Mini Strawberry Shortcake Poppers, a miniature strawberry shortcake recipe. An easy dessert recipe with a fun surprise, Pop Rocks!
These cute Mini Strawberry Shortcake Poppers have a SECRET ingredient in the recipe that will surely surprise your friends and family. Since I had strawberries in the house today I figured it was fate and I was meant to try out this recipe today! I’m so glad I didn’t wait any longer although these shortcakes are so darn cute that I can’t stop popping them into my mouth!!!
I loved reading about all of your favorite spring dishes and desserts when many of you entered my Snappy Gourmet Spring Giveaway recently so thank you for all the inspiration!! Many of you mentioned that Strawberry Shortcake was one of your favorite dishes and it’s one my faves too.
I thought I’d put a fun twist on this favorite dessert. If you’re looking for more shortcake recipes, I also posted a recipe recently for some yummy Dark Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes with Amaretto Cream and Strawberry Shortcake Skewers. if you missed it. Or you may also like this Cannoli Cream Strawberry Shortcake. Delicious!
These Mini Strawberry Shortcake Poppers would be great for a party or summer BBQ! Have you figured out what the SECRET ingredient is yet?? I’’ll give you a clue…these shortcakes will explode and pop in your mouth with flavor! Did you guess Pop Rocks??? If you did, you’re right. If you didn’t guess right, it’s ok, I probably wouldn’t have guessed Pop Rocks either. :)
Sounds crazy I know, but the Pop Rocks really are subtle and add a fun twist to this popular dessert. I made my shortcakes bite-size so you can pop a whole one right in your mouth, but you can make any size you want. Once you pop one of these babies in your mouth…wait for it…wait for it….wait for it…there you go, there’s the “pop”!
To start, place the dry ingredients in a food processor and process just until mixed. If you don’t have a food processor, follow the directions at the bottom of the recipe to do this in a bowl.
Blend in your butter but make sure your butter is cold and cut into small cubes.
Drizzle the milk in (throught he top of the food processor) JUST until the dough starts to form. Don’t over mix the dough or your biscuits will be tough. I just used fat free milk (because that’s what we usually have around) but you could use any milk or half&half or cream.
Pour the dough onto a lightly floured work surface (I like to use my silpats). You can roll it out or just use your hands because the dough is soft. Form into a rectangle about 3/4-inch in thickness. Just don’t overwork or press on the dough much. Be gentle! :)
Cut the dough into rounds using a round biscuit or cookie cutter. I cut mine into rounds about 1-inch in diameter but you could use any size (your yield and bake time will vary though).
If you don’t have a round cutter you can drop the dough onto the baking sheets (middle) or bake in a mini muffin pan (right).
Place your cut out biscuits onto lined baking sheets. I like to use silpats or parchment paper but you could probably spray a baking sheet with cooking spray if you had to. Lightly brush some milk on top of the biscuits and sprinkle sugar on top.
While the biscuits are baking you can chop up your strawberries. Yum! If you like your fruit sweet, you can sprinkle a little sugar on the strawberries. Or you could also use this Strawberries for Shortcake recipe.
The biscuits will be golden brown on the bottom when they’re done. Cool on a wire rack so that the bottoms don’t continue to bake. Don’t worry if some of them come out a little crooked looking. Once you cut them in half and assemble, no one will ever know!
If you want to “drop” the biscuits or use a mini muffin pan this is what they will look like after baked…
Get your Pop Rocks ready! Depending on HOW much you love Pop Rocks you may only need a couple of small packets or you may need a lot more!
When the biscuits are cool. Cut them in half horizontally, then top with whipped topping/cream, Pop Rock, strawberries, and the top of the biscuit.
I love that these are bite-size and you can pop the whole darn shortcake in your mouth!!!
Cute, aren’t they??
Hope you enjoy these Mini Strawberry Shortcake Poppers!
Mini Strawberry Shortcake Poppers
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold & cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup milk divided
- 1 1/2 cups defrosted whipped topping or sweetened whipped cream
- 6 small packets strawberry Pop Rocks
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or silpats.
- Place flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor and pulse a few times to mix (If you don’t have a food processor, follow directions below).
- Add chopped butter to processor and process until just combined and small crumbs.
- Drizzle 2/3 cup milk (reserve remaining milk) into processor through top while processor is running and process until dough JUST comes together.
- Place dough on floured work surface and pat dough to form a rectangle about 3/4-inch in thickness.
- Cut dough into rounds about 1-inch in diameter (or see notes below about alternate shapes/sizes). Reform dough as necessary with scraps being careful not to overwork dough and re-cut into rounds.
- Place cut biscuits onto prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush tops of biscuits with milk and sprinkle remaining sugar on top. Bake biscuits at 400 degrees F. for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool biscuits on wire rack.
- To assemble, cut biscuits in half horizontally. Place a dollop of whipped topping/cream onto bottom round, top with Pop Rocks, then strawberries, and cover with biscuit top.
Notes
Nutrition:
(Nutrition data is provided when available for informational purposes only and calculated using an online nutritional calculator. For the most accurate information please calculate based on specific ingredients and brands you use as well as any changes you made to the recipe. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician and any nutritional information provided should only be used as a general guideline and estimate.)
About Lisa Huff
Lisa Huff is a Cookbook Author, Freelance Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Blogger/Writer, and award-winning home chef. She loves creating unique recipes from healthy to decadent including cocktails, appetizers, main dishes, dessert recipes and more and has appeared on various shows, publications, and websites.
Just wondering if strawberry poppers can be prepared ahead of time and how to store them
They’re best the same day but if you need to make ahead I would make the biscuits ahead and store in a covered container and same with strawberries. Then just assemble shortly before serving. If the Pop Rocks are out for awhile they won’t “pop” so best to assemble as close to serving as possible.
Now when you said poppers, I had no idea they really “popped.” What a darling idea! I’d love to do these for 4th of July!