Clotted Cream Shortbread and Strawberries Recipe

Clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe, anyone? Unlike regular shortbread, they’re a little lighter, crisper and have the ultimate snap. You’d never know they were gluten-free!

Clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe – it must be strawberry season if I’m posting this! You can either use this recipe to make clotted cream shortbread biscuits or to assemble strawberry shortcake-style sandwiches.

Whenever it gets to summer, one this is always in my head: it’s time to go strawberry picking.

(ok, there are a few other things still in my head too, I’m sure)

And inevitably comes the strawberry based recipes… which is what brings us here today. I wanted to create a classic strawberries and cream recipe, so I did!

Not only is there cream in the middle of these biscuit sandwiches, but there’s also clotted cream in the actual shortbread too. It’s a real winner!

Why make my clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe?

• It only takes 15-20 minutes of effort + chilling and baking time. The hardest part is being patient whilst they bake and cool!
• Using clotted cream in the shortbread gives them the ultimate, light, yet crisp biscuit – complete with the perfect snap.
• You’d NEVER know they’re gluten-free – even the muggles will love these!
• These are perfect for making during strawberry season (May-September here in the UK)

So what do they taste like? Well, like the slightly crumbly, golden, buttery shortbread of your dreams, with a slightly lighter texture and crisp finish.

If you go ahead and make them into biscuit sandwiches (which you definitely should), you’ll get an explosion of strawberries and cream that just cannot be beat.

Here’s everything you’ll need for my clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe. Keep scrolling until you see the recipe card below if you’re looking for the measurements and method.

Clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe: What you’ll need…

• Butter: Of course, butter and biscuits go hand in but make sure yours is softened first. I use unsalted butter.
• Clotted cream: This is the secret to super light and crumbly shortbread with a perfect snap!
• Caster sugar: This isn’t just for sweetness! It’s integral to ensure your biscuits end up, well… like biscuits.
• Vanilla extract: A little vanilla goes a long way in these and remember, the better quality, the better!
• Gluten-free plain flour: I use Doves Farm’s FREEE gluten-free plain flour blend that you can find in the supermarket. Can’t find it in your part of the world? You can always use my homemade gluten-free plain flour blend.
• Xanthan Gum: This is a binder and incredibly integral to ensuring that a gluten-free biscuit doesn’t crumble into a million pieces when you try to pick it up.
• Double cream and icing sugar: You’ll need both of these for the filling inside your strawberry shortcake-style sandwiches – simply whip them together. Or alternatively, just spread a little extra clotted cream on them instead.
• Strawberries: They’re in season in the UK from May until September, so make the most of it by slicing them up and making these!

So I thought I’d kick things off with a little frequently asked questions section – if you just want the recipe, then keep scrolling.

But I’ve thrown in some tips here that will be really helpful if this is your first time baking this, or you want to adapt it. So here they are!

Clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe: Frequently asked questions

Can I make this recipe gluten free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?

It is gluten free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!

Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination:

Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make that that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).

Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten free products.

Can I make your clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe dairy free?

Unfortunately, not using this recipe. But you can easily make the shortbread recipe over here dairy-free by using Stork hard margarine instead of butter. Just use the same sized cutters as stated in this recipe.

Then simply assemble them with a little whipped dairy-free double cream and strawberries like you see in the photos!

Can I make your clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe vegan?

If you follow the steps above to make this recipe dairy-free, then that also makes it vegan too.

Can I make this recipe low FODMAP?

Unfortunately, because of the high dairy content in clotted cream, this recipe is not suitable for the low FODMAP diet.

Is your clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe nut free?

Yep, this is a nut-free recipe as far as ingredients go, BUT make sure you check the ingredients label on ALL the products you use just to be safe.

Even if the products don’t contain nuts, they may have a ‘may contain nuts’ warning due to being produced in a factory that handles nuts.

You can never be too careful so always read the labels on everything first.

Can I make your clotted cream shortbread and strawberries in a food processor or standing mixer?

Both are actually a little overkill for this recipe. You only need an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar initially.

Here’s a link to the electric whisk I recommend use.

Do I need any special equipment to bake your clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe?

Nope – all you’ll need is a large baking tray and some non-stick baking paper.

Does this recipe need xanthan gum?

You’ll see xanthan gum in a lot of my recipes as it’s an essential ingredient in gluten free baking. Of course, in some recipes you can get away with not using it, namely when gluten-free self-raising flour is used; that’s because it already contains xanthan gum!

However, when using gluten-free plain flour and especially when making biscuits, I’d always recommend throwing it in, if you can. You can find it in the free from aisle in supermarkets here in the UK.

Can I make this recipe using other gluten free flours like buckwheat flour or coconut flour?

There’s a big difference between ‘gluten free plain/self-raising flour’ and a *singular* type gluten free flour. When I say ‘gluten free plain or self-raising flour’ in a recipe, I mean a BLEND of gluten free flours, not just one, singular flour.

Most gluten free flour you buy in the supermarket typically contains a blend of rice flour, potato flour, maize flour, tapioca flour AND buckwheat flour. That’s a lot of different flours!

In gluten free self-raising flour, there’s usually even a little baking powder and xanthan gum in it too which always helps. So to replace it with just one specific type of flour… that’s not going to cut it at all. Definitely go for a gluten free flour blend.

Do I need weighing scales to bake your clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe?

In short… yes, yes and yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any of my recipes without them.

A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities and for me, baking is all about consistency and precision. I want you to make this recipe and for it to turn out EXACTLY like mine did.

I’d recommending using digital cooking scales like these so you know you’re getting an accurate measurement and replicating my recipe as accurately as poss.

Can I bake your clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe with less sugar / without sugar?

I can definitely understand the need to reduce sugar in our foods, but this is one of the recipes where I wouldn’t advise removing it from the biscuit dough itself.

Of course, the sugar isn’t just for sweetness. It’s integral to the structure of the biscuit once baked and is sooo important.

This recipe definitely won’t work without sugar, so remove at your own risk!

How long can I keep your clotted cream shortbread and strawberries for?

I’ve kept these for 3-5 days in an air-tight container in the fridge with no problems.

Can I freeze your clotted cream shortbread and strawberries?

I wouldn’t recommend freezing these due to the fresh strawberries in the biscuit. Both the filling and biscuits will definitely go soggy when defrosted!

Freezing the biscuits on their own would be the best idea.

How can I tell when my clotted cream shortbread and strawberries are done?

They should be a little pale with the slightest sign of turning golden at the edges. You definitely don’t want the entire biscuit to be golden – that means they’re over-done and will likely be very dry and crumbly.

Clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe: Method

Ok, so here’s a printable version of my clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe. Please remember to give it 5 stars if you tried it and enjoyed it as it helps people know it’s worth trying too! ⭐️ Feel free to leave your written reviews in the comments below this post.

 Thanks for reading all about my clotted cream shortbread and strawberries recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creations and tag me on Instagram!

Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo!

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

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