We're scone fiends around here. They never last more than a day or two, but usually, they're gone the same day they come out of the oven. These Chocolate Chip Scones are a particular favorite, but we also love the Lemon Blueberry Scones, Maple Pecan Scones, Gluten-Free Sourdough Scones, and now - these fantastic Gluten-Free Vegan Vanilla Scones.
Scones don't have to be the dry, crumbly things you most likely remember from the coffee shop down the street. When a scone is good, it's a teeny bit crumbly, yes, but also moist, flavorful, tender, and melts in your mouth a little bit. It's a treat, perfect for pairing with coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or ice cream if you're feeling sassy.
The ingredients for these Vegan Vanilla Scones are simple, and the recipe comes together quickly. You just need one bowl and about ten minutes, and the dough is ready! Let's get into it.
What ingredients do I need?
- Almond Flour: for fabulous texture and a slightly nutty flavor! Make sure to use blanched almond flour, not almond meal.
- Tapioca Flour or Arrowroot Flour: these work interchangeably here, and provide a lightness to the scones.
- Coconut Sugar: for sweetness! You can use another granulated sweetener if you prefer, but don't substitute with a liquid sweetener, like honey or maple syrup.
- Baking Powder & Salt: for fluff and flavor!
- Vanilla Bean Powder: one of my favorite ingredients for bold vanilla flavor! You can also use a scraped vanilla bean if you prefer.
- Coconut Oil: this is our fat! Make sure it's cold, or at least firm, when using it in this recipe. Place in the refrigerator if it has been melted or soft at room temperature. You can also use vegan butter.
- Coconut Milk: this helps bring things together. Full-fat works best, but if you don't have any on hand, any kind of dairy-free milk will work here.
- Flax Egg: helps with keeping our scones together, but if you're not vegan, you can use a regular egg instead.
- Vanilla Extract: for a double dose of vanilla goodness!!
How do I make these Vegan Vanilla Scones?
These Vanilla Bean Scones are easy to make! We love that. Just one bowl, and about fifteen minutes, and the dough is all mixed together.
If you've made traditional scones before, or made a pie crust, this recipe is similar in preparation.
First, you'll combine all the dry ingredients and mix them together. Then, you'll use a pastry cutter or food processor to cut the cold coconut oil into the dry ingredients, looking for small pea-sized bits when you're done. You don't want the coconut oil completely incorporated, because those little bits of fat give us a wonderful light, tender texture.
Then, you'll whisk together your flax egg and coconut milk, and stir into the dry ingredients. Stir gently, as we don't want to completely mix in those coconut oil bits. You should have a shaggy dough that just comes together.
Once your dough is ready, press it into an 8″ round and wrap it in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up the fat, and then you can cut into 8 wedges.
Brush with coconut milk, sprinkle with Turbinado sugar for extra sparkle if desired, and bake!
Once they're golden, they're ready to eat! You can eat the gluten-free vanilla scones plain as-is, or make a vegan vanilla bean glaze to drizzle all over the top.
Don't forget the vegan vanilla bean glaze!
This one is made with one of my favorite vegan icing ingredients: coconut butter! I love for this recipe because it firms up nicely, similarly to an icing sugar glaze, and doesn't impart too much coconut flavor.
When we mix it up with vanilla bean powder, maple syrup, and a little dairy-free milk, it makes for a wonderful vegan, refined sugar-free icing recipe. Of course, if you're not as worried about the refined sugar, you can also make a simple powdered sugar icing to top these scones.
How many scones does this recipe make?
This recipe will make 8 standard-sized scones. If you prefer, you can make smaller scones. In that case, you'll get between 16-20, depending on how you cut them.
What's the best way to store them?
I like keeping these vegan vanilla scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. If you won't eat them in that time, they can stay in the fridge in an airtight for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months if wrapped really well!
Tips and tricks for the best vegan vanilla scones?
- Don't work the fat into the dry ingredients too much. Those little bits of coconut oil help make the scones tender and flaky, and mixing the fat in too much will hinder that amazing texture. I recommend using a pastry cutter to make this process quick and easy.
- Don't over-mix once the dough has come together, either. Again, we want to keep those little pockets of fat in play, so bring the dough together just enough to hold, without over-mixing. It should be a little shaggy and not totally smooth.
- Don't skip the chill time! It helps the coconut oil in the dough to re-solidify, making lovely layers and a flaky texture when they hit the oven.
- Brush the tops with coconut milk before baking. This helps them develop a lovely golden-brown crust.
