Blueberry almond shortcakes are fresh, sweet (but not too sweet), and pure summer in bite-sized form! With sweet blueberry syrup, creamy lemon whipped cream and a perfectly tender almond shortcake.
Shortcake might just be my favorite summer dessert! There is something about the combination of fresh fruit, whipped cream and a shortcake biscuit that together are the perfect blend of flavors and textures. We love making healthy strawberry shortcake, but these lemon blueberry shortcakes are a fun and tasty twist on the classic!
With juicy blueberries abundant, summer is the perfect time to make these mini shortcakes! A sweet blueberry sauce is served over fresh lemon whipped cream and a tender (and mini) almond shortcake biscuit.
I love that they are sweet, but not too sweet. They leave you feeling satisfied but not heavy.
I like to keep these open-faced for extra blueberry flavor. These are perfect for fun little summer treat!
Reasons to love blueberry shortcakes
- the blueberry-almond-lemon flavor combination is classic and so good in shortcake form
- they are sweet, but light and summery
- they are simple to prepare
The three components
These blueberry lemon shortcakes have three components, and the good news is that you can make two of them ahead of time.
1. Almond shortcakes
I've adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart, but added in a few of my own tweaks: heavy cream is swapped for buttermilk. This lightens the biscuits up, while giving an ever so slightly sour and tangy taste to the biscuits.
If you don't have buttermilk on hand, find out how to make buttermilk here!
I've also added in some sliced almonds for a crunch and almond extract to enhance the almond flavors.
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To prepare the shortcake biscuit mixture, you will need to mix together the dry ingredients before cutting cold butter cubes into it with a pastry tool or a fork.
The dough is quite sticky, and since I don't have a biscuit cutter, I simply patted them into small shortcakes 2 inches wide and 1 inch tall. Brush with egg wash and milk, sprinkle with coarse or raw sugar, and bake them up!
Shortcakes are best served fresh but can be prepared 2-3 days before serving.
2. Blueberry syrup
While classic strawberry shortcake simply involves marinating the berries with sugar, for the blueberry version, we will cook up a quick blueberry syrup.
We do this by combining the blueberries with some sugar and lemon juice, then simmering for 5 minutes until the berries begin to pop. Mix together cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and add to the blueberry syrup to thicken.
This can be done up to 4 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
3. Lemon whipped cream
To give our whipped cream a zesty lemon twist, we will beat the whipping cream until it is thick (here's a great tutorial on how to do this), then fold in lemon zest and juice. I recommend making the whipped cream right before serving.
Recipe tips
- this recipe makes 24 open-faced shortcakes. If you want them to have lids, you can use a second shortcake on top, or slice the biscuit in half
- since I do not own a biscuit cutter, I simply patted the shortcakes into place. Feel free to use a standard sized biscuit cutter, which will yield 6 regular-sized shortcakes
- swap the blueberries for another small berry: raspberries and blackberries would work well
- prepare the blueberry sauce up to 4 days ahead and store in the refrigerator
- bake the shortcakes 2-3 days ahead and store in an air tight container
More summery sweets
- Lemon Meringue Pie Bites
- Creamy Chocolate Dessert Hummus
- Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
- Cream Cheese Swirl Blackberry Coffee Cake
- Healthy Lemon Blueberry Bread
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Blueberry Almond Shortcakes with Lemon Whipped Cream
Ingredients
Almond Shortcakes:
- 2 cups all purpose flour (fluffed, spooned & levelled; 250 grams)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoons sugar (75 grams)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold; cut into small cubes (84 grams))
- ยฝ cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ยฝ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg (beaten (for brushing))
- 1 tablespoon milk (for brushing)
- coarse sugar (for sprinkling)
Blueberry Syrup:
- 1 pound blueberries (approximately 4 cups)
- 3 tablespoons sugar (38 grams)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
Lemon Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
Almond Shortcakes
- Pre-heat oven to 375ยฐF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and sugar.
- Using a fork or pastry tool, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is small and crumbly.
- Stir in the almonds, then the buttermilk and almond extract.
- Form into 1ยฝ tablespoon-sized shortcakes, around 1 inch thick and 2 or so inches wide. Dough will be very sticky.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg and tablespoon of milk. Brush tops with egg wash.
- Sprinkle tops with ยผ teaspoon of coarse sugar.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until tops are lightly golden.
- Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Blueberry Syrup
- Heat the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium pot over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until blueberries begin to pop, around 5 minutes. *do not overcook!
- Stir in the cornstarch until no lumps remain, and remove from heat.
- Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
Lemon Whipped Cream
- In a medium bowl, beat the whipping cream until desired consistency is reached.
- Fold in the lemon zest and juice.
To Serve:
- Top a shortcake with a spoonful of whipping cream, and another spoonful of blueberry syrup.
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Tips:
- This recipe makes 24 open-faced *mini* shortcakes.
- since I do not own a biscuit cutter, I simply patted the shortcakes into place. Feel free to use a standard sized biscuit cutter, which will yield 6 regular-sized shortcakes
- swap the blueberries for another small berry: raspberries and blackberries would work well
- prepare the blueberry sauce up to 4 days ahead and store in the refrigerator
- bake the shortcakes 2-3 days ahead and store in an air tight container
Nutrition Information
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Shortcake recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
These shortcakes look TOO good. So light, fluffy and delicious - the perfect summer-y dessert.
Geraldine | Green Valley Kitchen says
Love the idea of an open faced shortcake - I agree that stacked there is too much cake. I don't have a very big sweet tooth - so this is my kind of dessert. Definitely looking forward to trying it. Gorgeous photos too, Denise!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
I love legit shortcakes!! I hate when people make strawberry "shortcake" with those prepackaged sponge cake cups. Bleh. These freshly baked shortcakes look sooooo much better!! And almond extract is pretty much my favorite thing in the world, so I'm glad you added it!