Vegan Shortcakes with Whipped Coconut Cream

Chilled coconut cream. That’s the part everyone skips. Ten hours minimum or the whole thing falls flat — literally. Did it once without waiting. Watery mess. Never again.

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Dessert

Tastes like the real thing. Not “for vegan desserts” — just tastes good. Strawberry shortcake works cold the next day, maybe better. The biscuit softens just enough. Takes 57 minutes total if you’re not counting the fridge time, which you’re not. Makes 8 at once. Feeds people. Looks like you tried. You kind of did. Nondairy whipped cream that actually holds. Not the sad coconut stuff from a can.

What You Need for Vegan Shortcake

Coconut milk — two cans, full-fat, chilled hard. Not light. Not lite. The thick kind. Separate the solid from the liquid before you start anything.

Sugar. Forty-five grams for the cream. Sixty more for the shortcakes plus extra for sprinkling. Salt it a bit. Changes everything.

Flour mix: all-purpose and oat flour. Oat gives it chew, a little nuttiness. Skip almond powder. Doesn’t work the same way.

Baking powder and baking soda. Both. They do different things. Don’t skip either one.

Avocado oil instead of coconut oil — stays liquid at room temp, doesn’t make the dough greasy. Applesauce keeps it tender without butter. Vanilla. Sliced strawberries, fresh. That’s it.

How to Make Vegan Shortcake

Start 10 hours before. Not a joke. Stick those cans in the fridge now. The fat needs to separate and solidify. Skip this and you’re making soup.

When you’re ready — flip the cans upside down, open them, pour off the liquid carefully. Save that for smoothies or something. Scrape the thick white part into a bowl. It should look like — well, like coconut cream. Add 45 grams of sugar. Whip it with an electric mixer on high until peaks form. Stiff peaks. Takes maybe 3 minutes if the cream’s cold enough. Soft peaks and the whole dessert slides apart. Stick it back in the freezer for 10 minutes if it’s not holding. Watch it though. Melts fast.

Preheat the oven to 195°C (385°F). Middle rack. Line a tray with parchment.

Mix the dry stuff: flour, oat flour, 60 grams of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Whisk until even. The leaveners need to spread throughout or you’ll get weird dense spots.

Pour in the avocado oil, applesauce, vanilla. Mix just until it comes together. Don’t overdo it. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Overmix and the biscuits get tough. Not worth it.

Dust your counter lightly with flour. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 4 centimeters thick. Cut it into 8 pieces. Shape them into slightly flattened rounds. Don’t squeeze. Just barely shape.

Brush the tops with water. Sprinkle sugar on there. Generously. That’s what gets crunchy.

Bake 20 to 22 minutes. The edges go golden. The top springs back when you touch it. Don’t underbake. The crumb won’t set right.

Cool completely. This matters. If you stack warm biscuits the insides stay damp. Texture gets weird. Wait until they’re actually cool.

Getting Vegan Whipped Cream and Shortcake Right

The coconut cream is the whole thing. If the milk wasn’t cold enough, it won’t whip. If you didn’t wait the full 10 hours, the fat’s still mixed in. Doesn’t work. This is nondairy whipped cream that actually behaves like whipped cream — it holds peaks, it’s fluffy, it tastes good. Not some gummy substitute.

The shortcake itself should be tender but structured. That balance comes from the applesauce and the ratio of flour to leavening. Too much baking powder and it tastes metallic. Too little and it’s dense. They’re both in there for a reason.

Assemble right before serving. Halve each shortcake horizontally. Pile strawberries on the bottom half — sliced, with their juice. The juice soaks into the biscuit. That’s supposed to happen. Top with the coconut cream. Crown it with the top half. Eat it within 20 minutes or the cream starts softening and it all gets mushy.

Vegan Dessert Options and Storage

Leftover shortcakes stay good wrapped and separate for maybe two days. Cream deflates after 24 hours in the fridge — still tastes fine but loses the peaks. Strawberries macerate if you toss them with a little sugar and lemon juice. Keeps them fresher longer.

Can’t do ahead. These aren’t make-ahead vegan desserts. The whole point is the texture contrast — crispy biscuit, fluffy cream, soft fruit. All that falls apart if you assemble too early.

Want to change it? Skip the strawberry. Raspberries work. Peaches work. Anything soft and juicy. The shortcake stays the same. The nondairy whipped cream stays the same.

Vegan Shortcakes with Whipped Coconut Cream

By Emma

Prep:

35 min

Cook:

22 min

Total:

57 min

Servings:

8 servings

Ingredients

• Coconut cream
• 2 cans 400 ml full-fat coconut milk chilled at least 10 hours
• 45 g sugar
• Shortcakes
• 210 g unbleached all-purpose flour
• 65 g oat flour (substituting almond powder)
• 60 g sugar plus extra for sprinkling
• 5 ml baking powder
• 3 ml baking soda
• 1 ml salt
• 125 ml avocado oil (instead of coconut oil)
• 185 ml unsweetened applesauce
• 5 ml vanilla extract
• 400 g fresh strawberries sliced

Method

1. Preparing chilled coconut cream
2. 1 Fridge necessary min 10 hours to firm up fat in coconut milk cans. Crucial step else whipping fails. When ready, flip cans upside down. Open carefully pouring off canned liquid into separate cup; reserve for smoothies or baking. Scrape thick solid part into bowl. Add sugar. Whip with electric mixer at high speed till peaks form and cream looks like whipped cream. No fats solid enough? Stick cream in freezer 10 minutes to thicken but watch closely, melts fast. Set aside chilled.
3. Making shortcakes
4. 2 Preheat oven to 195 C (385 F). Position rack mid-level to ensure even heat. Line baking tray with parchment or silicone baking mat.
5. 3 Whisk dry ingredients: flour, oat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Use oat flour here for slight chew and nutty depth. Stir well to distribute leaveners evenly.
6. 4 Add avocado oil, applesauce, vanilla. Combine with food processor or by hand. Pulse or mix just until dough forms loose ball. Dough should be soft, slightly sticky but manageable. Overmixing toughens final texture.
7. 5 Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; gently pat or roll into rectangle about 4 cm thick. Cut into 8 equal pieces, shape into slightly flattened rounds. Handle lightly to keep tender crumb. Place on prepared tray.
8. 6 Brush tops lightly with water then sprinkle sugar generously to get caramelized crunchy top during baking.
9. 7 Bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown edges visible and surface springs back to touch. Color deepens as bake progresses; avoid underbaking for crumb integrity.
10. 8 Cool completely on wire rack — too warm and cream melts, ruining texture contrast.
11. Assembly and serving
12. 9 Halve cooled shortcakes horizontally. Generously pile sliced strawberries on bottom half, adding their juices too for moist burst.
13. 10 Top with whipped coconut cream. Place crown shortcake back on top gently.
14. 11 Serve immediately before cream softens and soaks into biscuit. Best within 20 mins of assembly.
15. 12 Leftovers: store shortcakes separately wrapped; cream keeps in fridge up to 24 hours but deflates. Strawberries can be macerated with bit of sugar and lemon juice to extend freshness.

Nutritional information

Calories

320

Protein

3g

Carbs

35g

Fat

20g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan Desserts

Can I make the nondairy whipped cream the night before? Not really. It deflates. Make it a few hours before, keep it in the coldest part of your fridge, and use it fast. The texture goes from peaks to basically mousse after a day.

What if I don’t have oat flour? Almond powder works if that’s what you have. Changes the flavor slightly — less dense, more delicate. Not worse. Different.

Do the shortcakes actually need to cool completely? Yeah. Warm ones sweat and get soggy on the inside. Defeats the point. Let them sit on the rack at least 20 minutes.

Can I use light coconut milk instead of full-fat? No. Light doesn’t separate. You’ll just get thin liquid. Full-fat only.

How long does leftover chocolate mousse stay good? This isn’t mousse. But if you make a vegan dessert version with silken tofu, it lasts maybe three days, tops.

The strawberry shortcake separates when I assemble it. What am I doing wrong? The cream probably isn’t thick enough. Make sure you waited the full 10 hours. If the kitchen’s hot, the cream melts faster. Work quick. Serve immediately.

Can I make these as vegetarian desserts instead? These already are. They’re vegan, which means they’re vegetarian too.

Is there a vegan cheesecake version? Not from this recipe. You’d need cashew cream or silken tofu. Different thing entirely.