Blueberry Shortcake

Reasons I’m Loving This Blueberry Shortcake Recipe

• 100% homemade. I’ll show you how to make the easiest shortcake biscuits, and how to assemble them into a delicious dessert with gooey blueberry sauce (also from scratch). Nothing beats homemade!
• Ready in under an hour. This is the best part! Making shortcake isn’t a day-long activity. This blueberry shortcake is quick, and you can cook down your blueberries in the time it takes for the biscuits to bake in the oven. 
• Great for summer. Prepare the biscuits and blueberries in advance, and I have the perfect light summer dessert that’s ready to assemble.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The crumbly texture of shortcake is very similar to shortbread. The main difference is that shortcake recipes include baby powder for extra lift, similar to a scone. It comes down to a handful of easy pantry ingredients, which I cover below, along with what you’ll need for the blueberry sauce. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable amounts and instructions.

• Dry Ingredients – Flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Butter – Cold from the fridge and cut into cubes.
• Egg – Some shortcake recipes skip the egg, but I find it adds richness and makes the biscuit less dry.
• Half and Half – You could also use heavy cream.
• Blueberries – I made this shortcake with fresh summer blueberries, but you can use fresh ot frozen, depending on what’s available to you. If you use frozen berries, you’ll need to simmer the sauce for longer (unless you thaw and drain them first).
• Sugar – Any kind works here.
• Lemon Juice and Zest – Remember to zest the lemon before you juice it! You’ll need one medium or large-sized lemon for 1 tablespoon of zest and juice.

To Serve

• Whipped Cream – Homemade or store-bought whipped cream.
• Ice Cream – Again, this can be store-bought or homemade vanilla ice cream
• Extra Blueberries

Cake vs. Shortcake

No, shortcake isn’t just a regular cake that didn’t go through its growth spurt! Despite the name, shortcake is actually less like cake and more like a biscuit, made sweeter. Cake, as we know, is richer, more moist, and fluffy, often frosted.

How to Make Blueberry Shortcake

I’ll usually prepare the biscuits and make the blueberry sauce afterward while they bake in the oven. This is the sort of dessert that’s great for crowds and dinner parties, since it’s quick and you can prep a big batch at once. Follow the steps here, and scroll to the recipe card for the printable instructions.

Shortcake Biscuits

• First, mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Next, cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. I usually get in there with my hands, but a pastry cutter or a fork works here, too.
• Add the wet ingredients. Now, mix in the egg and ¾ cup of half and half. Keep mixing as the dough comes together. 

• Knead the dough. Next, knead the dough 2-3 times on a floured surface. 
• Shape the biscuits. Afterward, press the dough out into a circle, and use a biscuit cutter to cut out 2-3 biscuits. Make sure they’re the same size so they bake evenly. You’ll need to re-roll the dough before cutting out 2-3 more biscuits. You should end up with 6 in total.

• Fill the pan and bake. Arrange the biscuits on a lined baking sheet, and brush the tops with half and half. Then, sprinkle on some sugar and bake the biscuits at 375ºF for 20-24 minutes, until golden.

Blueberry Sauce

• Cook the berries. Combine and heat the blueberries and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the berries have cooked down and thickened, lower the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Cook for another minute, then cool

Assemble and Serve

• Cut the biscuits. Start by cutting the cooled shortbread biscuits in half (one biscuit per serving).
• Assemble. Spread blueberry sauce over the bottom half of the biscuit, add whipped cream and ice cream, and place the top half over the filling. I like to serve my blueberry shortcake with any leftover fresh blueberries.

Tips for a Successful Shortcake 

• Use cold ingredients. Keep your butter and cream cold in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. Similar to making a pie crust or pastry, cold ingredients are key to a flaky, light shortcake biscuit.
• Measure correctly. This is always my #1 baking advice. For accurate measuring, make sure to weigh the flour using a kitchen scale if you have one. If not, do NOT scoop the flour directly from the bag. Rather, spoon the flour into your measuring cup, and then level off the top with a knife.
• If you’re short on time, substitute the homemade blueberry sauce with a can of blueberry pie filling instead. You could also use refrigerated biscuit dough for the biscuits!

Storing Leftovers

• Store the unused biscuits at room temperature. They’ll last for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
• Keep the blueberry sauce in the fridge. Store it tightly covered for up to 1 week. 
• Freeze. Alternatively, you can freeze the biscuits and blueberry sauce for up to 2 months. Thaw the biscuits at room temperature and the sauce in the fridge.

More Blueberry Recipes

• Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Blueberry Cream Cheese Biscuits 
• Lemon Blueberry Blondies
• Blueberry Banana Bread
• Blueberry Muffins