Healthy Strawberry Shortcake for a Big Group

I want to eat this all day, every day.

It’s no secret that there are a few select foods that I could literally could eat every single day and not get tired of them. Nachos (and I do), a good burger, and my homemade strawberry shortcake. My homemade strawberry shortcake is sublime.

I stumbled upon this recipe years ago when I needed to come up with a dessert for like 15 people. Individual shortcakes would have been way too time-consuming (and quite frankly they’re kind of dry), but I had it stuck in my head that I wanted to use the pounds of strawberries that my mom had. And then I found the original recipe I’ve adapted here…as my original post mentioned, I’m obsessed. It’s literally the best.

But, as with many recipes, I wanted to see if there was a way to make it just a tad more healthy—cut down on the calories just a bit, but also bringing in some healthier elements. And the fact is, I might like this version even just a bit more.

I cut the sugar a bit, and it definitely doesn’t lose anything. And then I’ve substituted half of the flour for whole wheat (or white whole wheat, which is a bit softer), which gives it a great heartiness and also a slightly nutty, warm flavor that I really love. You can make this ahead of time when feeding a big group and it’s the most moist, fragrant, yummy summer dessert I can think of. Pair it with fresh strawberries and a bit of homemade cinnamon whipped cream, and you’ve got yourself a winner!

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.

Add in the buttermilk, vanilla, almond extract, and melted butter, then mix well. It’s okay to have a few lumps, you don’t want to over-stir.

Pour/spread the batter into a greased pan and spread evenly. It’ll be pretty thick.

Bake until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean (25-35 minutes for a 9×13 pan or cupcakes). For a jelly roll pan, just bake for about 5 minutes less.

This is perfect for making ahead of time too (key for prepping for a large gathering), just make sure to cover it to keep it fresh. Top with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream.

A Healthier Moist Strawberry Shortcake (for a Large Group)

Makes a 9×13 pan, 12 cupcakes, or one jellyroll pan

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of white whole wheat flour (or regular whole wheat)
1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup of oil
2 cups of low-fat buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
I cut up my strawberries into bite-size pieces, sprinkle with a little bit of granulated sugar, a tablespoon or two of water, a bit of vanilla, and (if I have it) some lemon zest, shake together, and let sit in the fridge for at least a few hours to form a nice syrup. I also throw some cinnamon and a bit of almond extract into my homemade whipped cream.

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
Add in the buttermilk, vanilla, almond extract, and melted butter, then mix well. It’s okay to have a few lumps, you don’t want to over-stir.
Pour the batter into a greased pan and spread evenly, then bake until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean (25-35 minutes for a 9×13 pan or cupcakes). For a jelly roll pan, just bake for about 5 minutes less. You can make it ahead of time, it’s great for a few days.