Strawberry season has arrived in the Pacific Northwest — head to your farmer’s market or grocery store and stock up while they’re at their peak.
I couldn’t resist buying the first ones I saw a few weeks ago (they were pricey at the start), but now strawberries are everywhere and I can buy them by the basketful.
Growing up on the Atlantic coast, strawberries didn’t show up until late June. The first thing we always made was strawberry shortcake: tender, flaky biscuits piled with macerated berries and generous spoonfuls of whipped cream. Every bite takes me back to summer days — fresh-cut grass, sticky sun, and afternoons at the beach with my mom and sister.
My grandmother’s biscuits were special and required rolling and cutting perfect rounds. I still make them sometimes, but these buttermilk drop biscuits are a quicker, equally delicious alternative. They’re light, fluffy, buttery and flaky — everything a shortcake biscuit should be.
If you bake often you may notice this recipe uses only baking powder even though it includes buttermilk. That’s intentional: baking powder contains both acid and base, so it leavens on its own without neutralizing the tartness of the buttermilk. The result is biscuits that keep a pleasant tang while still rising nicely.
Thank you so much for reading. I know there have been more sponsored posts lately; I always try to keep them meaningful and useful for you. I truly appreciate your support — it lets me keep sharing recipes and stories. I wish I could make a strawberry shortcake for each of you with enormous amounts of whipped cream.
Strawberry Shortcakes with Easy Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter cubed
- 2 cups buttermilk
For strawberries:
- 2 pints strawberries hulled and quartered
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
For whipped cream:
- 2 cups cold whipping 35% m.f. cream
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or leave it ungreased.
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In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Toss in cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the pieces are about the size of lentils (a few larger pieces are fine).
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Add the buttermilk and stir gently with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl and folding the dough until just combined. Stop as soon as no dry patches remain — over-mixing makes tough biscuits.
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Drop large spoonfuls (about 1/3 cup each) onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for roughly 15 minutes or until golden brown and the tops spring back when pressed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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While the biscuits bake, combine the hulled, quartered strawberries with the sugar in a medium bowl. Let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so they release their juices. Lightly mash with a fork if you like a saucier topping.
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Whip the cold cream to soft peaks, then add the sugar and vanilla and beat to combine. To assemble, slice each biscuit in half, top the bottom half with strawberries and whipped cream, then place the top half over them. Add extra berries and cream on top if desired. Serve immediately. Store leftover biscuits in a sealed container at room temperature or frozen; keep any extra strawberry sauce and whipped cream covered in the fridge.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment!