Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes {GF, DF, Paleo}

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These Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes start with a perfect paleo vanilla cupcake, filled with honey sweetened strawberry preserves and topped with thick and creamy coconut whipped cream and fresh sliced strawberries.  They’re gluten free, dairy free, kid approved, fun to make, and perfect for any special occasion!

I’ve been dreaming like crazy lately of strawberry desserts, with strawberry shortcake at the top of my list!  With all the spring/summer holidays and cookouts coming up, it just feels like the perfect time to go wild with berries.  In order to make my dream of strawberry shortcake even more fun, kid friendly, and easy to make, I decided to make them into cupcakes – strawberry shortcake doesn’t get any cuter than this.

Plus, my daughter Emily has been scouting out reasons to use our (her?) new cupcake corer, so this was the perfect excuse, of course, plus I gained a very dedicated helper for the job of coring and filling my strawberry shortcake cupcakes.  She’s currently in a cake decorating phase, so this probably won’t be the last time you see a filled cupcake in the near future 🙂

Even if you don’t have a handy little cupcake corer, you can just as easily use a small cookie scooper, melon scooper or even a teaspoon to carefully carve out a little pocket for the honey sweetened strawberry preserves.  Just a 1-2 tsp of filling will do, plus if you hate wasting the core, you can always put a piece right back over it since it’ll be hidden with whipped cream anyway.

And there’s the whipped cream!  For these particular photos, I must admit, I “cheated” guys.  I decided to use organic powdered sugar to get the coconut whipped cream even more white and fluffy than is possible with either maple syrup or honey as a sweetener.

For the next best thing (and what I’ve always done, to make a truly Paleo coconut whipped cream) use creamy raw honey – you’ll get coconut whipped cream that’s creamy but not quite as fluffy, just as delicious (with a hint of honey flavor) and will serve you just as well for the purpose of frosting your cupcakes.

One other hint/tip regarding the whipped cream.  I’ve used both straight up coconut cream from a can, AND the thick part of a can of coconut milk when making whipped cream.  However, lately I’ve come into contact with way too many “duds” with full fat coconut milk, where it would NOT get creamy at all after blending, and would separating into something that looked like cottage cheese.  It’s not fun to waste entire cans of coconut milk like that, in fact, it has brought me to tears on occasion!

However, when I used canned coconut cream only, (I buy these small 5.4 oz cans) my coconut whipped cream comes out perfectly every time.  I figured I’d share this with you since dealing with “surprise!  your whipped cream won’t whip!” is never a fun issue to deal with after all the work of making a multi-step recipe like this one.

So, with a good can of coconut cream your whipped cream will come together in minutes with an electric hand mixer.  You can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge, or make it and dollop it on the cupcakes right away.

Top with fresh sliced strawberries, and, as always, steal the first bite before anyone knows they’re ready.  You’ll be amazed at the taste, trust me!  Although perhaps not if you’ve been sneaking tastes throughout the process, as is expected with any baking activity.  Either way, these strawberry shortcake cupcakes will not disappoint!

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes {GF, DF, Paleo}

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes {GF, DF, Paleo}

These Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes start with a perfect paleo vanilla cupcake, filled with honey sweetened strawberry preserves and topped with thick and creamy coconut whipped cream. They’re gluten free, dairy free, kid approved, fun to make, and perfect for any special occasion!Author: Michele RosenPrep Time: 1 hourCook Time: 50 minutesTotal Time: 1 hour 50 minutesCourse:DessertCuisine:Grain Free &amp, PaleoServings: 12 cupcakesPrint this RecipeDid you make this recipe?Leave a review4.6 from 15 votes

Ingredients

For the strawberry filling:

2cupsfrozen or fresh strawberries1/3cupraw honey1/2tsptapioca flouror arrowroot, if preferred

For the vanilla cupcakes

4eggs1/4cuprefined coconut oilmelted and cooled to almost room temp (I used refined to avoid coconut flavor, but unrefined would work as well)1/2tbsppure vanilla extract3/4cuppure maple sugarcoconut sugar is fine too, though the color will be darker3tbspfull fat coconut milk1tspraw apple cider vinegar2cupsblanched almond flour1/3cuptapioca flour3/4tspbaking soda1/8tspfine grain sea salt

For the coconut whipped cream:

2small cans coconut cream(mine are 5.4oz) chilled (about 1 and 1/2 cups)*3Tbsporganic powdered sugarNOT strict paleo OR 2 tbsp raw honey {for strict paleo}**1/2tsppure vanilla extractFresh strawberry slices for topping/garnish

Instructions

Make the strawberry filling first: (this should be made several hours in advance (or the day before) to allow the preserves to fully cool/set before filling the cupcakes)

Bring first two ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to prevent burning, then lower the heat to a medium low and whisk in the tapioca (you shouldn’t need to mix it with water first if you whisk well).Continue to simmer on low/med-low 20-30 minutes until thickened and reduced, stir occasionally and scrape sides of saucepan to prevent burning. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, then chill until ready to use.

For the cupcakes (cupcakes can be made the day of, or the day before. If making the day before, store at room temperature very loosely covered until ready to core and fill.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.In a large bowl, with an electric hand mixer, mix the eggs with the coconut milk, maple sugar, vanilla, vinegar, and coconut oil until well combined. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet using the mixer on low speed, and once combined, continue to mix on medium for another 30 seconds.Line a 12 cup cupcake pan with parchment liners and fill the liners 3/4 of the way full to make 12 cupcakes.Bake for 15-18 minutes until set, domed, and a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire racks.

For the Coconut Whipped Cream:

Discard any excess water from the cans of coconut cream and place the chilled coconut cream in a large bowl. Beat on low/med with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add your sweetener of choice plus the vanilla, and continue to beat on medium speed until fully combined and creamy. Cover and chill until ready to use (it will firm up after being chilled). The whipped cream can also be used right away.

To assemble the cupcakes:

Using a cupcake corer or small cookie scoop, scoop out a small amount of the cupcake’s center, enough to fill with about 1-2 tsp of preserves. Repeat for all cupcakes, then spoon in the preserves for each one.*** You will have leftover preserves, which you can store in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for up to one week.Once cupcakes are filled, top each one with a dollop of chilled coconut whipped cream and a slice or two of fresh strawberry. Serve immediately and enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes

*I highly recommend using canned coconut cream RATHER than the thick part of a can of coconut milk, since it will be more reliable in making the whipped cream. If the coconut milk separates properly, it IS possible to do it with the thick part of the can, however, many brands are “duds” and don’t work properly for whipping.
**organic powdered sugar keeps the coconut whipped cream snow white and very thick and fluffy. However, sweetening the cream with raw honey is also delicious and will only alter the color and texture slightly.
***If you wish, you can place a small amount of the cupcake core back over the preserves, I did not do this but if you hate waste, no need to worry!

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 6gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 125mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 80IUVitamin C: 14.1mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 1.3mg

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What I Used to Make My Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes:

Want more delicious paleo and kid friendly desserts?  Try one of these!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Rich Chocolate Ganache

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

Almond Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars {Paleo & Vegan}

Tell Me!

What gets your vote: full size cake or cupcakes?

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