Try a new twist on a classic dessert with this recipe for strawberry shortcake with sweetpotato biscuits! Adding sweetpotato to both the biscuits and whipped topping adds another layer of flavor and offers natural sweetness that complements the juicy, fresh strawberries. It’s a fun mashup of spring and fall flavors.
I love this recipe as a dessert option for active women, as it provides carbohydrates to fuel workouts and offers up a good size portion of flavonoid-rich berries.
Disclosure: This recipe was developed in a paid partnership with the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission Inc.
Ingredients
Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need for the strawberries and the sweetpotato biscuits.
In addition, I’ve made a sweetpotato cinnamon whipped topping to use with this recipe. You’re welcome to skip over that and just use your favorite storebought topping instead. But if you’d like to make the homemade version, here’s what you’ll need.
Here are some helpful selected ingredient notes:
- Sweetpotatoes – These not only taste great – they’re also a nutritional powerhouse! They offer complex carbs that help provide energy for exercise, they’re a good source of fiber, and they’re chock full of Vitamin A. In this recipe, the sweetpotatoes are a key ingredient in both the biscuits and whipped topping.
- Greek yogurt – Rather than making a fully heavy-cream based whipped topping, we’re using Greek yogurt to help stabilize it and offer up fewer calories and more protein. I used plain nonfat Greek yogurt, but full fat Greek yogurt is also fine to use if that’s what you have on hand. Vanilla Greek yogurt also works, it will just have a slightly different flavor profile.
Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips. This recipe seems like a bit of work, but I promise – it’s not particularly difficult and the end result is worth it.
Start by mixing the sliced strawberries with the granulated sugar. Most strawberry shortcake recipes use more sugar to macerate the berries, which does help release their juices – but I find this to be a bit unnecessary. Strawberries are naturally sweet and juicy, especially this time of year if you can find fresh-picked local ones. Of course, if you prefer the traditional method of using more sugar to macerate the berries, feel free to do so!
You can set those aside in the fridge while you move on to the rest of the recipe.
Next up – if you haven’t yet made sweetpotato puree (or you don’t have any leftovers on hand), you’ll want to do that now.
Peel and chop two large sweetpotatoes (this should give you enough puree for what’s needed for both the biscuits and whipped topping). Place those in a pot and cover with water.
Bring that to a boil over high heat, then continue to cook for about 15 minutes, until fork tender. Drain them, let cool for a few minutes, then carefully puree in a mini food processor or blender. Be sure to keep the lid cap open to allow steam to escape when working with warm ingredients in a blender or food processor!
Pop the puree into the freezer for now to help it chill while you continue.
Let’s work on the biscuits. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir those together.
Add the chopped cubes of cold butter.
You can work it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter if you have one. I often use a short-cut method of just using my hands to quickly work it into the flour. You want the mixture to resemble coarse sand, like this:
Now add the milk and a cup of chilled sweetpotato puree to the mixture. Stir it together.
Use your hands to form the mixture into a ball of dough. You might need to work it just a little in the bowl to get it hold together, but avoid overworking the dough. This dough may be softer than other biscuit dough you’ve worked with; that’s normal.
Place the dough on a floured surface and pat it into a disc about 1-inch thick. Use a medium biscuit cutter to portion out 8 biscuits. A few helpful tips if you’re new to making biscuits:
- Do not overwork the dough. Gently pat it into the disc. This helps it stay light and fluffy on the inside once cooked.
- You may need to combine the scraps of dough after cutting the biscuits to get enough to form the last biscuit. That’s completely fine.
- A biscuit cutter has sharper edges and works much better than drinking glass. A drinking glass can pull the dough down as you cut it, which means the biscuits won’t rise as well when cooking.
- If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, form into a rectangle instead and cut into 8 portions using a sharp knife.
Pop the biscuits onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 13–16 minutes on the center rack. The biscuits should look dry on top and when you (carefully) pick one up, it should be light golden brown on the bottom and not burnt. Let ‘em cool on the pan.
While those are cooling, make the whipped topping. Of course, you could always use store-bought whipped cream if this recipe is getting a little too time-intensive. But I promise you, this sweetpotato whipped topping is worth the time for the unique flavor (and better nutrition profile).
This is easiest to make using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. However, you can always use a bowl with a hand mixer if that’s what you have on hand.
Combine the yogurt, sweetpotato puree, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and cinnamon in the bowl. Mix on high speed until the whipped topping comes together and is light and fluffy.
You’ve done it! Now all that’s left to do is slice the biscuits, layer with the strawberries and whipped topping, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you’re preparing this recipe:
Yes! Blueberries and raspberries also work particularly well in this recipe. Use whatever you have on hand!
Yes, all the components can be made 1-2 days in advance. Store the sweetpotato biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature. Store the berries and whipped topping in the refrigerator (note that the whipped topping might deflate slightly after more than a day in the fridge, but it’ll still taste fine). When ready to serve, I recommend popping the biscuits in a 400°F oven for 2-3 minutes just to get the slight crispness of the exterior to return.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Let’s count the reasons!
- Indulgent, but still portion-controlled and lighter than many dessert recipes
- Only 9 grams of added sugar per serving
- Excellent source of Vitamin C, important for skin and immune health
- Good source of iron, which is especially important for active folks
- Excellent source of Vitamin A, important for eye and immune health
- Great for athletes that need extra carbs to fuel workouts
More Sweetpotato Desserts
If you’re looking for more delicious desserts that use sweetpotato, be sure to give one of these a try:
- Sweetpotato protein whoopie pies
- Sweetpotato pastry pockets (like pop tarts!)
- Chocolate sweetpotato cupcakes
- Pina colada sweetpotato popsicles
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you get a chance to try it, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Strawberry Shortcake with Sweetpotato Biscuits
Ingredients
For the strawberries:
- 2 lbs fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (or more if desired; optional depending on sweetness of berries)
For the sweetpotato biscuits:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup sweetpotato puree, chilled
- ¼ cup 1% milk (or any type of milk)
For the whipped topping (optional):
- ¾ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, chilled
- ½ cup sweetpotato puree, chilled
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, chilled
- 5 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, toss the berries with the granulated sugar (if using). Set aside in the fridge for now.
- Start to prepare the biscuits: in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well combined.
- Add the cold butter and work it into the mixture using a pastry cutter or your hands. The mixture should look like coarse sand.
- Add the sweetpotato and milk and stir until just combined.
- Use your hands to form a ball of dough, and place it on a lightly floured surface. Pat down into a disc about 1-inch thick. Use a medium biscuit cutter to cut 8 biscuits from the dough. (You may need to combine scraps for the last biscuit). Place on the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for at 400°F on the center rack for 13–16 minutes, or until lightly golden and cooked through. Let cool on the pan.
- Meanwhile, as the biscuits are cooling, prepare the whipped topping. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a mixing bowl to use with a hand mixer), combine the yogurt, sweetpotato puree, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. Use the whisk attachment on high speed to combine the ingredients and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
- Slice the biscuits in half. Layer bottom half with whipped cream and strawberries, then add the top of the biscuit. Add more whipped cream and strawberries as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make the sweetpotato puree for this recipe: Peel and chop two large sweetpotatoes. Place those in a pot and cover with water. Bring that to a boil over high heat, then continue to cook for about 15 minutes, until fork tender. Drain them, let cool for a few minutes, then carefully puree in a mini food processor or blender.
- Feel free to use store-bought whipped topping to save time.
Nutrition
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