Simple Strawberry Bisquick Shortcake

I grew up thinking shortcake had to be complicated—something you saved for special occasions when you had time to mess with fancy pastries. Then one summer my neighbor showed me her Bisquick version, and I felt a little silly for overthinking it all those years.

Turns out, you don’t need a complicated recipe to make a dessert that people actually get excited about. With Bisquick, some fresh strawberries, and cream, you can have warm shortcakes on the table in about twenty minutes. It’s the kind of recipe I make on a random Tuesday just because the strawberries at the store looked good.

What Kind of Strawberries Should I Use?

Fresh strawberries are definitely the way to go for this shortcake recipe, and you’ll want to pick ones that are bright red and smell sweet. Look for berries that are firm but not hard, and avoid any with white or green patches since those won’t be as flavorful. If fresh strawberries aren’t in season, you can use frozen strawberries in a pinch – just thaw them completely and drain off some of the excess liquid before mixing them with the sugar. The smaller to medium-sized berries tend to work best since they’re easier to slice and distribute evenly over your shortcake.

Options for Substitutions

This classic shortcake recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Strawberries: Fresh strawberries work best here, but you can use other berries like blueberries, raspberries, or sliced peaches. If using frozen berries, thaw them completely and drain excess liquid before mixing with sugar.
• Bisquick mix: This is the key ingredient that makes this recipe so easy, so I’d stick with it. However, you can make your own mix by combining 2 1/3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/3 cup cold butter cut into the dry ingredients.
• Milk: Any milk works here – whole, 2%, or even buttermilk for a tangier flavor. Non-dairy options like oat or almond milk are fine too.
• Butter: You can replace butter with melted coconut oil or vegetable oil if needed, though butter gives the best flavor.
• Cream: Heavy cream is traditional, but you can use whipped topping from a tub or even make whipped cream from canned coconut cream. If you’re in a pinch, vanilla ice cream works as a topping too.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake people make with strawberry shortcake is overworking the dough, which leads to tough, dense biscuits instead of light and fluffy ones – mix just until the ingredients come together and you’ll get much better results.

Another common error is placing the dough spoonfuls too close together on the cookie sheet, so leave at least 2 inches between each one to allow for proper rising and even browning.

Don’t skip macerating your strawberries with sugar for at least 15-20 minutes before assembling, as this draws out their natural juices and creates a sweet syrup that soaks into the biscuits.

Finally, make sure your butter is cold when mixing it into the dough – warm butter won’t create those pockets of steam that give you tender, flaky layers.

What to Serve With Strawberry Shortcake?

Strawberry shortcake is pretty much a complete dessert on its own, but I love serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side for an extra indulgent treat. A cup of hot coffee or tea makes a nice pairing, especially if you’re serving this for a summer brunch or afternoon gathering. If you want to add more fruit to the table, fresh whipped cream with a mix of berries like blueberries and raspberries gives everyone options to customize their plate. This dessert also works great as the sweet ending to a backyard barbecue or picnic, following grilled burgers or chicken.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep any leftover shortcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store the strawberries separately in the fridge in a covered container so they don’t make the shortcakes soggy. The whipped cream should also stay in the fridge in its own container for up to 3 days.

Assemble Later: If you want to get ahead, you can bake the shortcakes a day in advance and store them at room temperature. Slice and sugar the strawberries the morning you plan to serve, then whip the cream right before eating. This way everything stays fresh and the biscuits don’t get mushy.

Refresh: Day-old shortcakes can be warmed up in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes to bring back that fresh-baked taste. This makes them taste like you just made them and helps them soak up all those sweet strawberry juices even better.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1750-1950
• Protein: 22-26 g
• Fat: 60-70 g
• Carbohydrates: 285-310 g

Ingredients

For the berries:

• 1 quart strawberries (sliced into 1/4-inch pieces for better juicing)
• 1/3 cup sugar

For the biscuits:

• 2 1/2 cups bisquick mix (I use the Original yellow box for the best rise)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp butter (melted and cooled to room temperature)

For the cream:

• 3/4 cup cream (I prefer Land O’Lakes heavy whipping cream for stability)

Step 1: Prepare the Strawberries and Preheat the Oven

• 1 quart strawberries
• 1/3 cup sugar

Slice the strawberries into 1/4-inch pieces and place them in a bowl with 1/3 cup sugar.

Stir gently to combine, then let sit at room temperature while you prepare the biscuits—the sugar will draw out the strawberry juices and create a natural syrup.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425°F so it reaches the proper temperature by the time your biscuits are ready to bake.

Step 2: Mix and Shape the Biscuit Dough

• 2 1/2 cups Bisquick mix
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp butter

In a mixing bowl, combine the Bisquick mix, milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter, stirring until just combined into a soft dough—don’t overmix, as this will make the biscuits tough.

Drop 6-8 spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart so they have room to rise and develop crispy edges.

I like to use a cookie scoop for uniform-sized biscuits that bake evenly.

Step 3: Bake the Biscuits

Place the biscuits in the preheated 425°F oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until they’re golden brown on top.

While they bake, you can start whipping the cream in the next step.

The biscuits should be light and fluffy when done—don’t overbake or they’ll become dry.

Step 4: Whip the Cream to Soft Peaks

• 3/4 cup cream

Pour the heavy cream into a chilled bowl and beat it with an electric mixer or by hand until soft peaks form—the cream should look fluffy but still hold a slight droop when the beaters are lifted.

Don’t overbeat, or you’ll end up with butter.

I prefer using heavy whipping cream because it holds its shape better throughout the meal, especially if the shortcakes sit for a bit before serving.

Step 5: Assemble and Serve

• biscuits from Step 3
• whipped cream from Step 4
• macerated strawberries and juices from Step 1

Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool for 1-2 minutes.

Carefully split each biscuit in half horizontally using a serrated knife.

Place the bottom half on a plate or serving bowl, then layer with whipped cream from Step 4 and some of the macerated strawberries with their juices from Step 1.

Top with the biscuit top half and add another dollop of cream and a few strawberries on top for a beautiful presentation.

Simple Strawberry Bisquick Shortcake

Delicious Simple Strawberry Bisquick Shortcake recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 6 shortcakes

Calories 1850 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the berries::

• 1 quart strawberries (sliced into 1/4-inch pieces for better juicing)
• 1/3 cup sugar

For the biscuits::

• 2 1/2 cups bisquick mix (I use the Original yellow box for the best rise)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp butter (melted and cooled to room temperature)

For the cream::

• 3/4 cup cream (I prefer Land O'Lakes heavy whipping cream for stability)

Instructions

 

• Slice the strawberries into 1/4-inch pieces and place them in a bowl with 1/3 cup sugar. Stir gently to combine, then let sit at room temperature while you prepare the biscuits—the sugar will draw out the strawberry juices and create a natural syrup. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425°F so it reaches the proper temperature by the time your biscuits are ready to bake.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the Bisquick mix, milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter, stirring until just combined into a soft dough—don't overmix, as this will make the biscuits tough. Drop 6-8 spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart so they have room to rise and develop crispy edges. I like to use a cookie scoop for uniform-sized biscuits that bake evenly.
• Place the biscuits in the preheated 425°F oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until they're golden brown on top. While they bake, you can start whipping the cream in the next step. The biscuits should be light and fluffy when done—don't overbake or they'll become dry.
• Pour the heavy cream into a chilled bowl and beat it with an electric mixer or by hand until soft peaks form—the cream should look fluffy but still hold a slight droop when the beaters are lifted. Don't overbeat, or you'll end up with butter. I prefer using heavy whipping cream because it holds its shape better throughout the meal, especially if the shortcakes sit for a bit before serving.
• Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool for 1-2 minutes. Carefully split each biscuit in half horizontally using a serrated knife. Place the bottom half on a plate or serving bowl, then layer with whipped cream from Step 4 and some of the macerated strawberries with their juices from Step 1. Top with the biscuit top half and add another dollop of cream and a few strawberries on top for a beautiful presentation.