Vegan & GF Strawberry Shortcake with Coconut Cashew Cream

Posted on by llbalanced
Vegan & GF Strawberry Shortcake with Coconut Cashew Cream
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    [post_title] => Vegan & GF Strawberry Shortcake with Coconut Cashew Cream
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05.18

A few weeks ago, I polled you, my darling readers, I expressed my exultation that strawberry season is upon us, and I asked what dessert recipe you'd like to see, with strawberries as the star. The vast majority of you responded quickly and with equal enthusiasm, "strawberry shortcake!!!". (strawberry cheesecake and ice cream were close seconds, and I actually have a Strawberry Bourbon Ice Cream in my cookbook!).

I get it!

Buttery, crumbly, smothered with strawberry compote and a thick luxurious cream...what is there to dislike about Strawberry Shortcake?

Arguably nothing in the flavor department, but traditional Strawberry Shortcakes are made with refined white flour, which equals simple, nutrient void carbs that can spike your blood sugar (reference). In addition, the macerated strawberries and whipped cream in classic recipes are overly-sweet sugar bombs that leave you craving more and more.

So my task was clear and simple; recreate your experience of Strawberry Shortcake with nutrient-rich carbohydrates (read: oat & coconut flour) and much less sweetener (read: touches of maple syrup and coconut sugar). While I was at it, why not make the recipe vegan and gluten-free as well?

I will leave it to y'all to decide if this was a success, but I can say with confidence that it was in my household. Because I used primarily oat flour, the "biscuits" don't rise quite as high a textbook shortcake, but I personally love the dense texture. It holds up beautifully under a thick dollop of Cashew Coconut Cream and several generous scoops of strawberry compote. And I personally the restraint in sweetness allows the rest of the flavors to shine: the pop of fresh acidity from the berries, the hint of umami in cashews, and the mild buttery flavor of oat biscuits.

Happy almost summer my loves! 

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TOTAL TIME :10-12minutes30minutes5minutes
Approx 8servings
INGREDIENTS
  • STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
  • 4 cups strawberries, rinsed & chopped into 1/2" pieces (approx 1 pint)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 7 tablespoons semi-solid coconut oil (like softened butter)
  • 3/4 cup canned full fat coconut milk
  • CASHEW COCONUT CREAM
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews
  • 3/4 cup canned full fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
  1. Make Cashew Coconut Cream and refrigerate. Place berries in a sealable container and add cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup. Seal and shake to combine, then refrigerate. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with nonstick parchment paper.
  2. Add rolled oats to a high-powered blender or food processor and process into a fine flour. Into a large mixing bowl, combine oat flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar and salt.
  3. Add 6 tablespoons coconut oil, and rub into the dry ingredients with clean fingers, forming a crumbly texture.
  4. Starting with adding 1/3 cup coconut milk to the dry ingredients and mix until it forms a dough consistency. You may not need all 3/4 cup. you want a sticky dough but not wet. Sprinkle a thin layer of coconut flour onto the counter and add dough. Knead once or twice to coat with flour then flatten into approximately 1/2 inch thickness. We're going for rustic here, so no need to use a rolling pin. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut an even number of rounds.
  5. Place rounds side by side on your baking sheet. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil and brush a light coating on each round. Bake for 10 minutes, or until just golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool 5 minutes.
  6. While shortcake is cooling, grab strawberries and use a fork or a immersion blender to mash into a chunky compote. Top each shortcake with Cashew Coconut Cream and strawberry compote. Serve immediately.
CASHEW COCONUT CREAM
  1. Place cashews in a bowl and cover with warm tap water (between hot and lukewarm). Soak for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. Alternatively, if you don't have a strong blender, place cashews in a small sauce-pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes, then drain and rinse.
  2. Add cashews to a blender, along with coconut milk, vanilla and maple syrup.
  3. Blend until completely smooth. If you don't mind a thinner more sauce-like consistency, you can use immediately. However, I prefer to refrigerate it at least one hour to thicken before spooning onto shortcakes.
  4. Compote and cashew cream will keep in the fridge for 5 days. The shortcakes can be at room temperature (sealed) for two days or 5 in the refrigerator, or 1 month frozen.
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