in the fridge?

These are definitely better fresh! Coconut cream tends to harden, and the shortcake can get a little dense if it sits in the fridge for too long. I would for sure make these the day of and share them with family and friends.

If you do make them ahead of time, I recommend making the components separately and assembling to serve.

You’ll also love these recipes…

• No-bake Strawberry Shortcake Bars
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
• Lemon Blueberry Banana Bread

5 from 6 reviews

Paleo Strawberry Shortcake (AIP)

Yield: 5 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Author: Michelle

These paleo strawberry shortcakes are a decadent and delicious summertime treat! They're gluten free, dairy free, and AIP compliant.

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5 from 6 reviews

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Ingredients

 

½x1x2x

For the strawberries

• ▢ 2 cups strawberries, sliced
• ▢ 1 tbsp coconut sugar

For the shortcakes

• ▢ ½ cup coconut milk
• ▢ 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ¾ cup tapioca starch
• ▢ ¼ cup + 1 tbsp coconut flour
• ▢ ¼ cup tigernut flour
• ▢ 1 tbsp gelatin
• ▢ ⅛ tsp sea salt
• ▢ 2 tsp baking powder
• ▢ 3 tbsp palm shortening
• ▢ 2 tbsp maple syrup

For topping

• ▢ Whipped coconut cream

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper.
• Combine the strawberries and coconut sugar and mix to coat. Set aside in the refrigerator.
• Mix the coconut milk with the apple cider vinegar in a bowl and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
• Combine the tapioca starch, coconut flour, tigernut flour, gelatin, salt, and baking powder and mix well to combine.
• Cream the palm shortening and maple syrup together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix in the coconut milk and stir until a batter forms.
• Form the batter into 4 small, round shortcakes and place them on the baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
• Once cooled, slice the shortcakes in half and add sliced strawberries, and a spoonful of coconut cream to the base of the sliced shortcake. Add the top of the shortcake and top off with more coconut cream and a strawberry slice. Serve immediately.

Notes

All nutrition facts are estimations.

The photos of this recipe and all written content on my website are copyright protected and cannot be copied or shared. Please do not copy this recipe or photos and share it on your own website, Instagram, or other written materials. If you’d like to tell people about this recipe on social media, your own website, or elsewhere please link back to the recipe here rather than copy and pasting.  Thank you so much!!

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 476kcal, Carbohydrates: 41.6g, Protein: 6.4g, Fat: 34.5g, Fiber: 5.7g

All nutrition facts are estimated and will vary.

Did you Make this Recipe?Tag @unboundwellness on Instagram and hashtag #unboundwellness!

This post was first published in 2019 and was updated in 2023.