Red White and Blue Berry Shortcakes

Red white and blue berry shortcakes feature easy to make, lightly sweetened drop biscuits, warm, juicy strawberries and blueberries, and fluffy homemade whipped cream. They're the best little desserts for the 4th of July and all of summer's patriotic holidays!

Is there a more classic summer dessert than strawberry shortcake? Sweet summer strawberries are just begging to be sandwiched between fluffy whipped cream and shortcakes. To make things a little more festive for the 4th of July (and other patriotic summer holidays), I added plump blueberries to the mix for adorable little red, white and blueberry shortcakes that are easy, breezy, and so delicious for summer.

Why You'll Love These Berry Shortcakes

Any ol' strawberry shortcake is undoubtedly tasty, but two things make these shortcakes extra special and over the top delicious. First, using both strawberries and blueberries gives these little desserts a patriotic red, white and blue color palette. It's so cute (and double the berry fun!). Second, simmering the berries (separately, to maintain the red and blue colors) with a touch of sugar brings out their natural sweetness and melts them into soft, juicy perfection. Spooned over lightly sweetened, vanilla-scented, perfectly moist and fluffy biscuits and topped with homemade whipped cream, it's a low effort, high reward dessert that makes the most of berry season.

How To Make Red White And Blue Berry Shortcakes

For the most efficiency, I like to put the bowl for the whipped cream in the freezer and preheat the oven, then start the berries, then make the biscuits. You can keep an eye on the berries and whip the cream while the biscuits bake, then assemble everything while the berries are still warm. But you can absolutely do it in any order you like.

Make the Stewed Berries

1. In two separate saucepans, mix the strawberries and blueberries each with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
2. Bring each to a gentle boil, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Keep warm until the biscuits are ready.

Make The Biscuits

1. Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Grate cold butter into the bowl and stir to evenly distribute the butter into the dry ingredients.
3. Stir in the milk and vanilla until evenly moistened and dough comes together in a ball.
4. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Sprinkle with coarse sugar (optional).
5. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes.
6. While the biscuits are baking, make the whipped cream.

Assemble The Shortcakes

1. Cut each biscuit in half crosswise.
2. Spoon strawberries onto the bottom half of each biscuit.
3. Spoon blueberries on top of strawberries.
4. Add a dollop of whipped cream on top of the blueberries.
5. Place the top half back onto each biscuit and serve warm.

Pro Tips For The Best Shortcakes

• You want the butter to be really cold for the fluffiest biscuits. Work quickly when grating it so your hands don't warm up the butter too much. You can even stick the butter in the freezer for a little bit.
• Try not to over-stir the dough after adding the milk. You want it to just come together into a sticky ball before scooping.
• For a little extra crunch and color, you can sprinkle the tops of the biscuit dough with coarse sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw or sparkling sugar. It's totally optional, but delicious!
• If you don't have both strawberries and blueberries, you can absolutely do one or the other! Or sub in raspberries or blackberries. Since they get cooked, you can also use frozen berries if you'd like.

Can They Be Made In Advance?

These shortcakes are best served fresh, but you can make them in advance and store them separately for 1-2 days until you're ready to serve. If you do, I recommend reheating the biscuits in the oven for a few minutes until they're warmed through, and reheating the berries before serving. Homemade whipped cream usually only lasts a day or so in the refrigerator, so keep that in mind when planning.

For even more patriotic themed recipe inspiration, visit this roundup of Red White and Blue Recipes!

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