Celebrate the taste of summer with these delicious strawberry shortcakes. Sweet juicy strawberries layered between golden shortcakes, oozing strawberry chia jam and luscious coconut cream (or dairy-cream if preferred). What a treat!

These shortcakes are also healthy; with chia, optional flaxseed, coconut milk, optional protein powder (soya bean and pea work well) and no refined sugar. They taste so good, it’s hard to just eat one! They pair well with a cup of tea. Who said high tea couldn’t be healthy?!

These shortcakes are not only vegan (opting for coconut cream), but can easily be made gluten-free (using gluten-free flour) and sugar-free too (by using stevia).

The unassembled shortbreads keep well in the fridge for about 5 days and freeze well, although they are best eaten fresh to enjoy the slightly crisp exterior and fluffy middles.

Makes: 14-16

Preparation time: 20-25 mins (if making coconut cream, allow for overnight refrigeration)

Ingredients:

Shortcakes

Dry:

• 260g wholemeal flour (gluten-free if required)
• 50g coconut flour
• 30g protein powder (soya bean or pea. If not using, substitute for more coconut flour)
• 20g chia seeds or whole or ground flaxseed
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt

Wet (plus sweetener of choice)

• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 330ml coconut milk (almond and soya milk also work)
• 85g sweetener of choice: honey/ coconut sugar/ agave/ date syrup. Alternatively, 30g stevia
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Filling

• 500g strawberries, sliced

Topping

• 1 tbsp stevia or coconut sugar-to sprinkle on top

Strawberry chia jam

• 300g strawberries
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp sweetener of choice: honey or coconut sugar or agave or date syrup or ½ tsp stevia

Cream

• 350ml whipped up dairy cream or coconut cream.

For coconut cream:

• 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in the fridge so the cream separates.
• 1 tsp sweetener of choice: honey/ coconut sugar/ agave/ date syrup or a pinch of stevia
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

• Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper and a little coconut oil.
• Preheat the oven to 190°C or 170°C fan.
• In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the wet ingredients plus sweetener of choice.
• Pour the wet ingredients onto the dry and mix to form a dough.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 2.5-3cm thick. Using a 6cm pastry cutter, cut out rounds. Place onto the greased baking sheet.
• Brush each shortbread with coconut milk. Sprinkle with stevia or coconut sugar.
• Bake in the oven for 22-23 mins until golden.
• Meanwhile, make the strawberry chia jam. Simply blend together the strawberries with chia seeds and sweetener.
• Coconut cream. Carefully open the can of chilled coconut cream. Spoon out the cream (leaving behind the watery fluid). Add vanilla extract and sweetener. Whip up to make coconut cream. If using regular dairy-cream, just whip up until soft peaks form.
• Slice up the cooled shortcakes into two or three segments. Spoon on a little cream, layer with sliced strawberries and strawberry chia jam. Repeat to assemble little towers.

Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.

• Assembling the shortcakes is a fun thing to do with the children, but beware they may make unique looking towers (see below…I think it looks like a dalek!) Enjoy!