Tender shortcakes layered with fresh strawberries, blueberries & homemade whipped cream—all made without refined flour or sugar. The perfect healthy dessert for the 4th of July!
Every year throughout my childhood (except for the few where we visited my grandparents), my family made ice cream on the 4th of July. During the mid-afternoon, we’d head over to the nearest grocery store to pick up a box of rock salt and huge bags of ice, then drive home quickly before they started to melt.
Mom would pull down the well-worn Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cookbookfrom her cookbook shelf, flipping to their recipe for vanilla ice cream (the one without eggs!) while pulling heavy cream from the fridge. At the same time, Dad would carry the old wooden hand-crank ice cream maker from the garage into the backyard, setting it down near a drain to avoid flooding the patio with melty ice water.
After dinner but before the fireworks, we gathered around the antique ice cream maker, each of us perched on a small kitchen stool. We took turns cranking, beginning with us kids and eventually working up to Dad’s big muscles when the custard froze and thickened, always making sure to turn the handle in the same direction and not let it pause or miss a beat mid-crank. We were serious about our ice cream!
After cranking, refilling ice, sprinkling more salt, and repeating the whole process for close to half an hour, Dad took the final turn and deemed it done. We’d rush inside, scooping out bowls directly from the metal container, and rarely ended up with leftovers. That vanilla ice cream had the same smooth, creamy consistency as soft-serve, and we’d top it with fresh strawberries and blueberries for a festive patriotic look.
Although I’ve consumed more than my fair share of store-bought ice cream, nothing has ever come close to that homemade, hand-cranked, 4th-of-July treat. Somehow, ice cream just tastes better when you’ve worked for it!
Since my parents plan to travel this 4th of July, we’re postponing our ice cream tradition until our family gets together later this summer. But since it feels wrong to let the holiday go by without some kind of patriotic dessert, I’m substituting these Clean Mixed Berry Shortcakes instead!
Yes, that’s right. These shortcakes are 100% clean eating friendly—including the skinny whipped cream! So let’s talk about how to make them healthier than traditional recipes.
First up, the shortcakes. We’ll use whole wheat pastry flour instead of white flour. Whole wheat pastry flour has a lighter texture and less wheaty flavor than regular or white whole wheat flour, so it performs very well in baking recipes that require a tender texture. However, you can still substitute any of the other flours I just mentioned if that’s all you stash in your pantry!
Instead of tons of butter and heavy cream, this healthier recipe calls for a mere 2 tablespoons of butter! The rest of the tender texture comes from a touch of milk and Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is my secret weapon in healthier baking: it provides the same moisture as extra butter for a fraction of the calories. Plus it gives the shortcakes a little protein boost!
Just like with scones, we’ll bake these shortcakes at a high temperature for a short period of time. Don’t stray from the kitchen for very long! They finish quickly, which means you can eat dessert that much sooner. But to make sure the whipped cream stays stiff and cold, let the shortcakes cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
And now for everyone’s favorite part—the whipped cream! My version is much healthier than the spray cans, and it’s lighter than traditional recipes. We still use a little heavy cream for the iconic richness and densely airy texture, but…
We use Greek yogurt again for the rest! (I told you it’s my secret weapon!) Because it already has a thick texture like whipped cream, the Greek yogurt is nearly impossible to detect. The only thing that would give it away is its tangy yogurt flavor, so we’ll add more sweetener to compensate. I used stevia, a no-calorie plant-based sweetener that’s still clean eating friendly, but feel free to use whatever you prefer instead!
I made another short video for you to show you how to make this skinny whipped cream!
Then slice, pipe, layer, and enjoy!
| Clean Mixed Berry Shortcakes with Skinny Whipped Cream |
Yields: 9 shortcakes
These shortcakes are a sweet & healthy summertime dessert! The tender shortcakes pair perfectly with the juicy berries and rich whipped cream. Store any leftover whipped cream or shortcakes in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- for the shortcakes
- 1 ½ cups (180g) whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free flour* (measured correctly)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) nonfat milk
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (140g) fresh strawberries, sliced
- ¾ cup (105g) fresh blueberries
- for the whipped cream
- 3 tbsp (45mL) heavy cream
- 1 tsp powdered stevia, or to taste
- 6 tbsp (90g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and lightly coat an 8”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the shortcakes, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until it resembles fine crumbs. Make a well in the center. Add in the Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla, stirring until fully incorporated.
- Using a spatula, gently press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake at 425°F for 11-14 minutes, or until golden. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the whipped cream, place two beaters and a glass or metal bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Remove, and add the heavy cream to the bowl. Beat to the soft peak stage, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the stevia, Greek yogurt, and vanilla. Beat to the stiff peak stage, about 1-2 minutes. Chill until ready to serve.
- To assemble, slice the shortcake into 9 squares, and slice each square in half horizontally. Layer strawberries, blueberries, and a dollop of whipped cream on the bottom half, and gently press the top half onto the whipped cream.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend as follows: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum.
Regular whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour may all be substituted for the whole wheat pastry flour.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk. Any granulated or powdered sweetener may be substituted for the stevia.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
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