These soft and tender Spiced Peach Shortcakes feature a delicious shortcake biscuit base topped with sweet summer peaches spiced to perfection and a dollop of homemade whipped cream. A summer favorite dessert with a twist! 

What Makes This Recipe Great

This is a new twist on a classic dessert – fruit shortcakes! This Spiced Peach Shortcake Recipe is the epitome of my kind of dessert – seasonal summer fruit is the star and the shortcake is low in sugar.  You can use whatever fresh fruit you have on hand, but juicy peaches are my fruit of choice today. 

Peaches are absolute heaven right now (although when I filmed this, it was so early into peach season and the peaches were tiny!) One of my new obsessions is hot honey. I used it on a watermelon and feta salad recently, a cottage cheese breakfast bowl, and a pizza.  It’s amazing and it’s so great here. I serve shortcakes for dessert and for brunch!

I’ve also included a simple recipe for homemade whipped topping that goes so well on top of the peaches to round out the most perfect shortcake recipe. If you’re dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, or vegan, check the recipe card for details on how to customize these shortcakes to your diet and lifestyle. 

Most of all, enjoy! 

For more recipes featuring peaches, try this Peach Salad, these Peach Pie Pots, and this Peach Blueberry Crisp.

Ingredient Notes

Peaches 

• ripe peaches: Unpeeled and fresh peaches are preferred. 
• maple sugar: Or light brown sugar or dark brown sugar (can swap in Lakanto)

• fresh lemon juice

• pure vanilla extract

• pure almond extract

Shortcake Biscuits

See the recipe notes below for a nut-free/vegan option

• all-purpose flour: or a good gluten-free flour blend.

• almond flour

• light brown sugar or dark brown sugar

• aluminum-free baking powder

• sea salt

• ground nutmeg

• allspice

• unsalted butter: Cold butter, cut into small cubes (or vegan butter)

• heavy cream: Or rich cashew milk.

• pure vanilla extract

• granulated sugar: Or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling the tops, optional

Homemade Whipped Cream

Or use CocoWhip or TruWhip

• heavy cream or heavy whipping cream

• powdered sugar

• bourbon or amaretto: Very optional, but I think kind of makes the topping.

• pure vanilla extract

Garnish 

• hot honey: I used Red Clay’s peach hot honey.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 F degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with unbleached parchment paper. 
2. To prepare the fruit: In a medium bowl, stir together the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and almond extract. Cover and let the mixture soften at room temperature for 1 hour.  
3. To make the shortcakes: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and allspice.  
4. Using a mixer or a pastry cutter/blender/food processor, work the butter in until the flour mixture is unevenly crumbly; some larger, pea-sized pieces of butter can remain.  
5. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the cream and vanilla. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients all at once, mixing quickly and gently for about 20 seconds to make a soft dough. If the dough doesn’t come together, add a bit more cream or milk until it’s mixed through.  
6. Pat the dough into a rough rectangle about 3/4″ thick. Fold it into thirds like a letter and pat it (or roll gently with a floured rolling pin) into a generous 8″ x 6″ rectangle. 
7. For perfectly shaped shortcakes, trim a very thin slice off the edge of the dough all the way around. This will allow the shortcakes to rise evenly as they bake.  
8. Use a sharp biscuit cutter, a bench knife, or a sharp knife to cut into twelve 2-inch shortcakes.  
9. Place the shortcakes on a baking sheet, brush the tops with cream, and sprinkle with sugar.  
10. Bake the shortcakes for 18 to 20 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly (or completely) on a wire rack.   
11. To make the topping: Freeze or refrigerate your mixing bowl and beaters, if possible.  Pour cream into the bowl and beat on medium speed until thickened. Add sugar, bourbon, and vanilla, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft or medium peaks form. Different mixers will result in different times for reaching soft/medium peaks.  Do not overbeat. Your whipped cream will be too firm. I say you can do this a few hours ahead if necessary and keep it refrigerated.
12. To serve: Split open the shortcakes, spoon the peaches on top of the shortcake, and garnish with whipped topping and a drizzle of hot honey.  
13. Store fruit filling and whipped topping, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. Store shortcakes, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days or freeze for longer.  

Recipe Tips

• You can also use a combination of yellow and white peaches and plums for a variety of colors and flavors. 

Nut-free and Vegan Shortcakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons cane sugar
• 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup plant milk, any kind
• ½ cup coconut oil or 8 Tablespoons plant butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)

1. Whisk together dry ingredients in one large bowl. Whisk together wet ingredients in another. Combine both and mix until just incorporated. Take a greased ⅓ cup measuring cup and use it to scoop out batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar and bake at 475 F degrees for 12-14 minutes, until golden. 

Serving & Storage Tips

To serve: Split open the shortcakes, top with peaches, and garnish with fresh whipped cream (or a scoop of vanilla ice cream) and a drizzle of hot honey.  

Store any extra fruit filling and whipped topping in an airtight container (separately) in the refrigerator for several days. Store the shortcakes, well-wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for several days or freeze for longer. 

More Summer Dessert Recipes

• Low Sugar Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
• Peach Blueberry Buckle Recipe
• Crackle Top Blueberry Cobbler
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
• Ricotta Cake with Fresh Berries

If you give this simple recipe a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman on Instagram so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a star rating and review! Lastly, subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes and updates.

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