9 Sweet Ways to Enjoy Strawberry Shortcake

Karla Walsh
·3 min read

Whenever summertime hits, there's nothing better than ending a cookout with a refreshing strawberry dessert. In this case, we're talking classic strawberry shortcake. To cover all the bases, we start our roundup of delicious strawberry shortcake recipes with the traditional method (a biscuit-like cake topped with berries and cream). From there, we switch things up with some seriously creative takes on the summer dessert. With strawberry shortcake on a stick, in scone form, and even frozen—you'll want to add each of these warm-weather treats to your summer recipe must-make list.

Kritsada Panichgul

1. Best Strawberry Shortcake

No matter how you slice it (or serve it), everyone loves strawberry shortcake. This towering strawberry cake recipe will satisfy a family or party of six and requires zero kneading, rolling, or slicing. Try our lemon poppy seed, mixed fruit, walnut, or savory (with cheese and bacon!) twists if you're feeling adventurous.

Andy Lyons

2. Classic Shortcakes

Two dream teams make this from-scratch strawberry shortcake recipe stand out:

  • Cake flour + all-purpose flour for a light and fluffy texture

  • Butter + shortening for a flaky, rich crumble

Combine that just-like-Grandma-made strawberry shortcake recipe with homemade whipped cream and macerated berries and you have a recipe for dessert perfection.

Andy Lyons

3. Strawberry Shortcake Ice Box Bars

Here’s how to make a shortcake for a crowd without the stress. Assemble these strawberry shortcake bars with layers of cookies, fresh strawberry sauce, and cloudlike whipped cream. Freeze for up to a month, then simply defrost the day before your big bash and top with additional whipped cream come party time.

Matthew Clark

4. Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits

Yes, you can eat strawberry shortcake on the go! Use a biscuit cutter ($7, Walmart) to cut perfect round shortcake shapes to fit inside 8-ounce canning jars ($11, Target). Once you've assembled all the layers, tote strawberry shortcake jars to the park for a delicious (and adorable) picnic dessert.

Matthew Clark

5. Strawberry Shortcake on a Stick

Inspired by state fair food, this easy strawberry shortcake recipe can be yours in less than 45 minutes. Since the quick shortcake biscuits are cut into small bites, they bake nice and fast. We call for frozen whipped dessert topping but if you have a few minutes feel free to mix up your own.

Sara Remington

6. Rosemary-Strawberry Shortcake Pizza

A little sweet (honey), a little savory (rosemary), and completely crowd-pleasing, this dessert pizza can be made in the oven or on the grill. Once the flatbread-like strawberry shortcake cake is ready, slice it into bite-size pieces and stack in a glass along with berries and cream for a portable parfait.

Andy Lyons

7. Strawberry Shortcake Scones

Get your pot of tea ready because these strawberry shortcake scones are about to be your new favorite brunch treat. This scone recipe combines all the ingredients of a classic strawberry shortcake (the biscuit, cream, and strawberries) into one light and tender bite. There's a bit of extra richness in the dough thanks to ricotta cheese.

Blaine Moats

8. Tres Leches Strawberry Shortcake

If you haven't had a tres leches cake before, it's a traditional Mexican sponge or butter cake soaked in three types of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream. Those rich creamy flavors make the perfect base of a mash-up dessert with a strawberry shortcake. Chill the cake base up to a day in advance for an easy make-ahead dessert.

Blaine Moats

9. Chocolate-Strawberry Shortcakes

Chocolate and strawberry are iconic pairings, so why not turn those flavors into a shortcake recipe? Simply adding cocoa powder to the strawberry shortcake biscuit mix takes the classic dessert to a whole new level. Serve with a drizzle of chocolate ice cream topping for a sweet (and eye-catching) finish.