✔ Updated · fixed card amounts + bake time, new step photos
Bisquick strawberry shortcake is my favorite fast summer dessert: sweet, tender biscuits split open and piled with juicy sugared strawberries and clouds of whipped cream.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Sugar the strawberries first so they get juicy while the biscuits bake, and split the shortcakes while they're still a little warm.
The biscuits take 12 minutes in the oven, so it's on the table in about 35.
Why You'll Love This Shortcake
- Five-ingredient biscuits: Bisquick, milk, sugar and butter, stirred in one bowl.
- Juicy berries, sugared for 15 minutes so they make their own syrup.
- Easy to scale up for a cookout, a birthday or a summer potluck.
Why Bisquick Makes Great Shortcake
Shortcake biscuits are just sweet biscuits, and Bisquick already has the flour, leavening and fat mixed in. Add milk, sugar and melted butter and you have a soft drop dough in two minutes, no cutting in butter and no rolling pin.
These come out tender and cake-like inside with a crisp, sugary top, sturdy enough to hold a pile of juicy berries. If you love baking with the yellow box, my Bisquick peach cobbler is another easy fruit dessert, and there are plenty more in our Bisquick recipes collection.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Give the berries a head start. Sugared strawberries need about 15 minutes to turn syrupy. I slice them first thing, before I even turn on the oven.
- Stir, don't beat. Mix the dough just until no dry mix is left. Overworked dough bakes up tough instead of tender.
- Butter and sugar the tops. That little brush of butter and sprinkle of sugar gives a crackly, bakery-style top. It's my favorite bit.
- Whip the cream cold. Cream straight from the fridge in a chilled bowl whips fastest. Stop at soft peaks; it should flop over gently, not look grainy.
- Assemble at the last minute. Lucy is in charge of piling on the berries at our house, and we build them right before serving so the biscuits soak up the juice without going soggy.
Bisquick Strawberry Shortcake
6
shortcakes20
minutes12
minutes430
kcal35
minutesStrawberry shortcake made with Bisquick: sweet, tender drop biscuits brushed with butter and sprinkled with sugar, baked at 425°F, then split and filled with juicy sugared strawberries and softly whipped cream.
Ingredients
- For the Strawberries
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 2 pints)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
- For the Shortcakes
2 1/3 cups Original Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
3 tablespoons butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
- For the Whipped Cream
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Sugar the Berries
- Toss the sliced strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl. Set aside for at least 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, so they release their juice.
- Bake the Shortcakes
- Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Stir the Bisquick mix, milk, 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons melted butter in a bowl just until a soft dough forms. Don’t overmix.
- Drop the dough into 6 even mounds on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with the extra melted butter and sprinkle with the extra sugar.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown on top. Cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes.
- Whip and Assemble
- Beat the cold cream, powdered sugar and vanilla with a mixer on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Split each warm shortcake in half crosswise. Spoon strawberries and their juice over the bottom halves, add a big dollop of whipped cream, then the tops, more berries and more cream. Serve right away.
Notes
- You can put a small amount of lemon juice to the mixture for filling so that the strawberries flavor can be enhanced.
- If you want your shortcakes to have the same size and shape, the dough should be flattening onto a thick sheet and then with a biscuit cutter cut them out. Remember to not twist your cutter to the dough. If you do, the edges of the biscuit will be sealed, and it will not rise.
- Before you use the strawberries, let them macerate in the sugar for maybe almost 20 minutes. Giving them this kind of time will let them have the time they need to let out their juices. You can also use the vanilla and maybe even orange liquor in flavoring your strawberries.
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Variations
- Mixed berries: use half strawberries and half blueberries, raspberries or blackberries.
- Peaches: swap in 4 cups sliced ripe peaches with 2 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of cinnamon.
- Glossy berries: spoon a little homemade strawberry glaze over the berries for a shiny, bakery-style finish.
- Lemony shortcakes: add 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest to the dough.
- Party-size: spread the dough in a greased 8-inch round pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes, then split the whole cake and layer it.
More Easy Bisquick Desserts
Once the box is open, try Bisquick churros, Bisquick coffee cake or a whole roundup of Bisquick desserts. For breakfast, my Bisquick pancakes are a weekend regular.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make Bisquick biscuits for strawberry shortcake?
Stir 2 1/3 cups Original Bisquick mix with 1/2 cup milk, 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons melted butter until a soft dough forms. Drop 6 mounds on a lined sheet, brush with butter, sprinkle with sugar and bake at 425°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden.
Can I make the shortcakes ahead?
Yes. Bake the shortcakes up to 1 day ahead, cool them completely and store them airtight at room temperature. Warm them at 300°F for 5 minutes before serving. Slice the strawberries up to 4 hours ahead and keep them in the fridge, and whip the cream just before serving.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes. Thaw them in the fridge, then slice and toss them with sugar as usual. They release more juice and are softer than fresh, so use a little less sugar and spoon them on with a slotted spoon if they're very juicy.
Can I use Cool Whip instead of whipped cream?
Yes, use about 2 cups of thawed whipped topping. Homemade whipped cream takes 3 minutes and tastes richer, but whipped topping holds up longer if the shortcakes need to sit out for a party.
How do I store leftover strawberry shortcake?
Store the parts separately: biscuits airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days, berries and whipped cream covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Assembled shortcakes go soggy, so build each one just before eating.
