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This single serving strawberry shortcake features a buttery, lightly sweetened biscuit layered with juicy strawberries and fluffy whipped cream. It’s a classic dessert that’s quick to make and absolutely full of flavor.
Featured Comment
“Absolutely delicious. Reminds me of the shortcake my mom used to make.”
– Kay
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy: Ready in under 30 minutes, great for a fast dessert.
- Simple Ingredients: Made with staples you likely already have.
- Fresh & Flavorful: Buttery biscuit, juicy strawberries, and whipped cream in every bite.
- Customizable: Swap in blueberries, peaches, or your favorite fruit.
- Made from Scratch: Homemade biscuit tastes better than anything from a mix.
What I love most about this small strawberry shortcake is the way each layer complements the next. The buttery biscuit, the sweet strawberries, and the soft whipped cream all come together beautifully. It’s the kind of dessert that feels nostalgic and satisfying, with each bite full of flavor and texture.
I’ve always leaned toward the biscuit version over cake because it adds just the right texture and balance without becoming soggy. Making it from scratch takes just a few extra minutes, and the flavor is absolutely worth it.
Looking for more single serving strawberry recipes? Try our single serving strawberry crisp, creamy strawberry milkshake, small batch strawberry sorbet, or fruit quesadilla. Love berries? Browse our full collection of simple berry recipes for one.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this single serving strawberry shortcake recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: Use cold, salted butter. Cold butter creates flaky layers and crisp edges.
- Milk: Regular milk works well. Almond or soy milk can be used for a dairy-free version.
- Strawberries: Use 1/4 cup of fresh, sliced strawberries. Extra strawberries? Add them to small batch sheet pan pancakes, a single serving strawberry icebox cake, a mini trifle, or a knickerbocker glory.
Strawberry Prep Tip:
Use ripe, red strawberries (they won’t ripen after picking). Rinse under cold water and pat dry. For a deeper clean, soak briefly in 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar, then rinse. Hull and slice before using.
- Whipped Cream: Making your own small batch whipped cream is best – use heavy cream, a little sugar, and vanilla (optional). Store-bought or dairy-free versions also work.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
There are plenty of ways to enjoy this classic dessert with different fruits or mix-ins:
- Blueberry Shortcake: Swap the strawberries for blueberries.
- Peach Shortcake: Use sliced peaches for a fresh, summery option.
- Chocolate Chip Biscuit: Add 2–3 tablespoons of chocolate chips to the biscuit dough.
- Banana Shortcake: Replace the strawberries with sliced bananas or top with our one-banana bananas foster.
- Apple Shortcake: Use the fried apples recipe instead of strawberries for a warm, comforting twist.
- Cake-Based Shortcake: Prefer cake over biscuits? Use our mini pound cake or small white cake as the base.
How To Make Strawberry Shortcake
These photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make a single serving strawberry shortcake. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add cold, chopped butter and cut it into the flour mixture using your fingers, a fork, pastry cutter, or food processor until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- Pour in the milk and stir until just combined. If the dough is too wet, add 1/2 tablespoon more flour.
- Drop the dough onto a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet and gently shape it into a circle.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 more minutes.
- Slice the biscuit in half. Add strawberries and whipped cream to the bottom half, then place the top half over it. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Expert Tips
- Wash Berries Last Minute: Rinse strawberries just before using to keep them fresh longer.
- Keep Ingredients Cold: Cold butter and milk help create a flaky, tender biscuit.
- Don’t Overmix: Stir the dough just until combined to avoid dense or chewy biscuits.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into a measuring cup, then level it off. Avoid scooping directly from the bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but fresh strawberries are best for texture and flavor. If using frozen, thaw them completely and drain excess liquid before using.
Yes. Bake the biscuit, let it cool completely, and store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.
It’s best assembled just before serving. If you have leftovers, store the biscuit, strawberries, and whipped cream separately in the fridge and assemble when ready to eat.
Absolutely. Just double all ingredients and divide the dough into two biscuits before baking.
It’s optional. I used to macerate them but now prefer the fresher, less sweet taste of plain sliced strawberries. If you’d like to macerate, sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of sugar over the sliced berries, stir gently, and let them sit while you prepare the biscuit. This draws out their juices and creates a light syrup.
RELATED: 15 Easy Single Serving Dessert Recipes
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this mini strawberry shortcake or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Strawberry Shortcake For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cold salted butter
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup sliced strawberries
- whipped cream (homemade or store-bought)
- Optional: powdered sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add cold, chopped butter and cut it into the flour mixture using your fingers, a fork, pastry cutter, or food processor until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- Pour in the milk and stir until just combined. If the dough is too wet, add 1/2 tablespoon more flour.
- Drop the dough onto a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet and gently shape it into a circle.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 more minutes.
- Slice the biscuit in half. Add strawberries and whipped cream to the bottom half, then place the top half over it. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
- Wash Berries Last Minute: Rinse strawberries just before using to keep them fresh longer.
- Keep Ingredients Cold: Cold butter and milk help create a flaky, tender biscuit.
- Don’t Overmix: Stir the dough just until combined to avoid dense or chewy biscuits.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into a measuring cup, then level it off. Avoid scooping directly from the bag.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Is this recipe supposed to include an egg? I kept all my ingredients refrigerated and the dough was still cold when I added it to the sheet pan but it still spread, did not rise, and sort of crumbled. Seems like it needed an egg to hold it together?
Hi Lina, the shortcake is simply a biscuit and no egg is needed. As you can see from the photos and from the video, the biscuit should not spread. I would check to see if your baking powder is fresh. Baking powder is an ingredient that helps baked goods rise. If the shortcake did not rise, chances are that this leavening agent was the reason. The crumbling could be caused by more flour being added to the dough which disrupted the ratio of dry to wet ingredients. How was the flour measured? If you dip your measuring cup into your bag of flour and use it as a scoop, you often wind up with a too-tightly packed 1/2 cup of flour, giving you more flour than you need. Instead, we recommend spooning the flour from he bag and into the measuring cup, then use something with a flat edge, like a knife, to level it off before adding it to the mixing bowl.
The video says 1-2 Tablespoons sugar but the recipe on the link says 1-2 teaspoons. Which is correct? Also if you used powdered sugar which I usually use how much of that would you use?
I’m assuming you are asking about the whipped cream? Thank you for catching that. The beauty of making homemade whipped cream is that you control the sweetness. In all honesty, I never measure the amount of sugar I use when I make whipped cream for myself. I would suggest you start with adding 1-2 teaspoons of sugar to your cream, whip it slightly and taste it, if you would like the whipped cream to be sweeter, add more until it is as sweet as you like it. I don’t use powdered sugar in whipped cream, but I would think adding the same amount instead of granulated sugar would work just fine.
I still haven’t tried it but will definitely today or tomorrow but I think for the heavy cream if you add the sugar to the cream while it is still liquid it won’t become thick so it’s best to whip up the heavy cream and once its thick add sugar. just telling yall
Amy, I recommend adding the sugar with the cream to thicken. The cream will thicken up with the sugar added. If you add the sugar after the cream has thickened, you will taste the granules of sugar.
I adapted the recipe to make it gluten free and vegan. I used gluten free flour, vegan butter and almond milk. Used a little more than 2 tablespoons of milk. Turned out perfect! I cut it in half because the whole shortcake would have been too much for me at once. I am not a huge fan of whipped cream so didn’t make it. Definitely will make it again. Fast and easy to make for a great dessert!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the strawberry shortcake. Thanks so much for your feedback.
This was TO DIE FOR. So good! I divided it into two and it was the perfect amount for my husband and me.
I’m so happy you loved the strawberry shortcake! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Joanie
A dessert I don’t have to share. WINNER! I love strawberry shortcake. Now I can make it anytime I want.
Oh my gosh, love this! SO often I just want ONE, and not make a huge batch of strawberry shortcake. What a great recipe for a great summer dessert!
There is nothing like homemade whipped cream and totally worth the extra effort, in my opinion! Strawberry shortcake is one of my favorite summertime desserts and this version looks fantastic! Perfect for nights when my husband is working late and I want something sweet all for myself!
This tastes absolutely amazing! I defiantly need to make more than one.😉
Looks so delicious! I definitely whip homemade whipped cream for this beautiful cake 😀 Thank you for the recipe<3