These mini Gingered Blueberry Shortcakes are the perfect ending to a summer barbecue. A dollop of this Light Creamy Topping stands in for whipped cream with minimal fat.
I’m always looking for ways to lighten up desserts, so today, I’m sharing our first of the season summer dessert – barely cooked fresh blueberries, topped with a gluten-free biscuit/scone, and finished with a generous dollop of a creamless creamy topping made with nonfat Greek yogurt and cottage cheese.
If I can incorporate some fruit into desserts, even better. Remember my Skinny Berry Cheesecake Trifle, Skinny Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits, Mango Panna Cotta with Kiwi, Mango, and Kiwi Popsicles? The trick is to make these desserts so good that no one will even think that they’re eating fruit. Funny, but when people think they’re eating a healthier dessert, they just don’t think it’s going to taste good.
Funny story – I made “healthier” chocolate chip cookes for a party earlier this year, soley out of consideration for a guest who was diabetic (made with almond flour and Splenda sugar). These cookies were so good that all the guests loved them except our skeptical diabetic friend. I guess I shouldn’t have told him that the cookies I made were actually healthy enough for him to eat.
Anyhow, onto these little Blueberry Shortcakes. Who doesn’t love creamy whipped cream on top of a summer fruit shortcake? The best part about this creamy topping is that it has no cream in it and it is very low in fat. The secret ingredients here are non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese. Of course, if you really want to use some whipped cream, you can, I would just use half the amount of whipped cream you typically would use and fold in this yogurt and cottage cheese topping for the other half. You’ll almost cut the amount of fat in half.
I served Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits to my boys the other night and they loved them!
Today, I’m participating in Food Network’s Summer Fest where Berries are being featured this week. Please be sure to see what my fellow talented foodie bloggers made:
Feed Me Phoebe: Gluten-Free Blueberry-Almond Pancakes
The Lemon Bowl: Strawberry Mango Chia Smoothie
Dishin & Dishes: Crunchy Topped Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Gingered Blueberry Shortcakes With Light Creamy Topping
Taste With The Eyes: Blueberry Limoncello Pavlova
Sweet Life Bake: Paletas de Fresca y Aguacate
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Mixed Berry Tea Cake
Red or Green?: Strawberry & Blueberry Crisp (Red or Green-style)
Virtually Homemade: Blueberry Mint Margaritas
Haute Apple Pie: Triple Berry Ice Cream
Pinch My Salt: Strawberry Peach Cobbler With Almond Biscuit Topping
Cooking With Elise: Dehydrating Blueberries, Plus Blueberry and White Chocolate Cookies
Devour: Four Healthy Berry Recipes
Domesticate Me: Summer Berry Crisp
Weelicious: Brainy Breakfast
The Sensitive Epicure: Strawberries With White Balsamic Vinegar Caramel, Orange Zest and Black Pepper
Daily*Dishin: Fresh and Easy Blueberry Pie
From My Corner of Saratoga: Mixed Berry Freezer Pops
FN Dish: Wake Up With Berries
Gingered Blueberry Shortcakes with Light Creamy Topping Recipe (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Blueberry Topping
- 4 cups fresh blueberries
- 3 tablespoons organic sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Shortcakes
- 2 cups Pamela's Gluten-Free Biscuit and Scone Mix
- 6 tablespoons Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks cut into slices
- 3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
- 3/4 cup low-fat milk
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon organic sugar
Light Creamy Topping
- 1 cup non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 cup low-fat 1% or 2% cottage cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-
Combine blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 3 minutes or until berries begin to pop, stirring often; set aside.
-
Place scone mix and Buttery Stick slices in food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and pulse until just combined. Turn mixture out onto lightly floured surface (use more scone mix). Press dough into a 7 inch circle. Use round biscuit cutters, cut dough into pieces (I used a 1 3/4" biscuit cutter which made 15 circles). Place rounds 1 inch apart on a baking sheet. Combine egg white and water in a small bowl. Lightly brush tops of biscuits with egg white mixture. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
-
Place yogurt, cottage cheese, vanilla and honey in a blender; blend until smooth.
-
To serve, place a few spoonfuls of the blueberry mixture in the bottom of a small plate. Top with one biscuit. Put a few tablespoons of the Light Creamy Topping on top. Serve.
Recipe Notes
Blueberries and Biscuit recipe adapted from Cooking Light.
This post is linked up to Tidy Mom’s I’m Lovin’ It
These shortcakes are adorable and look so delicious, Jeanette! I love baking with berries in the summer and this looks perfect for a sweet ending to a dinner party, too!
Thanks Georgia – these little shortcakes are great for summer entertaining. I love fresh berries this time of year!
Jeanette, I am all over these! I love shortcake, ginger and blueberry! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Elise! These were a nice treat for the boys. The ginger is great in these shortcakes.
These gingered blueberry shortcakes look incredible! I love that they are lightened up and gluten-free. I bake and cook occasionally for family members that have a gluten intolerance so this is a great recipe to try out. Thanks for sharing Jeanette!
I love lightened up desserts. This has a lot of my favorite flavors going on and I love that I can enjoy that entire bowl without feeling guilty!
Love shortcake recipes. I’ve never tried that mix before. I’ll have to keep my eye out for it! They look perfect with that blueberry sauce.
As a ginger fan, I love that you used crystallized ginger in the shortcakes! This looks so good. I’m surprised this can be done in about 30 minutes. I definitely need to give this a try. p.s. I love your bowls! 🙂
These are just gorgeous, Jeanette, and a perfect summer dessert.
Scrumptious recipe! I could dive right in.
Thanks Russell – the boys really enjoyed this and I liked the fact that the topping was lighter than whipped cream.
A perfect summer dessert! I love berry season.
Thanks Sylvie – I love berries in season too! Just got some fresh strawberries in my CSA Box – so good!
Amazing!! My husband is a blueberry lover, but I’m not much of a blueberry pie girl. This one? It meets both of our needs!!! LOVE!
Thanks Kim – hope you have a chance to try this – it’s a fun dessert!
love this one Jeanette! Happy wednesday
Thanks Alison – my kids really enjoyed this dessert.
Loving the ginger in there, and that topping is so fluffy!
Thanks Shaina – this was a fun dessert for the kids, and I was really pleased with how the topping turned out.