Grandma’s Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

It’s that time of year…strawberry season is upon us and there is just nothing better than homemade strawberry shortcake! This is the best strawberry shortcake recipe, made with a pie dough crust that is topped with sugar, then layered with juicy, sugared strawberries and homemade sweet whipped cream. The ultimate summer dessert!

This recipe is inspired by my Grandma who passed away a few years ago. There were a few things she was known to make so well…her biscuit recipe, her cobbler crust and her strawberry shortcake. She actually used the same crust for cobblers and her strawberry shortcake, so be sure to save this recipe for your cobbler crust too!

Strawberry Shortcake Crust

It seems as though strawberry shortcake recipes are very similar to a family chili recipe. Everyone probably has a little different way of making it and always thinks their way is the best. But, I’m here to tell you…this recipe is the BEST! Most strawberry shortcake recipes use a biscuit like crust or an angel food cake, but this recipe is made with a pie dough type crust…flaky, buttery and so very good. 

What You’ll Need-Grocery List

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter cubed
• ​3/4 cup ice cold water
• Heavy whipping cream
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla
• Strawberries 
• ​Sugar

Step-by-Step Instructions for Strawberry Shortcake

To make our families version of strawberry shortcake, you will start off by making a pie crust followed by homemade whipped cream and sugared strawberries. In just a few easy steps, you will have the best strawberry shortcake ever!

Making the pie crust:

Mix together in a large bowl, 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Cube 2 sticks of cold butter and cut into flour with pastry cutter.You can also use a food processor for this step as well. The flour mixture should resemble course crumbs.  Add 3/4 cup of ice cold water and mix together with your hands until you have a shaggy dough. Form the dough into a ball and cut into three equal pieces. Form into balls again. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface to a 1/4th inch thickness. Add crust to a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the top of all three crusts with sugar and bake on 400 F for 12-15 min or until edges start to lightly brown. Do not over bake.

Making the Whipped Cream:

To make the homemade whipped cream, add a 16oz bottle of cold heavy cream to a large mixing bowl. Beat the heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. This will take a few minutes. Once you see the soft peaks form, add 1/3 cup powdered sugar (or more depending on how sweet you would like it) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat again. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sugared Strawberries:

The perfect way to make sugary, juicy strawberries is to cut fresh strawberries into slices or small chunks and place into a medium bowl. Sprinkle a generous amount of sugar over the top of the strawberries and let it sit covered in the refrigerator for a couple hours. Remove from the fridge and stir. This creates the sweetest strawberries and a strawberry syrup. The syrup is essential for the best strawberry shortcake!

Assembling the Shortcake:

To assemble the shortcake into an individual delicious dessert, break off pieces of the baked pie crust and place onto a dish. Top pie crust with strawberries and whipped cream. Repeat with a second layer (or third) and serve! Make sure to add some of the yummy strawberry syrup! You can also assemble the flaky layers to make one larger dessert to serve to your friends and family. 

Variations to Strawberry Shortcake

There are so many ways to make strawberry shortcake. We love it made with the pie crust, with good reason, but feel free to get creative and make it however you choose! Here are a couple of other options:

• Strawberry Shortcake using sweet biscuits.
• Strawberry Shortcake Cake using a white cake or a store-bought pound cake.
• Strawberry Shortcake Cake using an angel food cake or sponge cake.

Final Thoughts-Save this Recipe!

Eating strawberry shortcake at my grandma’s house in the summer is one of my favorite memories. I hope you will give this recipe a try and that you will love it too. This delicious strawberry shortcake would be perfect for Mother’s Day, Memorial Day or 4th of July. It’s one of the easiest desserts and always a crowd favorite. Be sure to save this pie crust recipe to use for all your summer cobblers too! Enjoy!