A simple, real food strawberry dessert you can eat for breakfast – with vegan and dairy-free versions.
Strawberry season is all too short. I know grocery stores are still carrying the little beauties, but nothing beats the taste of a local strawberry. I’m especially sad to see them go.
Usually, we buy a lot of these (some local, some not) and freeze any that don’t get sucked into the vacuum that is my children’s mouths. If I flash freeze them, I can store them for months to use in smoothies.
Honestly I hardly ever do anything else with strawberries. People rave about homemade jam and strawberry salsa. However, keeping extra berries in the house for recipes is difficult. Especially when the kids dive into them before we’re even awake in the morning… and that has happened more times than I should admit.
Strawberry Cake
Personally, I prefer fresh strawberries to any cooked recipe with strawberries in it – except this Strawberry Breakfast Cake. This one, I make room for. Especially for breakfast, because with whole grains and natural sweetener, it’s basically like eating oatmeal. Basically.
Or you can make it with white flour, butter, and sugar for a rich, jammy, strawberry dessert you’ll probably eat for breakfast the next morning anyway.
Use what you have and celebrate strawberry season however you like.
What to do with Over-Ripe Strawberries
If you don’t have ravenous people raiding your fridge in the morning, this is the perfect way to use those berries that are past their peak but still have something to offer. And what a glorious offering it is.
A Strawberry Recipe for Breakfast
Like I said, this recipe is full of stuff that makes me happy to eat it for breakfast.
- Whole grains (I really like it with spelt flour)
- Honey or maple syrup for the sweetener
- Swap up to 2/3 of the butter for applesauce
Serve Strawberry Breakfast Cake with some vanilla yogurt or honey-sweetened whipped cream for an extra special treat.
Strawberry Breakfast Cake Muffin Variation
Do you prefer muffins in the morning? Pour the Strawberry Breakfast Cake batter into a paper-lined muffin tin and bake for 20-30 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be aware that strawberries might leave some jam on the cake tester.
Lazy Man’s Strawberry Shortcake
Of course strawberry shortcake is a classic. Think of Strawberry Breakfast Cake as the lazy man’s version. The berries bake into the lightly sweetened batter, creating that sweet jammy consistency we love. Top it with whipped cream and there you go. Lazy Strawberry Shortcake – but no too lazy. After all, you just made a homemade cake with seasonal berries. You’re not lazy.
Strawberry Breakfast Cake Recipe
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #cheapskatecook and @cheapskatecook on Instagram.
Strawberry Breakfast Cake
A simple, real food strawberry dessert you can eat for breakfast – with vegan and dairy-free versions.
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen. You should make all of her recipes. They are always on point.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour, (any combination of all-purpose, whole wheat, or spelt)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened, (coconut oil and palm shortening work too)
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup, (or 1 cup sugar)
- 1 egg, (or flax/chia egg)
- 1/2 cup milk, (dairy-free milk works great)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved
- 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
- Butter or oil, to grease pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 10-inch pie pan, or a 9 or 10-inch spring form pan (my preference).
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar/honey together until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla then beat until just combined.
- Gradually stir in dry ingredients, then add the milk and mix until just combined (with no clumps of flour).
- Pour batter into the greased pan then gently press strawberry halves on top of it in a single layer, cut side down (it’s okay if they overlap a little).
- Sprinkle or drizzle the 2 tablespoons sugar/honey evenly over the cake.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 325 F. Bake for another 50-60 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean (inevitably with some gooey cooked strawberry).
- Allow cake to cool then slice and serve. And remember whipped cream. Just sayin’.
Notes
Variation:
If you want to reduce the amount of butter, you can substitute up to 2/3 of the butter with applesauce.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1 squareAmount Per Serving Calories 318Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 51mgSodium 323mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 2gSugar 27gProtein 4g
Please note: The actual calories and nutrition of this dish will change depending on what ingredients you use. Nutrition information is not always accurate.
More Desserts I Eat for Breakfast:
- Fruit & Oat Bars
- Real Food Apple Crisp
- Simple Summer Fruit Tart/Fruit Pizza
- Chocolate Chip Hummus
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Hummus
- 3-Ingredient Frozen Berry Whip
More Breakfast Recipes:
- The Only Pancake Recipe You Need
- Real Food Cinnamon Roll French Toast
- Our Favorite Baked Oatmeal
- Sneaky Veggie Baked Oatmeal
- Chocolate Chip Mookies (No-Fuss Muffins)
- Budget-Friendly Smoothies
What You Can Do Now:
Do you eat desserts for breakfast?
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Oooh! This looks delicious!
Can you refrigerate the leftovers? Would you need to reheat the leftovers to serve them?
Yes, you can refrigerate the leftovers! I don’t reheat mine – but I like it that way. If you prefer it warm, go for it.
Ok awesome thank you!
You’re welcome, Desirae!
Where do you add in the milk? I just realized there wasn’t a place in the instructions that mentioned that.
Wow, thank you for catching that, Kristina! I updated the recipe :-).
I love this recipe! I made some changes because it’s just what I had on hand and what I needed to use up. I used frozen blueberries, oat flour, and yogurt instead of milk-and it was divine!!! Sometimes I forget to do 6tbsp of butter and I just throw in the whole stick on accident, Haha, makes it even more delicious! I make it like this all the time now! Thanks for another great recipe!!
This looks delicious! Can you make it beforehand and reheat from frozen? Pairing it with a great smoothie recipe will make a great, healthy breakfast before school.
Thanks, Alexa! yes, you can totally do that.