Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Scones (Vegan)

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These Gluten-Free Scones are moist and fluffy, sweet and fruity, and rich and "buttery"! They're packed with juicy blueberries and lemon flavour, and are vegan and refined sugar free too. They're great for dessert, breakfast, brunch or a snack.

Four triangular gluten-free blueberry scones topped with lemon wedges on a sheet of brown baking paper

These Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Blueberry Scones are easy to make, come together in one bowl and much healthier than the traditional version. Perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, baby showers, bridal showers and anything else in between!

What is the difference between American and British scones?

These Lemon Blueberry Scones are American scones, which are quite different from British scones. Here are the main differences between American and British scones:

1. The shape: American scones are triangular, British scones are circular.

2. The way they’re baked: American scones are made by making a round shape with the dough and cutting before baking, whereas British scones are made by cutting out individual circles from the dough.

3. Add-ins: American scones usually include add-ins like fresh fruit, whereas British scones are usually plain or contain a small amount of dried fruit such as currants.

4. The way they’re eaten: British scones are sliced in half and eaten with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Should scones be hard or soft?

Scones should be firmer than cakes or cupcakes but not as hard as cookies. They should be fairly firm but fluffy on the outside - a similar texture to American biscuits.

Why are my gluten-free scones dry?

If you’re having trouble with your gluten-free scones being too dry or crumbly, things that you should focus on are:

1. The amount of oil - too little oil can make them too dry, but too much can make them crumbly.
2. The type of gluten-free flour you’re using.
3. Although xanthan gum does help with gluten-free baking, I don’t think it’s necessary to use for this gluten-free scones recipe.
4. The consistency of the dough/the amount of milk you use - if the dough is dry, the scones will be even drier!

What is the function of milk in scones?

You’ll probably notice that this recipe calls for a lot more milk than a traditional scone recipe. The dough for gluten-free vegan scones should be firm enough to easily mould into shape, but it will be a little softer than a traditional scone dough. This is because gluten-free flour soaks up much more moisture than normal wheat flour, so you’ll need the dough to be slightly softer otherwise the resulting scones will be dry.

How do you freshen up scones?

You can slice them in half and put them in the toaster (or keep them whole and put them in an oven toaster if you have them). You could spread over some coconut oil/coconut butter or vegan butter.

Top tips for making perfect fluffy gluten-free vegan scones

They should be slightly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
They should have a rich, buttery flavour, but shouldn’t be too greasy - if you add too much oil they’ll turn out more like cookies.
They often taste better with some fruit baked in, as this adds extra flavour and moisture.
Make sure the dough isn’t too firm as that will make the scones too dry.
But also make sure the dough isn’t too wet as that will make it hard to shape.
I’d recommend adding the plant-based milk a little at a time until you get a soft dough that’s still firm enough to easily mould into a shape - stop adding milk if the dough is already too soft.
If the dough is too dry to combine or very hard after you’ve added all the milk, add a little extra plant-based milk, as otherwise the scones won’t rise as much and won’t be fluffy.
Make sure you use enough baking powder - using too little will make them very dense instead of fluffy.
Be careful not to over-bake them as this will make them too dry!

How to make this recipe

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

Mix together all the ingredients for the dough in a glass mixing bowl.

Tip: Use a measuring jug to measure out the plant-based milk.

Raw gluten-free scones dough with blueberries in a mixing bowl

Once you’ve made the dough, all you need to do is get a rectangular baking tray lined with greased baking paper, and use your hands to create an elongated circular shape.

Tip: You can use a rolling pin, but I like to avoid floured surfaces and all the faff that comes along with that, so I prefer to just use my hands as it’s easier. You can use a floured rolling pin if you like, but there’s no need to use a floured surface as the baking paper works to stop the dough from sticking.

Once you’ve got that circular shape, just use a knife to carve lines into the surface of the dough - it's kind of like cutting a pizza, but don't cut it all the way through to the bottom!

Tip: This is because they come out fluffier when baked pressed together!

Raw gluten-free blueberry scone dough on a sheet of brown baking paper

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Four triangular gluten-free blueberry scones bunched together on a sheet of brown baking paper

Leave to cool slightly then slice them into separate pieces.

Substitutions you can make

You can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil.
You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc.
You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
You can use plain flour, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour or spelt flour instead of the gluten-free flour if you’re not gluten-free.
You can replace the ground almonds (almond meal) with ground walnuts or ground sunflower seeds.
For a nut-free version: use ground sunflower seeds instead of ground almonds and a nut-free plant-based milk.
You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries.

Flavour substitutions you can make

If you’re not into blueberries, you can replace them with a similar fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or cherries.
You can replace the fresh fruit with dried fruit instead, such as dried cranberries, raisins or sultanas, chopped dates, dried mango, dried papaya or dried pineapple.
You can make pumpkin scones instead!

Serving suggestions

These Gluten-Free Blueberry Scones work well as part of a brunch (especially for an occasion like Easter or Mother’s Day!) and would pair well with other treats like:

How long do these keep for?

Theses scones do taste best on the day they’re made, but can be stored covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

Can you freeze them?

Yes - they keep well in the freezer for up to a few months. You can defrost them by leaving them to thaw at room temperature.

Can you make these ahead of time?

Yes - but, as they do taste best fresh, for optimum results I’d recommend freezing them and warming them up in the oven on the day you want to eat them.

Three gluten-free blueberry scones topped with lemon wedges on a sheet of brown baking paper

More gluten-free vegan blueberry desserts

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Watch how to make this recipe

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