Fresh Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits (Printer-friendly)

Fluffy shortcake cubes layered with sweet strawberries and whipped cream in mason jars.

# What You'll Need:

→ Shortcake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
06 - 2/3 cup whole milk
07 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Strawberries

08 - 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
09 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

→ Whipped Cream

11 - 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
12 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
13 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
03 - Stir in milk and vanilla until just combined. Do not overmix.
04 - Drop heaping spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet to form 6 to 8 shortcakes. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, then cut into 1-inch cubes.
05 - While the shortcakes bake, combine sliced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss well and let macerate for at least 15 minutes until juices are released.
06 - In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
07 - Layer shortcake cubes, strawberries with juice, and whipped cream in mason jars. Repeat layers as desired, finishing with whipped cream and a few strawberry slices on top.
08 - Serve immediately, or cover and chill for up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look impressive enough for a dinner party but taste like you didn't stress about it.
  • Everything can be prepped ahead, which means you're actually relaxing instead of baking while guests arrive.
  • The layers stay distinct and beautiful—no soggy mess if you assemble them right.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the shortcakes completely before cutting—warm shortcake crumbles and falls apart, but cool shortcake cuts cleanly into perfect cubes.
  • The strawberries release way more juice than you'd expect, which is exactly what you want—that sweet liquid is what keeps everything from being dry and makes each bite taste like summer.
03 -
  • Keep your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes before whipping cream—cold equipment means faster whipping and less risk of overbeating.
  • If whipped cream starts to break down, stop immediately and fold in a spoonful of cold heavy cream by hand to bring it back together.
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