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Extra special weekend breakfasts call for these Strawberry Shortcake Waffles. There’s nothing like a stack of fluffy and crisp waffles layered with homemade whipped cream and macerated strawberries to instantly sweeten your morning. Vegan.
Looking to take your weekend breakfasts and brunches to the next level? Then you have to give these Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Waffles a try! This recipe is a twist on classic strawberry shortcake, swapping the classic biscuits for tender and fluffy vegan waffles. They’re stacked high and layered with homemade vegan whipped cream and the best strawberry topping to give you a weekend breakfast or summer dessert you’ll never forget.
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The Sweetest Way to Start Your Day
Can we give it up for these Strawberry Shortcake Waffles, please? This indulgent and delicious breakfast is a play on vegan strawberry shortcake, a warm-weather dessert that tops biscuits or angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream. I love any excuse to eat dessert first thing in the morning (I’m looking at you, Carrot Cake Oats), which is precisely why I ditched the biscuits and used homemade vegan waffles as the vessel for our toppings.
There are three key components to this vegan strawberry waffles recipe: (1) crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside vegan waffles, (2) sweet and tangy macerated strawberries, and (3) vegan whipped cream. And because this isn’t your average vegan waffle recipe, we’re making all three from scratch. Trust me, waffles with strawberry sauce are surprisingly simple to put together, and those sweet and dreamy layers are totally worth the effort!
Ingredients for Vegan Strawberry Waffles
This showstopping breakfast recipe calls mostly for classic baking staples, as well as fresh strawberries for the topping. You may have most of these ingredients at home already:
- Fresh Strawberries: the berries are combined with cane sugar and lemon juice to create the most amazing strawberry topping for the waffles. Remember to trim the green tops and quarter the strawberries before letting them sit in the lemon and sugar (the smaller the size, the quicker they’ll soften).
- Vegan Buttermilk: just because buttermilk isn’t traditionally vegan doesn’t mean we can’t make our own. By combining soy milk with apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice), you get a tangy, creamy, and acidic liquid that makes the waffles extra fluffy and moist. I recommend sticking with soy milk because it curdles really easily, but another unsweetened non-dairy milk will also work.
- Baking Powder: this leavening agent reacts with the buttermilk in the batter, creating gas bubbles that will help the waffles fluff up. Make sure it hasn’t expired before you start this recipe, or else you may end up with flat waffles!
- Flour: all-purpose flour yields tender and fluffy waffles every time.
- Butter or Oil: melted vegan butter, avocado oil, or melted refined coconut oil will lend extra moisture to the waffle batter.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: just like the real thing, the dairy-free whipped cream begins with vegan heavy whipping cream. You should be able to find some with the other vegan creams in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. I’ve made the whipped cream with both Country Crock and Trader Joe’s dairy-free heavy whipping cream with great results.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Waffles
- Add the strawberries to a bowl and sprinkle them with the sugar and lemon juice. Mix well, then place the bowl in the fridge.
- Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. Set it aside to curdle.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the sugar, melted butter, and vanilla into the buttermilk mixture.
- Gently mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until combined. Set the batter aside to rest and thicken.
- Preheat the waffle iron, then grease it and cook the waffles. Repeat until you run out of waffle batter.
- Meanwhile, beat the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a standing mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Top each waffle with strawberries, a drizzle of the macerated strawberry juice, and a dollop of whipped cream. Serve immediately.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Always sift the flour into the bowl and don’t overmix the batter: Sifting the flour with a sifter or fine mesh sieve incorporates air and breaks up any clumps, making the batter much lighter. And to keep the batter light, mix the dry and wet ingredients with a spatula just until they’re combined. It’s okay if there are some lumps in the batter!
- Refer to your waffle iron instruction manual. I used about 1/4 cup of batter per waffle and cooked them for around 4 minutes each, but this will vary depending on the size and make of your iron.
- To keep your cooked waffles warm, preheat your oven to 200ºF before you get started and place the waffles on a wire rack fitted over a baking sheet immediately after cooking. Keep the waffles in the oven until you run out of batter, then assemble and enjoy your warm waffles.
- Stack those waffles! For the real strawberry shortcake experience, top every waffle with some strawberries and whipped cream before adding another waffle on top.
Serving Suggestions
I can’t think of a better way to start the weekend than with a stack of strawberry shortcake waffles. Layered with whipped cream and strawberries, it’s hard to beat them as is! But if you’d like to take it a step further, go ahead and top your waffles with fresh mint leaves and a drizzle of maple syrup.
And since we’re already kicking off the weekend in the best way, we might as well pair the waffles with even more vegan brunch recipes, right? Savory breakfast fans will love having these Oil Free Breakfast Potatoes on the table, while this Blueberry Baked Oatmeal takes the berrylicious vibes up a notch.
There’s a chance you’ll have leftover strawberries and whipped cream to use up when breakfast is over. In other words, you’ll have the perfect excuse to make my Vegan Instant Pot Cheesecake! It’s a perfect fit for both of these sweet toppings.
If you’re looking for even more vegan waffle recipes to try, you’ll love these Vegan Blender Waffles, these Chocolate Orange Waffles, and these Pumpkin Spice Waffles!
Or, if you’re craving more vegan strawberry treats, you’ll love these Strawberry Sugar Cookies, these Baked Strawberry Donuts, and this Vegan Strawberry Upside Down Cake.
How to Store Leftover Waffles
If you end up with leftovers, store each component in separate containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The leftover waffles also freeze well for up to 2 months. Reheat them from frozen in a toaster oven or let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
The waffles, whipped cream, and macerated strawberries can all be made ahead of time if needed. Place the waffles in a ziploc bag and refrigerate them for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. If freezing, I like the separate the layers waffles with a sheet of parchment paper to prevent sticking. The macerated strawberries can be prepared up to 1 day ahead of serving. The whipped cream will also keep for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Substitutions and Variations
- Whipped Cream Substitute: Store-bought whipped cream works just as well if you don’t want to make your own. Buy a tub of Cocowhip or another dairy-free whipped topping.
- Gluten-Free Option: I have only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, but a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend may work as an alternative. Let me know if you try it!
- Strawberry Substitute: This technically won’t be a strawberry shortcake dupe anymore, but you’re more than welcome to macerate fresh raspberries or cherries instead of strawberries.
Recipe FAQs
Macerated strawberries are strawberries that have been soaked in a liquid until they have become soft and sweet. Berries are usually soaked in sugar and lemon juice because this mixture complements their sweet and tart flavors and pulls out the natural juices to yield a berry syrup for drizzling.
I haven’t tried it, but you might be able to prepare the batter the night before cooking the waffles. Just cover the bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, allow the batter to rest on the counter for 15 minutes before cooking.
Sure. Make my Vegan Blueberry Pancakes with chopped strawberries instead of blueberries, then top with the macerated strawberries and whipped cream for strawberry shortcake pancakes. Yum!
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Strawberry Shortcake Waffles
Ingredients
For the Strawberries:
- 16 ounces strawberries, tops trimmed and quartered
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For the Waffles:
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoons cane sugar
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter OR avocado oil OR refined coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Extra oil or spray oil for greasing the waffle iron
For the Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup dairy-free heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Macerate the Strawberries: Add the strawberries to a medium bowl and sprinkle with the sugar and lemon juice. Mix well, then place in the fridge to chill while you make the waffles.
- Make the Buttermilk: Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl or large glass measuring cup. Mix well and set aside for at least 5 minutes, to allow the milk proteins to curdle.
- Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl (sifting the flour makes fluffier waffles!). Mix well, then form a well in the center of the bowl. Set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: Add the cane sugar, melted butter or oil, and vanilla to the buttermilk mixture. Whisk until the cane sugar is fully dissolved.
- Combine: Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix gently until most of the batter is combined (some lumps are okay). Set aside to let the batter thicken slightly while you preheat your waffle iron.
- Cook the Waffles: Warm your waffle iron, grease it, and cook your waffles according to your own preference — amount of batter and cook time will vary depending on the brand, but I used about 1/4 cup of batter per waffle and cooked my waffles for around 4 minutes.
- Repeat: Remove the waffles from the waffle iron and transfer to a wire rack to let cool. Repeat with the remaining waffle batter; I like to brush my waffle iron with a small amount of oil between each batch of waffles.
- Make the Whipped Cream: In the meantime, add the heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla to a stand mixer. Beat on high for 2 to 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form. (Note: if you do not have a stand mixer you can also make the whipped cream in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer).
- Assemble: Top each waffle with fresh strawberries, a drizzle of macerated strawberry juice, and a dollop of whipped cream (or go for a double stack!).
- Serve & Store: Enjoy immediately, or store leftovers in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Leftover waffles can also be frozen for up to 2 months and reheated as necessary.
Recipe Notes
- Soy Milk: I recommend using soy milk for the fluffiest waffles, but another unsweetened plant-based milk will also work.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: I have used both the Country Crock and Trader Joe’s dairy-free heavy whipping cream with success. If you don’t want to make your own whipped cream, you can also buy a tub of Cocowhip or another dairy-free whipped topping.
Just saw your short video about this recipe and your BIG NEWS! Congratulations! 😀
Looking forward to trying these, but I need a waffle iron first. What’s the one you use in the video? Thanks 🙂
Thank you!! I used this one but it looks like it’s currently unavailable: https://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Intellicrisp-Waffle-Maker-Stainless/dp/B07GHB4LDX?th=1